The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #35843   Message #3501464
Posted By: Q (Frank Staplin)
10-Apr-13 - 12:48 PM
Thread Name: Lyr Req: Blackbird Get Up (West Indies chantey)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Blackbird Get Up (West Indies chantey)
It seems that the songs haven't been posted from "Deep the Water, Shallow the Shore."
I will post them as they appear in the book with the text.

"You see, when you strike the fish, anyhow, the captain say "Solid fas'." ....... Soon as somebody see the fish, 'e say "Spout-o!" And den we blackfish boys, we start to pull, and I say "Draw-way, boys, draw way." Then the boys start to chant dey, pulling hard. We does have special songs for that"
.
Emalina girl,
Ay-ah
Come go home with me,
Ay-ah.
Relief coming,
Ay-ah
Turn a-rolling,
Ay-ah.
"When we reach fifty or sixty yards, we stop becau' we does need silence. We stop singing, when he hears some noise he would sound and go to bottom.

White bird get up,
Ay-ah
And she break she tail,
Ay-ah.
Black bird get up,
Ay-ah
And she do the same,
Ay-ah.
Oh, me Donna
Ay-ah
Emmalina girl,
Ay-ah.
Oh, me Donna,
Ay-ah
Girl come go with me,
Ay-ah
White bird get up
Ay-ah.

Lyr. Add: Blackbird Get Up
With musical score.

White bird get up,
Ay-ah
And she break she tail,
Ay-ah,
Blackbird get up,
Ay-ah
And She do the same,
Ay-ah,
Oh, me Donna
Ay-ah
Emmalina girl,
Ay-ah,
Oh, me Donna
Ayah
Girl come go with me,
Ay-ah.

And she shake she tail
Ay-ah
Black bird get up,
Ay-ah
And she do the same,
Ay-ah.

Oh, me Donna,
Ay-ah
Emmalina girl,
Ay-ah.
Oh, me Donna,
Ay-ah,
Girl come go with me,
Ay-ah.

"When we meet with fish, now (the boys dem does sing it in a kin' a 'rageous way now), "We catch 'im at las' and we tear his black ass."
.................

Song "Bully, Long Time Ago."

Pp. 75-78.