Identifier	mdbv130
Title	Hark! baby, hark!
Transcript	HARK! BABY, HARK! Words by E. Harrigan. Music by D Braham. Sung in Ed. Harrigan's Great Play; "Mulligan Guard's Surprise." Hark! baby, hark! The bond'sman [sic] is moaning, My poor wife is lying at the door; The darkies tears am wringing, Taking all de lashes, Pray let my baby die and go. Chorus. - One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve o'clock; If there's any place in Heaven for poor black slaves, Pray let my baby die and go. Hark! baby, hark! The bond'sman [sic] is moaning, The whipping all done, see de blood flow; If dar's any place hereafter For no more groaning, Pray let my baby die and go. - Cho. Hark; baby, hark! Your mamma is dying, For saving her child from master's blow; Oh, cruel, cruel Slavery, Thousands am a cryin', Pray let d'ar babies die and go. - Cho. Wm. J. Schmidt, 360 Mulberry Street, Baltimore. Publisher of American, English, Irish, Dutch, Sailor, Soldier, Negro, Comic, Humerous [sic], College, Sentimental, Social and Religious, Choic [sic] Seelected [sic] Standard Songs.
Publisher (Original)	William J. Schmidt
Subject	Braham, David, 1838-1905 Broadsides Harrigan, Edward, 1844-1911 Harrigan & Hart Hart, Tony, 1855-1891 Irish Americans Slavery
Description	Document containing the broadside entitled "Hark! Baby, hark!" This broadside tells the story of a slave woman who is dying from a whipping she received while trying to protect her child from the cruel blows of her master. Her husband recounts the story, praying that Providence takes children born into slavery up to heaven instead of letting them grow up as slaves. The song is from the play entitled "Mulligan Guard's Surprise" one of a series of plays written by Harrigan & Hart, with music by David Braham, about an Irish American social club called the Mulligan Guard. These plays portrayed, with both humor and pathos, the life of Irish immigrants living in New York's Lower East Side in the latter half of the 19th century. And though the focus was on the Irish, each story was filled with a racially and ethnically diverse group of characters and viewpoints. The title and all of the verses are displayed within a decorative border. Above the border to the right, stamped in maroon ink, are the words "Enoch Pratt Free Library" and, below them, "MARYLAND DEPT."
Publisher (Electronic Version)	Enoch Pratt Free Library
Holding Institution	Enoch Pratt Free Library
Date Original	ca. 1880
Date Digital	2004-01-23
Type	Text
Format	Digital reproduction of 1-page document, 25 x 16 cm.
Source	Maryland Department, Broadside Verses
Relation	Is Part Of the Maryland Department Broadside Verses Collection Is Part Of the Maryland Digital Cultural Heritage Program
Coverage	1871-1880
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