Song of the South

Song of the South your music weaves a magic spell...

Song of the South, I see the scenes I know so well...

Cottonwoods in blossom, over my cabin door. Pale moon light on a field of white...

You bring them back once more...

I seem to hear those gentle voices calling low

Out of the long, long ago.

This heart of mine is in the heart of Dixie.

That's where I belong. Singin' a song, a Song of the South.

Yes suh... dey's udder ways o' learnin' 'bout de behind feet of a mule den gettin' kicked by 'em.

Sure as I'm named Remus.

An' Jes' cause dese yer tales 'bout critters like Br'er Rabbit, an' Br'er Fox...

Dat don' mean dey ain't de same like kin happen to folks...

So dem what can't learn from a tale 'bout critters...

jes' ain't got dey ears tuned fer lis'nin.

Like as not dey too busy goin' along all mixt up wid dey own troubles, uh...

Like de time dat Miss Sally an' Mister John was comin' down to de plantation.

Mama?

Yes Johnny?

Why are we going to Grandma's?

Well... I told you dear, for a visit.

Why don't she come to see us, like she did last spring?

Well, Because it... I thought you'd enjoy seeing the plantation.

Is Grandma mad at us?

But of course not, Johnny. What ever gave you that idea?

Well, Georgie says everybody's mad at what Daddy writes in the newspaper.

Don't Grandma read the newspaper? Don't she?

She does. And she likes what's in it.

John, please.

Are you mad at each other too?

Why no, dear. Of course not.

Gracious goodness, Johnny... We's almost dar! Lissen!

You ain't never heer'd no frogs like dem in Atlanta.

You know what they're saying?

Knee-deep! Knee-deep!

- Honest? - Honest.

Knee-deep! Knee-deep!

You know, when I was your age, I used to catch lots of 'em.

I remember one time I... ah... hid a whole box of 'em over in your grandma's milk house

And they got loose.

Yes, an' I 'members what you got for doin' it too.

Well, it was old Uncle Remus' fault, you know. He told me that story about Br'er Frog.

De tale 'bout his havin' a tail an' losin' it?

That's it. Only... How can there be a tale...

When dey ain't no tail.

Aunt Tempy?

What is it, child?

Is Uncle Remus real?

Real? Co'se he's real. You jes' wait 'til you hears him tell a tale 'bout Br'er Rabbit.

Den you'll know he's real.

Welcome home, my daughter.

And you too, sir. Oh, it's good to have a man in the house again. Turn around here, young man.

Let me have a look at you. You favor your grandfather more every time I see you. Toby!

Yas'm, Miss Doshy.

This is my grandson Johnny... And he's the apple of my eye.

Now, you take good care of him and show him our plantation.

And if he gets into trouble, you see that he gets out of it.

And if he gets into trouble, you see that he gets out of it. Yas'm.

Yas'm.

I hope you're a noisy boy. I love noisy children.

It makes it so much easier to tell where they are and what they're up to.

Aunt Tempy, is that Uncle Remus?

Uncle Remus? Lawzy no, honey. Dat's jes' Ned.

Uncle Remus? Lawzy no, honey. Dat's jes' Ned. Come on, I'll show you the big grandpa clock.

Come on, I'll show you the big grandpa clock.

I've been hearing about the clatter you've raised in Atlanta.

Thumping for cotton mills, railways, and... heaven knows what.

Miss Doshy? Where do you want me to put dishyer trunk?

Miss Doshy? Where do you want me to put dishyer trunk? Put it in the... Oh well, never mind. Perhaps I'd better show him myself. Come along.

Put it in the... Oh well, never mind. Perhaps I'd better show him myself. Come along.

Now be careful you don't bump into things.

Sally...

Well? What are you going to tell her?

Have you changed your mind, or are you still going to stay?

Oh, I have to stay John. It wouldn't be fair to mama.

She has enough responsibility... I'm not going to saddle her with ours.

But it's only for a short time. She's be only too glad to take care of Johnny.

When dat big han' gits straight up, watch out!

What I tell you!

Oh, Miss Doshy, Sally wants Johnny to stay here for awhile... with you.

What will you do?

Oh, I'm going back. And I want Sally to go with me.

It's no use, John. I'm not going back.

Then... I'll have to go without you. And I'd better hurry, or I'll miss my train.

Miss it! You won't regret it.

Daddy? You're going back?

Yes, son.

Why?

I have to.

But... You... You've never left mama and me before.

No, I know. But I've got a job to do, and you've got one too.

Taking care of Mother and Grandmother. You'll do that now for me, won't you?

Goodbye, son.

- Goodbye Miss Doshy. - Goodbye John.

- Goodbye Sally. - Goodbye.

Daddy! Don't! Don't go! Please Daddy! Please! I won't stay here!

If you go, I'm going too!

That's what Uncle Remus said.

Listen now to what I say. That's how the critters got that way.

The leopard's pappy got the gout from eatin' too much speckled trout.

His mammy dreamed of polka dots.

That's how the leopard got his spots.

That's what Uncle Remus said, That's what Uncle Remus said.

Speckled trout and polka dots.

That's how the leopard got his spots.

More, more, tell us more.

The camel crossed the desert sands,

with all them mighty caravans. His bed was full of sandy lumps.

with all them mighty caravans. His bed was full of sandy lumps. ~ ~ That's how the camel got those humps.

