GOOD mo'nin', deah ole Mistus!
I's ole Rastus done come back!
An' so dreful glad ter see you
I's weepin', fo' a fac'.
An' when you hears de story
Dat I 's a-gwine ter tell,
You' blessed heart I reckon
Will jes begin ter swell
Lake my ole heart's a-swellin' ter see you' blessed face,
A-smilin' me a welcome back ter de deah ole place.
Down dar's de ole log-cabin, wha' I was bo'n an' growed;
An' dars de ribbah flowin' jes lake it allus flowed;

Wiv barefoot piccaninnies gwine down ter hab a swim;
But dey don't know ole Rastus, dey nebbah heared o' him.
But in de woods down yon'er by de ole persimmon tree,
You bet some ole fat possum done got his eye on me.

I hears de wattah-million jes a-laughin' at dis coon!
Dey knows ole Rastus' failin': he gwine plunk 'em mighty soon.
One mule begin ter hollah, an' den de whole blame pack: —
" Ole Rastus! Rastus! Rastus! 'Mancipation done come back! "

But things don't look right thrifty aroun' de place jes now;
Is dat because de mawster ain't heah ter show 'em how?
An' is it true ole Mistus — dat you done lost you' hold
Upon de ole plantation, till now it's gwine be sold?

Not ef you heahs ole Rastus; now Mistus don' you smile
Until I 's done a-talkin' — I finish aftah while:
I knows de " 'Mancipation " done set evah-body free,
But I wah bo'n you' niggah, an' I 's allus gwine ter be!

I guess you recomembah when de sojers come along,
A-shoutin' ter de niggahs an' a-singin' freedom's song!
Oh, dey was pow'ful noisy; an' dis jes what dey say: —
" Come along, ole 'Mancipation, we gwine help you run away! "
I was sahvent to de colonel all thoo de awful strife,
The colonel lake ole Rastus caze ole Rastus save his life!
An' way up in Mahsachusetts, I 'd nuffin' else ter do
But sarve de deah ole colonel, lake I 'd been sarvin' you.

Dey done tol' me dar was freedom an' dat Slabery was dead!
But de diff'rance, poo' ole Rastus could n't quite get thoo his head.
Till one day de colonel dyin', leave his money all ter me!
It was den I knowed ezac'ly what 's de meanin' — " ter be free! "

Fo' my heart was allus longin' jes ter go back home once mo',
An' behol' my blessed Mistus callin' " Rastus, " fum de doo'!
Though I seed a heap o' ladies, an' some on 'em pow'ful fine,
I could nevah find a Mistus dat could smile as sweet as mine.

Fo' de angels boun' ter listen as de wo'ds come out heh mouth,
Caze dey wants ter l'arn de di'lect lake dey heahs it in de South.
An' den I buys a ticket, an' takes de fastes' cyars;
I wastes no time a-loafin' er a-puttin' up de bars.
I dress lake some poo' niggah — in dis hyer ragged suit —
So de robbahs don't suspicion what I done got in my boot.
Dey says dars heaps o' money — jes how much I done fo'git —
An' now my deah ole Mistus I 's gwine give you all on it!

You gwine keep de ole plantation un'erneaf you' blessed foot,
Becaze you owns ole Rastus wiv de money in his boot!
Now you Mistus, stop you' cryin'! Dat money's all fo' you!
Fo' I wants ter sarve you, Mistus, lake I allus used ter do.

Dar haint no 'Mancipation gwine set ole Rastus free,
Fo' I wah bo'n you' niggah an' I 's allus gwine ter be!
Den call de whole plantation, an' de neighbahs white an' black,
An' hab a celebration, caze ole Rastus done come back!