Lyr Req: Three Friends' Advice (Lord Executor)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Three Friends' Advice (Lord Executor)
From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch
Date: 22 Jun 18 - 06:13 PM

Just come from the linked threads. Seems the Trini Obeah-Shango cultures have been covered in a lot of threads but the Christian, not so much:

-Shouters, khaki, serges, palm beach, cork hats, leggings &c.

The Shouters or Spiritual Baptists are descendants of Loyalist African-(A)merikin colonials, who served in the British Corps of Colonial Marines against the U.S.A. in the War of 1812.

When it was all over, and the Yanks remained, some individual English-speaking Baptist Merikins wound up in Bermuda, Bahamas &c but the military units themselves got dumped in French-Catholic Trinidad.

Serge & palm beach are types of tropical weight wool/cotton blend fabrics. These, the Wolseley pattern cork hat, yet another tropical “turtle boy,” white shirts, khakis &c are all later period Euro-Colonial sterotypes.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Three Friends' Advice (Lord Executor)
From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch
Date: 22 Jun 18 - 01:46 AM

**vio, vior

Or: “...to fiore I answered no. I think I going to learn to dance the tango.”

Fior(e) (fye-ore) - Suit of clubs in cards; three petals on the fleur.

- Say no to joining religious social clubs. Go downtown to the tango club (night club) and have a good time.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Three Friends' Advice (Lord Executor)
From: GUEST,Mark G
Date: 21 Jun 18 - 06:18 PM

The missing word is "friend", and in Duke of Iron's interview it was Vio, not Vior.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Three Friends' Advice (Lord Executor)
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Oct 17 - 08:05 PM

Nope - definitely Vior.

Another fairly clear source: http://publicdomain4u.com/lord-executor-three-friends-advice

Subject: Lyr Add: THREE FRIENDS' ADVICE (Lord Executor)
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Jul 17 - 10:53 PM

There are so many mistakes in katlaughing's lyrics I hardly know where to begin. So I will just offer my best take on the lyrics from a reasonably clear copy on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTmqlDEFx2k:

THREE FRIENDS' ADVICE
The Executor accompanied by Gerald Clark and his Caribbean Serenaders
℗1937 Decca Records, Inc.
Composer: Fitz McLean


According to condition, me friends and relations,
They gave me their opinion.
According to condition, me friends and relations,
They gave me their opinion.
One said, "Join the Shouters' band."
Another one said, "Be an obeahman."
But to Vior I answer, "No,
I think I going to learn to dance the Tango."

I was told by a certain friend
Who introduce me then to the Shouters' den
And all the ceremonies that I went through.
We sang, "Moses, Moses, take off thy shoe."
I fasted for forty days singing hymn,
And then they duck me in the river but I could not swim.
Then to Vior I answered, "No,
I think I going to learn to dance the Tango."

In two weeks time, then, I got so fat,
And you can imagine ?????? the cause of that:
Stew eggs and fried macaroni
That in the meeting the sisters would give to me.
Khaki, serges, palm beach and white.
With the cork hat and the legging to lace up tight.
Still to Vior I answered, "No,
I think I going to learn to dance the Tango."

Soon after that I draft a different plan
And decided to be an obeahman.
Around my neck I had a chapelet
And the beard that I had was like Galbadier.
The shirt on me bosom was a motor-car bag,
And the coat on me back was a telele rag,
Still to Vior I answered, "No,
I think I going to learn to dance the Tango."

Now listen, friend, what I had in me room
Was a grinning skeleton with a face of gloom,
A dancing peacock painted in red
With a jumping crapaud without a head,
Three blind mice and a macajuel snake,
And a big tar baby to walk and shake,
Still to Vior I answered, "No,
I think I going to learn to dance the Tango."

            ***********************

*obeahman- male practitioner of obeah, a form of hoodoo-like folk magic
*taylaylay rag - a form of cheap dress cloth
*crapaud - a toad
*chapelet - section or the Rosary
*makawel snake - a boa constrictor
*Galbadier was an obeahman.

