https://digitallis.isg.siue.edu/files/original/b625894b140d30b742878a18c9202118.pdf aeadc798dc9d2499046cb2f891cedc61 PDF Text Text CHAPTER II THE BLACK AND UNKNOWN BARDS 0 black and unknown bards of long ago, How came your lips to touch the sacred fire? -- James Weldon Johnson I Origins of Black Expression: In this chapter, as in subsequent ones, I will attempt to place the Black creative mind within the spirit and letter of an African-American cultural tradition. Unfortunately, many early scholars either played down or ignored African influences on Black American poetry. these early scholars. This was certainly not true of all For while some gloated over the "findings" of "Southern whites"--purposting to prove that the Spirituals were derived solely from English (Hymns and Psalms) sources-Johnson (Book of American Negro Spirituals, 1925), Professor Work (Folk Song of the American Negro, 1915), and others, displayed faultless proof of Africanisms existing in practically · all Black American folk materials. The approach to this chapter will be via the philosophical concerns, updatine some of the thinking on traditional African views and mannerisms in Black America. Then brief consideration will be given the major trunks of the folk poetry: The Spirituals and the Seculars (or religious folk poetry and everyday workand-pl·a y folk poetry). I have included a fair representation of the original folk poetry. This is appropriate 27 of course, �since most anthologies of Black literature and poetry omit these items; and because without a knowledge of them one will be hard-pressed to understand the Black poet's use of folk materials (see Dunbar, .Johnson, Brown, Hughes, Hayden, Walker and others). However, before discussing the origins of Black expression, we should give mention to the role of the griot-or story teller--in pre-industrial African (and other) societies. The Black poet, as creator and chronicler, stems from the group of artisans known as griots--human records of family and national lore. Originally trained to recite--without flaw--the gene- ologies, eulogies, victories and calamities of the folk, the griot (like the lead singer of Spirituals) had to spice his reportage with dramatic excitement. Hardly a Black youngster grew up (even in recent times) without input from a sort of griot (uncle, grandmother, big brother or sister, mother or father, preacher, etc). The job of the grito, like that of the mater-ceremonial drummer, W 8.S so important that in many ancient societies a mistake could cost him his life. The griot began at a very early age his mastery of technique and information. Like the drummer, he understudied an elder statesman of the trade. His training demanded a certain psychological adjustment to the significance of his job-which was to contain (and give advice on) the "heirlooms" of the community. As years and centuries passed, this "factual" information was converted into a lore, mythology, cosmology and legend; it became a part of the vast web of racial conscious- • 28 �ness and memory. It became the legacy with which every new born child entered the world. Clearly, tnen, the myth-and legend-building Black poet has a past into which to dip and a future to predict, project and protect. And any violation of the past, present or future constitutes a serious crime against one's ancestors--against one 1 s parents, against one's blood, against one's god. So it follows that the poet--griot-- is not some haphazzardly arrived hipster or slick-talker simply mouthing tired old phrases. To the Black griot-singer- poet the job of unraveling the complex network of his past and present-future worlds is a painful but rewarding labor of love. We can say, then, that tbe Black Experience in the United States continues via the African Continuum: a complex of mythical (see Jahn), linguistic (see Twiggs), gestural (see Emery, Black Dance), psychological, sexual, musical, physical and religious forms. This complex is evidenced in the day-to-day attitudes and activities of Blacks: their sacred and secular (organized and random) expressi'ons, their physical appearances, their dress patterns and their family life. Not only in the United States, but in the Caribbean, in the West Indies, in Latin America, in all areas of the world where Blacks live in suhstantial numhers--tbey exhibit characteristics peculiar to the nature and culture of indigenous Africans. Naturally, general Black expression evolves from the myriad components of Black culture; and the artistic (song, poetry) expression--traditional Black (African) 29 �communities did not separate life .from art--is a more soph isticated form honed from t h e ge neral "storeh ouse." No one has yet put t h eir h ands on exactly 1-rhe.t mome nt in ti me a nd wher e t h e first Af ri can s ound?, or i,wvements Here incorpor ated into 11 1-1h i te II or 1fo stern fra mes of references or vice versa; but we do know t hat it did h app e n. Unfortunately , i nept reporting on t he Black Experience b as muddied t h e waters so much that one is repulsed a nd h orrified b y ob servations and conclusions of some Black and w11i te "researchers. 11 In an unf'linchingly br illiant analysi s o.f Black Afr i can Oral Literature, presented at t h e First World ' Festival of Ne gro Arts (1966) in Dakar., Senegal, Basile-Juleat Fouda., noting that "oral literature is as old as creation, 11 coined the phrase "Archival Literature of Gesture." important revelations., Fouda s aid: Concluding his "Thus in t he Black Africa of tradition., literary art is an ano nymous art because it ts a social a.rt; it is a social art because it is a functional art; and it is functional because it is humanist." research is not b ounded by color. Good Blo.c k sociologist E. Franklin Frazier (Black Bourgeosis) held(wrongl y ) t h at t h ere were no significant carryovers (cultural transplants) from Africa to the United States. (Slavery., Frazier said, "stripped II the African of his culture and "destroyed" his personality.) White anthropologist Melville Herskovits (The Myth of the Negro Past) proved without a doubt that there were African "survivalisms" operating daily in Black Americans culture. 30 (For more thought �.....,. . on this see Jahn' s r-iuntu, 1:lork' s findings, memoirs of Katherine Dunham, works of Lorenzo Dow Turner, Negro Folk Music of Africa and America. (Folkways, Lp) and others.) Rudimentary Black expression and the numerous folk forms it produced (field hollers, vendors shouts, chants, worksongs, Spirituals, blues, Gospels, jazz, rhythm 'n blues, soul music) form the linguistic and modal bases for most Black poetry. The early song and chant forms were almost always accompanied by what we have come to call "dramatic ideograms"--or dances. Dance became one of the three basic artistic modes encapsulated by folk expression. The other two are Song and Drum. Aside from being the first means of communicating over distances, the drum also played a major role in the social lives of traditional African peoples. The career drummer, like the Black American musician today, went througb yea.rs of grueling practice and preparation--learning not only drumming techniques but the legends, the myths, the meanings and symbols of which the drum was derivative. Dance always accompanied song--Fouda re.fers to the "acoustical phonetic alpha.bet"--so that the complex web of oral nuances was illustrated vividly and graphically. Obviously, when teaching or entertaining, the artist/teacher had to present his material in -interesting and exciting ways so as not to bore the audience. Thus repetition became a backbone of Black expression--a flexible, buoyant repetition that was designed to reinforce and increase group participation. The three essential modes--dr~, song and dance--heightened 31 ' �I the immediate experience, which was ecstatic, therapeutic, spiritual, visceral and revelatory. Added to these intricate and varying modal patterns were the colorful costumes, make-up, props and important subject matter. The achievement was not just the vicarious experience but one of the act and symbol being actualized together. \foile such a prospect boggles the mind, a serious study of these forms and the general tradition will prove eye-opening for many a disbeliever. Early Black American oral and gestural art forms inherited the qualities described thus far. In language, in dance, and, more importantly, in points of view (attitudes) toward time, life and death, the cosmology of Africa "continued" (with some modifications) in the Black culture of the Western Hemisphere. Specifically, information was conveyed by way of aphorisms, riddles, parables, tales, enigmatic dances and sounds (tonal scales). jokes and poetry. Oblique and cry ptic utterances, puzzles, The pattern remains in tact today. Jahnfs Muntu documents many examples of t h e African "carryovers" and "survivalisms" operating in t l1 e Western Hemisphere. 