Track Title:               My Joe (Micaela's Prayer)


Prime Artist:              Olga James
Lyrics by:                 Oscar Hammerstein II     (O. Greeley Clendenning H. II)
Music by:                  Georges Bizet
From the Film:             Carmen Jones   1954 (M)

Adapted from:              Carmen (Bizet Opera)
Lyrics:
How kin I love a man when I know he don' wan' me?
He ain' been good.  He ain' been kind.
He gimme up for a ol' roadside woman~
But I cain' drive him from my mind.

My Joe,
He wuz always my Joe.
Dere wuz no one but me~
Joe said dere never could be.
We wuz in love,
An' I reckon we showed it.
F'um de way people talked,
Reckon ev'ryone knowed it.
Kids on de street where we'd go
Useter yell at us:

"Cindy Lou belongs to Joe!"
Lawd! O Lawd, y' know dat dat wuz true,
An' Joey belonged to Cindy Lou.

I is skeered.
O Lawd! I is skeered!
I'se like a leaf dat los' her tree.
I'se alone.
O Lawd! I'se alone!

He got hisse'f anudder woman.
Now she got his arms all aroun' her~
No, Lawd I cain' believe it's so.
No! No! Don' yer let her keep my Joe.
Make him t'row her back where he foun' her!
Joe!  Y' said dat both your arms wuz mine~
Remember? Y' said your arms wuz mine.

I'se yo' gal,
I wuz always yo' gal.
Dere wuz no one but me~
You said dere never could be.
We wuz in love,
An' I reckon we showed it.
F'um de way people talked,
Reckon ev'ryone knowed it.
Kids on de street where we'd go
Useter yell at us:
"Cindy Lou belongs to Joe!"
Lawd! O Lawd, look down an' try to see
How you kin make Joe come home to me.

Contributed by Carlene Bogle