Edited by Azizi Powell
This post showcases two African American Gospel versions of the song "Old Ship Of Zion". One version is sung by The Roberta Martin Singers and one version is sung by the Jackson Southernaires. This post also includes the lyrics to those versions of "Old Ship Of Zion" (as sung in those particular YouTube files.)
The content of this post is presented for religious and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
****
FEATURED EXAMPLES
(These examples are presented in chronological order based on the date of their YouTube posting, with the oldest dated videos posted first.)
"Old Ship of Zion" (1949)- The Roberta Martin Singers
JayEm86, Uploaded on May 22, 2008
"Old Ship of Zion", with Norsalus McKissick on lead. Also with: Romance Watson: Baritone; Eugene Smith: Tenor; Bessie Folk: Contralto; Roberta Martin: Contralto, piano; Delois Barrett: Soprano; "Little" Lucy Smith: Organ.
**
LYRICS - Old Ship Of Zion
(As sung by The Roberta Martin Singers)
Verse #1:
I was lost in sin and sorrow
on an isle in life's dark sea
When I saw far in the distance
there a ship it seemed to be
Then I saw the Captain beckon,
He cried so loud and free
“My child, I’ve come to save you.
Step on board and follow me”
Chorus:
‘Tis the old ship of Zion,
'Tis the old ship of Zion,
'Tis the old ship of Zion
I got on board, early one morning
I got on board.
Verse #2:
There ain’t no danger
in the water
There ain’t no danger
in the water.
There ain’t no danger
in the water
I got on board early one morning.
I got on board.
-snip-
Transcription by Azizi Powell from the sound file. Additions & corrections are welcome.
****
"The Old Ship Of Zion" - Jackson Southernaires
malacomg, Uploaded on Jan 27, 2011
**
LYRICS - Old Ship Of Zion
(As sung by the Jackson Southernaires)
I was standing on the banks of the river
Looking out over life's troubled seas
When I saw the old ship that was sailing.
Is that the old ship of Zion I see?
Her hull was bent and battered
From the storms of life I could see.
Waves were rough, but the old ship was steady.
Is that the old ship of Zion I see?
At the stern of the ship stood the Captain.
I could hear Him when He called out my name.
“Get on board the old ship of Zion
It will never pass this way again.”
As I step on board, I'll be leaving
All my sorrows and heartaches behind.
I'll be safe with Jesus, the Captain
Sailing out on the old ship of Zion.
Sailing out on the old ship of Zion.
Zion.
-snip-
Transcription by Azizi Powell from the sound file. Additions & corrections are welcome.
****
RELATED LINK
Click http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=41005&messages=38 for a discussion of & examples of old lyrics to the "Old Ship Of Zion". That song is said to be one of the earliest documented African American Spirituals, with text versions (and possibly also tunes) which date from the early 19th century that are very different from those given above.
****
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks to The Roberta Martin Singers and the Jackson Southernaires for their musical legacy. My thanks to the producers of these videos and their YouTube publishers.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
Monday, April 29, 2013
Isicathamiya Song “Phansi Imikhonto” (“Down The Spears”) by Empangeni Tigers
Edited by Azizi Powell
This post presents a transcription of the isicathamiya song "Phansi Imikhonto” (“Down The Spears”) by the Empangeni Tigers. This post also features a sound file of an isicathamiya song performed by the Empangeni Tigers as well as a brief video clip of another isicathamiya group in rehersal.
In addition, information about isicathamiya music is provided in this post from a review of Veit Erlmann's 1996 book on that music genre. That book is the source for the Zulu & English transcription of "Phansi Imikhonto”.
The content of this post is presented for folkloric, historical, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
****
INFORMATION ABOUT ISICATHIMIYA MUSIC
From a review of the 1996 book >Nightsong: Performance, Power, and Practice in South Africa by Veit Erlmann.
First popularized by Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Paul Simon, the a cappella music known asisicathamiyahas become internationally celebrated as one of South Africa's most vibrant and distinct performance traditions. But Ladysmith Black Mambazo is only one of hundreds of choirs that perform "nightsongs" during weekly all-night competitions in South Africa's cities.
Veit Erlmann provides the first comprehensive interpretation of isicathamiya performance practice and its relation to the culture and consciousness of the Zulu migrant laborers who largely compose its choirs. In songs and dances, the performers oppose the class and racial oppression that reduces them to "labor units." At the same time, Erlmann argues, the performers rework dominant images to symbolically reconstruct their "home," an imagined world of Zulu rural tradition and identity.
By contrasting the live performance of isicathamiya to its reproduction in mass media, recordings, and international concerts, Erlmann addresses important issues in performance studies and anthropology, and looks to the future of isicathamiyalive performance in the new South Africa..."