1. One can For a brilliant and co[sent statement on t h is aspect of Black expression see Samuel Allen's "Tbe African Herita ge" in the Jan., 1971, issue of Black World. Allen--a.lso known as Paul Vesey--is a.n acknowledged auth ority on b oth African and Afro-American culture. In the article, ~e finds African "carryovers" in the Black American church (Baldwin), literature (Sterling Brown, Cleaver) and secular life. 32 �find the tradition in Black poets, in the sermons of Black ministers and in family and otber social gatherings. The scintillating Black poet Tolson operates in the old enigmatic (word-fencing) frame when in "An Ex-Judge at the Bar" he says: Bartender, make it straight and make it twoOne for the you in me and one for the me in you. Tolson (known to carry this Black nature into his teaching at Langston University where be reportedly gave a student an "Frr to the 20th power) ends the poem with an equally enigmatic mock: Bartender, make it straight and make it threeOne for the Negro ••• one for you and me. In the Spirituals (to be discussed) one finds similar debts to the African tradition of Song, Dance and Drum. So too in the shouts and hollers where actual African words and phrases were often used. 2 Hence we can say that the traditional African phonology and ritual, modified on the anvil of slavery, were operating and continue to be represented in different forms of Black American expression. The African slave, forced to acquire functional use of English and to reject surface aspects of bis religion, went "underground" so to speak and became bi-lingual and bi-physical. 2. Hence, while much of the The fine poet Raymond Patterson (26 Ways of Looking at a Black Man) is currently assembling a book listing several hundred African words that are used daily in the American 33 �thematic material of the Black folk tradition is taken fro m the harsh difficulties the slave encountered in America, t h e form, spirit and phonology were essentially African. The use of poly-rhythms 3 and the introduction of s yncopation, t he reliance on various rhythmic instruments (drum-related and sometimes invented), the adherence to a non-European tonal scale and the employment of the blue tone, the development of a distinct body of folklore and a rich language to . convey the lore--all represent t h e African's resourcefulness. Cross-cultural inputs are also evident, however, in--for example--the Spiri tuals wh ich, in many cases, were influenced by the English Hymn and the Psalm. Other considerations in- clude the slave's use of European instruments (Baraka points out, in Black Music, that the piano was the last instrument to be mastered by the Black musician.4 The reason ought to be obvious.), the Black adaptation of songs beard in the "big house," the continual re-styling of American fads and tbe vocabulary. See b i bliography for more on the little known area of scbolarship. 3. Isaac Faggett, a y oung Black composer-band director in Sacramento, Calif., has said that the word "poly-rhythm" (i.e., many rhythms overlapping each other) should perhaps be replaced by or alternated with the words "poly-meter" or "poly-metrics." 4. Eileen Southern, in 'E1e Music of Black Americans, sets forth a thorough and accurate discussion of these points. 34 She �employment of Biblical imagery and language in songs and sermons. Langston Hughes noted tbat the Blues usually dealt with the theme of the rejected lover and personal depression. Hughes' first volume of poems, in fact, was entitled The Weary Blues. However, the Blues, like the Spirituals, do not simply preach resignation or submissiveness. Rather, as Janh and Howard Thurman {The Negro Spiritual Speaks of Life and Death) ·note, underneath the complaint is a "plaint": or change! things must get better For as the slave said: Freedom, oh Freedom, how I love thee! Freedom, oh Freedom, how I love thee! And before I'll be a slave I'll be buried in my grave And go home to my Maker and be Free! II Black Folk Roots in America: "Get it together or leave it alone" --Jackson Five Black poets have been writing in the English literary tradition since the middle of the ei ghteenth century. But notes with some detail how the Africans {made slaves) had to learn to use the instruments of the New World. Professor Southern also relates how Black music lnf'luenced whites in the early _days of America. 35 �it is the folk literature--those productions of the everyday people--which must be examined before a literary or poetic tradition can be viewed in its entirety . There are few persons in the United States who have not been touched or inI'luenced (in one way or another) by the folk expression of Black America. White Americans began collectine Black folk lyrics and stories in the early :,ears of t h e ni neteenth century (see bibliography). In the same century , this aspect of Black culture reached wide audiences via at least three major vehicles. The fir s t was the abolitionist movement which featured Black poets (Francis E. W. Harper, James Whitfield, Benjamin Clark, and others), orators and prose writers (David Walker, Frederick Douglass, etc.), and journalists (John Russwurm, etc). The seco nd veh icle was the national and European tours (in t he 1870 's) of student ch oirs from Hampton Institute and Fis k (The J ubi lee Singers) University. The abolitionist movement popularized anti-slavery and freedom songs and the colle ge ch oirs gave wide ex posure to t h e Spirituals, considered by most sch olars (of' Black culture) to be t h e first authentic poetry of Blac k America.. Tb e t h ird major veh icle was the publication (in t h e late ninete ent h century ) of Brer Rabb it tales b y Joel Chandler Harris. In st ud ies and writings, Harris reco,enized t he r,1yt h ic wor t h in Blac k f ol kt ales and exposed readers to s uch charac t ers a3 Brer Te r rapin , Brer Bear, Brer Fox, Brer :Tol f and others . 1 Hany of t l10 se t ale s and ch aracters have African counterpart s . 36 �F '!R III Spirituals: "Tryin' to get h ome" For many reasons, t~10 use of tbe word "spiritual II to describe Black reliciosity is a misnoLler. Current inter- pretations, outlined by neu ini'ormation and er.1pirica._!- research into history and thought convinces us that the entire Black world is 11 spiri tual 11 : i.e., lnforrned by and responsible to a "higher order "--the order of God or the "eods." The ex- huberance, the spontaneity, the ecstas?, the trances, the talking in tongues, the racial flavor and flair in dress (at church and nightclub), all point up the interdependence and the integration of various modes and points of view in the Black community. Professor Work describes it as "this difference and this oneness." The contemporary Black poet Hayden understands this intee;ration w11en, in a poem to Malcolm X, he exclaims tlle 11 blazine oneness" of Allah. Further proof of this fusion is seen in the emotional abandonmerit of church folk during secular picnics, socials and other events of merriment. One has only to listen to Aretha Franklin alter- nate between Gospel and blues to see this unity of expression r:'. operating today • .? 