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30 Sep 10 - 08:17 AM (#2996749) Subject: Origins: A possible slave lullaby? From: GUEST,Sally Burnell My T'ai Chi teacher sang me this song the other evening during our class. She knows that I am a song collector and this is a lullaby that her mother used to sing to her, that she in turn sang to her kids. She grew up in Delaware and she said that this song has been passed down through her family for many generations. Where her mother hails from, I do not know, but this lullaby implies that it might well have had its origins as a song sung by slaves. Does anybody recognize this song? When I was a little baby, I remember long ago Daddy would sit all evenin' and play the old banjo Momma, then would call me honey, Take me up upon her knee and rocking me gently, She'd sing this song to me. Don't you cry my honey, don't you weep no more Mammy only loves her baby All the other po' folks a'sleeping on the floor Mammy only loves her baby. I'm trying to ascertain its origins, like where it comes from, how old it is and all that. If anyone's got any clues, I'd love to hear about it! Thanks so much! ~Sally in Ohio |
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30 Sep 10 - 02:13 PM (#2997003) Subject: RE: Origins: A possible slave lullaby? From: GUEST,Sally Burnell This song was written by Albert W. Noll in 1899, originally titled "Doan Ye Cry Ma Honey", a song written by a white man in "black dialect". I managed to find the sheet music on the University of Mississippi web site, thanks to help from a ballad listserv I subscribe to. It was, apparently, written for a quartet of either men's, women's or mixed voices. The song is full of what would, in this era, be considered "politically incorrect" language, but one must take into consideration the era in which it was written. I don't know if this was a vaudeville piece or what, but the back cover of the music I downloaded says, "Ebony Songs by Caleb Lacy", and listed are the following songs: Nevah min', Miss Lucy My Rose I'll be Dar to Meet Yo' Seen My Lady Home Las' Night Git Up, Suke - Go 'Long! These songs were written for piano accompaniment, also guitar, mandolin and banjo - ad libitum. The publisher is listed as the "Oliver Ditson Company" in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, London, Chicago. I guess doing "black songs" in "dialect" was a favorite entertainment pastime back in those days, probably done for vaudeville performances. ~Sally in Ohio |
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30 Sep 10 - 03:01 PM (#2997032) Subject: RE: Origins: A possible slave lullaby? From: Crowhugger It's a similar content and style to parts of a verse and parts of the chorus to "Hush A Bye! Close You' Eye!" in the Levy collection (#105.072[1]). Whaht folk a-pretendin' deys cullud sho' done paid dey bills back den. The song I mention in the Levy sheet music collection is 1898, pub. by Witmark, also calling for mando & sundry strings according to the cover. But the arrangement is for piano and voice, so I'd say it's targeted to folk who could afford all of (a) a big enough home to fit a piano, (b) a piano, (c) sheet music, (d) lessons to read it. Dat be de whaht folk. Did such music originate with a mammy singing to her baby? Perhaps; I'd guess that it's equally possible that mammy's singing was at most an inspiration, and that the end product bears little or no resemblance to what my grandfather would've heard at his mother's knee. Such music might nonetheless find its way into black culture even if created by the white music machine. In the same way that my mom sang "Curly-headed baby" to us kids. |
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30 Sep 10 - 03:03 PM (#2997033) Subject: RE: Origins: A possible slave lullaby? From: McGrath of Harlow The song is full of what would, in this era, be considered "politically incorrect" language, If that's so presumably there must be other verses, since there's nothing in that one anyone could jib at. |
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30 Sep 10 - 03:09 PM (#2997036) Subject: RE: Origins: A possible slave lullaby? From: Crowhugger I noticed that too, McGrath. Maybe Sally will be back with more. |
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30 Sep 10 - 04:32 PM (#2997087) Subject: Lyr. Add: Doan Ye Cry, Ma Honey (Noll) From: Q (Frank Staplin) The song was a popular parlor song, and sheet music is present in the Nat. Library of Australia, Duke University, English libraries, etc. Lyr. Add: Doan Ye Cry, Ma Honey Words and Music Albert W. Noll 1 Hm, hm, when I was a little baby, I remember long ago Daddy would sit all ebnin An play de ole banjo Mammy would den call me 'honey,' Take me upon her knee, And foldin' me to her bosom, Would sing dis song to me, Doan ye cry ma honey, Doan ye weep no mo', Mammy's gwine to hold her baby, All de udder black trash Sleepin' on de flo', Mammy only lubs her boy. Doan ye cry, ma honey, etc. 2 When I got emancipation, Den I t'ought I'd like to roam, I left de ole plantation To find a northern home. Soon I got ma dear ole Dinah Den me pickaninny Jim, And Dinah would hold him closely And sing dis song to him. Doan ye cry, ma honey, Doan ye weep no mo', All de udder black trash sleepin' on de flo', Mammy only lubs her boy. etc. 3 Hm, hm, now Ise getting old and weary, Now ma hair is turning gray, I is so drefful lonely, Since Dinah went away, Mammy too I know is waitin', Standin' on the shining sho', I gladly would give ma freedom, To hear her sing once mo' Doan ye cry, ma honey, etc. |
