Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

MISS LIZA'S BANJER by DANIEL WEBSTER DAVIS

First Line: HI! MISS LIZA'S GOT ER BANJER
Last Line: MUST FUST BE IN DE SOUL.
Subject(s): BANJOS; MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS;
Hi! Miss Liza's got er banjer;
Lemme see it, ef yo' please!
Now don' dat thing look pooty,
A-layin' 'cross yer kneeze,
Wid all dem lubly ribbins,
An' silber trimmin's roun'.
Now, mistis, please jes' tetch it,
To lemme hear de soun'.

'Scuze me, mistis, but dar's sumfin'
De matter wid dem strings;
I notis it don' zackly
Gib de proper kinder ring;
An' den de way yo' hol' it
Ain't lik' yo' orter do.
Now, mistis, won't yo' lemme
Jes' try a chune fur yo'?

Now lis'n to de diffunce;
I'se got the thing in chune,
An' de music's lik' de breezes
Dat fills de air in June.
Fur a banjer's lik' a 'ooman --
Ef she's chuned de proper pitch,
She'll gib yo' out de music
Dat's sof', melojus, rich.

But when yo' fail to chune her,
Or to strike de proper string,
Yo' kin no more git de music,
Den mek' a kat-bird sing.
An' 'taint always de fixin's
Dat makes a 'ooman bes',
But de kind ub wood she's made un
Is de thing to stan' de tes'.

I s'pose yer plays yer music
Jes' lik' yo' hab it wrote,
Or -- what is dat yo' call it --
A-playin' by de note?
Yo' kin fill yer head wid music
Ez full ez it kin hol',
But yo' nebber gwine ter play it
'Tell yo' gits it in yer soul.

T'ain't de proper notes dat makes yo'
Feel lik' yo' wants to cry,
But de soul dat's in de music
Dat lif's yo' up on high;
An' 'taint always de larnin',
'Do' a splendid thing, I kno',
Dat lif's de low an' 'umble
To higher things belo'.

Keep larnin', den, Miss Liza,
An' when yo' wants ter know
Ef yo' kin play de banjer,
Jes' kum to Uncle Joe;
Jes' fill yer head wid music,
Ez full ez it kin hol'
But de music from de banjer
Must fust be in de soul.



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