Ain't no more cane on the brazos
Derek RA, 1964
Well there ain't no more cane on the brazoes
Oh, oh-oh, oh-o-oh,
They ground it all up for molasses
Oh, oh-oh, oh-o-oh.
Well Captain don't you treat me like you did old shine
Well you drove that bully till he went stone blind
Rise up old dead man help me drive my row
Well there's some on the building and there's some on the farm
Theres some in the ground and they ain't coming home
Well wake up o life man lift your nappy head
Well you may get your pardon and you may drop dead
From New Horizon again - another song that is good for singing loudly. Together. More or less.
I confess itis mostly for my benefit that it's here at all.
About
A work song, perhaps from southern Texas. There is a river there called the Brazos; and there is a patch where sugar cane is grown; and chain gangs / prisoners were set to work chopping cane - an unpleasant job, and dangerous for more than one reason to your health and ultimately your life.
It is often credited to Leadbelly, since he sang it a lot. Perhaps that's correct. Then again perhaps not.
A work song maybe.