5. And certainly it is clear in the works of Let us observe that the most brilliant and influential Black poets have intimately understood this aspect of Black culture. Almost without exception (and Kerlin, Brown and 37 �the Staples Singers, tbe Edwin He.wkins Singers a nd in a more vulgarized manner in Flip Hilson (Rev. Leroy ). In t he words or one brother, "the preach er and the pimp style out heavy." Still, it is i mportant that we offer t h e traditional portrait and break-down of Black folk expression--so as not to confuse or invade the "sacred" bastions of h istory. The Spirituals have been the source of continuing debate among scholars: Are they completely African in ori gip? Are they primarily English (I:Iethodist, Wesleyan, etc.) in origin? Or do they represent t he co-joining of African/European t h emes and religiosity ? Persons desiring to concentrate on t h is area of Black poetry should trace t h e history of these ar guments and debates and reach conclusions of tbeir own. Johnson (and bis brother, J. Rosamond) put togetb er t h e best known collection of these songs in Th e Book of American Negro Spirituals (1925), and The Second Book of American ITe gro Spirituals (1926). The Spirituals usually deal with phy sical or fi gurative contact between the singer (or congre gation) and God. (Early Afro-Americans often used the words God, Jesus, Savior, and Lord interchangeab l y . For a. more t h orough discussion of this see Benjamin May s ' The Negro's God.) The songs also deal with others warn young Black writers to follow example) Black poets since the Civil War have availed t h emselv es of integral folk rudiments--even when they did not use t h em in poetry. It is still a fact that Black culture (despite the racist and techno- 38 ' �a longing for rest and the overcoming of for midahle obstacles or adversaries. Professor Work's 1915 study was seminal and remains a land mark in the study of African and Black American songs. His work provides many answers to questions and issues that had been (and continue to be) muddied by the waters of insensitivity and careless research. His efforts, "undertaken for the love of our fathers' songs," gives clear connections between the African and Afro-American folk song. His main concern is for the religious songs--although his comments on form and style are of general value: In America we hear it (the song) and see it acted in the barn dance, on the stage, in the streets among the children; in fact, many an occasion is enlivened by this species of music, the interest in which is intensified by tbe rhythmical patting of hands and feet. This rhythm is most strikingly and accurately brought out in their work songs. Citing the emotionalism and songified intensity of the Black American, Professor Work says "He worships not so much because he ought, as because he loves to worship." This "worship," of course, is the kind we referred to earlier: the integration logical barrages of the West) still remains more consciously "integrated" than other cultural unit in America. 39 �of sensuality and ecstasy into the swee ping rit ual of live and immediate drame. Such musical acti v ity is "as natural to the American Negro as his breath 11 : Indeed, it is a portrayal of h is soul, and is as characteristic as are h is phy sical features. Hear him sing in his church , h ear h i CT preach, CToan, and g i ve 1 gravery 1 in h is sermon, h ear t h e wash er- woman sing ing over h er t ub , h ear t h e lab orer singing his accompaninent to h is toil, h ear the child b abbli ng an extemporaneous tune •••• Even those Negroes wh o have b een educ a ted and wh o have been influenced by lonG study , f i nd it difficult to express their musical s el ves in any other way. Black song, as is readily observa ble, possesses b oth pure song (the verse and chorus plan) a nd ch a nt (use of interjections and expletives) qualities: Poor man Laz'rus, poor as I, Don't you see? Poor man Laz'rus, poor as I, Don't you see? When be died h e found a h ome on h i gh , He h ad a home in dat roc k , Don't y ou see? Alluding to the deeper, more psy ch ological, meaning of these songs, Professor Work says "there are closer relations b etween 40 �the soul and musical ex pressions t h an h ave satisfactorily explained. These relations can be felt, but any accurate description seems beyond the grasp of man's mind." Never- theless this important study goes on to classify and number these songs of: Joy, Sorrow, Sorrow with Note of Joy, Faith, Hope, Love, Determination, Adoration, Patience, Courage and Humility. Like most scholars of the Spirituals, this one points out that there is no h ate, resentment or vindic.tiveness in them. However, Dr. Thurman, theolo gian and ph ilos9pher, has excavated underpinnings of turbulence. In The Negro Spiritual, Dr. Thurman tells us death was i mmediate and ever-present for the slave. In such an atmosphere of anxiety and fear, the slave developed a rather stoic attitude in which he saw death as inescapable arrl as, possibl y , the only remaining vehicle for mediation with t h e plantation lords. The slave could take his own life, if he wanted to--as h e did many times in preference to slavery or separation fro m family and/or loved ones. Dr. Thurman's brilliant analysis must be read by any serious student of Black t h ought and culture. Johnson (who also classified the songs) 6 said a hierarchy of poets for the Spirituals included the song-maker (writer) and the song~leader. 6. The leader h ad to remember leading lines, Johnson, Brown, Kerlin and Dr. Thurman also give con- sideration to the "poetic" content of the Spirituals. Johnson and Professor Work discuss the preservation and promotion of 41 �WWW W pitch tunes true and possess a powerful voice. Johnson, who (like Professor Work) believes the earliest Black American songs were built on the common African form, says the Spirituals were written by individuals and set to tm moods of groups. Like the blues, their secular and structural cousins, the Spirituals incorporated antiphony or call-and-response which allowed for audience (congregation) participation (either by alternating, or intermingling, with the leader): Leader: Oh, de Ribber of Jordan is deep and wide, Congregation: One mo' ribber to cross. Leader: I don't know how to get on de other side, Congregation: One mo' ribber to cross. Heavily influenced by Chrlstian imagery and mythology, the creators of the Spirituals often chose the most militant of biblical personalities as their heroes. This aspect of these "poems" opens up an entire area of questions and research for the student seeking to compare/contrast biblical themes and characters to the Spirituals. Certainly there is need to ex- amine the English Hymns and Psalms in the framework of such a study. The Spirituals should also be compared/contrasted to the Black literary verse or the period during which they these songs through archival holdings, choir concert tours and the attention paid to them by composers. �were forged--especially the work of Jupiter Hammon, Phillis "Wheatley and George :Moses Horton. IV Folk Seculars: Don wid massa's hollerin'; Don wid massa's hollerin'; Don wid massa's hollerin' Roll Jordan roll. We observed that there is a thin line between the Black religious and secular worlds. This is true for many reasons-- some of them stemming from the African tradition of interrelating all aspects of life. As John M'Biti (African Religions and Philosophies), Gabriel Bannerman-Richter and others point out, the African takes his religion (his beliefs) with him where ever he goes. Many investigators (Jahn, M'Biti and others) also remind us that most African languages have no word for religion or art. The two are inseparable. Again the ways of African peoples (see Mphahlele's Whirlwind) are expressed in "integrated" terms. True, in Black America there is some tension between secular and religious communities--but so often ( and most Blacks understand this well though they don't always admit it) they are the same: on different occasions. wearing different hats Study, again, the case of a Rev. Jesse Jackson or a Rev. Ike or a Rev. Adam Clayton Powell! We have also observed that many motifs and components of Black expression are interchangeable. That is, songs and . I, 43 �speeches designed for church or other religious activity are often re-cut (modified) for a secular--social affair. are numerous examples of t h 1.s practice. There During the Civil R:i.gh ts era, we would s in8 I woke up this mor nin' with my mind stayed on freedom though we were .fully aware that church .folk were used to singing it this way: I woke up this mormin' with my mind stayed on .Tesus 1-rany of Curtis Hayfield's (and the I mpressions') songs rely strongly on the material of songs sung in Black churches. Even Hayfield's more recent tunes (see "If There's A Hell Below") carry the Black church flavor--with their warnings, admonishments, threats of societal destruction, and pleas for love (see also :Marvin Gay's pieces like "Save The Children"). Some works by the Temptations ( "Run Away Child Running Wild") reflect the historical theme of "searching" found in Black religious songs. This same group's "Poppa Was A Rolling Stone" describes poppa "stealing in the name of the Lord." B.B. King's "Woke Up This Mornin" is a blues treatment of the idea expressed above in the Spiritual: "I Woke Up This Mornin. 