No idea who Vior was. Or it could be Vio.

Any help on that third verse?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Three Friends' Advice (Lord Executor)
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Jun 15 - 03:01 AM

As for the melody used in Three Friends Advice, it's about the same as Money is King, sung by The Tiger .... are there more songs written to it? - F

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Three Friends' Advice (Lord Executor)
From: MorwenEdhelwen1
Date: 15 Jun 11 - 11:32 PM

Thanks for that, Q.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Three Friends' Advice (Lord Executor)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 15 Jun 11 - 08:54 PM

Comments on lyrics posted by katlaughing-

chaplet should be- chapelet- section or the Rosary (object of devotion).
coat on my back was a telele bag or telaylay bag. Explained as a cheap dress cloth in a blog, but I dunno.
face of doom is- face of gloom
jumping krapo is- jumping crapaud (a toad)
makawel snake is- macajuel snake.

Some consider Shango also to be the god of fertility.
Galbadier was an obeahman. In Lomax - Iron Duke lyrics, spelled Chalbadier (incorrect).

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Three Friends' Advice (Lord Executor)
From: MorwenEdhelwen1
Date: 12 Jun 11 - 05:22 AM

Just want to comment on the description of Lord Executor as a "derelict." I think there's a song in there somewhere- the once-great performer reduced to the status of homeless person. Unfortunately, I am not as good as he was, so I can't think up stanzas right now.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Three Friends' Advice (Lord Executor)
From: MorwenEdhelwen1
Date: 06 Jun 11 - 12:41 AM

Refresh.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Three Friends' Advice (Lord Executor)
From: MorwenEdhelwen1
Date: 05 Jun 11 - 05:28 PM

Definitions of terms in the lyrics:
*obeah man- male practitioner of obeah, a form of hoodoo-like folk magic
*taylaylay rag- a form of cheap cloth
*makawel snake- a boa constrictor

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Three Friends' Advice (Lord Executor)
From: MorwenEdhelwen1
Date: 05 Jun 11 - 04:57 PM

So yeah, they're one and the same! Poor Lord Executor.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Three Friends' Advice (Lord Executor)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 05 Jun 11 - 03:11 PM

The old Decca recording seems to be unavailable.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Three Friends' Advice (Lord Executor)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 05 Jun 11 - 03:00 PM

"At the time that Dr. Merrick and [J. F.] Minerve were pinning down the date as 1906 [ composition of L'Année passée], we already knew that Leo Feist Inc. had obtained a deposition of an ancient calypso singer from Trinidad, Philip Garcia, known as Lord Executor, who swore that he heard the melody of L'Année passée in 1893, thirteen years before Belasco claimed to have written it."
[Soye indident determined as 1905]. ".........we were able to prove that Garcia was a derelict and his testimony was irresponsible and might have been bought for a dollar."
Gerald Clark [long-time calypsoan, who had played at Carnegie Hall, etc.] ...."testified that he had met Garcia, Lord Executor, whom he knew very well because he had once recorded with him." ".........If you will excuse the expression, Lord Executor, as I saw him, he is a bum, and he is incoherent- he is not consistent with a conversation...........he begs and I was glad to give him a dollar and get rid of him."
[Testimony in Court of Dr. Merrick, Gerald Clark and James Minerve exposed Garcia's testimony as] "fraudulent."

From Ch. 3, "The Case of the Plagiarized Song "Rum and Coca-Cola," p. 265-328, Louis Nizer, My Life in Court, 1961, Doubleday.
---------------------------------------

"Great names of Early Calypso," Don Hill, http;//www.allmusic.com/explore/essay/the-great-names-of-early-calypso-t628
"Lord Executor (Philip Garcia) was one of a handful of calypso pioneers that was responsible for the spread of English language calypso in Trinidad in the early 1900s; it is lucky for us that he recorded for the Decca label in New York in the late '30s. He was a master of the longer calypso 'tent' forms and his recordings are an encyclopedia of social commentary and West Indian folklore."

