O Berta (Prison Work Song) With Lyrics

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post showcases a video of the prison work song "O Berta". My partial transcription of the lyrics for that song is also included in this post.

The content of this post is presented for historical, folkloric, and aesthetic purposes. The copyrights remain with their owners.

My thanks to the unknown men who composed and sang this song*. My heart goes out to all those who composed & sung such an emotionally moving song under such terrible conditions. My thanks also to the John and Alan Lomax, the collectors & recorders of this song. My thanks also to CowboyBebop444, the uploader of this sound file.

* Hat tip to Mick Pearce (MCP) from Mudcat Cafe who shared that this rendition of "O Berta" and other songs may have been the sung by Hollie Dew and others at Parchman Farm, December 1947. "Some were originally issued by Tradition on a 1958 LP entitled "Negro Prison Songs" and they are currently available on CD in two volumes - "Prison Songs" - as part of the Alan Lomax Collection on Rounder Records" Click http://research.culturalequity.org/get-audio-detailed-recording.do?recordingId=10706 for more information about that recording.

SUMMARY STATEMENT ABOUT "O BERTA"
"O Berta" is an African American Blues song that was sung as a cane field work song by prisoners in the infamous Parchman farm in Mississippi. The percussive sound of the singers' swinging their hoes is the only accompaniment to the men's voices in this song.

In this song, "Berta" symbolizes the women they left behind. The men imagine seeing Berta walking toward them, give advice to Berta on who she should marry, and sing about other things they remember about their lives outside of the prison.

FEATURED VIDEO
Prison Songs - O 'Berta.avi



Uploaded by CowboyBebop444 on May 31, 2011

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LYRICS: O BERTA
(Parchman Farm Prison, Mississippi)

O Berta
Well, Lord gal.
Lord, Berta
Well Lord gal, well.

Ain’t that Berta comin, down that road, well.
She walk like Berta but she, want you so, well.
She want you so baby, she want you so, well.
She walk like Berta but, she want you so, well.

O Lord Berta, well.
Lord gal.
Lord Berta.
Lord, gal, well.

I been called Berta but, the whole day long, well.
And how can she hear me when she,
She ain’t at home, well.
She ain’t at home, Berta
She ain’t at home, well.
And how can she hear me when she,
she ain’t at home well.

Well, O Berta.
Lord, gal.
(Hum, hum, hum it!)
Lord Berta.
Lord gal, well.

Saturday when you marry, marry to the railroad man, well.
well Saturday when you marry, marry to the railroad man, well.
Saturday when you marry marry to the railroad man, well.
‘Cause he gonna find you a dollar, to lay your hand, well.
To lay your hand, baby, to lay your hand well.
'Cause he gonna find you a dollar
To lay your hand well.

Saturday when you marry, don’t marry no farmin man, well.
Saturday when you marry, don’t marry no farmin man, well.
‘Cause Saturday when you marry don’t no farmin men well.
‘Cause he never gonna did find yoou any how*
To lay your hand baby, lay your hand, well.
Lay your hand baby, lay your hand well.
'Cause he’ll never gonna find you a dollar
To lay your hand well.

Well O, Berta.
Lord gal.
Lord, Berta.
Lord gal, well.

????
????
cause I’m gonna find somebody
To roll’em down, baby.
To roll' em down, well.
Mama won’t let nobody
To roll’em down well

Lord Berta, well.
Lord gal.
Lord Berta.
Lord gal, well.

???? ???
To hang around, well.
????
When I’m down baby
????
When I’m down, well
When I’m down, baby
When I’m down, well

Well O Berta.
Lord gal.
Lord, Berta.
Lord gal.

-snip-
Transcription by Azizi Powell, 6/14/2012 from sound file. Except for the lyrics in parenthesis, this transcription doesn't include any of the overlapping, echoed words that are sung throughout this song.

*unsure about the word or words
? unable to transcribe these words

Corrections and additions welcome.

RANDOM COMMENTS ABOUT THE SONG "O BERTA"
"O Berta" is part of the family of "Alberta" ("Roberta") family of songs. One relatively common example of this song family is "Alberta, Let Your Hair Hang Low".

In the sound file given above, "O Berta", has the same tune as "Berta Berta", a song that was recently popularized by its inclusion in August Wilson's 1995 play "The Piano Lesson". Click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32WzZqlN1h4 for a video of actors in that play's singing "Berta Berta". However, the lyrics for "O Berta" as recorded in the YouTube sound file given above are different from the lyrics for "Berta Berta".

Click http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=31028 "Lyr Add: Berta, Berta" for lyrics to that song.

Except for a change in names, "O Berta" has the same chorus as the African American Blues (prison song)"Rosie", and the "every Sunday dollar in your hand" line in "Rosie" is similar to the "lay dollar in your hand" lines in "O Berta". The tunes used for these two songs are also similar.

Click http://mudcat.org/@displaysong.cfm?SongID=8067 for the lyrics to another version of "Rosie" that is entitled "Rosie O Ho".

"Old Dollar Mamie" is another prison Blues song
that is related to "O Berta". Click http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=14515 for the lyrics to that song.

**
With regard to the word "well" at the end of a number of lines in this song such as "O Lord Berta, well" and "Lord, gal, well":

African Americans still use "well" as an affirming word in religious & non-religious songs. In those contexts, I believe that "well" has the same or a similar meaning as "yeah". "Well" is also used as a response to speech, including conversations and sermons. A longer form of this affirming use of "well" is the phrase "Well, alright now".

**
I wrote this comment in response on this sound file's YouTube comment thread in response to the song's uploader's comment that it's a shame that African Americans aren't more familiar with this song (and presumably, other prison work songs)

"I think that some of the blame for this is that we African Americans don't treasure most of our old time music - in part because we are forward looking people more interested in new music forms instead of old ones and in part because we don't want to be reminded of the memories of terrible times such as slavery & chain gangs. But there is so much richness of spirit in many of these songs.I appreciate them and honor their composers/performers."

**
As an aside, I wonder if the words "Berta but" in the line "She walk like Berta but she, want you so, well" had any influence whatsoever on the Jimmy Castor's 1975 Pop & Funk song "Bertha But Boogie".

Among African Americans, a person with a "Bertha Butt" usually means a female teenager or woman (usually a Black female) with a large, protruding behind (butt). I wonder if that phrase has its source in this "O Berta" song.

Click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LQJYgs1sxc for a sound file of the "Bertha Butt Boogie".

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OTHER RELATED LINKS
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mississippi_State_Penitentiary

**
http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=121223 "Lyr & Orig: Alberta, Let your hair hang"

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