South Street
Charleston south
Charleston north
Charleston back
Charleston forth.
...................hey! hey!
...................hey! hey!
Sway, black girl, sway!
Charleston left
Charleston right
Charleston day
Charleston night.
...................clap! clap!
...................clap! clap!
Charleston, Charleston on the map!
Blues songs sad
Blues songs gay
Blues songs moan
Night away.
...................hey! hey!
...................hey! hey!
Play, jazz band, play!
Black gals nice
Black gals mean
Black gals fat
Black gals lean.
South Street
South Street
Hey! Hey! Hey!
Living in the arms of wide mouth day!
From Black Opals 1, No. 1 (Spring 1927). This poem is in the public domain.
Lewis Grandison Alexander
Lewis Grandison Alexander was born in 1900 in Washington D. C.. An editor, actor, and playwright, his poems appeared in the magazines The Crisis, Opportunity, and Fire!!, as well as the anthologies The New Negro (Albert and Charles Boni, 1925), Caroling Dusk (Harper & Brothers, 1927), and Ebony and Topaz (1927). He died in 1945.