Written by D. A. French to celebrate the Emancipation Proclamation, this song is in the minstrel tradition despite its negative view of slavery. It has a catchy tune and chorus, but its attitude towardformer slaves, while sympathetic, is patronizing and demeaning and lacks the dignity of slave spirituals.

Oh, brothers* have ye heerd it, have ye heerd de joyful news?
         Uncle Abra'm's gwine to free us, and he'll send us where we chuse; For de Jubilee is comin', don't ye sniff it in de air!
          And Sixty-three is de Jubilee for de' 01' slaves*eb'rywhere!

Chorus:

Oh, de Jubilee is comin',
Don't ye sniff it in de air?
And sixty-three is de Jubilee
                          .
For de 01' slaves eb'brywhere!

01' massa, he have heard it, don't it make him awful blue?
         Won't 01' Missus be ravin' when she finds it comin' true? 'Specs dar'll be a dreffle shakin' such as Jeffy cannot stand-
          'Cause kindom kum is a movin' now, and a clawin' tro' de land!

Chorus

N o more we'll work for nuffin' , but we'll own a little farm,
          And no more dey'll sell our dhild'n, but we'll keep 'em from all harm; And no more we'll pick de cotton, and nQ moare we'll feel de lash,
          We'll shout, and drum on de 01' banjo, 'till we break it all to smash!

Dar'll be a big skedaddle, now 01' sixty-three have come!
          And de 01' slaves* dey will holler 'till dey make de country hum. Oh, we tanks 01' Uncle Abra'm, yes, we bress him day and night,
          And pray de Lord bress de Union folks, and de battle for de right.

Chorus

D. A. French

The original wording was "darkeys."