'Rare' Caribbean shanties of Hugill, etc

Subject: RE: 'Rare' Caribbean shanties of Hugill, etc
From: Gibb Sahib
Date: 29 Jul 23 - 02:02 AM

Re: "Bulldog," since it is familiar from 20th c commercial recordings and stage performances, here's evidence of its 19th c use as a work-song.

“Running a Turtle in Exuma Sound.” _The Rod and Gun_ 6.26 (Sept. 25, 1875): 385, 396.

A White sportsman (unnamed) is in the Bahamas, living in a cottage on Great Exuma Island for nine months. It's 1867—he's remembering back. He goes out in a whaleboat with a crew of seven Black men, to hunt for turtle. The crew member named Solomon "[sets] the stroke to their favorite rowing song,

(Stroke): What dat bull-dog growlin’ about?
(Crew): Bull-dog, don’t bite me.

Refrain.— Oh, seize him, Tiger, seize him,
Bull-dog, don’t bite me;
Bow, wow, wow, wow."

Later, when they return from the hunt, the rowers sing,
“One dollar a day don't pay my time,
Chor. —Pay me five dollah down”

Subject: RE: 'Rare' Caribbean shanties of Hugill, etc
From: Gibb Sahib
Date: 03 Nov 23 - 07:44 PM

re: Doodle Let Me Go & Do Let Me Lone, Susan (which I take as variants of one song)

This song has a status as a "folk" song of Guyana.

I would expect to find more even with basic internet-based "research." Alas, I presently have only a few documents of the song's Guyanese context.


A 1960 International Teacher Development Program conference included performers from erstwhile British Guiana. The program says they performed “Do Let Me ‘Lone, Lulu.”

We can hear Guyanese renditions of the song (unfortunately, without verse lyrics) in these recordings/videos:

"Yellow Girl"
https://youtu.be/fQDhjquwa6c?si=1EsoAfd5JcGlIOUx
"Yalla Gal"
https://youtu.be/SMtiHm9vGAU?si=QuBQ08zgNlqOhaYF
"Yallah Gal"
https://youtu.be/IE6v_PY8pro?si=cmh62Qg0G_rzvo_9


There's also a songbook called _Folk Songs of Guyana_ (196x) by Brathwaite and Brathwaite that contains a score of the song, but I have not accessed it.

Subject: RE: 'Rare' Caribbean shanties of Hugill, etc
From: Gibb Sahib
Date: 15 Nov 23 - 07:40 PM

Here's "Yella Gal" (Hugill/Harding's "Do Let Me Lone") from

Brathwaite, Percy A. and Serena Brathwaite. _Folk Songs of Guyana: Queh-Queh, Chanties and Plantation Themes._ [self-published: Georgetown?], 1967.

“Queh-Queh also sung as Chanty”
YELLA GAL

Refrain:
Do leh me lone, Lulu, do leh me lone,
        Hurray, me yella gal, do leh me lone
Do leh me lone, Lulu, do leh me lone,
        Hurray, me yella gal, do leh me lone

Solo: Put me face pon Lulu face, Lulu faint away, oh
Chorus: Hurray, me yella gal, Lulu faint away

Solo: Ah put me han’ pon Lulu head, Lulu faint away, oh.
Chorus: Hurray me yella gal, Lulu faint away.

Solo: Ah put me han’ roun’ Lulu neck / An’ she faint away, oh
Chorus: “then Refrain, etc.”

Solo: Ah put me han’ roun’ Lulu waist, “etc.”
Chorus: “then Refrain, etc.”

Includes notation, including a harmonized (4-part) refrain. However, there appear to be numerous errors in the transcription where the rhythm doesn't make sense.

Subject: RE: 'Rare' Caribbean shanties of Hugill, etc
From: Gibb Sahib
Date: 03 Nov 23 - 07:44 PM

re: Doodle Let Me Go & Do Let Me Lone, Susan (which I take as variants of one song)

This song has a status as a "folk" song of Guyana.

I would expect to find more even with basic internet-based "research." Alas, I presently have only a few documents of the song's Guyanese context.


A 1960 International Teacher Development Program conference included performers from erstwhile British Guiana. The program says they performed “Do Let Me ‘Lone, Lulu.”

We can hear Guyanese renditions of the song (unfortunately, without verse lyrics) in these recordings/videos:

"Yellow Girl"
https://youtu.be/fQDhjquwa6c?si=1EsoAfd5JcGlIOUx
"Yalla Gal"
https://youtu.be/SMtiHm9vGAU?si=QuBQ08zgNlqOhaYF
"Yallah Gal"
https://youtu.be/IE6v_PY8pro?si=cmh62Qg0G_rzvo_9


There's also a songbook called _Folk Songs of Guyana_ (196x) by Brathwaite and Brathwaite that contains a score of the song, but I have not accessed it.

Subject: RE: 'Rare' Caribbean shanties of Hugill, etc
From: Gibb Sahib
Date: 15 Nov 23 - 07:40 PM

Here's "Yella Gal" (Hugill/Harding's "Do Let Me Lone") from

Brathwaite, Percy A. and Serena Brathwaite. _Folk Songs of Guyana: Queh-Queh, Chanties and Plantation Themes._ [self-published: Georgetown?], 1967.

“Queh-Queh also sung as Chanty”
YELLA GAL

Refrain:
Do leh me lone, Lulu, do leh me lone,
        Hurray, me yella gal, do leh me lone
Do leh me lone, Lulu, do leh me lone,
        Hurray, me yella gal, do leh me lone

Solo: Put me face pon Lulu face, Lulu faint away, oh
Chorus: Hurray, me yella gal, Lulu faint away

Solo: Ah put me han’ pon Lulu head, Lulu faint away, oh.
Chorus: Hurray me yella gal, Lulu faint away.

Solo: Ah put me han’ roun’ Lulu neck / An’ she faint away, oh
Chorus: “then Refrain, etc.”

Solo: Ah put me han’ roun’ Lulu waist, “etc.”
Chorus: “then Refrain, etc.”

Includes notation, including a harmonized (4-part) refrain. However, there appear to be numerous errors in the transcription where the rhythm doesn't make sense.