 sj |
||
|
||
Lyr Add: Plantation Songs (Joel Chandler Harris)
|
|
|
Subject: Lyr Add: REVIVAL HYMN (Joel Chandler Harris) From: GUEST,Q Date: 28 Apr 03 - 10:59 PM I. REVIVAL HYMN Oh, whar/ shill we go/ w'en de great/ day comes Wid de blow/ in' er de trumpits/ en de bang in' er de drums/ How man/ y po' sin/ ners be kotched/ out late En fine/ no latch ter de gold/ en gate/ (Illustrating the rhythm- explanation by Harris below) Oh, whar shill we go w'en de great day comes, Wid de blowin' er de trumpits en de bangin' er de drums? How many po' sinners'll be kotched out late En fine no latch ter de golden gate? No use fer ter wait twel ter-morrer! De sun musn't set on yo' sorrer, Sin's ez sharp ez a bamboo-brier- Oh, Lord! fetch de mo'ners up higher! W'en de nashuns er de earf is a stan'in all aroun', Who's gwineter be chosen fer ter w'ar de glory-crown? Who's a gwine fer ter stan' stiff-kneed en bol'. En answer to der name et de callin' er de roll? You better come now ef you comm- Ole Satun is loose en a bummin'- De wheels er distruckshun is a hummin'- Oh, come long, sinner, ef you comm'! De song er salvashun is a mighty sweet song, En de Pairidise win' blow fur en blow strong, En Aberham's bosom, hit's saft en hit's wide, En right dar's de place whar de sinners oughter hide! Oh, you nee'nter be a stoppin' en a lookin'; Ef you fool wid ole Satun you'll git took in; Youil hang on de aidge en get shook in, Ef you keep on a stoppin' en a lookin'. De time is right now, en dish yer's de place- Let de sun er salvashun shine squar' in yo' face; Fight de battles er de Lord, fight soon and fight late, En you'll allers fine a latch ter de golden gate. No use fer ter wait twel ter-morrer, De sun musn't set on yo' sorrer- Sin's ez sharp ez a bamboo-brier, Ax de Lord fer ter fetch you up higher! Speaking of the songs, Harris says "The reader is warned that it will be found difficult to make them conform to the ordinary rules of versification, nor is it intended that they should so conform. They are written, and are intended to be read, solely with reference to the regular and invariable recurrence of the caesura, ...." (as I have tried to illustrate with the beginning lines, copied from Harris' illustration. Harris says, "The dialect, it will be observed, is wholly different from that of the Hon. Pompey Smash and his literary descendants, and different also from the intolerable misrepresentations of the minstrel stage, but it is at least phonetically genuine. .....At any rate I trust I have been successful in presenting, what must be, at least to a large portion of American readers, a new and by no means unattractive phase of negro character- a phase which may be considered a curiously sympathetic supplement to Mrs. Stowe's wonderful defense of slavery as it existed in the South. Mrs. Stowe, let me hasten to say, attacked the possibilities of slavery with all the eloquence of genius; but the same genius painted the portrait of the Southern slave-owner, and defended him." Taken from a 1920 reprint, but also on line: Remus Legends |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: HARRIS, PLANTATION SONGS From: GUEST,Q Date: 28 Apr 03 - 11:03 PM Lyr. Add: Revival Hymn Joel Chandler Harris, 1881, "Uncle Remus, Legends of the Old Plantation," Songs I. |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: HARRIS, PLANTATION SONGS From: masato sakurai Date: 28 Apr 03 - 11:33 PM Other Remus sites: Uncle Remus: His Songs and His Sayings (1881) Uncle Remus: His Songs and Sayings (selection of a later edition) Joel Chandler Harris, Uncle Remus (selected text, with illustrations and other info) ~Masato |
|
Subject: ADD: "Revival Hymn," Harris From: wysiwyg Date: 28 Apr 03 - 11:37 PM Good start, Q. Please note two things-- my post to you in the 19th-century-gospel thread, and the subject line of my post changed to provide the title of the piece you posted. See? GOOD START! Keep going!!!!! ~Susan |
|
Subject: Lyr Add: CAMP MEETING SONG (Joel Chandler Harris) From: GUEST,Q Date: 29 Apr 03 - 01:48 PM Lyr. Add: CAMP MEETING SONG Oh, de worril is roun' en de worril is wide- Lord! 'member deze chillun in de mornin'- Hit's a mighty long ways up de mountain side, En dey ain't no place fer dem sinners fer to hide, En dey ain't no place whar sin kin abide, W'en do Lord shill come in do mornin'! Look up en look aroun', Fling yo' burden on de groun', Hit's a gittin' mighty close on ter mornin'! Smove away sin's frown- Retch up en git de crown, W'at do Lord will fetch in de mornin'! De han' er ridem'shun, hit's hik out ter you- Lord! 