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Molasses To Rum Lyrics by John Cullum

1776 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

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[RUTLEDGE, spoken]
Our Northern brethren. Feelin' a bit tender toward our slaves. They don't keep slaves. Oh, no. But they're willin' to be considerable carriers of slaves to us. They're willing—for the shilling! Or haven't you heard, Mr. Adams? Clink. Clink
(sung)
Molasses to rum to slaves
Oh, what a beautiful waltz
You dance with us, we dance with you
In molasses and rum and slaves
Who sail the ships out of Boston?
Laden with bibles and rum
Who drinks a toast
To the Ivory Coast?
"Hail Africa, the slavers have come!"
New England with bibles and rum
And it's off with the rum and the bibles
Take on the slaves, clink clink!
Then hail and farewell to the smell
Of the African coast!
Molasses to rum to slaves
'Tisn't morals, 'tis money that saves
Shall we dance to the sound
Of the profitable pound?
In molasses and rum and slaves
Who sail the ships out of Guinea
Laden with bibles and slaves
'Tis Boston can boast
To the West Indies coast
"Jamaica, we brung what ye craves!"
Antigua, Barbados:
"We brung bibles and slaves!"
(spoken)
Gentlemen, you mustn't think that our Northern friends see our black slaves as merely figures on a ledger. Oh, no, they see them as figures on a block! Look at the faces at the auctions, gentlemen. White faces on African wharves. Seafaring faces. New England faces. "Put them in the ships. Cram them in the ships! Stuff them in the ships." Hurry, gentlemen! Let the auction begin!
(sung)
Ya-ha!
Ya-ha-ma-cundah!
(spoken)
Gentlemen, do you hear? That's the cry of the auctioneer
(sung)
Ya-ha
Ya-ha-ma-cundah!
(spoken)
Slaves, gentlemen! Black gold! Livin' gold! Gold from:
(sung)
Angola
Guinea, Guinea, Guinea
Blackbirds for sale!
Ashanti
Ibo, Ibo, Ibo, Ibo
Blackbirds for sale!
Handle them, fondle them
But don't finger them!
They're prime! They're prime!
Ya-ha!
Ya-ha-ma-cundah!
[BARTLETT, spoken]
For the love of God, Mr. Rutledge, please!
[RUTLEDGE]
Molasses to rum to slaves
Who sail the ships back to Boston
Laden with gold? See it gleam!
Whose fortunes are made
In the Triangle Trade?
Hail slavery: the New England dream!
Mr. Adams, I give you a toast!
Hail Boston
Hail Charleston
Who stinketh the most?
Credits
John Cullum

John Cullum

About “Molasses To Rum” by John Cullum

Read the complete lyrics to "Molasses To Rum" by John Cullum from the album "1776 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)". On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Soundtrack, Musicals, Pop.

"Molasses To Rum" is performed by John Cullum. from the album "1776 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)" This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Molasses To Rum", explore more songs by John Cullum using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Molasses To Rum" is credited to John Cullum. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Molasses To Rum" appears on "1776 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)".

Visit the John Cullum artist page at /artist/john-cullum for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.