The Darktown Nine

E. B. Mason, in “The Princeton Tiger”

WASHINGTON JOHNSON LELAND FINE

Were de capt’in ob de Darktown nine;

An’ de Darktown nine, ’twixt yo’ an’ me,

Were de bestest nine yo’ eber did see.

De principlest game dey had to play

Were with the Giants from Hamtown way.

An’ dey wanted to win dat game so bad,

An’ dey betted all de money dey had,

An’ dey asked de girls to see dem play,

An’ watch de Darktowns win de day.

Fifteen innings wid nevah ah sco’;

Dey played der hardest, an’ even mo’.

When de Hamtown capt’in made a hit,

An’ de Hamtown ’habitants had a fit,

An’ de Hamtown pitcher brought him in,

An’ dat was where dere grief begin.

Wid two men out in de second half,

’Mid de Darktown’s ’habitants low-down chaff,

Wid one man on bases, an’ he on first,

A low-down niggah by name of Thirst,

De Darktown capt’in came to bat,

An’ dusted de base off wid his hat.

“Strike one!” yelled de umpire. I thought I’d faint,

An’ only murmured, “Oh, no, it ain’t.”

“Strike two!” I heard without surprise,

An’ den I just done close my eyes,

When—bang!—it sounded like a gun,

Our capt’in knocked a clean home run.

Washington Johnson Leland Fine

Were de capt’in ob de Darktown nine.

An’ de Darktown nine, ’twixt yo’ an’ me,

Were de bestest nine yo’ eber did see.