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Asked the old black man
Why does my hero cry?
Old black man replied
It's my heart that aches

I used to be a good lantern
I was a carter and a cowboy
I've cleared a lot of bush
And plowed a lot of land

With care, I carried
My boss's children
In return for what I did
I only received ingratitude

Asked the old black man
Why does my hero cry?
Old black man replied
It's my heart that aches

I always called him sir
Who treated me with a whip
I saved the boss from snakes
When it was time to strike

I was always the wood
And the boss was the saw
I suffered more than an old ox
With the yoke on my neck

Asked the old black man
Why does my hero cry?
Old black man replied
It's my heart that aches

I extracted gold from the earth
My boss made his ring
But now I'm old
And my boss is crueler

He's sending me away
I'll live from hand to mouth
All that's left for me is to wait
For the reward from heaven