I don’ ride erlong de street
Wid my mouth shet tight,
Kaze I know I got ter sing,
Lak a singer right,
If I make dis pile ob goods
Dwindle frum de sight:
“Tomatoes en okra
Passin’ right by!
Beans en pertatoes—
De prices ain’t high!
Apples en peaches,
De fines’ ter-day!
Oh, come out en buy
’Fo’e dey all git away—
Come out en buy!”
All de white men down de street
Wantin’ me, fo’ sho,
Des to drive en sell fo’ dem,
Kaze dey say dey know
I git rid ob all my truck,
Singin’ ez I go:
“Tomatoes en okra
Passin’ right by!
Beans en pertatoes—
De prices ain’t high!
Apples en peaches,
De fines’ ter-day!
Oh, come out en buy
’Fo’e dey all git away—
Come out en buy!”
Once de preacher what hol’ fo’th
Fo’ de Methodis’,
Say: “Oh, man, I b’l’eve dat you
Done yo’ callin’ miss!
Why’n’t you use dat voice ter preach
’Stead ob shoutin’ dis:

“‘Tomatoes en okra
Passin’ right by!
Beans en pertatoes—
De prices ain’t high!
Apples en peaches,
De fines’ ter-day!
Oh, come out en buy
’Fo’e dey all git away—
Come out en buy!’”
En I laugh en tell him dat
Dis town full ter-day
Ob fine men, des lak hisse’f,
What kin preach en pray;
But dey ain’t but one dat go
Singin’ ’long dis way:
“Tomatoes en okra
Passin’ right by!
Beans en pertatoes—
De prices ain’t high!
Apples en peaches,
De fines’ ter-day!
Oh, come out en buy
’Fo’e dey all git away—
Come out en buy!”