****
PREFACING COMMENTS AND SONG LYRICS*
From Nightsong: Performance, Power, and Practice in South Africa by Veit Erlmann, (University of Chicago Press, 1966; pages 173-175
..."Ethnic consciousness, while pretending to be a product of a seamless continuity of the past, is thus in fact an integral component of modernization, reacting against the estranging effects of modernity and at the same time modeling itself on it. A song like “Phansi Imikhonto” (“Down The Spears”) by the Empangeni Tigers (SABC MKB 818, B) illustrates this clearly:
Leader: Phans’ imikhonto phans izagila.
Down the spears, down the assegais.
Phans’ imikhonto Zulu.
Down the spears, Zulus.
Chorus: Phans’ imikhonto.
Down the spears.
Leader: Bekani izagila.
Put down the assegais!
Chorus: Phans’ izagila.
Down the assegais.
Leader: Bekan’ imikhonto.
Put down the spears!
Yilomblaba osabuswa ngegazi.
The era of reigning with blood is over,
lokho kwakwenzek’ emandulo.
that used to happen in ancient times.
Leader: Akekho noyedwa namblanje.
There is no one today.
Chorus: Akekho noyedwa namblanje.
There is no one today.
ongafuya amelw’ umnotha ngomkhonto.
who can be a farmer or a merchant while being threatened by spears.
MaZulu, hayi, maZulu qhababo.
No Zulus, no Zulus.
Ake siqhubekele phambili.
Let us progress.
Leader: Nakhu kukhanya ye.
There is light.
Chorus: Nakh’ ukukhanya kithi kufikile.
It is the dawning of the age.
Nans’ imfundo maZulu ifikile.
Here is education, Zulus.
Leader: Manje-na...
Now
Chorus: Ohubani izingane ziye es’koleni.
Lead children to school.
Ziyothola ulwazi olungena kuphela.
Let them receive endless knowledge.
Leader: Hayi!
Chorus: No!
Leader: Sasala sodwa.
We are left behind.
-snip-
*This is may be only a partial transcription of this song. "Down the spears, down the assegais" means "Put down" those weapons.
Source: http://books.google.com/books?id=DqbpKQZxLDoC&pg=PA174&lpg=PA174&dq=izagila&source=bl&ots=viTtmWqKJC&sig=4yyRZhfJWYwGbRHYuWomWFRVA20&hl=en&sa=X&ei=9V1-UZh_1qngA7HXgMgP&ved=0CDwQ6AEwBDgU#v=onepage&q=izagila&f=false
****
FEATURED SOUND FILE AND VIDEO:
The Empangeni Home Tigers - Unokuthula (Choir) (Ma Ma 729)
WayhiTapes, Uploaded on Jan 4, 2012
The Empangeni Home Tigers - Unokuthula (Choir) (Ma Ma 729)
****
South Africa - true Isicathamiya - old boys!!!!!
Philani10,Uploaded on Jan 1, 2008
Traditional old boys Isicathamiya from South Africa!
****
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks to the composers of these songs, and all the vocalists who performed these songs. My thanks also to Veit Erlmann for his comments and transcription. Thanks also to the uploaders of these featured sound file and video.
Thank you for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
This post presents a transcription of the isicathamiya song "Phansi Imikhonto” (“Down The Spears”) by the Empangeni Tigers. This post also features a sound file of an isicathamiya song performed by the Empangeni Tigers as well as a brief video clip of another isicathamiya group in rehersal.
In addition, information about isicathamiya music is provided in this post from a review of Veit Erlmann's 1996 book on that music genre. That book is the source for the Zulu & English transcription of "Phansi Imikhonto”.
The content of this post is presented for folkloric, historical, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
****
INFORMATION ABOUT ISICATHIMIYA MUSIC
From a review of the 1996 book >Nightsong: Performance, Power, and Practice in South Africa by Veit Erlmann.
First popularized by Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Paul Simon, the a cappella music known asisicathamiyahas become internationally celebrated as one of South Africa's most vibrant and distinct performance traditions. But Ladysmith Black Mambazo is only one of hundreds of choirs that perform "nightsongs" during weekly all-night competitions in South Africa's cities.
Veit Erlmann provides the first comprehensive interpretation of isicathamiya performance practice and its relation to the culture and consciousness of the Zulu migrant laborers who largely compose its choirs. In songs and dances, the performers oppose the class and racial oppression that reduces them to "labor units." At the same time, Erlmann argues, the performers rework dominant images to symbolically reconstruct their "home," an imagined world of Zulu rural tradition and identity.
By contrasting the live performance of isicathamiya to its reproduction in mass media, recordings, and international concerts, Erlmann addresses important issues in performance studies and anthropology, and looks to the future of isicathamiyalive performance in the new South Africa..."