11 When heard the old Supremes singing "Stop in the Name of Love" we were tempted to replace "love" with "God." Often the songs contain exchangeable and interchangeable words such as "Lord" and "Mother"; ''Baby II and "God"; "Sweet thing" and "Sweet .Tes us 11 ; ' ' . "Captain" and "Maker"; and "God" and "I'-1'.an". The reasons for such usages, as we have stated, are deeply enmeshed in the 44 �mythos of Blacks. Richard Wri ght's "Bright and Morning Star" (in the Bible, a metaph or for Jesus) becomes t he son of old Aunt Sue in the sbort story b y that name. Th e h ero of John A. Williams' novel, Th e Nan Who Cried I Am, says "thank you man" to God after a sex act. "Slipping into Darkness 11 ( Wh en we h ear a tune like War's "when I b eard my mother say") we must understand tlehistorical significance and function of social (therapeutic) art--just as we must understand· the function of the mother-like voice t hat admonish es Isaac Hayes to "shet yo mouf II in "Sh aft. 11 When conserve.ti ve Black Christians complained of Duke Ellington's use of reli gious the mes in jazz, he replied "I'm just a ecumenical cat"--mea.ning he avoided fine distinctions in where or to whom he played. The church has been the training ground (academy, if you will; see Frazier's The Negro Church in America) for most of the big (vocal) names in Black popular music as well as for important orators, race leaders and community business men. Against the fore going discussion we can view' t h e Folk Seculars in their ri gh t perspective as a vital part of the rich storehouse of Black folklore. (my own grandmother: Through songs, aphorisms "You don't believe fat meat's greasy!" and "If you ain't gon' do nothing get off the pot!"), fables (see Aesop), jokes (see minstrelsy and t he Black comedy tradition), blues and other enduring forms Blacks capture severe hardships and tribulations, folk wisdom, joys and tragedies, and the longings and h opes of Blacks during slavery afterwards. 45 �Tbe Seculars, more so than the Spirituals, give important clues to the inner-workings of the common Black mind. And a closer look at the total folk tradition will reveal the structure and principles of folk psychology. It is, after all, back and forward to these folk materials that researchers will have to go if they are serious about delineating the feelings, emotions and thought patterns of Blacks. The Seculars are surer indices to the workings of the folk mind because they are not as limited as the Spirituals. Though most Blacks in the United States are awe.re of and have heard the Spirituals, an even larger number have had sustained exposure (directly or indirectly) to the secular vocalizations and gestures of Black culture. Contemporary Black popular music and culture con- tinue to be informed by the street and home utterances. An exciting reciprocity allows entertainers to borrow freely from what they bear while the folks recorded. 11 run and tell that" once it's Some examples of songs, titles and other epithets borrowed directly from the people are: James Browh's "Brand New Bag, 11 "Licking Stick" ( see "honey stick" in :McKay's story "Truant"), "Give It Up or Turn It Loose," "The Payback" and "It's Hell"; Marvin Gaye's 11 1-Jhat's Going On" and "Let's Get it On"; Curtis Hayfield's "Superfly"; the . Jackson Five's "Get It Together or Leave It Alone 11 ; Flip Wilson's ''What You See is ·what You Get" (and the Dramatics' tune by the same name); Aretha Franklin's "Respect" and "Run and Tell That"; and Jean Knight's nMr. Big Stuff"--to name just a few. - 46 �As with the Spirituals, whites (primarily abolitionists) were among the first to collect Seculars of wbatever type. William Wells Brown, the first published Black novelist and playwright, collected "anti-slavery" songs. Thomas Wentworth Higginson, writer and abolitionist wbo led a Black regiment in the Civil War, collected songs be heard among his men around campfires and during marches. Though primarily con- cerned with religious songs, he also described some of the properties of general Black song delivery. One of the most important collections of these seculars was put together by Thomas W. Talley ( of Fisk Universit:r, as was Professor Hork). Professor Talley did pioneering work in the identification and classification of Negro Folk Rhymes. Describing the philo- sophy, structure and, in some cases, origin of the songs, the Fisk scholar collected well over JOO examples. r important examples and discussions of the artistic products of folk secular folk life can be found in the works of Hughes and ' Bontemps, Brewer, Spalding, Dodson, Chapman, Brown (Negr£ Poetry), Abrahams (Deep Down in The Jungle) and Bell (The Folk Roots of Contemporary Afro-American Poetry). Bell's ·work i's recent (from the new Broadside Press) and is somewhat vague in perspective as a result of an -imposed ("foreign") construct. Also valuable to an examination of the Seculars are regional works ( such as Abrahams') including Drums and Shadows (Georgia and South Carolina), Goldstein•s (ed.) Black Life 47 �, ' 'I and Culture in the United States, Lore nzo Dow Turner's work in the Gullah culture, Dorson's Negro Folktales in Mich igan, and others (see b ibliography). By f ar the most faithful representation of secular or reli g ious folk materials in the written poetry is in t h e work of Sterling Brown (see his Southern Road, especially Joh nson's introductio n , and h is critical comments in Negro Poetry ). Brown takes exception to Johnson's comment that dialect poetry has onl y two stops-1.1humor and pathos "--and implies that Black poets up until his time had been remiss (or lazy) in not de velop i ng broader uses and deepening the r.1eaning of Black life t 11rou gh the use of folk materials. The tradition of "tall" tale-telling is, of course, submerged in the American my t h os. So the Black narrator found a flexible atmosphere into wh ich h e could introduce his own manner of storytelling and h is own tradition of song. As he had done in the Spirituals, he Gained a resourcefulness in the use of langua ge, acquired instruments to accompany the song or story, and de veloped an ab ility to seize upon a good or amenable context in wh ich to tell or sing h is story; h e also made use of t h emes and ideas fro m the vast ethnic potpourri of America. the Spirituals. The Seculars grew up side-by -side with The Spirituals emerc ed from the attempt of the slave to web to gether his disparate (yet mutual) wounds. Spirituals represent t he slave's perserverence and (in many instances) bis hope and faith in mankind. The Seculars, also �developing in the shadows of the 11 biG 11ouse, 11 reflect the social life of the Black American on the plantation and later. In songs and ditties, the Black American couched his longings and bitternesses, but voiced his hopes and cynicisms through the oblique, eliptical and encoded words and seemingly unintelligible phonetic symbols. These African forms (see Rappin' and Stylin' Out, Kochman) have continued up to the present. Few Black youngst-ers are able to side-step the rigorous (and sometimes painful) verbal desterity demanded by playmates during verbal sparring matches that inevitably take place. The forms of such behavior were in tact during slavery--when a slave might be discussing a master's "moma" or "old lady" during a rather harmless "rap" (rhapsond? rapport?) with his fellow field workers. Frederick Douglass reports (Narrative) tbat slave over-seers thought slaves sang because they were happy. We know that such was not the case (se DuBois Souls of Black Folks) and that such refrains as "stealing away" implied a lot more than wanting to reach the arms of Jesus on the cross. similar codes in his stories and poems. Henry Dumas chronicles And Mel Watkins (Amistad 2) discussed an updated version of at least part of this phonenon in his article on folk singer-hero James Brown. Though he is discussing a secular character, Watkins' revelations are similar to Dr. Thurman's: that in the absurd context of being owned by someone else, it is not life or death that loom so importantly. One lives, Ellison suggests (Invisible Man), the day-to-day 49 �absurdity in a sort of comic-tragic vi ce. TTatkins says: James Brown's initial acceptance by a black audience is fixed in this crucial factor. From the moment he slides onto the staee, whether unconsciousl~,r or intentionally, his gestures, his facial expressions and even the sequential arra.n ge ti1ent of b is materials are external affirmations of a shared acceptance of t ~ e absurd or, more ineenously, of jiving. The i mpeca'bly tailored s uit s, which be brandishes at the outset, become meaninGless accoutrements as his act progresses and, sweating and straining , he ge ts down, li terall:r down on the floor, to wring t ;:10 last drop of emotion fro m a sonc;. Watkins is incorrect about the dress ½ecomine "meaningless" to a Black audie nce, but his general thesis is on tar get. Elsewhere Watkins, fir mly understand:i.nc; the i mp ortance of 11 verbal agility a mons Blacks, sa:rs :t.t is conmen to ·h ear 1-)lack women discussins a ~an's 'rap' or 'progr am' on the same level as tbey di8cuss l1is bank account. TT Blacks c;e~1erally witl11::l old t h eir judc;u~nt on (or acceptance) of a speaker or e ntertainer until he exbil)it s , in b is dress- c;eotnre -rat) , that l1 e under stands t'-:o 1rnllspring tbat f':C'ocl uced the "Slac k a,.1d unknown bards. 