I never see de like since I been born, When a big black sailor wid his sea boots on, says
Johnny come down to Hi-lo, Poor old man! Oh wake her, oh shake her, Oh wake dat gal wid de blue dress on! When Johnny comes down to Hilo, Poor old man!
I lub a little gal across de sea; She's a 'Badian beauty, and she says to me: Oh, was you ebber down in Mobile Bay, Where dey screws cotton on a summer day? Did you ebber see de old plantation boss, And de long-tailed filly and de big black hoss? I never see de like since I been born, When a big black sailor wid his sea boots on.

This shanty has the hallmark pace of many “negro shanties”.

Hilo and its Bay are on the eastern coast of the largest Hawaiian island.

Badian = Barbadian, a native of Barbados.

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