When de twilight's fallin' and de stars a-peeping out,
When de night begins,
When de night begins,
Is the time our mammy says de bogey man's about
And de gobbelins!
And de gobbelins!
And when de little piccaninnies softly creep around,
Dat's what makes 'em hold their breath
'Cos dey's almost scared to death,
Startin' when de shadows move,
An' feared of ev'ry sound,
'Cos dey know dere's goblins lurking
In de wood behind de trees
Where dey abound, behind the trees.
Dey're sure to seize
Little coloured piccaninnies,
If dey don't take care,
Way out in de dark.
You can hear 'em, hark!
To de goblins waitin' over dere
Behind de trees,
In twos and threes,
For de little piccaninies,
Whom dey mean to seize,
Dey'll catch us if we isn't spry,
For the gobbelins are watchin'
Thro de corner of deir eye!

When dere ain't no sound
Except de banjoes and guitars
Softly tinkling, softly tinkling!
And dere ain't no light
Except de perky little stars
All a-twinkling, all a-twinkling!
It's den de piccaninnies
Are afraid to show demselves
If dey want to share a kiss
In the dark, alone, like this.
If dey want to steal de ripe bananas from de shelves,
'Cos dey know de bogeyman is watchin' out
With all his gobbelins and elves!
Behind de trees,
Dey wait to seize
Little coloured piccaninnies,
If dey don't take care!
Way out in de dark,
You can hear 'em, hark!
To de goblins waitin' over dere,
Behind de trees, In twos and threes,
For de coloured piccaninnies whom dey mean to seize.
Dey'll catch us, creepin' down de lane,
For to steal de sugar, sugar,
Sugar, sugar from de cane!