Lyrics:
Way down yonder where I was born,
On de banks by de ribber side,
I used to go and come by de sound ob de horn,
On de banks by de ribber side.
Dar was one day dat we love best
On de banks by de ribber side,
'Twas good old Sunday, de day ob rest,
On de banks by de ribber side.
chorus:
Den Ise gwin back again,
Soon I'll be back again,
I left sister Sue and ole missus too,
On de banks by de ribber side,
Dar was ole Uncle Ben and my sister Sue
On de banks by de ribber side,
Along wid de rest ob de Christian crew,
On de banks by de ribber side;
Dey would meet us dar at de break ob day,
On de banks by de ribber side,
To hear what de preacher was gwine for to say
On de banks by de ribber side.
I went to de church and I climed dat steeple,
On de banks by de ribber side,
So I could look down on all dem people
On de banks by de ribber side;
I looked way ober on de mountain top
On de banks by de ribber side,
I seen dem angels' wings gwine flip up and flop,
On de banks by de ribber side.
A copy of the 1881 sheet music for the song (giving the title as “On de Banks by de Ribber Side”) is held in the United States Library of Congress collection “Music for the Nation: American Sheet Music, 1870-1885” and may be viewed online at loc.gov