****
PREFACING COMMENTS AND SONG LYRICS*
From Nightsong: Performance, Power, and Practice in South Africa by Veit Erlmann, (University of Chicago Press, 1966; pages 173-175
..."Ethnic consciousness, while pretending to be a product of a seamless continuity of the past, is thus in fact an integral component of modernization, reacting against the estranging effects of modernity and at the same time modeling itself on it. A song like “Phansi Imikhonto” (“Down The Spears”) by the Empangeni Tigers (SABC MKB 818, B) illustrates this clearly:
Leader: Phans’ imikhonto phans izagila.
Down the spears, down the assegais.
Phans’ imikhonto Zulu.
Down the spears, Zulus.
Chorus: Phans’ imikhonto.
Down the spears.
Leader: Bekani izagila.
Put down the assegais!
Chorus: Phans’ izagila.
Down the assegais.
Leader: Bekan’ imikhonto.
Put down the spears!
Yilomblaba osabuswa ngegazi.
The era of reigning with blood is over,
lokho kwakwenzek’ emandulo.
that used to happen in ancient times.
Leader: Akekho noyedwa namblanje.
There is no one today.
Chorus: Akekho noyedwa namblanje.
There is no one today.
ongafuya amelw’ umnotha ngomkhonto.
who can be a farmer or a merchant while being threatened by spears.
MaZulu, hayi, maZulu qhababo.
No Zulus, no Zulus.
Ake siqhubekele phambili.
Let us progress.
Leader: Nakhu kukhanya ye.
There is light.
Chorus: Nakh’ ukukhanya kithi kufikile.
It is the dawning of the age.
Nans’ imfundo maZulu ifikile.
Here is education, Zulus.
Leader: Manje-na...
Now
Chorus: Ohubani izingane ziye es’koleni.
Lead children to school.
Ziyothola ulwazi olungena kuphela.
Let them receive endless knowledge.
Leader: Hayi!
Chorus: No!
Leader: Sasala sodwa.
We are left behind.
-snip-
*This is may be only a partial transcription of this song. "Down the spears, down the assegais" means "Put down" those weapons.
Source: http://books.google.com/books?id=DqbpKQZxLDoC&pg=PA174&lpg=PA174&dq=izagila&source=bl&ots=viTtmWqKJC&sig=4yyRZhfJWYwGbRHYuWomWFRVA20&hl=en&sa=X&ei=9V1-UZh_1qngA7HXgMgP&ved=0CDwQ6AEwBDgU#v=onepage&q=izagila&f=false
****
FEATURED SOUND FILE AND VIDEO:
The Empangeni Home Tigers - Unokuthula (Choir) (Ma Ma 729)
WayhiTapes, Uploaded on Jan 4, 2012
The Empangeni Home Tigers - Unokuthula (Choir) (Ma Ma 729)
****
South Africa - true Isicathamiya - old boys!!!!!
Philani10,Uploaded on Jan 1, 2008
Traditional old boys Isicathamiya from South Africa!
****
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks to the composers of these songs, and all the vocalists who performed these songs. My thanks also to Veit Erlmann for his comments and transcription. Thanks also to the uploaders of these featured sound file and video.
Thank you for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Four Corners & Funky Four Corners (Part II: Social Dances & Fraternity Routines)
Edited by Azizi Powell
Latest revision: July 10, 2022
This is Part II of a two part pancocojams series on the four corners & funky four corners records, social dances, and fraternity routines.
Part II features videos of those dances and fraternity routines.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/04/four-corners-funky-four-corners.html for Part I of this series. Part I provides information about and four examples of "Four Corners" & "Funky Four Corners" records.
The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are featured in these videos and all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.
****
GENERAL OVERVIEW
The "four corners" and "funky four corners" are late 1960s African American originated individual dance & African American originated line dances.*
*As per information provided in http://funky16corners.wordpress.com/2009/06/28/funky16corners-radio-v-71-getting-the-corners/ and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Funky_16_Corners.
"The funky four corners" is also the name of footwork, hopping (steppin) routines that are performed by the historically Black Greek lettered fraternity Omega Psi Phi, Inc.
In addition, the audience at a South African Gospel concert [Solly Mahlangu - Wa Hamba Nathi] also does the four corners dance to a Gospel song.
*The "four corners" is also a name of a American country line
dance. Click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gr7W1nK49tk for one example of this dance.
****
GENERAL OVERVIEW OF THE MEANING OF "FOUR CORNERS" AND "FUNKY FOUR CORNERS" [updated Dec. 10, 2020]
"Four corners" records are instructional dance records which include the title "four corners", "funky four corners", or the word "corners" with some other number. "Instructional dance" records are those in which a singer gives instructions on how to do a particular dance. However, those dances can be done to other records.
"The four corners" refer to moving your entire body (or just your butt) in four corners. The term "four corners" refer to the north, east, south, and west.
A form of the four corners social dance is included toward the end of the dance for the song "Your The One I Want" in the 1978 American movie Grease. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oKPYe53h78&ab_channel=HolidayPartyMusic Grease - You're The One That I Want [HQ+Lyrics]
Holiday Party Music, Jun 5, 2009 [at 3:16 in this movie clip].
