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The Worlds of Gilbert and Sullivan

Oh Dem Golden Slippers was written in 1879 by James Bland, a black American born in 1854. He attended a Washington High School and studied law in Howard University. During this time he learned to play the banjo¹. At university he met a number of ex-slaves who were working on the campus. He was fascinated by their exuberant and professional musical style and gave up his studies to 'black up' and perform as a minstrel². This was an extraordinary stage requirement at the time, achieved by using burnt cork! He performed this way for many minstrel troops.

James then made his way to Europe in 1881, and abandoned the burnt cork makeup. He wrote at least 600 songs for himself and other minstrels, some of them stolen and published by others. The musical style glances back to the Negro spiritual, and simultaneously points forward to ragtime and the jazz era. He died penniless in America in 1911. In 1940 his song Carry Me Back to Old Virginny was adopted as the state song of Virginia. 

Oh Dem Golden Slippers
(Short Intro . . .)

Oh my Golden Slippers am laid away,
Kase I don't 'spect to wear 'em till my weddin' day,
And my long-tail'd coat, dat I loved so well,
I will wear up in de chariot in de morn;
And my long white robe dat I bought last June,
I'm gwine to git changed Kase it fits too soon,
And de ole grey hoss dat I used to drive,
I will hitch him to de chariot in de morn.

SATB Chorus . . .
Very Quietly: Oh, dem golden slippers!
Oh, dem golden slippers!
Golden slippers I'm gwine to wear,
Becase dey look so neat;
Oh, dem golden slippers!
Oh, dem golden slippers!
Golden slippers I'se gwine to wear,
To walk de golden street . . .

Let her go! Oh, dem golden slippers!
Oh, dem golden slippers!
Golden slippers I'm gwine to wear,
Becase dey look so neat;
Oh, dem golden slippers!
Oh, dem golden slippers!
Golden slippers I'se gwine to wear,
To walk de golden street . . .

(No real Interlude . . .)
Oh, my old banjo hangs on de wall,
Kase it aint been turned since way last fall,
But de darks all say we will hab a good time,
When we ride up in de chariot in de morn;
Dars ole Brudder Ben and Sister Luce,
Dey will telegraph de news to Uncle Bacco Juice,
What a great camp meeting der will be dat day,
When we ride up in de chariot in de morn.

SATB Chorus . . .
Very Quietly: Oh, dem golden slippers!
Oh, dem golden slippers!
Golden slippers I'm gwine to wear,
Becase dey look so neat;
Oh, dem golden slippers!
Oh, dem golden slippers!
Golden slippers I'se gwine to wear,
To walk de golden street . . .

Let her go! Oh, dem golden slippers!
Oh, dem golden slippers!
Golden slippers I'm gwine to wear,
Becase dey look so neat;
Oh, dem golden slippers!
Oh, dem golden slippers!
Golden slippers I'se gwine to wear,
To walk de golden street . . .

(No real Interlude . . .)
So, it's goodbye, children, I will have to go,
Whar de rain don't fall or de wind don't blow,
And yer ulster coats, why, yer will not need,
When yer ride up in de chariot in de morn;
But yer golden slippers must be nice and clean,
And yer age must be Just sweet sixteen,
And yer white kid gloves yer will have to wear,
When you ride up in de chariot in de morn.

SATB Chorus . . .
Very Quietly: Oh, dem golden slippers!
Oh, dem golden slippers!
Golden slippers I'm gwine to wear,
Becase dey look so neat;
Oh, dem golden slippers!
Oh, dem golden slippers!
Golden slippers I'se gwine to wear,
To walk de golden street . . .

All together now, Let her go!: 
Oh, dem golden slippers!
Oh, dem golden slippers!
Golden slippers I'm gwine to wear,
Becase dey look so neat;
Oh, dem golden slippers!
Oh, dem golden slippers!
Golden slippers I'se gwine to wear,
To walk de golden street . . .

It's real toe-tapping music isn't it? And the compound meanings in the lyrics are worth a moment or two of extra contemplation. Hope you enjoyed our arrangement of James' great Negro-Minstrels' song. It would make an excellent tune for a character dance wouldn't it? Worth another go? Yes, it would be super to fit all those words into the right musical slots - practice makes perfect . . .!

And now, ladies and gentlemen, take your partners to hear what happened - After the Ball from that ever-shining star Vesta Tilley . . .

1.    Footnote: The origins of the banjo (a fretless stringed instrument based on the guitar) are obscure. It was thought to originate in Africa but may have arrived there via Arab traders. It usually has five or six strings, with a belly of parchment stretched over a backless hoop. The Negroes adopted it and took it to America, where it became their own highly valued instrument in jazz bands. The banjo was originally a four-stringed instrument constructed from a gourd. Later Joel Sweeney built one using a cheese box cut in half. Despite his best efforts to keep this secret, this type of instrument soon became a vital part of the minstrel's act.   Return to story.

2.    Footnote: Minstrels' bands usually consisted of: first and foremost the banjo, then there were the bones (clapper-bones or trombones?) both probably, also the tambourine and the violin (fiddle). Return to story.

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