11 Return:i. n 6 :)riefly , to ou1• b istorical assess ment, we can 1101-1 see bou t he folk strain in Black writte n nr t eYolved. �From this 11 song" record ed :i.n the l ·S50 ' s by Douglass, Dey gib us de liquor, And say dat 's good enough for the nigger. to the fea1"' of 11 de Cunjab Hrrn" captured in "Gullah" by Campbell in the latter part of the 1900 's, De Cunjah man, de Cunjah li1a.n, 0 chillen run, de Cunjah man ! the deceptively "sin ple" ernplo:rr:1ent of folk expressions have prevailed as an ioportant antidote for the social maladies inherited by Blac ks in the Western Hemisphere. ''De Cunjah i-1an 11 is, of course, equivalent to the "things that go bumping in the night" in Ireland--and tbus has ties to general folk superstitions and t:iythology. But there was also the "buggah- man 11 (Dunbar's "Little Brown Baby"), the 11 rag man", "p~e;-leg," "raw-bead and bloody bones" and ( in places lik_e Trinidad) the "obeah man." Most of these supernatural characters a.re throw backs to various African reli gious and ritual practices. Of the new generation of poets, Ishmael Reed (Catechism of a neoamerican hoodoo church) is the innovator in the use of supernatural the mes and vocabulary. The theme of the 2nd Annual John Henr~r Memorial Authentic Blues and Gospel Jubilee (held in Cliff Top, W. Va., in August and September of 1974) was 11 Tryin' to Get Home. 11 How stea.d- :fastly the folk tradition runs like a vein through Black history. In the Seculars (and the Spirituals) we repeatedly hear something similar to the last stanza of "Rainbow Roun Mah Shoulder": 51 �I'm gonna break ri ght, break ri ght pas that shooter, I' m goin h ome, Lawd, I'm goin home. Again the use of -the work "Lawd" in a "secular" song further bears out the communal integration of the folk expression. My own sisters often interject or exclaim "Lord" or "Lawd" in everyday discussions ab out life. It is next to impossible to list all (or each type) of the Seculars. We have mentioned Professor Talley's pioneering efforts at classifying t h em. But many obstacles lay in the way of recorders of secular folk life. of censureship of language. One problem was t hat Such censuring marked all types of Black creativity, fro m t h e slave narratives to reli gious songs. Hence the more "protesting " aspects of the works were deleted as were "offensive words." Anyone wh o has b eard "authentic" Black folk songs knows t hat t h ey reflect tlJe convergence of madness, absurdity and h ope in t he Black body. Subsequently what are known as "curse" or "obscene" words are sprinkled throughout much of the "secular" lore. ' Brown discusses the "realism II in the folk r hymes along with an attempt to slassi.fy at lee.st some of t h em ("fiddle-sings," "corn-songs," "jig-tunes," "upstart crows"): Ballads, Ballads: Negro Heroes, John Henry (folkified in song), Work Songs, The Blues, Irony and Protest. Irony and protest, of course, run through Black folk and literary poetry from the earliest days (Whitfield, Harper, . anti-slavery songs) to the most recent times (Josh White, 52 . �Leon Thomas, Don L. Lee, Jobn Ecbols, Jo:1nn:.· 8 c ot t ). observers have pointed to the silliness of □ a n:, ::o ~e researct~ era who, white as ever, appeared in person to ask Black folk sonr; writers arrl singers if they endorsed "protest,n then went away satisfied with a "no" answer. Given the nature and history of race relations one can understand the reluctance on the parts of Blacks to tell whites the truth about "anything" let alone ab out such a sensitive area as "protest." ·Yet in the dog-eat-dog world of survival, t he folk person knows that "If he dies, I'll eat h is co'n; An' if he lives, I'll ride 'i m on." In summary we can say that unlike other eth nic immigrant groups ( the Afro-American was not a willing i mmigrant!), the Black American did not simply transplant h is stories--keeping them in their exact same form. He found American or European language counterparts for h is t h emes and vocabularies. But his phonology, style and spirit were informed by the African tradition. The student of Black folk poetry will want to compare and contrast the Seculars to other eth nic stories and songs. Boasting or "ly ing ," for example, is one ingredient o'f the "tall" tale. How does the Black song or story (Le., . "Shine," "Signify ing :Monkey ," "Dolemi te," "Frankie and Johnnie," . . . etc.) fit this motif? How does it conceal deeper meanings on the issues of slavery , inh uman work conditions, or contradictions in Christianity ? What are the similarities between the Seculars and the Spirituals? Between the Seculars and �the literary poetr~? These and other questions (on Black heroes, cultural motifs, blues themes, language and endurance) will lead one through exciting corridors of Black folk creativity and thought. V . SPIRITUALS GO DOWN, MOSES Go donw, Moses, Way down in Egypt land Tell old Pharaoh To let my people go. When Israel was in Egyptland Let my people go Oppressed so hard they could not stand Let my people go. Go down, Moses, Way down in Egyptland Tell old Pharaoh 11 Let my people go. 11 "Thus saith the Lord, 11 bold I1oses said, "Let my people: If not I'll smite ~our first-born dead Let my people go." 54 �"No more shall they in bondage toil, Let my people go; Let them come out with Egypt's spoil, Let my people go," The Lord told Moses what to do Let my people go; To lead the children of Israel through, Let my people go. Go down, Moses, Way down in Egyptland, Tell old Pharaoh, "Let my people go!" SLAVERY CHAIN Slavery chain done broke at last, broke at last, broke at last, Slavery chain done broke at last, Going to praise God till I die. Way down in-a dat valley, Praying on my knees; Told God about my troubles, And to help me of-a He please. I did tell him how I suffer, In de dungeon and de chain, And de days I went with head bowed down, And my broken flesh and pain. 55 �SPIRITUALS (cont'd) Slavery cbain done broke at last, broke at last, broke at last, Slavery chain done broke at last, Going to praise God till I die. I did know my Jesus heard me, 'Cause de spirit spoke to me, And said, "Rise my child, your cllillun, And you too shall be free. "I done 1 p'int one mighty captain For to marshall all my hos ts, And to bring my bleeding ones to me, And not one shall b e lost." Slavery chain done broke at last, broke at last, broke at last, Slavery chain done broke at last, Going to praise God till I die. NO HORE AUCTION BLOCK No more auction block for me, No more, no more, No more auction block for me, Many thousand gone. No more peck of corn for me, No more, no more, 56 . . �SPIRITUAIS (cont'd) No more peck of corn for me, Many thousand gone. No more pint of salt for me, No more, no more, No more pint of salt for me, Many thousand gone. No more driver's lash for me, No more, no more, No more driver's lash for me, Many thousand gone. SHOUT ALONG, CHILLEN Shout along, cbillen! Shout along, chillen! Hear the dying Lamb: Ob! take your nets and follow me For I died for you upon t h e tree! Shout along , cbillen! Shout along, chillen! Hear the dying Lamb! SWING LOW, SWEET CHARIOT Swing low, sweet chariot, Coming for to carry me home, Swing low, sweet chariot, Coming for to carry me home. 57 �SPIRITtJAI.S (cont'd) I looked over Jordan and what did I see Coming for to carry me home, A band of aneels, coming after me, Coming for to carry me home. If you get there before I do, Coming for to carry me home, Tell all my friends I'm coming too, Coming for to carry me home. Swing low, sweet chariot, Coming for to carry me home, Swing low, sweet chariot, Coming for to carry me home. STEAL AWAY Steal away, steal away, steal away to Jesus, Steal away, steal away home, I ain't got long to stay here. My Lord, He calls me, He calls me by the thunder, The trumpet sounds within-a my soul, I ain't got long to stay here. Steal away, steal away, steal away to Jesus, Steal a.way, steal away home, I ain't got long to stay here. 58 • �SPIRITUALS (cont'd) Green trees a-bonding, Po' sinner stands a-trembling The trumpet sounds within-a my soul, I ain't got long to stay here. DEEP RIVER Deep river, ~ay home is over Jordan, Deep river, Lord; I wa.nt to cross over into camp ground. 