FOLLOW THE DRINKING GOURD

The Drinking Gourd is another name for the Big Dipper and fugitive slaves used that constellation as a guide to lead them north to freedom in the 1800s. These journeys could be more then 800 miles and last as long as a year. The song tells of an old sailor named Peg Leg Joe who was a conductor on the Underground Railroad. He traveled throughout the South singing this song which was a coded message that gave slaves directions for their escape. Slaves navigated by the Big Dipper and the North Star. They traveled mostly on foot from the deep South all the way to the Ohio River and even to Canada.

"When the sun comes back and the first quail calls" refers to the migrating quail which returned in the spring when slaves typically began their escape.
The "riverbank" is the Tombigbee River which leads north from the Gulf of Mexico.
"Left foot peg foot traveling on" refers to pictures carved onto dead trees on the trail so runaways would know they were on the right path.
"When the great big river meets the little river" is the junction of the Tennessee & Ohio rivers where runaways could find more guides who would take them even further north as far as Canada.

Verse 1
WHEN THE SUN COMES BACK AND THE FIRST QUAIL CALLS
FOLLOW THE DRINKING GOURD
LEFT FOOT PEG FOOT TRAVELING ON
FOLLOW THE DRINKING GOURD

Chorus:
FOLLOW THE DRINKING GOURD
FOLLOW THE DRINKING GOURD
FOR THE OLD MAN IS A-WAITING FOR TO CARRY YOU TO FREEDOM
FOLLOW THE DRINKING GOURD

Verse 2
THE RIVERBANK MAKES A VERY GOOD ROAD
THE DEAD TREES WILL SHOW YOU THE WAY
FOR THE OLD MAN IS A-WAITING FOR TO CARRY YOU TO FREEDOM
FOLLOW THE DRINKING GOURD

Chorus:
FOLLOW THE DRINKING GOURD
FOLLOW THE DRINKING GOURD
FOR THE OLD MAN IS A-WAITING FOR TO CARRY YOU TO FREEDOM
FOLLOW THE DRINKING GOURD

Verse 3
THE RIVER ENDS BETWEEN TWO HILLS
FOLLOW THE DRINKING GOURD 
THERE'S ANOTHER RIVER ON THE OTHER SIDE
FOLLOW THE DRINKING GOURD

Chorus:
FOLLOW THE DRINKING GOURD
FOLLOW THE DRINKING GOURD
FOR THE OLD MAN IS A-WAITING FOR TO CARRY YOU TO FREEDOM
FOLLOW THE DRINKING GOURD

Verse 4
WHEN THE GREAT BIG RIVER MEETS THE LITTLE RIVER 
FOLLOW THE DRINKING GOURD
FOR THE OLD MAN IS A-WAITING FOR TO CARRY YOU TO FREEDOM
FOLLOW THE DRINKING GOURD

Chorus:
FOLLOW THE DRINKING GOURD
FOLLOW THE DRINKING GOURD
FOR THE OLD MAN IS A-WAITING FOR TO CARRY YOU TO FREEDOM
FOLLOW THE DRINKING GOURD