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"Boll Weevil," Lyrics, Text Format

Mastering the asending perfect fourth (P4) So/Do,
with a descending tonic arpeggio.

Description

  • Grade: Second
  • Origin: USA – Texas Sharecropper Ballad
  • Key: F Major 
  • Time: 4/4
  • Form: AB – Verse/Refrain
  • Rhythm: intermediate: | ta ti ti ta ta |
    | ti ti ta ta ti ti | ta ta ta ta | ta/a (ta) ta |
    | ta ta (ta) ti ti | ti ti ti ti ta ta |
    | ta ti ti ti ti ti ti | (ta) ti ti ti ti ti ti | ta/a/a/a |
  • Pitches: beginners: So La Ti Do Re Mi
  • Intervals: intermediate: So/Do, Do\So, Do/Mi,
    Mi\Do\So tonic arpeggio, So/Ti, So/Re,
  • Musical Elements: notes: whole, half, quarter, eight; rests: quarter; melodic rhythm patterns, descending tonic arpeggio 
  • Key Words: USA history, Texas, Mexico, sharecroppers, blues, cotton farming, merchant, insects, animal science, black bug, square (plant), family, farmer, mighty, lump, ice, cool, nice, Ford, machine, gasoline, cotton dress, meat, meal, field, bale of cotton, jail

 

“Boll Weevil”

1. Oh the boll weevil is a little black bug, come from Mexico they say;
Come all the way to Texas, Just a looking for a place to stay.

Refrain

2. The first time I seen the boll weevil, He was sitting on the square,
The next time I seen the boll weevil had all of his family there.

Refrain

3. The farmer took the boll weevil, and he put him in the hot sand;
The weevil said, “This is mighty hot, but I’ll stand it like a man.”

Refrain

4. The farmer took the boll weevil, and he put him on a lump of ice;
The weevil said to the farmer, “This is mighty cool and nice.”

Refrain

5. The boll weevil said to the farmer, “You can ride in that Ford machine.”
But when I get through with your cotton, can’t buy no gasoline.”

Refrain

6. The merchant got half the cotton, the boll weevil got the rest,
Didn’t leave the farmer’s wife but one old cotton dress.

Refrain

7. The farmer said to the merchant, “We’re in an awful fix,
The boll weevil ate all the cotton, up and left us only sticks,”

Refrain

8. The farmer said to the merchant, “I want some meat and meal,”
“Get away from here you son of a gun, you got weevils in your field.

Refrain

9. The farmer said to the merchant, “We ain’t made but one bale,
And before we give you that one, we’ll fight and go to jail.”

Refrain

Additional Formats (click to enlarge)
music
"Boll Weevil," Music Format
beats
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rhythm
Click to Enlarge: "Boll Weevil," Rhythm Format
pitch numbers
Click to Enlarge: "Boll Weevil," Pitch Number Format
solfeggio
Click to Enlarge: "Boll Weevil," Solfeggio Format
letter names
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