It is unfortunate that he hit the gutter not long after this recording was made.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Three Friends' Advice (Lord Executor)
From: MorwenEdhelwen1
Date: 05 Jun 11 - 07:18 AM

Refresh.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Three Friends' Advice (Lord Executor)
From: MorwenEdhelwen1
Date: 05 Jun 11 - 04:24 AM

Any other songs with similar sort-of-religious theme of someone being advised by friends to try different religions?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Three Friends' Advice (Lord Executor)
From: MorwenEdhelwen1
Date: 05 Jun 11 - 12:52 AM

EDIT: *testimony* in the 3rd post should be *deposition*.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Three Friends' Advice (Lord Executor)
From: MorwenEdhelwen1
Date: 05 Jun 11 - 12:42 AM

I believe this was written in 1937- it is a Depression-era song.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Three Friends' Advice (Lord Executor)
From: MorwenEdhelwen1
Date: 05 Jun 11 - 12:25 AM

Thanks for the lyrics, katlaughing. Apparently, according to Gerald Clark, Executor was a "bum", who begged for a living. "I was glad to get rid of him." He died in the 1950s, broke and blind. Very sad, especially for a calypsonian whose major achievement was pioneering English-language songs.

Another interesting thing,in one of the "Rum and Coca-Cola" court case posts, a man named Philip Garcia claimed in a testimony in Baron vs. Feist to have heard "L'Annee Passee" in the 1890s, when he was a boy. Executor's name is Philip Garcia. He started singing in the 1890s, when he was young. Is it possible he and the witness are the same person? It's an interesting coincidence.

Subject: Lyr Add: THREE FRIENDS' ADVICE (Lord Executor)
From: katlaughing
Date: 05 Jun 11 - 12:06 AM

According to this guy (more info on Lord Executor, too), the lyrics are (Shango being the Yoruba god of thunder):


THREE FRIENDS' ADVICE

According to condition, me friends and relation
They gave me their opinion.
According to condition, me friends and relation
They gave me their opinion.
One said, "Join the Shouters' band."
Another one said, "Be an obeahman."
But to Vio I answer, "No,
I think I going to learn to dance the Shango."

I was advise by a certain friend
Who introduce me then to the Shouters' den
And all the ceremonies that I went through.
We sang, "Moses, Moses, take off thy shoe."
I fasted for forty days singing hymn,
And then they duck me in the river but I could not swim.
Then to Vio I answered, "No,
I think I going to learn to dance the Shango."

In two weeks time, friends, I got so fat,
And you can imagine the cause of that:
Stew eggs and fried macaroni
That in the meeting the sisters would bring to me.
Khaki, serges, palm beach and white.
The cork hat and the legging as to lace up tight.
Still to Vio I answered, "No,
I think I going to learn to dance the tango."

Soon after that I draft a different plan
And decided to be an obeahman.
Around my neck I had a chaplet
And the beard that I had was like Galbadier.
The shirt on me bosom was a motor-car bag,
And the coat on me back was a tickilay rag,
And to Vio I answered, "No,
I think I going to learn to dance the Shango."

Now listen, friend, what I had in me room
Was a grinning skeleton with a face of doom,
A dancing peacock painted in red
With a jumping krapo without a head,
Three blind mice and a makawel snake,
And a big tar baby to walk and shake,
Then to Vio I answered, "No,
I think I going to learn to dance the Shango."

Subject: Lyr Req: Three Friends' Advice (Lord Executor)
From: MorwenEdhelwen1
Date: 04 Jun 11 - 07:47 PM

"According to condition, ??? religion, they (something) an obeah man,
According to condition, ??? religion, they something) an obeah man,
One said, "Join the Shouter Baptists," another one said, "Be an obeah man,"
But I'm (?) but no, I think I'll learn to dance the Shango."

This recording is unintelligible. Does anyone want to listen and transcribe?Lord Executor- Three Friends' Advice