Songfacts®:

• The misspelling of picaninny is far from the most doubtful feature of this Scott Joplin composition; as of January 2011, the British Library catalogue contained no less than five "picaninny songs" with the same spelling, all from the same period. The lyrics were supplied by Henry Jackson, an acquaintance of Joplin from Sedalia.
  
  It should be pointed out that in Joplin's era neither the word picaninny (however it was spelt) nor darkey - as used in the song - had the pejorative connotations that would later be attached to them.
• Content-wise, the song is similar to the James Bland classic "Carry Me Back To Old Virginny," though the piano music is much darker (no pun intended). The sheet music was published by Thiebes-Stierlin in 1902. >>

  Suggestion credit:
  Alexander Baron - London, England, for above 2