I Still Suits Me

Joe! Dere you go again! Look at dem peas all over de floor!

River done it

De river done it?

Ol' river can do mos' anything, Queenie.
Look out dere what it's doin' now, won't be letting us
Give no show tonight.

Show? Dat don't worry me none. Dere's
Somethin' else on dis ol' boat worries me mo'.

Miss Nola?

Dat's what

She be all right.

Dat's what you say 'bout ev'rythin'. You don't get excited.
Why? 'Cause you don't do nuthin'. You don' cook like me.
You don' act like the show folk. You don' work on the tow
Boat. What do you do?

Well, I jes' shelled dem peas.

You ain't pickin' dem up.

No, but I could've ef you didn't do it.
I could do a lot of things ef it was necessary.

Den why don'cha?

It ain't necessary,
(He starts to sing, extemporaneously rhyming, stating his
Mood of the moment. He sings as QUEENIE goes about her work)

Keep on a-naggin',
'n bullyraggin',
'n criticizin',
'n call me pizen,
Ah ain't apologizin', no siree!
No matter what you say,
Ah still suits me.
De rag you're chewin'
Mus' be a ruin,
Keep right on knockin',
Keep right on mockin',
Mah rockin' chair ain't rockin',
No sirree!
No matter what you say,
Ah still suits me.

(coming over to him, belligerently)
Does you ever wash the dishes?
Does you do the things I wishes?
Does you do dem?
No, you don't!
Will you do dem?
No, you won't!
When dere's any workin' to it
I'm de one dat's gotta do it!
When it's rainin' who's the feller
Uses up the whole umbreller?
Selfish as a man can be!

(looking up blandly)
No matter what you say,
Ah still suits me.

You don' make money!

Ah know dat, honey!

I never see none!

Ain't gonna be none,
But dat don' worry me none,
No siree!

Shif'less! Lifeless! No good!

No matter what you say,
Ah still suits me.

I may be no good,
No good fo' yo' good,
I may be lifeless,
But wid one wife less
Mah life would be mo' strifeless,
Yes siree!
No matter what you say
Ah still suits me.

Does you ever wash de dishes?
Does you do de things ah wishes?
Does you do dem?
No you don't!
Will you do dem?
No, you won't!

Always imitatin' me
An' always aggravation' me!
Den in spite of ev'rything,
'Spite of all de grief you bring,
'Xpectin' me to love you true!

No matter what you say,
Ah thinks you do.
(He reaches out and pulls her to him affectionately.
She roars with glee)