The original title-page of Angelina Baker stated that it was No 4 of "Foster's Plantation Melodies, as sung by Christy's Minstrels." It was published by F.D. Benteen of Baltimore, March 18, 1850, less than a month after the publication of Camptown Races.
Angelina Baker is a typical minstrel song, in pseudo-Negro dialect. In the last line of its chorus it refers to the "jaw-bone" which was an instrument the end-men of a minstrel show shook like a tambourine. It was made from the actual jaw-bone of a horse or ass.. When the bone was thoroughly dried the teeth became so loose that they rattled and produced a sound as loud as that of a pair of castanets.
In every sense a minor Foster song, Angelina Baker is nonetheless representative of the nonsense song in which Foster was so successful. One of his greatest contributions to minstrels was his refinement of the humor of its songs. His words were as nonsensical as other ditties, but he made an art product of a type of lyric which had belonged exclusively to the bar room. it was not so much a matter of Foster's refinements of words and music, but an individuality of style.
Foster's earnings on this song were pathetically low. In the course of seven years, it netted him a total of $16.87. Background music is in the key of G.
 Trucker's Hat with harmonica logo |
6 8 8 -8 7 8 7 -6 7 A-way down on de old plan-ta-tion, -8 6 -9 8 -8 Dah's where I was born, -8 8 8 -8 7 8 7 -6 7 I used to beat de whole cre-a-tion -8 -8 8 -8 7 hoe-in' in de corn: 6 8 8 -8 7 8 7 -6 Oh! den I work and den I sing 7 -8 6 -9 8 -8 So hap-py all de day. -8 8 8 -8 7 8 7 -6 'Til An-ge-li-na Bak-er came 7 -8 -8 8 -8 7 and stole my heart a-way. chorus 6 6 6 6 -6 7 An-ge-li-na Bak-er! 6 6 6 6 -6 7 -8 An-ge-li-na Bak-ers gone, -8 8 8 -8 7 8 7 -6 She left me here to weep a tear 7 -8 -8 -8 8 -8 7 and beat on de old jaw bone.
verse 2
I've seen my Angelina in de springtime and de fall,
I've seen her in de cornfield and I've seen her at de ball;
And ebry time I met her she was smiling like de sun,
But now I'm left to weep a tear cayse Angelina's gone.
verse 3
Angelina am so tall
She nebber sees de ground,
She habe to takea wellumscope
To look down on de town.
Angelina likes de boys
As far as she can see dem,
She used to run old Massa round
To ax him for to free dem.
verse 4
Early in de morning
Ob a lubly summer day
I ax for Angelina,
And de say, "she's gone away."
I don't know wha to find her,
Cayse I don't know wha she's gone,
She left me here to week a tear
And beat on de old jawbone.