Here's an excerpt of a Rolling Stone magazine article about actor John Travolta showing talk show host Jimmy Fallon the four corners dance move when he visited that show on the fortieth anniversary of that movie: https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/tv-news/watch-john-travolta-revive-grease-dance-with-jimmy-fallon-628735/ Watch John Travolta Revive ‘Grease’ Dance With Jimmy Fallon
Latest revision: July 10, 2022
This is Part II of a two part pancocojams series on the four corners & funky four corners records, social dances, and fraternity routines.
Part II features videos of those dances and fraternity routines.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/04/four-corners-funky-four-corners.html for Part I of this series. Part I provides information about and four examples of "Four Corners" & "Funky Four Corners" records.
The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are featured in these videos and all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.
****
GENERAL OVERVIEW
The "four corners" and "funky four corners" are late 1960s African American originated individual dance & African American originated line dances.*
*As per information provided in http://funky16corners.wordpress.com/2009/06/28/funky16corners-radio-v-71-getting-the-corners/ and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Funky_16_Corners.
"The funky four corners" is also the name of footwork, hopping (steppin) routines that are performed by the historically Black Greek lettered fraternity Omega Psi Phi, Inc.
In addition, the audience at a South African Gospel concert [Solly Mahlangu - Wa Hamba Nathi] also does the four corners dance to a Gospel song.
*The "four corners" is also a name of a American country line
dance. Click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gr7W1nK49tk for one example of this dance.
****
GENERAL OVERVIEW OF THE MEANING OF "FOUR CORNERS" AND "FUNKY FOUR CORNERS" [updated Dec. 10, 2020]
"Four corners" records are instructional dance records which include the title "four corners", "funky four corners", or the word "corners" with some other number. "Instructional dance" records are those in which a singer gives instructions on how to do a particular dance. However, those dances can be done to other records.
"The four corners" refer to moving your entire body (or just your butt) in four corners. The term "four corners" refer to the north, east, south, and west.
A form of the four corners social dance is included toward the end of the dance for the song "Your The One I Want" in the 1978 American movie Grease. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oKPYe53h78&ab_channel=HolidayPartyMusic Grease - You're The One That I Want [HQ+Lyrics]
Holiday Party Music, Jun 5, 2009 [at 3:16 in this movie clip].
Here's an excerpt of a Rolling Stone magazine article about actor John Travolta showing talk show host Jimmy Fallon the four corners dance move when he visited that show on the fortieth anniversary of that movie: https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/tv-news/watch-john-travolta-revive-grease-dance-with-jimmy-fallon-628735/ Watch John Travolta Revive ‘Grease’ Dance With Jimmy Fallon
Actor taught ‘Tonight Show’ host move used during ‘You’re
the One That I Want’ for film’s 40th anniversary
By RYAN REED, June 14, 2018
"John Travolta taught Jimmy Fallon one of the signature dance
moves from Grease, “the Four Corners,” celebrating the film’s 40th anniversary
of its New York City premiere.
“Like with Pulp Fiction, I grew up with all these kind of novelty dances,” Travolta said. “So in Grease, they needed a step for ‘You’re the One That I Want’ at the end. I said, ‘Well, we used to do the Four Corners – why don’t we do that?’ The choreographer said, ‘Show it to me,’ and I did.”
Travolta slid naturally back into the belt-grabbing hip
swivel, instructing a giddy Fallon on the right-left-back-back approach."...
-snip-
Here's a link to a video of that Jimmy Fallon Show segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Bxnov4Iz0s&feature=emb_logo&ab_channel=TheTonightShowStarringJimmyFall
-snip-
The comments about the four corners dance begins at .46 in this video.
Notice that the dancers remain facing forward while they grab their belt and (only slightly) swivel their hips. This is only one way that the four corners dance was/is performed.
**
The "funky four corner" Omega Psi Phi fraternity routine is usually done with call & response chanting and is always performed without any other accompanying music.
****
SHOWCASE VIDEOS
Pancocojams Editor's Note:
Listening to the Highlighter Band's record "The Funky 16 Corners" which is the first of the "corners records"*, it appears to me that a line dance was the first type of dance that was done to "corners records". Individual dances (such as hips moving in the four corners) and fraternity routines were created after those line dances.
Example #1: FOUR CORNERS
iwill77, Uploaded on May 12, 2007
SHUFFLE DANCE FROM ENGAGEMENT PARTY ON 5/11/07
****
Example #2: fight the power dance Isley brothers-Four Corners
nikkicole1,Uploaded on Apr 29, 2011
my family once again line dancing
****
Example #3: Flash Mob - Part 3 - Funky Four Corners
cmliss2010, Uploaded on Nov 5, 2010
More and more flash mob rehearsals
-snip-
This is an example of the four corners as an individual dance, not a line dance.