'member dem sinners in de mornin'! Hit's a mighty pashent han', but de days is but few, W'en Satun, he'll come a demandin' un his due, En de stiff-neck sinners 'll be smotin' all fru- Oh, you better git ready for do mornin'! Look up en set yo' face Todes do green hills or grace 'Fo' do sun rises up in do mornin'- Oh, you better change yo' base, Hit's yo' soul's las' race For do glory dat's a comin' in do mornin'! Do farmer gits ready w'en de lan's all plowed For ter sow dom seeds in de mornin' De spirrit may be puny en do flesh may be proud, But you better cut loose fum de scoffin' crowd, En jine dose Christuns w'at's a cryin' out loud Fer do Lord fer to come in the mornin'! Shout loud en shout long, Lot do ekkoes ans'or strong, W'on do sun rises up in do mornin'! Oh, you allers will be wrong Twel you choose ter belong Tor do Marster w'at's a comin' in de mornin'! Note by Harris: "In the days of slavery, the religious services held by the Negroes who accompanied their owners to the camp-meetings were marvels of earnestness and devotion." This is song II in Harris, "Uncle Remus, Legends of the Old Plantation," 1881. Title varied somewhat with edition. The Gutenberg on-line copy has a few words spelled differently from the reprint edition I have; without a copy of the 1881 edition, a few remain uncertain. The on-line copy, however, seems excellent overall. (The rhythm and the emotion always were more important that the words, hence de becomes do becomes thuh, you becomes yer or yo', and accents get shifted. These songs were collected by Harris in central Georgia (Eatonton area) and dialects varied across the South. On the farm, not all workers got away to church services since some jobs had to be done when the conditions demanded. Those returning from the services voiced the sermons and songs to those who stayed behind, and, for themselves, to prolong the enjoyment of an important event. Embellishment, in addition to faulty memory, may have led to the development of some spirituals and the conversion of some hymns to early "gospel." My wife's memory of her family's Eatonton farm, 1920s-1930s, helped here.) |
|
Subject: ADD: "Camp Meeting Song," Harris From: wysiwyg Date: 29 Apr 03 - 02:20 PM Q, the other way to list these in the subject line, if all of the titles are this generic, would be to use the first line of the song. ~Susan |
|
Subject: Lyr Add: CORN-SHUCKING SONG (Joel Chandler Harris) From: GUEST,Q Date: 29 Apr 03 - 04:07 PM Lyr. Add: CORN-SHUCKING SONG Oh, dofus news you know do da~l bo a breakin'- [dawn will be...] (Hey O! Hi O! Up'n down do Bango! *1) An' do fior be a burnin' en' do ash-cake a bakin', An' do hon'll be a hollorin' en do boss'll be a wakin'- (Hey O! Hi O! Up'n down do Bango!) Better git up, nigger, en give yo' se'f a shakin'- (Hi O, Miss Sindy Ann!) Oh, honey! we'n you see dem ripe stars a fallin'- (Hey O! Hi O! Up'n down do Bango!) Oh, honey! w'en you year do rain-crow a callin'- (Hey O! Hi O! Up'n down do Bango!) Oh, honey! w'en year dat rod calf a bawlin'- (Hey O! Hi O! Up'n down do bango!) Den do day time's a creepin' on a crawlin'- (Hi o! Mis Sindy Ann!) For dolos' ell on yard *2) is a huntin' for do mornin', (Hi O! git long! go 'way!) En shell ketch up widdus 'fo' we ever git dis corn in- ((Oh, go 'way, Sindy Ann!) *2) "The sword and belt in the constellation of Orion" Oh, honey! w'en you year dat tin horn a tootin' (Hey O! Hi O! Up'n down do Bango!) Oh, honey! w'on you year do squinch owl a hootin'- (Hey O! Hi O! Up'n down do Bango!) Oh, honey! w'en you year dom little pigs a rootin'- (Hey O! Hi O! Up'n down do Bango!) Right den she's a comm' a skippin' en a scootin'- (Hi O, Miss Sindy Ann!) Oh, honey! w'en you year dat roan mule whicker- (Hey O! Hi O! Up'n down do bango!) W'on you see Mister moon turnin' pale en gittin' sicker- (Hey O! Hi O! Up'n down do Bango!) Don hit's time for tor handle dat corn a little quicker- (Hey O! Hi O! Up'n down do bango!) Ef you wantor git a smell or old Marstor's jug or licker- (Hi O! Miss Sindy Ann!) For do los' oil en yard is a huntin' for do mornin' (Hi O! git long! go 'way!) En she'll ketch up widdus 'fo' we ever git dis corn in- (Oh, go 'way! Sindy Ann!) You niggors 'cross dar! You bettor stop your dancin'- (Hey O! Hi O! Up'n down do Bango!) No use for ter come a flingin' un yo' "sha'n't's" in- (Hey O! Hi O! Up'n down do Bango!) No use for to come a flingin' un yo' "can't's" in- (Hey O! Hi O! Up'n down do Bango!) Kaze dey ain't no time for yo' pattin' nor yo' prancin'! (Hi O! Miss Sindy Ann!) Mr. Rabbit see do fox, en he sass urn en jaws urn- (Hey O! Hi O! Up'n down do Bango!) Mister Fox ketch do rabbit, on he scratch um en he claws urm- (Hey O! Hi O! Up'n down do Bango!) En he tar off do hide, een ho chaws urn en he gnyaws urn- (Hey O! Hi O! Up'n down do Bango!) Same like sweet gal chawin' sweet gum en rozzum- (Hi O! Miss Sindy Ann!) For do los' oil en yard is a huntin' for do mornin'- (Hi O! Git long! Go 'way!) En she'll ketch up widdus 'fo' we ever git dis corn in- (Oh, go 'way, Sindy Ann!) Oh, work on, boys! Give doze shucks a mighty wringin'- (Hey O! Hi O! Up'n down do Bango!) 