USA broadside ballad 'Oh Rip Tare, My Johnny’s Gone Away' c. 1860

$110.00 CAD

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Civil War era broadside sheet, song by woman giving advice about men. African-American ballad.

Little detail found, but there is a song in Bob Hart’s Plantation Songster named ‘Rip Tare My Johnny’ from 1850s.

Oh Rip Tare, MY JOHNNY’S Gone Away

Oh, listen, fair ladies of this here town,

To a few words that I have got to say:

Never build your affections on any young man,

For fear that he might run away;

And then you'd be like a big sunflower,

Born in the merry month of spring.

When the birds begin to sing,

Oh, you'd begin to say:

Oh, rip tare, my Johnny's gone away!

Chorus: Oh, thick lip, crooked stick,

Up again, and kiss me quick;

Oh, rip tare, my Johnny's gone away!

Oh, King Philip's daughter was a very nice young gal

And she always kept ber eyes skinned about her;

For she said: young men had a very loving way,

That they'd win you, and then they would scout you,

And then they would, all, on you look

From a roguish or glimmer looking eye,

And when they'd begin to sing,

Oh, you'd begin to say:

Oh, rip tare, my Johnny's gone avay!

Chorus: Oh, thick lip, c.

Oh, listen, fair Ladies of Bloomer hat creation,

To a few more words I've got to say:

That's be a little careful how you chuck yourself around,

For, you might accidently chuck yourself away,

And then you'd go clean up in the sky,

Like Johnny Anderson's big balloon,

You'd arrive in California

By the gas-light of the Moon,

And, a rip tare, you'd meet your Johnny there.

Chorus: Oh, thick lip, c.

Decorated at top by black puttis, on left African-American man playing a banjo, on right African-American woman doing some task

Red stamp at top of the publisher ‘FROM T.C. BOYD, 228 Montgomery San Francisco’

In bottom border ‘H. DE MARSAN, Dealer in Songs, Toy-Books &c. No. 54 Chatham N.Y.’

Toned on borders, paper bits missing bottom border

10 ⅛” x 6 ⅝”

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