Molasses to rum to slaves
Oh, what a beautiful waltz
You dance with us, we dance with you
In molasses and run and slaves
Who sail the ships out of Boston
Laden with bibles and rum
Who drinks a toast
To the Ivory Coast
"Hail Africa, the slavers have come"
New England with Bibles and rum
And it's off with the rum and the Bibles
Take on the slaves, clink clink
Then hail and farewell to the smell
Of the African coast
Molasses to rum to slaves
'Tisn't morals, 'tis money that saves
Shall we dance to the sound
Of the profitable pound
In molasses and rum and slaves
Who sail the ships out of Guinea
Laden with Bibles and slaves
'Tis Boston can boast
To the West Indies coast
"Jamaica, we brung what ye craves"
Antigua, Barbados
We brung Bibles and slaves
(Gentlemen, you mustn't think our Northern friends merely see our black slaves as figures on the ledger. Oh, no, sir. They see them as figures on the block. Watch the faces at the auctions, gentlemen. White faces on African wharves. "Put them in the ships. Cram them in the ships. Stuff them in the ships." Hurry, gentlemen! Let the auction begin!)
Ya-ha!
Ya-ha-ma-cundah!
(Gentlemen, do you hear? That's the cry of the auctioneer.)
Ya-ha
Ya-ha-ma-cundah!
(Slaves, gentlemen! Black gold. Living gold. Gold from:)
Angola
Guinea, Guinea, Guinea
Blackbirds for sale!
Ashanti
Ibo, Ibo, Ibo, Ibo
(Look at the faces in the crowd, gentlemen. White faces. New England faces. Seafaring faces. Faces from:)
Nantucket
Boston, Boston, Boston
Blackbirds for sale!
Handle them, fondle them
But don't finger them!
They're prime! They're prime!
Ya-ha
Ya-ha-ma-cundah!
Molasses to rum to slaves
Who sail the ships back to Boston
Laden with gold, see it gleam
Whose fortunes are made
In the triangle trade
Hail slavery, the New England dream
Mr. Adams, I give you a toast
Hail Boston
Hail Charleston
Who stinketh the most?