'Fo do boss come aroun' a dangin' en a dingin'- (Hey O! Hi O! Up'n down do Bango!) Git upen move aroun'! Sot dom big han's ter swingin'- (Hey O! Hi O! Up'n down do Bango!) Git up'n shout loud! Lot do w'ite folks year yo' singin'! (Hi O! Miss Sindy Ann!) For dolos' eli on yard is a huntin' for do mornin'- (Hi O! git 'long! Go 'way!) En shell ketch up widdus 'fo' we ever git dis corn in- (Oh, go 'way! Sindy Ann!) Harris comments *1) "So far as I know, "Bango" is a meaningless term, introduced on acount of its sonorous ruggedness. *2) The sword and belt in the constellation of Orion." Song 3 in Joel Chandler Harris, "Uncle Remus, Legends of the Old Plantation," 1881. My wife is unsure about the harvesting practice in this song, since all field corn was fed to stock, usually fairly dry, and eatin' corn was a selected variety, tended along with the vegetables. Her father's farm raised mostly cotton. Why this corn was harvested before the sun riz high enough to dry things out, she doesn't know. Anybody? This excellent old field song shows how stories and embellishments were added as the work went on, in order to keep the hands interested, moving and in rhythm. |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: HARRIS, PLANTATION SONGS From: Charley Noble Date: 29 Apr 03 - 04:34 PM Curious that Harris is perplexed as he says "So far as I know, 'Bango' is a meaningless term..." "Up'n down do Bango!" clearly refers to playing the banjo. Thanks again, Guest Q, for your interesting posts. When are you going to become a regular Mudcat member? It ain't so hard. ;~) Cheerily, Charley Noble |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: HARRIS, PLANTATION SONGS From: GUEST,Q Date: 29 Apr 03 - 06:44 PM Banjo? 'Tain't necessarily so. Could and it couldn't. The banjo was sometimes called a bango. But maybe they had heard the great-grandfathers of this band: Bango Or maybe they heard the "Song of the Black Shakers": Lyr. Add: Song of the Black Shakers Sung nightly, to tremendous applause, by all the Ethiopian bands in the City. I went down to Sally's house, Sally wasn't home. So I sat in de corner dar And played on de jaw bone. (Dancing chorus) Fi-yi-ya, it de oot te doodle dum Possum up a gum tree, Cooney in de hollar, Show me de colored man Dat stole my dollar. (Dancing chorus- [who dat mudcat on de end?] Now shake yourselves, darkies, An' dance to de fiddle- Swash, shay, hands across- All go down de middle. (chorus) Pompey plays de bango, Zezer plays de fiddle- Obbediah skins de eels, An' fries dem on de griddle. (Chorus) Song sheet one cent. Joke on song sheet- Why am de Jim Crow Polka like bitter beer. Bekase dar am so many hops in it. [The house rises, with great applause!] Jokes were real side-splitters in those days. America Singing. Nineteenth Century Song Sheets. Comes up on Bango. Was a member once. Someone started loading me up with viruses. I can do without that. |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: HARRIS, PLANTATION SONGS From: GUEST,Q Date: 29 Apr 03 - 08:38 PM Lyr. Add: HI MY RINKTUM! (Christmas play song) Hi my *rinktum! Black gal sweet, Same like goodies w'at do w'ito folks oat*; Ho my Riley! don't you tako'n tell 'or name, En den of sumpin' happen you won't ketch do blame; Hi my rinktum! bettor tako'n hide yo' plum; Joree* don't holler eve'y time he fine a wum. Den it's hi my rinktum! Don't git no udder man; En it's Ho my Riley! Fetch out Miss Dilsey Ann! Ho my Riley! Yaller gal fine; She may be yone* but she oughter be mine! Hi my rinktum! Lemme git by, En see w'at she mean by de cut or dat eye! Ho my Riley! bettor shot dat do'- Do w'ite folks 'll *bloovo we or t'arin' up do flo', Den it's ho my Riley! Come a siftin' up ter me! En it's Hi my rinktum! Dis do way tor twis' yo' knee! Himy rinktum! Ain't do eas' gittin' red? Do squinch owl shiver like he wanter go ter bed; Ho my Riley! but do gals en do boys, Des now gittin' so doy kin sorter make a noise. Hi my rinktum! lot do yaller gal lone; Niggers don't hanker arter sody in do *pone. Den it's hi my rinktum! Better try anudder plan; An' its Ho my Riley! Trot out Miss Dilsey Ann! Ho my Riley! In do happy Chrismus' time Do niggers shake der cloze a huntin' for a dime. Hi my rinktum! En dey shake der feet, En greaze derse'f wid de good ham meat. Ho my Riley! dey oat en dey cram, En *bimoby ole Miss'll be a sendin' out de *dram. Don it's Ho my Riley! You hear dat, Sam! En it's Hi my rinktum! Be a sendin' out do dram! *Rinktum- In versions of Froggy Went A-Courting and other songs. See Rosy Rinktum Mary in the Max Hunter Folk Song Collection: Rosy Rinktum Mary *oat- eat. *joree- a bird (fowl?). Not uncommon first name in the South, also an old Georgia Cherokee name. *yone- yours. *bloovo- believe that (?). *bimoby- by-and -by. * pone- corn pone. *dram- draught of liquor. Not only was a "dram" given out at holidays, but if the work was very hard in the field, sometimes liquor was sent out. When a slave or hand did an all day task, such as haulage to town, when he came back the overseer or the master might order a dram for him. Harris collected this Christmas play-song at the Myrick Place, Putnam Co., GA, in 1858. J. C. Harris, "Uncle Remus, Legends of the Old Plantation," 1881, song V. |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: HARRIS, PLANTATION SONGS From: GUEST,Q Date: 29 Apr 03 - 08:55 PM Just found a site with Uncle Remus, His: Songs and His Sayings. The text is more easily readable than the Gutenberg copy. Haven't checked completely for accuracy, but it seems to be