My Emmaleen Poem by George Ade

Let de boat swing down de ribber;
Ah! swing, ah! swing away!
Can't afford to leave mah only,
So heah I'm gwine to stay.
All de coons along de water-front am tryin'
Foh to steal mah Emmaleen,
To dislocate mah happy home
And grab dis yellow queen.

REFRAIN

Lovey, my dovey dove
Ham-bone can't compaih.
Peppehmint and wintergreen
Not so sweet as Emmaleen.

I can say to all mah troubles,
'Ah! fly, ah! fly away!'
When I'm sitting by mah only,
That's whah I'd like to stay.
Got a voice as sweet as New Ohleans molasses
An' I'll gamble you ain't seen
Such incandescent 'lectric eyes
As those of Emmaleen.