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Inscribed to Isadora Bennett
LET the singer train the audience to roar like lions, and to join in the refrain:—“Go chain the lions down,” before he begins to lead them in this jazz. | |
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Beginning with a strain of Dixie.
Darius the Mede was a king and a wonder. | |
| His eye was proud, and his voice was thunder. | |
| He kept bad lions in a monstrous den. | |
| He fed up the lions on Christian men. | 5 |
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With a touch of Alexander’s ragtime band.
Daniel was the chief hired man of the land. | |
| He stirred up the jazz in the palace band. | |
| He whitewashed the cellar. He shovelled in the coal. | |
| And Daniel kept a-praying:—“Lord save my soul.” | |
| Daniel kept a-praying:—“Lord save my soul.” | 10 |
| Daniel kept a-praying:—“Lord save my soul.” | |
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| Daniel was the butler, swagger and swell. | |
| He ran up stairs. He answered the bell. | |
| And he would let in whoever came a-calling:— | |
| Saints so holy, scamps so appalling. | 15 |
| “Old man Ahab leaves his card. | |
| Elisha and the bears are a-waiting in the yard. | |
| Here comes Pharo and his snakes a-calling. | |
| Here comes Cain and his wife a-calling— | |
| Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego for tea. | 20 |
| Here comes Jonah and the whale, and the sea. | |
| Here comes St. Peter and his fishing pole. | |
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| Here comes Judas and his silver a-calling. | |
| Here comes old Beelzebub a-calling.” | |
| And Daniel kept a-praying:—“Lord save my soul.” | 25 |
| Daniel kept a-praying:—“Lord save my soul.” | |
| Daniel kept a-praying:—“Lord save my soul.” | |
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| His sweetheart and his mother were Christian and meek. | |
| They washed and ironed for Darius every week. | |
| One Thursday he met them at the door:— | 30 |
| Paid them as usual, but acted sore. | |
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| He said:—“Your Daniel is a dead little pigeon. | |
| He’s a good hard worker, but he talks religion.” | |
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| And he showed them Daniel in the lion’s cage. | |
| Daniel standing quietly, the lions in a rage. | 35 |
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| His good old mother cried:— | |
| “Lord save him.” | |
| And Daniel’s tender sweetheart cried:— | |
| “Lord save him.” | |
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| And she was a golden lily in the dew. | 40 |
| And she was as sweet as an apple on the tree. | |
| And she was as fine as a melon in the corn-field, | |
| Gliding and lovely as a ship on the sea, | |
| Gliding and lovely as a ship on the sea. | |
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| And she prayed to the Lord:— | 45 |
| “Send Gabriel. Send Gabriel.” | |
| King Darius said to the lions:— | |
| “Bite Daniel. Bite Daniel. | |
| Bite him. Bite him. Bite him.” | |
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Here the audience roars with the leader.
Thus roared the lions:— | 50 |
| “We want Daniel, Daniel, Daniel, | |
| We want Daniel, Daniel, Daniel. | |
| Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr | |
| Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.” | |
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| And Daniel did not frown, | 55 |
| Daniel did not cry. | |
| He kept on looking at the sky. | |
| And the Lord said to Gabriel:— | |
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The audience sings this with the leader, to the old negro tune.
“Go chain the lions down, | |
| Go chain the lions down. | 60 |
| Go chain the lions down. | |
| Go chain the lions down.” | |
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| And Gabriel chained the lions, | |
| And Gabriel chained the lions, | |
| And Gabriel chained the lions, | 65 |
| And Daniel got out of the den, | |
| And Daniel got out of the den, | |
| And Daniel got out of the den. | |
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| And Darius said:—“You’re a Christian child, | |
| Darius said:—“You’re a Christian child, | 70 |
| Darius said:—“You’re a Christian child,” | |
| And gave him his job again, | |
| And gave him his job again, | |
| And gave him his job again. | |
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