better. http://whitewolf.newcastle.edu.au/words/authors/H/HarrisJoelChandler/prose/UncleRemus/index.html: Uncle Remus |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: HARRIS, PLANTATION SONGS From: Joe Offer Date: 30 Apr 03 - 12:44 AM Are there tunes in any version of this book you have access to, Q? If you can figure a way to get them to me, that would be wonderful. At http://whitewolf.newcastle.edu.au, all I see is lyrics. --Joe Offer (click to e-mail)- |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: HARRIS, PLANTATION SONGS From: GUEST,Q Date: 30 Apr 03 - 12:05 PM No tunes were collected with the lyrics that Harris collected. Many of these songs had cadence, rhythm, beat but no standard tune. Tunes of field songs often varied from verse to verse, as the leader sought inspiration or the lead passed to another singer. The singers did not have sheet music from which they could parrot exact clones at the next singing. Many singers attempt to put old lyrics into a strait-jacket, as seen in some of the posts here. Many poems have received settings from different composers. The same was true of the old folk-singers who applied tunes that were suitable at the time to the song and to their particular ideas and voice, but they were by no means consistent. |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: HARRIS, PLANTATION SONGS From: GUEST,Q Date: 30 Apr 03 - 02:29 PM Lyr. Add: THE PLOUGH-HANDS SONG (Jasper Co., GA, 1860) Nigger mighty happy w'en he layin' by con- Dat sun's a slantin'; Nigger mighty happy w'en he year do dinner-ho'n- Dat sun's a slantin'; En he mo' happy still w'en do night draws on- Dat sun's a slantin'; Dat sun's a slantin dos oz sho's you bo'n! En it's rise up, Primus! fetch anudder yell: Dat ole dun cow's dos a shakin' up 'or bell, En de frogs chunin' up 'fo do jew done fell: Good-night Mister Kilidee! I wish you mighty well! -I wish you mighty well! Do co'n 'll be ready 'g'inst dumplin day- Dat sun's a slantin'; But nigger gottor watch, en stick, en stay- Dat sun's a slantin; Same ez do boo-martin watchin' un do jay- Dat sun's a slantin'; Dat sun's a slantin' en a slippin' away! Don it's rise up, Primus! on gin it t'urn strong; Do cow's gwino home wid dor ding-dang-dong- Sling in anudder teteh or do ole-time song: Good-night Mr. Whipperwill! Don't stay long! -Mr. Whipperwill! Don't stay long! -Don't stay long! Song IV, J. C. Harris, 1881, "Uncle Remus, Myths and Legends of the Old Plantation." Illustrative of the inventive genius of a people. The lines would be half-sung, many made up on the spot. The end of many lines- night draws on- emphasized by a change to a strongly voiced high note and a pause- ooo-ONN- before the next line is taken up. The next time the song was voiced, the content and "tune" (tone a better word?) would be different. |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: HARRIS, PLANTATION SONGS From: Charley Noble Date: 30 Apr 03 - 05:02 PM You're really posting a treasure trove here! Rare that a contemporary white man would be as meticulous as Harris to try to get the pronounciation and phrasing correct for songs that did not originate in the dominant culture. Cheerily, Charley Noble, who's still convinced that a "bango" is a "banjo" as used above and that problably Harris was a concertina player! |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: HARRIS, PLANTATION SONGS From: GUEST,Q Date: 30 Apr 03 - 07:53 PM Subject- Bango. You are probably right. But: vas you dere, Charlie? |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: HARRIS, PLANTATION SONGS From: GUEST,Q Date: 30 Apr 03 - 09:39 PM Lyr. Add: Oh, Miss Loo! (Plantation play-song, 1856, Putnam Co., GA) Hit's a gittin' mighty late, w'en de Guinny-hins squall, En you better dance now, of you gwineter dance a tall, Fer by dis time tor-morrer night you can't hardly crawl, Kaze youil hatter take de hoe ag'in en likewise do inaul- Don't you hear dat bay colt a kickin' in his stall? Stop yo' humpin' up-yo sho'lders do! Dat'll never do! Hop light, ladies, Oh, Miss Loo! Hit takes a heap er scrougin' For ter git you thoo- Hop light, ladies, Oh, Miss Loo! Ef you niggers don't watch, you'll sing anudder chune, Fer de sun'll rise'n ketch you ef you don't be mighty soon; En de stars is gittin paler, en de ole gray coon Is a settin' in de grape-vine a watchin' fer do moon. W'en a feller comes a knockin' Des holler- Oh, shoo! Hoplight, ladies, Oh, Miss Loo! Oh, swing dat yaller gal! Do, boys, do! Hoplight, ladies, Oh, Miss Loo! Oh, tu'n me loose! Lemme 'lone! Go way, now! W'at you speck I come a dancin' fer of I dunno how? Deze do ve'y kinder footses w'at kicks up a row; Can't you jump inter do middle en make yo' gal a bow? Look at dat *merlatter man A follerin' up Sue; Hoplight, ladies, Oh, Miss Loo! De boys ain't a gwine W'en you cry boo hoo- Hop light, ladies, Oh, Miss Loo! J. C. Harris, 1881, "Uncle Remus, Legends of the Old Plantation." Song VI. *merlatter - mulatto. Mention of the guinea-hen (Guinny-hin) reminded my wife of Ring-Around the Rosie. The central Georgia version is: Ring around the rosie, Pocket full of posie, (lines