Another example of a 19th century African American children's song that is based on "Three Dukes A-Riding" is "Johnny Cuckoo". The words to that song, and its performance activity are found on page 71 of Bessie Jones' & Bess Lomax Hawes 1987 book Step It Down: games, plays, songs, and stories from the Afro-American heritage

http://books.google.com/books?id=nTWTyVFBipkC&pg=PA71&lpg=PA71&dq=here+comes+one+johnny+cukoo&source=bl&ots=IZgPtbkSKg&sig=r1JNK

These examples are from the Georgia Sea Isles.

**
I posted the words to "Johnny Cuckoo" on this Mudccat thread thread.cfm?threadid=34425#2380122 "Help: johnny cockaroo" along with this comment:

"'Johnny Cuckoo; is a traditional game song from the Georgia Sea Isles. The song is included in a four CD collection of Southern folk songs (Alan Lomax, Sounds of the South Disc 4 Atlantic Recording Corp, 1993). The song is also included in Bess Hawes & Bess Lomax Hawes' book of Georgia Sea Isle rhymes Step It Down.

This song probably dates from the Civil War era. In my opinion, "Johnny Cuckoo" used dramatic play to teach & reinfornce self-esteem and self-confidence. Hopefully, the children internalized the affirmation that "I'm just a good as you are" for the times when they would experience put downs as children, teens, and adults.

I'm not certain if "Johnny Cuckoo" is still sung in Georgia or elsewhere. I have no knowledge of it from my childhood in New Jersey, and haven't come across anyone who knows it in my adopted city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania."

-snip-

Also see this additional comment that I made on that thread:

Subject: RE: Help: johnny cockaroo
From: Azizi - PM
Date: 03 Jul 08 - 11:17 AM

I meant to add that the game song "Here Comes One Johnny Cuckoo" and the folk character "John The Conqueroo" could very well be related.

It's possible that the name of the character in the song could suggest to those hearing it the strength & power of John The Conqueror. The intended message of the song may have been "In order to be powerful like John The Conqueror you have to feel good about yourself".

-snip-

I also should mention that the tune to my untrained musical ears "We're Riding Here To Get Married" are similar but aren't the same. Also, my "informant" Barbara Ray used a moderate tempo for that game song that was faster and more percussive than the rendition of the "Johnny Cuckoo" song that is recored on the Sounds of the South Disc (although the section of that song that is recorded as "You re too black and dirty" is faster and more percussive than the "Here comes one Johnny Cuckoo" part of the song.

**
Note that there are slight word differences in the "Songs of the South Disc" and in the "Step It Down" book". In "Step It Down" this line is given as "You are too black and browsy" while in the "Songs of the South" CD the line is given as "You are too black and dirty".

**

The game song "Johnny Cuckoo" is described in "Step It Down" as a "courtship play". "Play" here is Bessie Jones' description of children's songs that involve dramatization.

I can't proof my theory that one of the reasons for this song was to help Black children get used to be insulted* and ,at the same time, strengthen their self-esteem**. However, that theory is part of my overall view that children's singing games and rhymes aren't just recreational activities, but also part of how children learn society's values, and expectations for them. However, it's unlikely that children are aware that they are being socialized while they are playing these games. Also, it's unlikely that adults who pass on these games to children are aware that they are teaching those children their society's norms, and also teaching children coping mechanisms and other survival skills. That said, some adults may be aware that these games teach children social skills such "teamwork" and "being a good winner and being a good loser". My theory about these games teaching "survival skills" and "strengthening self-esteem" is an expansion of the idea that these games teach social skills.

For example, during many circle (ring) games, one person is arbitrarily picked to go into the middle of the circle. At a certain point in the singing, the child in the middle has to perform a "motion" (amovement such as a dance step). At another point in that song, that child has to pick another member of the group to take her or his place in the middle of the circle. These types of songs teach children that
1. they must be alert (since they never know when they will be called to go into the center of the ring)and

2. they should be prepared with a "plan A" and a "plan B" (since they're supposed to come up with a motion that no one preceding them has performed and they may have to substitute another motion because someone has done what they wanted to do.

When I conducted game song groups for children, I used to include several circle (ring) game songs in my repertoire.*** Prior to the children (and the youth and adults present) playing these games, I would give a casual talk about that game teaching people to be being "alert and ready". I shared with them that this type of thinking may have been important for chilren in slavery times and it is still important now.

*Calling a Black person "black" as well as calling them "black and dirty" or "black and browsy"-I'm assuming that "browsy" means "unkept"-was probably considered to be an insult in Civil Rights time. Unfortunately, calling an African American child "black" may is still be considered as an insult today.

** The affirmation part of the song is "I'm just as good as you are".

*** For the record (no pun intended), although I like this song,I haven't taught it to any children. I made that decision because calling someone "black" [which is usually given as "blackie"] can be such a volatile statement among African American children that I decided "not to go there". Yet, if I ever had the opportunity to share information about 19th century African American folk songs and children's rhymes in an academic (and not a limited time recreational) setting-particulrly if that class room setting was for children ages 12 years and up- I would definitely include "Johnny Cuckoo" in that curriculum.


Azizi Powell