****
SHOWCASE VIDEOS -FOUR CORNERS FRATERNITY ROUTINES AND CHANTS
"The Funky Four Corners" hop* routines are still performed by members of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
Note: These movement routines & chants should only be performed by those who are associated with this fraternity.
*Members of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. refer to their choreographed movements as "hops" and not "steps".
Example #1: Omega Psi Phi Beta Eta
.
Xay90, Uploaded on Aug 20, 2010
The Beta Eta Chapter of the University of Alabama sets it owt for the new students in the Ferguson Center. Starting the year off right, Beta Eta devises its master plan to set it OWT for the year.
Omega Psi Phi
The Beta Eta Chapter
X.Burgin
www.quethelights.com
-snip-
The funky four corners routine begins at 2:17 in this video.
Here's my transcription of this chant:
Lead group: Oh let
[Oh let]
Ah me see
[Ah see what]
Lead -Ah the funky four corners
[I say the funky four corners]
I said the the funky four corners
[See the funky four corners]
All: Hee yah Ahh ah Omega Psi Phi
Hee yah Ahh ah Que Psi Phi
Hee yah Ahh ah Omega Psi Phi
Hee Yah Ahh Que Psi Phi
Ah Q!
[barking]*
*Dog barks are the signature call of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
-snip-
Transcription by Azizi Powell from the video. Additions & corrections are welcome.
****
Example #2: Funky Four corners
royr314 Uploaded on Aug 2, 2011
-snip-
Here's my transcription of this chant:
The group chants in unison:
Oh let
Oh let
Ah me see
Ah see what
Oh let
Oh let
Ah me see
Ah see what
The funky four corners, yeah
With its funky butt
It goes “Yah Hah Hiii Omega Psi Phi
Yah Hah Hiii Omega Psi Phi
Oh Yah Hah Hiii Omega Psi Phi
It goes “Yah Hah Hiii Omega Psi Phi
[barking]*
*Dog barks are the signature call of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
-snip-
Transcription by Azizi Powell from the video. Additions & corrections are welcome.
****
Example #3: PLL 4th of July Parade - Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
dmvques, Published on Sep 6, 2012
The Bruhz of Pi Lambda Lambda SET OWT Funky Four Corners during the Dale City 2012 4th of July Parade.
-snip-
The funky four corners routine is from 0.53 -1:14 in this video.
Here's my transcription of this chant:
Oh, let me see
[Ah see what]
The funky four corners
[yeah]
The funky
The funky four.
All: It goes
Ah yah Hiii Omega Psi Phi [4x]
Que!
[barking]*
*Dog barks are the signature call of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
-snip-
Transcription by Azizi Powell from the video. Additions & corrections are welcome.
-snip-
Added August 29, 2020
Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pq7isK-uOTQ for a 2012 video of The Funky Four Corners performed by a chapter of Omega Psi Phi.
Yet another Omega Psi Phi "Funky Four Corners" routine from 2012 is found around 12:45- 13:16 in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qNnQdutcqw
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
****
SHOWCASE VIDEOS
Pancocojams Editor's Note:
Listening to the Highlighter Band's record "The Funky 16 Corners" which is the first of the "corners records"*, it appears to me that a line dance was the first type of dance that was done to "corners records". Individual dances (such as hips moving in the four corners) and fraternity routines were created after those line dances.
Example #1: FOUR CORNERS
iwill77, Uploaded on May 12, 2007
SHUFFLE DANCE FROM ENGAGEMENT PARTY ON 5/11/07
****
Example #2: fight the power dance Isley brothers-Four Corners
nikkicole1,Uploaded on Apr 29, 2011
my family once again line dancing
****
Example #3: Flash Mob - Part 3 - Funky Four Corners
cmliss2010, Uploaded on Nov 5, 2010
More and more flash mob rehearsals
-snip-
This is an example of the four corners as an individual dance, not a line dance.
****
SHOWCASE VIDEOS -FOUR CORNERS FRATERNITY ROUTINES AND CHANTS
"The Funky Four Corners" hop* routines are still performed by members of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
Note: These movement routines & chants should only be performed by those who are associated with this fraternity.
*Members of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. refer to their choreographed movements as "hops" and not "steps".
Example #1: Omega Psi Phi Beta Eta
.
Xay90, Uploaded on Aug 20, 2010
The Beta Eta Chapter of the University of Alabama sets it owt for the new students in the Ferguson Center. Starting the year off right, Beta Eta devises its master plan to set it OWT for the year.
Omega Psi Phi
The Beta Eta Chapter
X.Burgin
www.quethelights.com
-snip-
The funky four corners routine begins at 2:17 in this video.