repeated) Guinea, Guinea, squat! The Guinea hen is good eating, but the bird can fly to some extent and moves fast. |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: HARRIS, PLANTATION SONGS From: Charley Noble Date: 01 May 03 - 08:05 AM "Guinny-hins" are also incredibly noisy. We used to "raise" them on our farm in Maine. Well, they flew out into the surrounding forest and "raised" themselves for years; they would dive-bomb us kids when we got too close to their nests. They'd come back to the farmyard for the easy food, then the garden, then the flower beds, worse than locust. But I agree they tasted mighty fine! Cheerily, Charley Noble |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: HARRIS, PLANTATION SONGS From: GUEST,Q Date: 01 May 03 - 08:39 PM Lyr. Add: I DON'T WANTER STAY YER NO LONGER (Counting spiritual- Eighteen hunder'd forty-en-fo') Hit's eighteen hunder'd forty-en-fo', Christ done open dat He'v'mly do'- An' I don't wanter stay yer no longer; Hit's eighteen hunder'd forty-en-five, Christ done made dat dead man alive- An' I don't wanter stay yer no longer. You ax me to run home, Little childun- Run home, dat sun done roll- An' I don't wanter stay yer no longer. Hit's eighteen hunder'd forty-en-six, Christ is got us a place done fix- An' I don't wanter stay yer no longer; Hit's eighteen hunder'd forty-en-sev'm Christ done sot a table in Hev'n An' I don't wanter stay yer no longer. You ax me to run home, Little childun Run home, dat sun done roll- An' I don't wanter stay yer no longer. Hit's eithteen hunder'd forty-en-eight, Christ done make that crooked way straight- An' I don't wanter stay yer no longer; Hit's eighteen hunder'd forty-en-nine, Christ done tu'n dat water inter wine- An' I don't wanter stay yer no longer. You ax me to run home, Little childun- Run home, dat sun done roll- An' I don't wanter stay yer no longer. Hit's eighteen hunder'd forty-en-ten, Christ is do mo'ner's onliest fr'en'- An' I don't wanter stay yer no longer; Hit's eithteen hunder'd forty-en-'lev'm, Christ'll be at do do' w'en all git ter Hev'm- An' I don't wanter stay yer no longer. You ax me to run home, Little childun- Run home, dat sun done roll- An' I don't wanter stay yer no longer. J. C. Harris, Song VII, Transcriptions *1. A Plantation Chant. *Harris- "If these are adaptions from songs the Negroes have caught from the whites, their origin is very remote. I have transcribed them literally, and I regard them as in the highest degree characteristic." J. C. Harris, 1881, Uncle Remus, ... Two old spirituals may be combined in this song. 1. The Danville Chariot (I Don' Want to Stay Here No Longer). This spiritual was recorded by Fenner, 1874, p. 183, Cabin and Plantation Songs. Full reference and lyrics in thread 41800, Danville Chariot: Danville-I Don' Want 2. Eighteen hundred and Forty-four, unnamed religious song based on the counting-rhyming game (Reported from Durham, NC, 1919 MS of Walter J. Miller, in N. L. White, 1928, American Negro Folk-Songs, pp. 103-104, and other sources). White says the rhyming of dates in Negro songs is at least as old as the minstrel songs of the 1840's. This counting game also appears in "Kingdom Coming," Henry Clay Work. The song appeared in several song books in the 1860's. Traditional versions probably arose from the singing of Negro Union soldiers (White). Three of the verses in White: In eighteen hundred and sixty-one Dem dar Yankees fired dat great big gun; It looked mighty suspicious; somethin's gwine ter happen Fer de way dem white folks done. Old massa he runned away When he looked up de ribber where dem gun boats lay. It must be now dat de kingdom am a coming In de year of jubilee. De cider's in de cellar an de key's not throwed away; De darky am a gwine to hab some fun, For it'll all be confiscated when de Lincoln soldiers come. Here is the counting-rhyming version recorded from the Miller MS: Eighteen hundred and forty-four, Christ done open dat Heavenly door, Eighteen hundred and forty-five Christ done made dat dead man 'live. Eighteen hundred and forty-six, Christ done got us a place done fix, Eighteen hundred and forty-seven, Christ done set dat Heavenly table. Eighteen hundred and forty-eight, Christ done made that crooked way straight, Eighteen hundred and forty-nine, Christ done turned dat water to wine Eighteen hundred and forty-ten, Christ done moan for his oldest friend. Eighteen hundred and forty-eleven, Christ be at de door when you gits to heaven. Is it possible that the version collected by Miller and reproduced in White came from "Uncle Remus"? |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: HARRIS, PLANTATION SONGS From: GUEST,Q Date: 02 May 03 - 02:19 PM Lyr. Add: A PLANTATION SERENADE DE ole bee make de honey-comb, De young bee make de honey, De niggers make de cotton en co'n, En de w'ite folks gits de money. De raccoon he's a cu'us man, He never walk twel dark, En nuthin' never 'sturbs his mine, Twel he hear ole Bringer bark. De raccoon totes a bushy tail, De 'possum totes no h'ar, Mr. Rabbit, ho come skippin' by, Ho ain't got none ter spar'. Monday