Climbing Up the Golden Stair

 CLIMBING UP THE GOLDEN STAIR. Old-Time, Song and Breakdown. D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. This tune, a composition of F. Heiser, is from the American minstrel repertoire and passed into fiddling tradition. Unfortunately, the words are rather patently racist. There was a singing dance call to the tune. Come all you little n.....s, Now watch your cues and figures, Climbing up the golden stairs. If they think you are a dude, They will treat you rather rude, Climbing up the golden stairs! Then hear them bells a-ringing,  'Tis sweet I do declare. Oh hear them darkies singing, Climbing up the golden stairs.   (Ford) Additional verses in Ford (1940, p. 284). Printed sources: Ford (Traditional Music in America), 1940; p. 38. Ruth (Pioneer Western Folk Tunes), 1948; No. 25, p. 10.

X:1 T:Climbing the Golden Stairs M:2/4 L:1/8 S:Viola "Mom" Ruth - Pioneer Western Folk Tunes (1948) Z:AK/Fiddler's Companion K:D d/d/d/d/ fa | a g3 g/ | cea>^g | a3 (3A/B/c/ | dfb>a | a g3 g/ | a/a/a/a/ ge |1 (d2d) (3A/B/c/:|2 (d2d) ||