Ching a Ring Chaw

Ching a Ring Chaw (sometimes Ching-a-Ring, or Ching-a-Ring Shaw) is a song from the early days of the Minstrel tradition included by Aaron Copland in his Old American Songs.

Lyrics

As might be expected the precise lyrics vary, but they are generally approximately as follows:

Ching-a-ring-a ring ching ching,

Ho a ding-a-ding kum larkee,

Ching-a-ring-a ring ching ching,

Ho a ding kum larkee.

Brothers gather round,

Listen to this story,

'Bout the promised land,

An' the promised glory.

You don't need to fear,

If you have no money,

You don't need none there,

To buy you milk and honey.

There you'll ride in style,

Coach with four white horses,

There the evenin' meal,

Has one two three four courses.

Nights we all will dance

To the harp and fiddle,

Waltz and jig and prance,

"And Cast off down the middle!"

When the mornin' come,

All in grand and splendour,

Stand out in the sun,

And hear the holy thunder!

Brothers hear me out,

The promised land's a-comin'

Dance and sing and shout,

I hear them harps a strummin'.

Ching-a-ring-a ching

ching ching, ching a ring ching

Ching-a-ring-a ching ching,

Ching a Ching a Ching chning

ching-a-ring-a,

ching-a-ring-a,

ching-a-ring-a,

ring, ching ching ching CHAW!

See also

• List of blackface minstrel songs