mornin' break or day, W'ite folks got me gwine, But Sat'dy night, w'en de sun goes down, Dat yaller gal's in de mine. Fifteen poun' or meat a week, W'isky for ter sell, Oh, how can a young man stay at home, Dem gals dey look so well? Met a 'possum in de road- Bre' 'Possum, whar you gwine? I thank my stars, I bless my life, I'm a huntin' for do *muscadine. Muscadine is a wild grape, very strong taste, much valued by animals and for making muscadine jelly. This is listed by Harris as Transcription 2 (see note with transcription 1, "I Don't Wanter Stay..."). There are many more verses in compilations of the song collectors. From Talley, Negro Folk Rhymes: 7. Tails De coon's got a long ringed bushy tail, De 'possum's tail is bare; Dat rabbit hain't got no tail 'tall, Cep' a liddle bunch o' hair. De gobbler's got a big fan tail, De pattridge's tail is small; Dat peacock's tail's got great big eyes, But dey don't see nothin' 'tall. 355. The Raccoon The raccoon has a bushy tail, Possum tail, she bear, The rabbit has no tail at all, But a little bunch of hair. The possum up the 'simmon tree, The racoon on the ground, The raccoon said to the possum, Shake them 'simmons down. The raccoon is a cunning thing, he rambles in the dark, He never thinks to curl his tail, Till old Ringo bark. White, American Negro Folk Songs: Songs about animals: 25 De squir's he totes a bushy tail, De 'possum tail am bah; Coon, he got de rings all 'roun, An' no tail hab de har. Put yo' foot in de water, Water mighty col'. Hear de terrapin whistle, He whistle mighty bol'. 27 Possum up a gum tree, His tail has body follow; Raccoon quickly see him Lookin' out ob hollow. 29B De raccoon am a cunnin' t'ing, He hopped hisself in de winder; Ef it had not been for de fiddle an' de bow I'd killed him wid my finger. There are many verses in several songs about the Negro doing the work and the white folks getting the money. |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: HARRIS, PLANTATION SONGS From: GUEST,Q Date: 02 May 03 - 04:42 PM Addenum to notes on "Oh, Miss Loo!" song VI. This apparently was inspired by the minstrel song and dance. See "Hop Lite Loo," which I posted and forgot, in thread 27246, Old Dan Tucker. Undated, but 1860's? Hop Lite Loo! |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: HARRIS, PLANTATION SONGS From: Charley Noble Date: 02 May 03 - 05:47 PM The verses from A PLANTATION SERENADE remind me of some of the verses Frank Warner collected back in the 1940's: Love it is a chillin' thing, Beauty is a blossom; If you wants yer finger bit Poke it at a possum. Racoon has a bushy tail, Possum's tail is bare; Rabbit, he got no tail at all, 'Cept a little piece of hair. Cheerily, Charley Noble |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: HARRIS, PLANTATION SONGS From: GUEST,Q Date: 02 May 03 - 06:01 PM Thanks for the Warner verses, Charley. Hadn't seen the Love it is a chillin' thing, before. Where did warner print them? |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: HARRIS, PLANTATION SONGS From: Charley Noble Date: 02 May 03 - 06:53 PM I've got several of Frank Warner's albums and the book thathis widow Anne Warner put together TRADITIONAL AMERICAN FOLKSONGS, Syracuse University Press, © 1984; this book should still be available and I think you'd like it. Warner was a good friend and collaborator with my mentor Bill Bonyun and a good friend of the Puleston family. The verses above are from memory. In the book find the "Racoon" on p. 421: Oh, the racoon got a bushy tail, And the possum tail hit's bare, And the rabbit ain't got no tail a-tall 'Cep' a little bunch of hair. Love, hit is a killin' fit, Beauty hit's a blossom, Effen yo' want yo' finger bit, Jes' stick it at a possum! I took my gal to the barbeque, And this is all she'd eat: Was a pot and a half of Brunswick stew, And a side and a half of meat! Love, hit is a funny thing, Shaped jes' like a lizard, Crawls right down your backbone, And nibbles at yo' gizzard. I'd forgotten that last verse! Frank collected and adapted these verses while in Alabama. Randolph notes that the "Racoon has a bushy tail" verse derives from an ante-bellum minstrel song entitled "Old Sandy Boy. Cheerily, Charley Noble |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: HARRIS, PLANTATION SONGS From: GUEST,Q Date: 02 May 03 - 08:08 PM An undated Old Zip Coon song, "Zip Coon on the Go Ahead Principle," tells what happens in Sandy Hollow. (Related to Oh Come Along O Sandy Boy) Parts, from American Memory: I went down to Sandy Hollar t'other arternoon (3 times) And the first man I chanc'e to meet war ole Zip Coon, Ole Zip Coon he is a larn'd scholar (3 times) For he plays upon the banjo, "Cooney in de hollar." Tudle tadle, tudle tadle, tuadellel dump, O tuadellel, tuadellel dump, Ri tum tuadellel, tuadelleldee. Cooney in de hollar and racoon up a stump, Cooney in de hollar, etc. ----- Possum on a log play wid im toes, (3 times) Up comes a guinea hog and off he goes, Buffalo in *canebrake, ole owl in a bush (* spelled canebreak) Buffalo in canebrake, etc. Laffin at de blacksnake trying