My people are no ordinary people I'll have you understand,
My people was extraordinary people from Egypt land;
There across the foam is my ancestral home
Where someday you will roam with me.
Chorus:
In My Old Virginia Home on the River Nile,
You can be a lazy ladee all the time;
You will hear the silv'ry song of the crocodile
And our kids will have the pyramids to climb.
'Neath a tree I will sing ["]o sole mio["]
You will be just as beautiful as Cleo-patra
And when I get back that old Sphinx is gonna smile
On my old Virginia home upon the Nile.
All the temple bells will ring when we're Egypt boun',
'Stead of mammies, we'll hear mummies softly hum;
Though the palace where we live may be tumbled down,
There'll be doin's in them ruins when we come--
Down the street off to Cairo we'll go struttin',
You will meet my granpappy, Ole king Tut'n-Kahmen;
And a brown skin gal like you is the proper style,
In My Old Virginia Home upon the Nile.