0 children, o, don't you want to GO to t h at gospel feast, That promised land, that land, wh ere all is peace? Deep river, my home is over Jordan, Deep river, Lord; I want to cross over into camp ground. I GOT A Hmm I N DAT ROCK I got a home in dat rock, Don't you see? I got a ho me in dat rock, Don't you see? Between de earth an' sl~, Thought I h eard my Saviour cry, You got a home in dat rock, Don't you see? Poor man Laz'rus, poor a.s I, Don't you see? PooRman Laz'rus, poor as I, 59 �SPIRITUALS (cont'd) Don't you see? Poor man Laz'rus, poor as I, 'Wben he died he fonnd a h ome on h i gh , He had a home in dat rock, Don't you see? Rich man Dives, he lived so well, Don't you sec? Rich man Dives, he lived so well, Don't you see? Rich man Dives, he lived so well, When he died h e fou nd a 11ome in Hell, He had no borne in dat rock, Don't y ou see? God gave lfo ab de Rainbow siGn, Don't you sec? God g ave No~ 1 de Rainb ow sign, Don't y ou see? God c;a ve 1'00.1" de RatnboH sisn, No r.wre wat er 1_w.t f:i.re next ti me , Better get a h ome in dat rock, Don't you see? ' 60 �SPIRITUALS (cont'd) I BEEN .REBUKED A:t:ID I BEEN scornmn I been rebuked and I been scorned, I been rebuked and I :Jeen scorned, Chillun, I be en rebuked and I be en scorned, I'se had a hard time, so's you born. Talk about me much as you please, Talk about ne much ns you please, Chillun, talk about me much as you please, Gonna talk a;)out you when I get on my knees. DE OLE SHEEP DEY KNOW DE ROAD Oh, de ole sheep, dey know de road, De ole sheep, dey know de road, De ole sheep, dey know de road, De young Lambs must find de way. My brother, better mind how you ·walk on de crqss, De young lambs must find de · ·wa~r, For your foot might slip, and yo' soul git lost, De young lamb s mus t find de way. Better mind dat sun, and see bow she run, De young lambs must find de way, And mind, don't let her catch you wid yo' work undone, De young lambs must find de way. 61 �SPIRITUALS (cont'd) Oh, de ole sheep, dey know de road, De ole sheep, dey know de road, De ole sheep, dey know de road, Young lambs must find de way. DE HAHMER KEEPS RINGDTG Oh, de hammer keeps ring ing On somebody's coffin, Oh, de hammer keeps ringing On somebody's coffin, Oh, de hammer keeps rin r; ing On somebody's coffin: Good Lord, I know my time ain't long . Oh, de wagon keeps rolling Somebody to de graveyard, Oh, de wagon keeps rolling Somebody to de graveyard, Oh, de wagon keeps rolling Somebody to de graveyard: Good Lord, I know my time ain't long. Oh, de preacher keeps preaching Somebody's funeyal, Oh, de preacher keeps preaching Sombody's funeyal, 62 �SPIRITUALS (cont'd) De preacher keeps preaching Somebody's funeyal: Good Lord, I know my time ain't long. MOTHERLESS CHILD Sometimes I feel like a motherless child, Sometimes I feel like a motherless child, Sometimes I feel like a motherless child, A long ways from home, A long ways fro m home. Sometimes I feel like I' m almost gone, Sometimes I feel like I'm almost gone, Sometimes I feel like I'm almost gone, A long ways .from home, A long ways .from home. Sometimes I .feel like a feather in the air, Sometimes I feel like a feather in the air, Sometimes I feel like a featber in the air, And I spread my wings and I fly, I spread my wings and I fly. NOBODY KNOWS DA TRUBBLE AH SEE Oh, nobody knows da trubble ah see, Nobody knows but Jesus. 63 �SPIRITUALS (conttd) Nobody knows da trubble ah see, Glory, Hallelujah! Sometimes I'm up, sometimes I' m down, Ob, yes, Lord! Sometimes I'm almost to the grounr, Oh, yes, Lord! Although you see me goin along , so, Ob, yes, Lord! I have my trubbles here below, Oh, yes, Lord! Nobody knows da trubble ah see, Nobody knows my sorrow. Nobody knows da trubble ah see, Glory, Hallelujah! One day when I was walkin along , Oh, yes, Lord! The elements open and his love came down, Oh, yes, Lord! I never shall forget dat day, Oh, yes, Lord! ·' 'When .Jesus wash my sins away, Ob, yes, Lord! 64 �SPIRITUALS (cont'd) Ob nobody knows da trubble ah see, Nobody knows my sorrow. Nobody knows da trubble ah see, Glory, Hallelujah! DE BLIND MAN s TOOD on DE ROAD O, de blind man stood on de road and cried O, de blind man stood on de road and cried Crying "O, my Lord, save-a me; 11 De blind man stood on de road and cried. Crying dat he might receive his sight Crying dat he might receive his sight Crying "O, my Lord, save-a me;" De blind man stood on de road and cried. HE MEVER SAID A MCTMBALil'JG WORD Oh, de wbupped him up de hill, up de hill, up de hill, Oh, de wbupped him up de bill, and he never said a mumbaling word, Oh, dey whupped him up de hill, and he never said a mumbaling word, He jes' bung down his head, and he cried. Oh, dey crowned him wid a thorny crown, thorny crown, thorny crown, Oh, dey crowned him wid a thorny crown, and he • 65 �SPIRITUALS (cont'd) never said a mumbaling word, Oh, dey crowned him wid a thorny crown, and he never siad a mumbaling word, He jes' bung down bis head, and be cried. Well, dey nailed h im to de cross, to de cross, to de cross, Well, dey nailed h im to de cross, and be never said a r:m mbaling word, Well, dey nailed him to de cross, and he never said a mumbaling word, He jes' hung down bis bead, and he cried. Well, dey pierced him in de side, in de side, in de side, Well, dey pierced him in de side, and de blood come a-twinkline; down, Well, dey pierced him in de side, and de biood cor.1e a-twinkling down, Den be hung down his bead, and he died. JOSHUA FIT DE BATTLE OF JERICHO Joshua fit de battle of Jericho, Jericho, Jericho, Joshua fit de battle of Jericho, And de walls come tumbling _down. 66 �SPIRITUALS (cont'd) You may talk about yo' king of Gideon Talk about yo' man of Saul, Dere's none like good old Joshua At de battle of Jericho. Up to de walls of Jericho, He marched with spear in hand; "Go blow dem ram horns," Joshua cried, "Kase de battle am in my band." Den de lamb ram sheep horns begin to blow, Trumpets begin to sound, Joshua commanded de chillen to shout, And de walls come tumbling down. Dat morning, Joshua fit de battle of Jericho, Jericho, Jericho, Joshua fit de battle of Jericho, And de walls come tumbling down. OH, MARY, DON'T YOU WEEP . Oh Mary, don't you weep, don't you moan, Ob Mary, don't you weep, don't you moan, Pharaoh's army got drownded, Oh Mary, don't you weep. 67 �SPIRITUALS (cont'd) One of dese mornings, bright and fair, Take my wings and cleave de air, Pharaoh's army got drownded, Oh Mary, don't you weep. One of dese mornings, five o'clock, Dis ole world gonna reel and rock, Pharaoh's army got drownded, Oh Mary, don't you weep. Don't know what nry mother wants to stay her fuh, Dis ole world ain't been no friend to huh, Pharaoh's army got drownded, Oh Mary, don't you weep. Oh Ha.ry, don't you weep, don't you moan, Oh :Mary, don't you weep, don't you moan, Pharaoh's army got drownded, Oh Mary, don't you weep. VI FOLK SECULARS HE IS MY HORSE One day as I wus a-ridin' by, Said dey: "Ole man, yo' boss will die." "If he dies, he is my loss; And if he lives, he is my boss." 68 �FOLK SECULARS (co nt'd) Nex' day w'en I come a'ridin' by, Dey said: "Ole man, yo' hoss may die. 11 "If be dies, I•ll tan 'is skin; An' if he lives, I'll ride 'im a g 'in. 11 Den ag'in wten I come a-ridin• by, Said dey: "Ole man, yo' b oss mou gh t die. 11 "If h e dies, I'll eat his co•n; An' if he lives, I'll ride 'im on. 11 DID YOU FEED HY COW? ''Did yer feed my cow?" "'Will yer tell me h ow?" "Yes, Mam!" ., "Yes, Mam!" ' 11 0h, w1 at did y er give , er?" "Cawn an h ay. If 11 0h , w•at did y er gi ve 'er?" "Cawn an h ay. fl "Did yer milk 'er good?" "Yes, Ham!" "Did yer do lak yer should? 11 "Oh, how did y er milk 'er?" 11 Yes, Ha.mt "Swish ! 11 Swish ! Swish ! 11 "Did dat cow g it sick?" "Yes, Ham!" "W'us sh e kivered wid tick?" ''Yes, Mam!" "Oh, h ow wus she sic k ?" "All bloated up. II "Oh, how wus she sick?" "All bloated up. II 69 �FOLK SECULA~S (cont'd) SONG (From Frederick Douglass, Ny Bondaee and lI:r Freedom, 1853) We raise de wheat, Dey gib us de corn: He bake de bread, Dey gib us de crust; We sif de meal, Dey gib us de huss; We peel de meat, Dey gib us de skin; And dat's de way Dey take us in; We skim de pot, Dey gib us de liquor~ And sa.y dat's good enough for ni cger. SONG (Fro ~n Hartin .R . Delany, "Blake; or, The Huts oi' At;ierica, 11 in The Anclo-Af'rican EnQ;azine, June 1859) Come all m:~ bret1)r e n, let us take a rest, While t b e ::-ioon sbi ne s br:t o;t1t and c 1. 