MUDCAT DISCUSSION FORUM POSTS ABOUT TALLEY'S "NEGRO FOLK RHYMES"-
Part IV


Subject: RE: Old mother sow
From: Azizi - PM
Date: 21 Oct 08 - 09:24 AM

Chickama Chicama Craney Crow
thread.cfm?threadid=115451#2471712

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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bile Them Cabbage Down
From: Michael Morris - PM
Date: 20 Sep 08 - 12:27 PM

Song: "Bile Dem Cabbage Down"

Questions & comments aboutthe possible "Smiling Polly" connection to 'Bile dem Cabbage Down'

Comments about the African-American origins of this song-being evident in the collections of White, Scarborough and Brown—all from black informants; mention of the song also being in Talley's collection

thread.cfm?threadid=4566#2445967

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Subject: RE: Cadence or Marching Songs
From: Azizi - PM
Date: 02 May 08 - 03:11 PM

Comments about how some children's playground rhymes and/or some military cadences appear to be modified versions of the following songs found in Talley's collection. Examples given of rhymes, cadences that appear to be based on these songs from Talley's collection: Excerpt from T-U-Turkey (lines, "don't whoop me/whoop ____ behind that tree); "Shortnin Bread"; "Hambone",and "The Crawdad Song"

thread.cfm?threadid=10803#2331405

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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Fight Wid Ole Satan
From: Azizi - PM
Date: 06 Sep 06 - 10:00 PM

Song-"The Origin Of The Snake"

thread.cfm?threadid=59194#1828858

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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Fight Wid Ole Satan
From: Azizi - PM
Date: 06 Sep 06 - 09:50 PM

How To Keep or Kill The Devil

First two verses:

"If you wants to see de Devil smile.
Simpully do lak his own chile.

If you wants to see de devil git spunk,
Swallow whisky, an' git drunk."

thread.cfm?threadid=59194#1828853

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Subject: Lyr Add: OUTRUNNING THE DEVIL
From: Azizi - PM
Date: 13 Jul 06 - 06:07 PM

Song- "Outrunning The Devil"

Another song that includes a line about a snake biting someone on his heel; also includes the line "jumped into a hornet's nest"

thread.cfm?threadid=92940#1782960

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Subject: RE: Origins: Cotton-eyed Joe-true story/composite?
From: Q - PM
Date: 15 Jun 06 - 10:49 PM

Comments about the song "Cotton-Eyed Joe", comments about the meaning of the term "cotton-eyed"

Detail.CFM?messages__Message_ID=1761111

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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Songs about Big Feet
From: Azizi - PM
Date: 20 May 06 - 02:01 PM

Song "Aunt Jemina"

A prime example of city folk lookin down on people who come from the "backwoods" or retain those "backwoods" ways
thread.cfm?threadid=91646#1744547

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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Songs about Big Feet
From: Azizi - PM
Date: 20 May 06 - 01:55 PM

Song: "Johnny Bigfoot"

Another song disparaging "county folks"; supposedly one characteristic of country folks was that they have "big feet"

thread.cfm?threadid=91646#1744543

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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Songs about Big Feet
From: Azizi - PM
Date: 20 May 06 - 01:51 PM

Excerpt of "Brother Ben and Sister Sal"

Another song that mentions big feet:

Ole Sis Sal's got a foot so big,
Dat she canin't wear no shoes an' gaiters.
So all she want is some red calico,
An' dem big yaller yam sweet taters."

thread.cfm?threadid=91646#1744540

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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ' O when I die don't bury my bones'?
From: Azizi - PM
Date: 19 May 06 - 08:01 PM

Excerpt from the song "Susan Jane"

Focus on the floating verse "if I live to see next fall", as a reminder of the fact that many enslaved people lived under the constant shadow of sudden death:

"If I lives to see nex' Fall;
Susan Jane! Susan Jane!
I hain't gwineter sow no wheat at all.
Susan Jane! Susan Jane!"

thread.cfm?threadid=91455#1744242

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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ' O when I die don't bury my bones'?
From: Azizi - PM
Date: 18 May 06 - 10:53 AM

Note:
"Fisk University of Professor Thomas W. Talley wrote in his introduction to "Negro Folk Rhymes" that many of the songs included in that book were quite old. Some were from his Southern [African American]childhood, some were from the recollections of his Fisk University students, and others were from other African Americans he and they knew."

thread.cfm?threadid=91455#1743171

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Subject: RE: Military Jodies?
From: Azizi - PM
Date: 14 May 06 - 10:24 PM

An example of a military cadence "C-130" which includes lines from "When I die..bury me deep" that is found in a song from Talley's collection.The entire cadence is given. The specific lines are that are based on the "when I die..bury me deep" verse are:

If I die on the old drop zone
Box me up and ship me home
Pin my wings upon my chest
Bury me in the leaning rest
If I die in the Spanish Moors
Bury me deep with a case of Coors
If I die in Korean mud
Bury me deep with a case of Bud
If I die in a firefight
Bury me deep with a case of Lite
If I die in a German blitz
Bury me deep with a case of Schlitz
If I die, don't bring me back
Just bury me with a case of Jack

thread.cfm?threadid=2915#1740855

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Subject: Lyr Add: JUMP JIM CROW
From: GUEST,Q - PM
Date: 24 Jan 03 - 02:01 PM
Lyrics of "Jump Jim Crow" in Talley's collection and other comments including this one:

"The words, "Pick a Bale of Cotton" are not known before the Depression Days of the 1930s, but the tune, of course, is old and well-worn. "Jump down and turn around" is either an old Negro dance step or originated with the blackface minstrels. It is in versions of "Jump Jim Crow" of blackface origin, this one a Negro revision, from Talley, "Negro Folk Rhymes," No. 20:

thread.cfm?threadid=2864#873963