to eat mush. Oh, a bullfrog sot and watch an alligator, etc. And jump upon a stump and offer him a tater, The alligator grinned and tried for to blush, etc. And the bullfrog laffed an cried oh hush. etc, etc. Levy Collection has copies of "O Come Along Old Sandy Boy" (Or I Was Going to Sandy Point), 1844 and 1847. Only the two last verses mention the coon. De coon he lay upon de ground, as stiff as any post; I knock him den upon de head, an' he gabe up de ghost; I took him to the old log house, as soon as he suspire; He looked just like a little mouse, and we roast him on de fire. Chorus: O come along, my Sandy boy, now come along, oh do; O what will Uncle Gabriel say, ya eh, eh, eh, ya eh, eh, eh, What will Uncle Gabriel say, why Jimmy can't you come along too. Enough of these brilliant lyrics- Dey cause de gorge to rise! |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: HARRIS, PLANTATION SONGS From: GUEST,Q Date: 03 May 03 - 03:33 PM After looking over the lyrics of Uncle Gabriel (aka Sandy Boy, etc.), I am not convinced that the raccoon and animal songs originated there. The song is about a coon hunt, but the verse structure and content are different from those of the Negro rhymes. Minstrel songs were taken up by the slaves, but to me it seems some of the songs and stories flowed the other way. Verses about animals are reported in various reminiscences of slavery days; see Sinful Tunes and Spirituals by Dena Epstein. Mention is made about a female slave, captured in Africa, who told stories and sang about "animals, birds and insects." Little was remembered about content. |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: HARRIS, PLANTATION SONGS From: GUEST,Q Date: 03 May 03 - 04:04 PM How did Harris collect his material? He commented, as follows: "Curiously enough, I have found few Negroes who will acknowledge to a stranger that they know anything of these legends; and yet to relate one of the stories is the surest road to their confidence and esteem. In this way, and in this way only, I have been enabled to collect and verify the folklore included in this volume." Prof. J. W. Powell, Smithsonian Institute, engaged in investigations of the mythology of the North American Indians, found some of the Uncle Remus stories among the Indians, an was of the opinion that the Negroes obtained them from the Indians. Harris considers this extremely doubtful, and quotes Herbert H. Smith, author of "Brazil and the Amazons," who met with some of the stories in Brazil, and traced one to India and Siam. This, to Harris, spoke of a common origin. The natural solution would be that the stories originated in Africa and were carried to the Amazon Indians by Negro slave. Harris considers this to be unlikely since the Indians of the Amazon "hardly ever see a Negro," and their languages would be very different from "from the broken Portuguese spoken by the slaves." Harris goes on: "One thing is certain. The animal stories told by the Negroes in our Southern States and in Brazil were brought by them from Africa. Whether they originated there, or with the Arabs, or Egyptians, or with yet more ancient nations, must still be an open question. Whether the Indians got them from the Negroes or from some earlier source is equally uncertain. We have seen enough to know that a very interesting line of investigation has been opened." It is unfortunate that most of Harris's comments have been removed from current editions of the tales. It has left some people with the idea that Harris was a condescending white man who knew little about the people whose tales and songs he collected. As a result, his use of Negro dialect has been considered suspect, and the tales as unauthentic. |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: HARRIS, PLANTATION SONGS From: GUEST,Q Date: 03 May 03 - 08:23 PM Lyr. Add: THE BIG BETHEL CHURCH DE Big Bethel Chu'ch! do Big Bethel chu'ch! Done put ole Satun bohine urn; Ef a sinner git loose fum enny udder chu'ch, De Big Bethel chu'ch will fine urn! Hit's good ter be doro, en it's sweet ter be dero, Wid de sisterin' all aroun you- A shakin' dem shackles or mussy en' love Whar wid do Lord is boun' you. Hit's sweet tor be dere on lisson tor de hymos, En hear dem mo'ners a shoutin'- Dey done reach de place wher der ain't no room Fer enny mo' weopin' en doubtin'. Hit's good ter be dere w'en de sinners all jine Wid de bruddorin in dere singin', En it look like Gabori gwine ter rack up en blow En set dem heav'm bells tor ringin'! Oh, de Big Bethel chu'ch! de Big Bethel chu'ch, Done put ole Satun behine am; Ef a sinner git loose fum enny udder chu'ch De Big Bethel chu'ch will fine urn! Song VIII, Uncle Remus, His Songs and His Sayings, 1880. dero, doro- there. mussy- mercy. brudderin- brethren. Gabori- Gabriel. Bethel is a common name for evangelical churches, Harris provides no notes to this song. |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: HARRIS, PLANTATION SONGS From: GUEST,Q Date: 04 May 03 - 04:08 PM Lyr. Add: TIME GOES BY TURNS Dar's a pow'ful rassle 'twix de Good en de Bad, En de bad'd got de