Here's my transcription of this chant:
Lead group: Oh let
[Oh let]
Ah me see
[Ah see what]
Lead -Ah the funky four corners
[I say the funky four corners]
I said the the funky four corners
[See the funky four corners]
All: Hee yah Ahh ah Omega Psi Phi
Hee yah Ahh ah Que Psi Phi
Hee yah Ahh ah Omega Psi Phi
Hee Yah Ahh Que Psi Phi
Ah Q!
[barking]*
*Dog barks are the signature call of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
-snip-
Transcription by Azizi Powell from the video. Additions & corrections are welcome.
****
Example #2: Funky Four corners
royr314 Uploaded on Aug 2, 2011
-snip-
Here's my transcription of this chant:
The group chants in unison:
Oh let
Oh let
Ah me see
Ah see what
Oh let
Oh let
Ah me see
Ah see what
The funky four corners, yeah
With its funky butt
It goes “Yah Hah Hiii Omega Psi Phi
Yah Hah Hiii Omega Psi Phi
Oh Yah Hah Hiii Omega Psi Phi
It goes “Yah Hah Hiii Omega Psi Phi
[barking]*
*Dog barks are the signature call of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
-snip-
Transcription by Azizi Powell from the video. Additions & corrections are welcome.
****
Example #3: PLL 4th of July Parade - Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
dmvques, Published on Sep 6, 2012
The Bruhz of Pi Lambda Lambda SET OWT Funky Four Corners during the Dale City 2012 4th of July Parade.
-snip-
The funky four corners routine is from 0.53 -1:14 in this video.
Here's my transcription of this chant:
Oh, let me see
[Ah see what]
The funky four corners
[yeah]
The funky
The funky four.
All: It goes
Ah yah Hiii Omega Psi Phi [4x]
Que!
[barking]*
*Dog barks are the signature call of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
-snip-
Transcription by Azizi Powell from the video. Additions & corrections are welcome.
-snip-
Added August 29, 2020
Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pq7isK-uOTQ for a 2012 video of The Funky Four Corners performed by a chapter of Omega Psi Phi.
Yet another Omega Psi Phi "Funky Four Corners" routine from 2012 is found around 12:45- 13:16 in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qNnQdutcqw
****
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Visitor comments are welcome.
Friday, April 26, 2013
"Four Corners" & "Funky Four Corners" (Part I: information & four records)
Edited by Azizi Powell
Latest Revision - December 10, 2020
This is Part I of a two part pancocojams series on the four corners & funky four corners dances & other performance art movements.
Part I provides information about and four examples of "Four Corners" & "Funky Four Corners" records.
Part II features videos of four corners and funky four corners dances and fraternity routines.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/04/four-corners-funky-four-corners-dances.html for Part II of this series.
The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all the artists who are featured in this post, and thanks to all those whose comments are included in this post. Thanks also to the publishers of these examples on YouTube.
****
THE MEANING OF "FOUR CORNERS" AND "FUNKY FOUR CORNERS"
The "four corners" and "funky four corners" are late 1960s African American originated individual Rhythm & Blues/Hip Hop dances & African American originated line dances.
"The funky four corners" is also the name of footwork, hopping (steppin) routines that are performed by the historically Black Greek lettered fraternity Omega Psi Phi, Inc.
In addition, "the four corners" also appears to be a dance movement that is performed by South Africans to at least one Gospel song: Solly Mahlangu - "Siyabonga Jesu" ("Wa Hamba Nathi").
There are also [American] country dances called "the four corners".
This pancocojams post focuses on the African American versions of this dance.
The words "four corners" refer to the act of moving the hips in four directions [right, left, back, front or some variation of those four movements] or moving your entire body in those directions. Those movements correspond to the north, south, east, and west.
The word "funky" in "funky four corners" is an adjective that suggests that the music, dance, or other movement so named has more funk than any music, dance, or other movement that is merely titled "four corners". When something is "funky", the music, dance, and/or movements are thought to be performed with more enthusiasm and "hype". (Note that the word "hype" comes from the word "hyperactive".) This means that its rhythm, energy, and flavor is "pumped up" (increased). The word "funky" in the words "funky four corners" may also suggest that the music, dance, and/or other movements are more "sensual" or "sexual" than those found in a "four corners" song or chant.
****
INFORMATION ABOUT VARIOUS "FOUR CORNERS" & THE "FUNKY FOUR CORNERS" RECORDS
Excerpt #1
From http://funky16corners.wordpress.com/2009/06/28/funky16corners-radio-v-71-getting-the-corners/
..."Things get started (of course) with the Highlighters Band and the original (though not an original 45…I wish*) and ‘The Funky 16 Corners’. This is nothing if not a virtuoso performance by the band, led by vocalist James Bell, who having decided to double down (and then again) on the corners, absolutely tear up the joint...
