Milly Biggers
Published in Negro Folk Rhymes by Thomas W.Talley, 1922. Recorded with Katherine Davis on Bound to Go.
A stirring variant of "Jenny Jenkins."
"Oh will you wear red, oh will you wear red,
Oh will you wear red, Milly Biggers?"
"I won't wear red, it's too much like Missus' head
I'll wear me a cotton dress, dyed with copperse and oak bark."
"Oh will you wear blue, oh will you wear blue,
Oh will you wear blue, Millly Biggers?"
"I won't wear blue, it's too much like Missus' shoe
I'll wear me a cotton dress, dyed with copperse and oak bark."
"Oh will you wear grey, Oh will you wear grey,
Oh will you wear grey, Milly Biggers?"
"I won't wear grey, it's too much like Missus' way
I'll wear me a cotton dress, dyed with copperse and oak bark."
"Oh will you wear white, Oh will you wear white,
Oh will you wear white, Milly Biggers?"
"I won't wear white, I'd get dirty long 'fore night
I'll wear me a cotton dress, dyed with copperse and oak bark."
"Oh will you wear black, Oh will you wear black,
Oh will you wear black, Milly Biggers?"
"I might wear black, 'cause it's the color of my back
And it looks like my cotton dress, dyed with copperse and oak bark."