0 0 1,,; Old ,.1aster d5-ed 8.:.x: : .e:ft us all at last , And b as gone a t t h e bar to a pp ear! Old raaster's dead and lying in b is grave; And our b lood will now cease to .flow ; He will no ri10re tramp on the neck o.f the slave, For he's gone where slave-holders go! '7 0 �FOLK SECULARS (cont'd) Hand up the shovel and the h oe-0-0-0! I don't care whetber I work or no! Old master's gone to the slave-holders rest-He's gone where t he:r all ou3ht to go! SELLIH' TIT-1E Goodbye, Goodbye, If I nevah, nevah see you a.ny mo. Goodbye, Goodbye, I will meet you on the utha sho. Pray f'or me, Pray for me, If I nevab, nevah see you any mo. Pray for me, Pray ror me , I will meet you on the utha sbo. Be strong, Be strong, If I nevah, nevah see you any mo. Be strong, Be strong, I will meet you on the utha sh o. Fare thee well, Fare thee well, If I nevah, nevah see you an;r mo. Fare thee well, 71 �FOLIC SECULATIS (cont ' d ) Fare thee well, I will meet y ou on the uth a s h o. MANY A THOUSAND DI E No r:1 ore dri ver call for me, No more dri ver call; No more driver call for me, Many a thousand die; No more peck of corn for me, No more pock of corn ; No more pec k of corn for me, Many a t b ousand d ie! No more h undred las h for me, no more h u ndred lash ; No more hu ndred lash for me, Many a thousand die! FHEEDOH Abe Lincoln freed t h e ni gger, Wid da gun and wid da tri gger, An I ain't ginna g it wh ipped no mo. Ah e;ot mah ticket Out of dis heah t h icket, An I'm headin for da golden sh o. 0 freedo m, 0 freedo m, 72 �FOIJC 0 SECULARS ( cont f d) freedom after a while, And before I 1 d b e a slave, I'd b e burie d in my grave, And go home to my Lord and b e free. Therefll be no more moaning , no more moaning , No more moaning after a wh ile, And before Ifd b e a slave, I'd be buried in my grave, And go home to my Lord and be free. No more weeping , no more crying , No more weep i ng after a wh ile, And before I'd be a slave, I'd be buried in my grave, And go home to my Lord and be free. Therefll b e no more kneelin g , no more bowing , No more kneeling after a while, And before I'd b e a slave, I'd be buried in my e rave, And g o home to my Lord and b e free. There'll b e sh outin g , t h ere'll b e s h outin13 , There'll be s h outing after a wh ile, And before I'd be a slave, I'd b e buried in my grave, And go home to my Lord and b e free. WE 'LL SOON BE FREE We'll soon be free, We'll soon b e free, 73 �FOIJC SECULARS (cont'd) We'll soon be free, When de Lord will call us home. My brudder, how long My brudder, bow long , My brudder, bow long, 'Fore we done sufferin' here? It won't be long (Thrice.) 'Fore de Lord will call us home. We'll walk de miry road (Thrice.) Where pleasure never di.es. My brudder, how long (Thrice.) 'Fore we done sufferin' here. We'll soon be free (Thrice.) When Jesus sets sets me free. We'll fight for liberty (Thrice.) When de Lord will call us home. DON WTD DRIBER'S DRIBII'I ' Don wid driber's dribin' Don wid driber's dribin' Don wid driber's dribin' Roll, Jordan, roll. Don wid massa•s hollerin' Don wid massa's hollerin' Don wid massa's hollerin' Roll, Jordan, roll. 74 . ' �FOLK SECULARS (cont'd) RAINBOW ROUN MAH SHOULDER Evahwhuh I, shuh I look dis mawnin, Looks lak rain, looks lak rain. I gotta rainbow, tied a.11 roun mah shoulder, Ain gonna rain, a.in gonna rain. I don walk till, walk till mah feets gone to rollin, Jes lak a wheel, jes lak a sheel. Evah mailda:r, I gets a letter, "My son come home, my son come bome. 11 Da.t ol letter read about dyin, Mab tears run down, mah tears run down. I'm gonna break right, break right pas dat shooter, I'm goin home, Lawd, I'm goin home. RAILROAD SECTION LEADER'S SONG E.f ah could, ab sholy would, Stan on da rack ·whub Moses stood. Mary, Martha, Luke and John, ' All dem sciples dead an gon. Ah gotta woman in Jennielee Square, Ef you wanna die easy, lemme ketch you there. 75 �FOLK SECULARS (cont'd) Lil Evaline, settin in da shade, Figurin on da money I ain't made. Jack de rabbit, Jack de bear, Cancba move it jus a hair? All ah hate b out linin track, Dese ol bars bout to break mah back. You keep talkin bout da joint ahead, Never sa:t nawtbin b out mah ho g an b read. Way down yonder in da b olla of da fiel, Angels wukkin on dacha.yet wbeel. Reason I stay wid my cap'n so long , He giv me b iscuits to rear b ack on. Jes lemme tell ya whut da cap'n jes done, Looked at his watch and looked at da suh. Ho, Boys, it ain time. Ho, Boys, you cain't quit. Ho, Boys, it ain ti me. Sun a.in gone down yit. GO D mvN, OL' HANNAH Go down ol' Hannah, wen you rise no mo? 76 �FOLK SECULARS (cont'd) Go down ol' Hannah, Won you rise no mo? Lawd, if you rise, Bring Judgment on Lawd, if' you rise, Bring Judgment on. Oh, did you hear What the cap'n said? Oh, did you hear What the cap'n said? That if' you work He'll treat you well , And if' you don He'll give you hell . Oh, go down ol' Hannah, Won you rise no mo? Won you go down, ol' Hannah, Won you rise no mo? Oh, long-time man, Hold up ye ha.id. Well, you may get a pardon And you may drop daid. 77 �FOLK SECULARS (cont'd) Lawdy, nobody feels sorr:y For de life-time man. Nobody feels sorry For de life-time man. J{)HN HENRY HAMMER Dis is de hammer Killt .John Henry, Twon't kill me, baby, Twon't kill me. Take dis hammer, Carry it to de captain Tell him I'm gone, baby, Tell him I'm gone. Ef he axe ·you, Was I running Tell him how fast, b aby, Tell him how fast. Ef he axe you Any mo' questions, Tell him you don't know, baby, You don't know. Every mail day, Gits a letter, 78 SONG �FOLK SECULARS (cont'd) "Son, come h ome, baby , Son come h ome. 11 Been all ni gh t long Backing up timber, Want to go h ome, baby, Want to go bome. Jes' wait ti 11 I :nake Dese few days I st arted I' m going h ome, ba by , Is going h ome. Everywhere I Look dis morning Look lak rain, baby, Look lak rai n . I got a rainb ow Tied 'round my s h oulder, Ain't gonna rain, ½aby , Ain't gonna rain. Dis ole hammer Ring lak silver, Shine lak gold. Take dis h ammer 79 �FOLK SECULARS (cont'd) Throw it in de river, It'll ring rigbt on, baby, Ring rigbt on. Captain, did you bear All yo' men gonna leave you, Next pay day, ba9y, Next pay day? SHINE AND THE TITANIC It was 1912 wben the awful news got around That tbe great Titanic was sinking down. Shine came running up on deck, told the Captain, "Please, The water in the boiler room is up to my knees. 11 Captain said, "Take your black self on back down tbere' I got a bundred-fifty pumps to keep tbe boiler room clear." Shine went back in tbe hole, started shovelling coal, Singing, "Lord, have mercy, Lord, on my soul!" Just then half the ocean jumped across the boiler room deck. Shine yelled to the Captain, "The water's round my neck!" Captain said, "Go back! Neither fear nor doubt! I got a hundred more pumps to keep the water out." ''Your words sound happy and your words sound true, But this is one time, Cap, your words won't do. 80 �FOLK SECULARS (cont'd) I don't like chicken and I don't li ke h a mAndi don't believe your pumps is worth a damn!" The old Titanic was b e ginning to sink. Shine pulled off his clothes and jumped in the brink. He said, "Little fish, bi g fis h , and shark fishes, too, Get out o.f my way because I'm com1.ng throu gh." Captain on bridge hollered, "Shine, Shine, save poor me, And I'll make you as rich as any man can be. 11 Shine said, "Th ere's more gold on land t h an there is on sea." And he swimmed on. Jay Gould's millionaire dau ghter came running up on deck ·w1 th h er sui tease in h er hand and h er dress 'round her neck. She cried, "Shine, Shine, save poor me! I'll g ive you everyth ing your e~es can see." Shine said, "There's mo:ce on land t h an t here is on sea." And he swimmed on. Big fat banker beggine , "Shine, Shine, save poor met I'll give you a thousand s h ares of T and T." Shine said, "Hore stoc ks on land than there is on sea." And he swimmed on. When all them white folks ·w ent to heaven, Shine was in Sugar Ray's Bar drinking Sea.grams Seven. 