That's how the camel got those humps.

That's what Uncle Remus said, that's what Uncle Remus said.

Sandy bed was full of lumps.

That's how the camel got those humps.

More, more, tell us more.

The pig he saw his monkey friend.

A swinging by his other end. He tried the same thing on a rail.

That's how the pig got a curly tail.

Yes suh, dat's de way wid Br'er Rabbit... sho's I'm named Remus.

'bout de time he git it stuck in his mind dat dey ain't nobody kin out-do 'im.

Up somebody'd jump an do him scan'lous.

What you laughin' 'bout? sez Br'er Fox, sez he.

An' Br'er Rabbit, he couldn't say nothin'. Well den, sez Br'er Fox, sez he...

I'll settle yo' hash right now. And wid dat he grab Br'er Rabbit

by de tail and made fo' to dash 'im agin' de groun'. But jes' den,

Br'er Rabbit's tail snap off real short, an' he tuck thru the cotton patch

like de dogs was after 'im. An' from dat day to dis,

de only tail dat Br'er Rabbit's got to his name was a lil' ol' ball o' cotton.

An' what happen to Br'er Fox, Uncle Remus?

T'won't do to put too much cloth for to cut one pair of pants.

Uncle Remus, you tells the bes' tales in de whole United States o' Georgia!

Lawzy child, you should o' heard me tell 'em when I could tell 'em.

I boun' you'd a-busted de buttons off'n yo' what-cher macollums.

When Miss Sally was yo' age, she useda sit jes' as you's a settin' right now

an' laugh 'til she could laugh no mo'.

Uncle Remus! Uncle Remus! Lawzy mursy, have you seen Johnny?

Po' Miss Sally... She been lookin' high and low for dat child!

You sho' he ain't been down here lis'nin to one 'o yo' tales?

Co'se he ain't! Wouldn't I a-seed 'im?

How come you let dat boy git out o' yo sight? Didn't Miss Doshy tell you to take care 'o him?

Come on Chloe! Us got to find him befo' Miss Sally go outer her min'.

Come on Chloe! Us got to find him befo' Miss Sally go outer her min'. Miss Tempy... You tell Miss Sally de boy's wid me.

Miss Tempy... You tell Miss Sally de boy's wid me.

- What do you mean... he wid you? - Nem-mine. You jes' tell her what I sez.

Come on Toby, git yo'se'f on.

Well, bless my soul!

Ah, dar now, done gone and got sum'n in yo' eye.

An' I ain't surprised...

Things blowin' 'round here de way dey does.

Now...

Hmm...

Peers to me like you's figgerin' on goin' some place.

I am! And nobody's gonna stop me!

Well now. If dat don't bang my time!

You know, I was jes' figgerin' on doin' sump'n like dat myse'f.

How'd you like ol' Uncle Remus to go long wid you?

Now, le'see now. Whar is we figgerin' on goin?

How kin we be goin' sum place if we dunno whar we's goin?

I'm going to Atlanta.

Pow'ful long walk to Atlanta.

Is you brung some grub?

No.

Well, now... if we ain't got no grub, we sho can't get very fur.

S'pose we stops by my place an' picks up some corn-bread?

An' mebbe some sweet taters?

To be sho', Honey.

Gimme yo' hand. I need young eyes in de dark.

Sort o' late in de day to be startin' on sech a long trip, ain't it?

Well, you don't have to go... Just 'cause you said you would.

Well, now, I ain't heard nobody say nuthin' 'bout not goin'. Co'se I'll go.

And I'm not comin' back!

You're laughing at me.

At you honey?

No suh.

I'se laughin' 'cause dem's zackly the words that ol' Br'er Rabbit used

de time dat he lit out from his briar patch!

An' I ain't never comin' back, neither!

Yes suh, it was his very words.

Well, I reckon I better be gettin' my things together so's we can be leavin'.

- What did you say about Br'er Rabbit? - Which Br'er Rabbit was dat, Honey?

Why, you said something about Br'er Rabbit.

Who? Me?

I mighter said sump'n 'bout 'im day befo' yestiddy...

but it done gone clean off my mind.

Why, you said there was a tale about Br'er Rabbit not coming back to his briar patch.

Well, bless my soul, child. I sho' did.

And if I don't tell you about 'im, you're gonna pester me 'til I does.

So what's de odds? 'Tain't no great tale, no-how.

Is that the same Br'er Rabbit that got away from the fox?

Why, don't you know? Dey ain't but one Br'er Rabbit.

Now you jes' set yo'se'f down here and lissen...

wid bofe ears wide open...

'cause dishyer Br'er Rabbit, he's de out-doin'est...

the mos' bodacious critter in de whole world. Now dishyer tale didn't happen jes' yestiddy...

Nor de day befo'. 'Twas a long time ago.

An' in dem days, eve'thing was mighty satisfactual.

De critters, dey was closer to de folks... an' de folks, dey was closer to de critters...

An' if you'll 'scuse me for sayin' so...

t'was better all around.

Yass suh, Honey... It happened on one of them Zip-a-dee-doo-dah days.

Now that's the kind of day when you can't open your mouth without a song jump right out of it...

Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay, my oh my, what a wonderful day.