Oddly enough, of all the funk/soul dances namechecked in the records of the day, the execution of ‘The Four Corners’ (and all exponential variations herein) wasn’t all that mysterious, being a fairly simple hip-thrust to the points of the compass, multiplied when deemed necessary by the man on the record. In addition to the records included in this mix (and some I’m sure I have yet to hear) that use a ‘corners’ dance in the title, there are scores of others that drop the name of (usually) ‘The Four Corners’ in the standard listing of the popular dances of the day, a list that almost always included the Boogaloo, Philly Dog, Camel Walk, Boston (or other regional) Monkey on and on ad infinitum.”...
Written and produced by Allen Toussaint, and rumored to feature none other than James Black on the drums (how about those breaks?) ‘Four Corners’ is one of the great New Orleans funk 45s. I mean, in addition to all those drums, you get to hear Lee testify with the “SHAKE-A MAKE-A BREAK-A HULA” and the “FOUR CORNERS BABY!”. It bears mentioning that ‘Four Corners’ is one of a couple of 45s in this mix that owe a serious debt to Archie Bell and the Drells’ ‘Tighten Up’. Whether this has to do with that particular record being especially suited to doing the “four corners”, I cannot say for sure...
****
Excerpt #2
From http://chancellorofsoul.com/jerryo.html
"Jerry-O kept the Boogaloo trend with ‘Funky Boogaloo’ b/w 'Push Push' (No 40 R&B Feb 3, 1968) and ‘Dance What Cha Wanna' b/w Afro Twist Time' (spring 1968). Meanwhile during the summer of 1968, a new hip swirl dance emerged from the black community called’ the four corners'. 'Funky Four Corners' b/w 'Soul Lover' released on both on Boo-Ga-Loo and White Whale Records, capitalized on the popular dance, making it a regional hit at block parties and social gatherings."
****
Excerpt #3
From http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20061102171201AAnovMN [This link is no longer active.]
"FUNKY FOUR CORNERS:
...The hip hits the four direction in a funky way...
****
Update: January 14, 2020
Excerpt #4
Here's a comment from the discussion thread of the New Orleans, Louisiana Funk Band The Meters' record "Cissy Strut": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_iC0MyIykM
Theresa P., 2016
"I remember at the record hops when I was a teenager, when this song was played, we did the "cissy strut" or the 4 corners dance. : )"
****
SHOWCASE EXAMPLES
Example #1: The Highlighters Band - The Funky 16 Corners
.
incrediblecHiller, Uploaded on Dec 9, 2007
-snip-
This instructional dance song includes the following lyrics:
"Funky 16 - That’s funky four to the left, funky four to the right, funky four to the back, and funky four to the front.
****
Example #2: Funky Four Corners by Jerry O
Lovelanemusic, Uploaded on Jul 7, 2010
1968 Jerry O featuring The Funk Brothers
****
Example #3: Lee Dorsey - Four Corners Part 1 (Amy US)
OldiesButGoodiesRec,·Uploaded on Aug 31, 2011
****
Example #4: Lee Dorsey Four Corners Part II.wmv
TraxFour, Uploaded on Oct 30, 2011
Amazing Lee Dorsey track. Part II used to get played on the mod scene back in the mid 90s. Backed by none other than the Meters! (As per Record Collector article)
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
Latest Revision - December 10, 2020
This is Part I of a two part pancocojams series on the four corners & funky four corners dances & other performance art movements.
Part I provides information about and four examples of "Four Corners" & "Funky Four Corners" records.
Part II features videos of four corners and funky four corners dances and fraternity routines.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/04/four-corners-funky-four-corners-dances.html for Part II of this series.
The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all the artists who are featured in this post, and thanks to all those whose comments are included in this post. Thanks also to the publishers of these examples on YouTube.
****
THE MEANING OF "FOUR CORNERS" AND "FUNKY FOUR CORNERS"
The "four corners" and "funky four corners" are late 1960s African American originated individual Rhythm & Blues/Hip Hop dances & African American originated line dances.
"The funky four corners" is also the name of footwork, hopping (steppin) routines that are performed by the historically Black Greek lettered fraternity Omega Psi Phi, Inc.
In addition, "the four corners" also appears to be a dance movement that is performed by South Africans to at least one Gospel song: Solly Mahlangu - "Siyabonga Jesu" ("Wa Hamba Nathi").
There are also [American] country dances called "the four corners".
This pancocojams post focuses on the African American versions of this dance.
The word "funky" in "funky four corners" is an adjective that suggests that the music, dance, or other movement so named has more funk than any music, dance, or other movement that is merely titled "four corners". When something is "funky", the music, dance, and/or movements are thought to be performed with more enthusiasm and "hype". (Note that the word "hype" comes from the word "hyperactive".) This means that its rhythm, energy, and flavor is "pumped up" (increased). The word "funky" in the words "funky four corners" may also suggest that the music, dance, and/or other movements are more "sensual" or "sexual" than those found in a "four corners" song or chant.