81 �FOLK SECULARS (cont'd) THE SIGNIFYTNG IIOYimY Tbe monkey and Lion Got to talking one day. Monkey looked down and said, Lion, I hear you's ling in every way. But I know somehody 1-fuo do not think tha.t is trueIle told me he could whip The l 1 ving da:rliGhto out of you. Lion said, Hho? Monkey said, Lion, He talked about your marmna And talked about your grandr1a, too, And I'm too polite to tell you What he said about you. Lion said, Hho said wbat? rn: o? ;,fonkey in t 1, e tree, Lion on t he cr ou nd . Monkey kept on sic~lf~ing But b e d j_dn ' t co :.:.2 d o~ m . i:ionke~r said , Fis n ai.ie is Elephant-- He stone sure is not your friend. Lion so.id, Fe don't need to be Because toda~ will t e b is end. Lion took off tbrou gh the junGle 32 �FOLK SECULI\.TIS (cont' c5.) Lickity-split, Meaninc; to grab Elephant And tear hit:~ h it to hit. Period! He come across Elep':1ant copping a ri gh teous nod Under a fine cool shady tree. Lion said, You big old no-good so-and-so, It's either you or me. Lion let out a solid roar And bopped Elephant with h is paw. Elephant just took his trunk And busted old Lion's jaw. Lion let out another roar, Reared up six feet tall. Elephant just kicked him in the belly And laughed to see him drop and fall. Lion rolled over, Copped Elephant by the throat. Elephant just sbook bim loose And butted him like a eoat, Then he tromped him and he stomped him Till the Lion yelled, Oh, no! And it was near-nigh sunset When Elephant let Lion go. The signifying 1-fonkeJr Was still setting in his tree 83 �FOLK SECULARS (cont'd) ·when he looked down and saw the Lion, Said, Why, Lion, who can that there be? Lion said, it's me. Monkey rapped, Why, Lion, You look more dead than alive! Lion said, Ifonkey, I don't want To hear your jive-end-jive. Monkey just kept on signifying, Lion, you for sure caught hellMister EleplJant 's done whipped you To a fare-thee-well! Why, Lion, you look like to me You been in the precinct station And had the third-degre, Else you look like you been high on gage And done get caught In a monkey cage! You ain't no king to me. Facts, I don't think that you Can even as much as roarAnd if you try I'm liable To come down out of this tree and Wbip your tail some more. The Monkey started laughing And jumping up and down. 84 �FOLK SECULARS (cont'd) But he jumped so hard the limb broke And he landed--bam!-on the ground. When he went to run, his foot slipped And he fell flat down. Grr-rrr-rr-r! The Lion was on him With his front feet and his hind. Monkey hollered, Ow! Lion said, You little flee-bag you! Why, I'll eat you up alive. I wouldn't a-heen in this fix a-tall Wasn't for your signifying jive. Please, said lfunkey, Mister Lion, If you'll just let me go, I got something to tell you, please, I think you ought to knOi-J, Lion let the Monkey loose To see what bis tale could beAnd Monkey jumped right back on up Into his tree. What I was gonna tell you, said Monkey, Is you square old so-and-so, If you :fool with me I'll get Elephant to whip your head some more. Monkey, said the Lion, Beat to his unbooted knees, 85 �FOLK SECULARS (cont'd) You and all your signifying ch ildre n Better stay up in them trees. Which is wb:r today Manl ey does h is si gnifying A-way-up out of t h e way. FRANKIE AND JOHNNY Frankie and Johnny were lovers, Lardy, how· they could love, Swore to be true to each other, True as the stars u p ab ove, He was h er man, but be done her wrong . Frankie went down to the corner, To buy h er a bucket of beer, Frankie says "Hister Bartender, Has my lovin' Johnnie been h er~? He is my man, but he's doing me wrong ." "I don't want to cause you no trouble Don't want to tell you no lie, I saw your Joh nnie half-an-h our a. go I-Taking love to Nelly Bly. He your man, but he's doing you wrong ." Frankie went down to the hotel Looked over t h e transom so h i gh , 86 �FOLK SECULARS (cont'd) There she saw her lovin' Johnnie Making love to Nelly Bly He was her man; he was doing her wrong. Frankie threw back her kimono, Pulled out her big forty-four; Tooty-toot-toot: three times she shot Right through that hotel door, She shot her man, who was doing her wrong. nRoll me over gently, Roll me over slow, Roll me over on my right side, Cause these bullets hurt me so, I was your man, but I done you wrong." Bring all your rubber-tired hearses Bring all your rubber-tired hacks, They're carrying poor Johnny to the burying ground And they ain't gonna brin g h i m back, He was her man, but he done her wrong. Frankie says to t h e sheriff, "Wba t are they going to do?" The sheriff he said to Frankie, "It's the 'lectric ch air for you. He was your man, and be done you wrong." 87 .,.. I • �FOLK SECULARS (cont'd) 11 Put me in that dunc eon, Put me in t h at cel l, Put me where t h e nor t'!:i east wind Blows from the south east cor ne r of h ell, I shot my man, 'cause be done me wrong ." ST. JAiffiS I NFIRJ.mRY BLUES I went down to St. James Inf'irmar:r , Hy baby t h ere she lay, Out on a cold , cold table. Well, I looked a n I tur ned away. What's my baby's chances, I asked old Dr. Tharp. '~y six o'clock this eve nin She'll be play in a g olden h arp." Let her go, let h er go, God b less h er, 'Wh erever sh e may b e. She can hunt this wod e world over, But she'll never find a noth er man li ke me. JUST BLUES I got a sweet black gal Liven down by t h e railroad track , A sweet black gal 88 1 ' �FOLK SECULARS (cont'd) Down by the railroad track, And everytime she cries The tears run down her back. Cryin', baby, bave mercy, Baby, have mercy on me! Baby, baby, baby, Have mercy, mercy on me! If this is your mercy, What can your pity be? BLACK 'WOMAN Well, I said come here, Black Woman, Ah-hmmm, don you bear me cryin, Lawd, Lawd! I say run heah, Black Woman, . Sit on your Black Daddy's knee, Lawd! ; Mmmmm, I know yo house feel lonesome, Ah, don you heah me wboopin, Lawd, Lawd, Don yo house feel lonesome, When yo biscuit roller gon, Lawd, help my cryin timeDon yo house feel lonesome, Mmmm, When yo biscuit roller gon. 89 �FOLK SECULARS (cont'd) I say my house feel lonesomeI know you heah me crying , oh Baby, Ah-hmrnm, ah , when I looked in my ki tclien, Mama, An I wen all tboo my dinin room An-m.mmm, when I woke up this mornin I foun my b iscuit roller done gone. Goin to Texas, Mama, Justo heah the wild ox moanLawd help mah cryin time-Goin to Texas, Mama, Jus to heab the wild ox moan, An if they moan to suit me, I'm goin to bring a wild ox home. Ah-hmmm, I sa~r I' m got to go to Texas, Black MamaI know you h eah me cryin, Lawd, Lawd- Ah-hmmm, I 1 m got to go to Texas, Black Mama, Ahm-jus to h eah the wh ite cow, I say, moan! Ah~hmmm, ah, if they moan to suit me, Lawd, Lawd, I bleeve I'll bring a white cow back home. Say, I feel superstitious, Mama, 'Bout my hoggin bread, Lawd help my bungry time, I feel superstitious, Baby, ' b out my h oggin bread! Ah-hmmm, Baby, I feel superstitious, 90 �FOLK SECULARS (cont'd) I say'stitious, Black Woman! Ah-bmmm, ab you heah me cryin Bout I don got bungry, Lawd, Lawd Ob, Mama, I feel superstitious Bout my hog, Lawd Gawd, it's mah bread. I want you to tell me, Mama, Ah-hmmm, I heah me cryin, oh Mama! Ah-hmmm, I want you to tell me, Black Woman, 0 wbeah did you stay las ni ght? I love you, Black woman, I tell the whole werl I do. Ah-hmmm, I love you, Black Woman, I know you heah me whoopin, Black Baby! Ah-hmmm, I love you Black Woman An I'll tell yo Daddy, I do, Lawd. YOUND BOY BLUES I'm a real young boy, jus sixteen years ol, I'm a real young boy, jus sixteen years ol, I need a funky black woman to satisfy my soul. Hy father was no jockey but he sure taught me how to ride. I say my father was no jockey but be sure taught me how to ride. 91 �FOLK SECULARS (cont'd) He said f'irst in t h e middle, Then you sway fro m side to side. DACKDOOR BLUES I left my baby sta ndin in t h e back door cryin' Yes, I left my b aby standi n in t h e b ack door cryin' She said, baby , you gotta h o me jus as long as I eot mine. A BIG FAT HA.HA I' m a b i g fat ma rna, [!;Ot t h e meat s haki n on ma.b b ones, I'm a bi g fat r,i arna , got t h e meat sh aki n on mab bones, And every t i me I s h a kes, some skinny g irl loses h uh home. HOH LONG BLt:ms How lone; , h ov, lon 6 , h as t h at eveninc t r a in b in gone? How lo ne , ~ 0 11 long , baby, h ow l ong ? Had a gal l i ved up on t h e b ill If she' s t he r e, sh e lo ves ~e still Baby, b ow l ong , h ow long , b ow l on e ? Sta. nd :i.n a t t h e st a ti on , watch r,~:r b aby c o Feel dis c ust ed, blue , me an a n l ow How lone; , 1 7 0W lo ns : b aby , :1 0 1-1 92 lo ng ? ,, � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Eugene B. Redmond Digital Collection Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document Text Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context EBRWritings_08_01_01 Title A name given to the resource Copy of Drumvoices: The Mission of Afro-American Poetry: A Critical History, Chapter II. The Black and Unknown Bards, p. 27-92 Relation A related resource Eugene B. Redmond Digital Collection Language A language of the resource English Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource For digital rights and permissions, see <a href="https://www.siue.edu/lovejoy-library/about/policies.shtml">https://www.siue.edu/lovejoy-library/about/policies.shtml</a> or contact <a href="mailto:library@siue.edu">library@siue.edu</a> for direct inquiries. In copyright. <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a> Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Redmond, Eugene B.