(sings:)

Fish got to swim, birds got to fly,
I got to love one man till I die
Can't help lovin' dat man of mine

MAGNOLIA
That's it

(QUEENIE, re-entering, stops in her tracks and looks puzzled)

JULIE
Tell me he's lazy, tell me he's slow,
Tell me I'm crazy (maybe I know)
Can't help lovin' dat man of mine

QUEENIE
How come y'all know dat song?

(JULIE stops abruptly, a swift terror steals across her face, and

quickly vanishes - succeeded by an expression of stolid caution)

MAGNOLIA
Why? Do you know it, Queenie?

QUEENIE
F'sho' ah does - but ah didn't ever hear anybody but colored folks sing
dat song - sounds funny for Miss Julie to know it -

MAGNOLIA
Why, Julie sings it all the time

QUEENIE
Kin y'sing de whole thing?

JULIE
'Course I can
(almost fiercely)
What's so funny about that?
(She starts to sing in an attitude of defiance,
then lapsing into the "blue" spirit of the song)
Oh, listen, sister,
I love my mister man,
And I can't tell yo' why
Dere ain't no reason
Why I should love dat man -
It mus' be sumpin' dat de angels done plan

Fish got to swim, birds got to fly,
I got to love one man till I die -
Can't help lovin' dat man of mine
Tell me he's lazy, tell me he's slow,
Tell me I'm crazy (maybe I know)-
Can't help lovin' dat man of mine
When he goes away
Dat's a rainy day,
But when he comes back dat day is fine,
(carried away)
De sun will shine!
(QUEENIE goes on beating time with a spoon)
He kin come home as late as kin be,
Home