Mama, please brush off my coat,
I'm going down the street.
Where're you going, daughter?
To see my sugar-sweet.
Who is your sugar, honey?
Turn around -- I'll brush behind.
He is that young man, mama,
I can't get off my mind.
Daughter, once upon a time --
Let me brush the hem --
Your father, yes he was the one!
I felt like that about him.
But it was a long time ago
He up and went his way.
I hope that wild young son-of-a-gun
Rots in hell today!
Mama, dad couldn't still be young.
He was young yesterday.
He was young when he --
Turn around!
So I can brush your back, I say!
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Text Authorship:
- by Langston Hughes (1902 - 1967), "Mother and Daughter", appears in One-Way Ticket, first published 1949 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Elie Siegmeister (1909 - 1991), "Mama and Daughter", 1964, published 1975 [ high voice and piano ], from Madam to You, no. 3 [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2008-09-07
Line count: 21
Word count: 112