I started posting a response to the last post and comment about other phrases in previous post, but before doing that I feel the need to write this:

When I read threads like this, I have to steel myself to get through the use of the "n" word and the use of the word "Negro" spelled with a small "n" instead of being capitalized like other group referents such as "British", "Jewish", "Chinese", French, Spanish, and "Japanese" are.* I mention this because I feel that it should be a matter of record on threads like this so that present day readers and future readers are/will be aware that some people have/had this reaction. The reason why I continue reading these types of threads is because I find the information interesting. However, I think that quite a few Black people might have the initial (and ongoing) negative reaction to these usages, and as a consequence of that, they stop reading the thread and other threads in this forum. Which is a shame, for a whole host of reasons.

*There was a concerted, hard fought movement by Black Americans in the mid to late 1950s to get newspapers and text books and other public media and private entities to capitalize the "n" in the word "Negro". That movement was successful, but shortly thereafter the formal group referent changed first to "Afro-Americans" and then to (what it is now} "African Americans".

Note that the referent "African American" is always capitalized. There is more leeway with the accepted informal group referent "Black"(people). Some people capitalize the beginning letter, and some people don't. I always capitalize it and also always capitalize the "w" in White (people) because of that practice I mentioned earlier.

I should also note that sometimes African Americans will purposely use the word "Negro" with either a capital "n" or a small "n" to refer to Black Americans who the writers believe are talking and/or acting in ways that are detrimental to overall Black interests and stature (to put it another way, these people are said to be acting like "Toms". "Toms" is a short form of the insulting referent Uncle Tom).

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With that said for the record, I'll add another post to this thread with my thoughts about the name "Josie" and other comments about some phrases found in a previously posted example of this dance song.