Overview
"That's Why Darkies Were Born" was a popular song written by Ray Henderson and Lew Brown. It originated in George White's Scandals of 1931, where white baritone Everett Marshall performed the song in blackface.
The song was most famously recorded by popular singer Kate Smith, whose rendition was a hit in 1931, and by award-winning singer, film star, scholar, and civil rights activist Paul Robeson. It was also featured in a 1931 all-star recording of a medley of songs from George White's Scandals, where it was sung by Frank Munn on Brunswick and just as famously part of Paul Whiteman medley sung by Native American jazz singer Mildred Bailey on Victor.
One verse runs:
Someone had to pick the cotton,
Someone had to plant the corn,
Someone had to slave and be able to sing,
That's why darkies were born.
From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).