Nicodemus
Nicodemus the slave was of African birth
And was bought for a bag full of gold
He was reckoned as part
of the salt of the earth
And he died long ago, very old
And his last sad request
as they lay him to rest
In the trunk of an old hollow tree
Wake me up was his charge
At the first break of day
Wake me up for the great jubilee
There's a great time coming
And it's not far off
Been long, long, long on the way
So go and tell Elijah to hurry up home
And meet us by the gum tree
down in the swamp
For to wake Nicodemus today
Nicodemus was never
the sport of the lash
Though the bullets had
oft crossed his path
There were none of his masters
so bold or so rash
As to face such a man in his wrath.
But his great heart with kindness
was filled to the brim,
He obeyed who was born to command,
And he longed for the mornin'
which then was so dim
Tis the mornin' which now
is at hand
There's a great time comin'
and it's not far off
Been long, long, long on the way
So go and tell Nigel to hurry up home
And meet us by the gum tree,
down in the swamp,
For to wake Nicodemus today.