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30 Sep 10 - 04:37 PM (#2997090) Subject: RE: Origins: A possible slave lullaby? From: Q (Frank Staplin) I mis-typed and left ont a line of the chorus after the second verse, but I think the omission is obvious. The chorus is sung twice after each verse. The song is typical of several written after emancipation. |
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30 Sep 10 - 04:50 PM (#2997096) Subject: RE: Origins: A possible slave lullaby? From: Q (Frank Staplin) "Doan ye cry, ma Honey," was recorded by S. H. Dudley,, baritone, 1900, for Victor, Master A-22. In Canada, the Victor Master was Berliner (Canada) 243. Caroll Clark, African-American, recorded the song for Columbia in 1909. He also recorded "Georgia Lullaby." |
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30 Sep 10 - 04:58 PM (#2997101) Subject: RE: Origins: A possible slave lullaby? From: Q (Frank Staplin) The best recording, in my opinion, is the one by Paul Robson. His CD, "The Voice of the Mississippi," has "Doan ye Cry,...." and 19 other popular songs, including "Shortnin' Bread," "Ole Man River" and "Swing, Low, Sweet Chariot." |
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30 Sep 10 - 09:23 PM (#2997265) Subject: RE: Origins: A possible slave lullaby? From: Crowhugger Thanks Q. Do you happen to know if Roland Hayes performed and/or recorded it? |
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01 Oct 10 - 08:32 PM (#2997889) Subject: RE: Origins: A possible slave lullaby? From: Q (Frank Staplin) Can't find a Roland Hayes discography. The Smithsonian put out a 'selected' discography, but haven't seen it. I found only two albums, one of spirituals, the other does not list the songs. |
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01 Oct 10 - 09:40 PM (#2997908) Subject: RE: Origins: A possible slave lullaby? From: GUEST,.gargoyle Sally - of four postings to MC.
For decent research postings consult the Mudcat's FAQ
As a general rule, follow the bullet points of journalism; the most important segment is what YOU know as FACT:
Later you may add commentary - such as "Three reasons I believe this is of slave origins." (Irish, South African, Russian - what SORT of "slave" economic, society, feudal?)
Sincerely, |
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13 Aug 15 - 08:25 AM (#3730030) Subject: RE: Origins: A possible slave lullaby? From: GUEST,wobbleman My mother, who was born in 1917 and grew up on a farm in Georgia, used to sing this song to me. |
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13 Aug 15 - 01:32 PM (#3730088) Subject: RE: Origins: A possible slave lullaby? From: GUEST,leeneia Crowhuggers remarks of September 30, 2010 about white folks being the people who owned pianos and took lessons are uninformed. I'm not going to spend much time typing, but who hasn't heard of Scott Joplin and other ragtime composers and pianists? Not only were there pianos and lessons for black Americans, there were entire music colleges. |
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13 Aug 15 - 04:54 PM (#3730111) Subject: RE: Origins: A possible slave lullaby? From: GUEST,mg I have heard that all the pretty little horses is of african.american origin. |
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14 Aug 15 - 09:34 AM (#3730311) Subject: RE: Slave lullaby? - Doan Ye Cry, Ma Honey From: GUEST,leeneia I've read that too, mg. Another lullabye that I've heard is A-Amer is "Hush, Little Baby, Don't say a Word." I like that one better, because it goes on for longer. |
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26 Nov 16 - 05:20 PM (#3822900) Subject: RE: Slave lullaby? - Doan Ye Cry, Ma Honey From: GUEST,Guest Kathy Wiles Re: Lullaby I am in my seventies and was sung this song as a baby. I in turn have sung it to my children and grandchildren. Strange, I also came from Ohio. Our 8th grandchild just arrived and I'm finding information on the lullaby curious. I always felt it was a slave song. |
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27 Nov 16 - 02:01 PM (#3823085) Subject: RE: Slave lullaby? - Doan Ye Cry, Ma Honey From: wysiwyg Thanks, Kathy! We have a whole index of these songs called "African American Spirituals Permathread." I think I might have missed this one. ~Susan |
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28 Nov 16 - 11:18 AM (#3823260) Subject: RE: Slave lullaby? - Doan Ye Cry, Ma Honey From: leeneia I've googled Albert W. Noll, and there doesn't seem to be any biographical information. We don't know whether he was white, black or in-between, do we? |
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20 Jul 20 - 02:43 PM (#4065113) Subject: RE: Slave lullaby? - Doan Ye Cry, Ma Honey From: GUEST,Joan Stein I sang this song when I was a little girl. It was taught to me by a man who had sung with a group. Also sang a song called “Chicken” |