all-under holt; En w'en de wuss come, she come i'on clad, En you hadder hole yo' brof for de jolt. But des todos de las' Good gits de knee-lock, En dey draps ter de groun' -ker flop! Good has de inturn, an' he stan' like a rock, En he bleodzd for ter be on top. De dry wodder breaks wid a big thunder-clap, For dey ain't no drout' w'at kin las', But the seasons w'at whoops up de cotton crap, Likewise dey freshens up de grass. De rain fall so saf' in de long dark night, Twel you hatter hole yo' han' for a sign, But de drizzle w'at sets de tater-slips right Is de makin' or de May-pop vine. In de mellerest groun' de clay root'll ketch En hole ter de tongue or de plow, En a pine-pole gate at de gyardin-patch Never'll keep out de ole brindle cow. One en all on us knows who's a pullin' at do bits Like de lead-mule dat g'ides by de rein, En yit, somehow or nudder, de bestest un us gits Mighty sick or de tuggin' at de chain. Hump yo'se'f ter de load en fergit de distress, En dem w'at stan's by ter scoff, For de harder de pullin', de longer de res',En de bigger de feed in de troff. Song IX, in Uncle Remus, His Songs and His Sayings. Probably given more like a recitation than a song. The last of the songs in the volume. The several volumes Harris wrote have a total of 181 animal tales, of which 7 were written after Harris died by another Georgian. |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: HARRIS, PLANTATION SONGS From: GUEST,Q Date: 04 May 03 - 04:24 PM Error in second line of "Time Goes by Turns" En de Bad's got de all-under holt; The lines at the end of the last stanza should be divided. The Maypop is the Passion Flower vine. The fruit is edible when ripe (or so some people think). For those interested in the history of slavery and parts of the aftermath, the story by Harris called "Free Joe and the Rest of the World" (1887) concerns a black man that Harris knew. Before Emancipation, A freed black man is scorned by both the black slaves still in bondage and by the poor whites, who realize that "Free Joe" will work for less then they will. |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Plantation Songs (Joel Chandler Harris) From: Joe Offer Date: 02 Jul 21 - 11:05 PM We have a food coop moving into town called BriarPatch, and immediately I thought of Br'er Rabbit and the tar baby and the briar patch. I wondered how politically correct this term could be in liberal Northern California. I loved the Uncle Remus stories when I was a kid, and I liked Disney's Song of the South movie. I still don't find these stories and the movie offensive, but they make many people nervous. But they're good stories, as are the songs posted above. I've long wondered how they should be treated, and I haven't come up with a satisfactory answer. Back in 2017, Brynn Wagner wrote a book titled The Tar Baby: A Global History. There's a National Public Radio review of the book. Here's an excerpt:
The post-war setting of the storytelling is a romanticized snapshot of plantation life. Ensconced in his small cabin, Uncle Remus holds forth while he's either cooking his dinner (such as a two-pound yam baked in ashes), drinking coffee from a tin mug, using a hog's bristle as a needle to mend his shoes, or weaving horse-collars from strips of tree bark, as his audience of one listens enrapt. The book was a sensational best-seller. It was praised by everyone from Mark Twain and Rudyard Kipling to President Theodore Roosevelt, who invited the inordinately shy Harris to the White House, declaring, "Presidents may come and presidents may go, but Uncle Remus stays put." But Wagner warns that the "disproportionate attention" given to the Uncle Remus version "has obscured the story's actual range." How do we deal with these artifacts? It seems wrong to just "cancel" them because somebody might take offense. -Joe- |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Plantation Songs (Joel Chandler Harris) From: GUEST,# Date: 03 Jul 21 - 09:24 AM Joe, you may find the 'Introduction' section of interest. You'll have to scroll down to get at it. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/35410/35410-h/35410-h.htm (I happened to have the article bookmarked because I thought it might be of help in a song-search I'm doing.) |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Plantation Songs (Joel Chandler Harris) From: pattyClink Date: 03 Jul 21 - 12:08 PM I'm curious if anyone has transcribed these songs and stories into 'standard' English. They are difficult to read and enjoy in the dialect. Modern readers do not need someone belaboring each sound phonetically, they can just imagine a good film actor portraying Uncle Remus, and let the story stand on its own without the phonics drama. |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Plantation Songs (Joel Chandler Harris) From: mg Date: 03 Jul 21 - 03:14 PM i am ashamed to say that i am descended from enslavers of jasper county, georgia, mentioned in one of the songs. I am related to the infamous williams of jasper county. I believe they were cousins of my grandfather. |
| Share Thread: |