****
INFORMATION ABOUT VARIOUS "FOUR CORNERS" & THE "FUNKY FOUR CORNERS" RECORDS
Excerpt #1
From http://funky16corners.wordpress.com/2009/06/28/funky16corners-radio-v-71-getting-the-corners/
..."Things get started (of course) with the Highlighters Band and the original (though not an original 45…I wish*) and ‘The Funky 16 Corners’. This is nothing if not a virtuoso performance by the band, led by vocalist James Bell, who having decided to double down (and then again) on the corners, absolutely tear up the joint...
Oddly enough, of all the funk/soul dances namechecked in the records of the day, the execution of ‘The Four Corners’ (and all exponential variations herein) wasn’t all that mysterious, being a fairly simple hip-thrust to the points of the compass, multiplied when deemed necessary by the man on the record. In addition to the records included in this mix (and some I’m sure I have yet to hear) that use a ‘corners’ dance in the title, there are scores of others that drop the name of (usually) ‘The Four Corners’ in the standard listing of the popular dances of the day, a list that almost always included the Boogaloo, Philly Dog, Camel Walk, Boston (or other regional) Monkey on and on ad infinitum.”...
Written and produced by Allen Toussaint, and rumored to feature none other than James Black on the drums (how about those breaks?) ‘Four Corners’ is one of the great New Orleans funk 45s. I mean, in addition to all those drums, you get to hear Lee testify with the “SHAKE-A MAKE-A BREAK-A HULA” and the “FOUR CORNERS BABY!”. It bears mentioning that ‘Four Corners’ is one of a couple of 45s in this mix that owe a serious debt to Archie Bell and the Drells’ ‘Tighten Up’. Whether this has to do with that particular record being especially suited to doing the “four corners”, I cannot say for sure...
****
Excerpt #2
From http://chancellorofsoul.com/jerryo.html
"Jerry-O kept the Boogaloo trend with ‘Funky Boogaloo’ b/w 'Push Push' (No 40 R&B Feb 3, 1968) and ‘Dance What Cha Wanna' b/w Afro Twist Time' (spring 1968). Meanwhile during the summer of 1968, a new hip swirl dance emerged from the black community called’ the four corners'. 'Funky Four Corners' b/w 'Soul Lover' released on both on Boo-Ga-Loo and White Whale Records, capitalized on the popular dance, making it a regional hit at block parties and social gatherings."
****
Excerpt #3
From http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20061102171201AAnovMN [This link is no longer active.]
"FUNKY FOUR CORNERS:
...The hip hits the four direction in a funky way...
****
Update: January 14, 2020
Excerpt #4
Here's a comment from the discussion thread of the New Orleans, Louisiana Funk Band The Meters' record "Cissy Strut": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_iC0MyIykM
Theresa P., 2016
"I remember at the record hops when I was a teenager, when this song was played, we did the "cissy strut" or the 4 corners dance. : )"
****
SHOWCASE EXAMPLES
Example #1: The Highlighters Band - The Funky 16 Corners
.
incrediblecHiller, Uploaded on Dec 9, 2007
-snip-
This instructional dance song includes the following lyrics:
"Funky 16 - That’s funky four to the left, funky four to the right, funky four to the back, and funky four to the front.
****
Example #2: Funky Four Corners by Jerry O
Lovelanemusic, Uploaded on Jul 7, 2010
1968 Jerry O featuring The Funk Brothers
****
Example #3: Lee Dorsey - Four Corners Part 1 (Amy US)
OldiesButGoodiesRec,·Uploaded on Aug 31, 2011
****
Example #4: Lee Dorsey Four Corners Part II.wmv
TraxFour, Uploaded on Oct 30, 2011
Amazing Lee Dorsey track. Part II used to get played on the mod scene back in the mid 90s. Backed by none other than the Meters! (As per Record Collector article)
****
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Visitor comments are welcome.
Early Sources & Versions Of The Song "Turkey In The Straw"
turkey in the straw (first version 1942)
bloodboiler666, Uploaded on Oct 26, 2007
old time folk music
-snip-
Pancocojams Editor's Note: This actually isn't the first version of "Turkey In The Straw".
Read information about this song that is presented below.
****
Latest update- April 23, 2025
This is Part II of a two part pancocojams series on the song "Old Zip Coon" and the song "Turkey In The Straw". Both of these songs use the same tune.
This post provides information about early sources of the song "Turkey In The Straw". This post also include lyrics & videos of versions of the song "Turkey In The Straw".
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/04/two-versions-of-song-old-zip-coon-sound.html for Part I of this post. That 2013 post showcases the United States Old time music song "Old Zip Coon".
The content of this post is presented for folkloric, historical, and cultural purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to the unknown composers of this song and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and all those who are featured in these showcased videos.
****
INFORMATION ABOUT & EARLY LYRICS FOR THE SONG "TURKEY IN THE STRAW"
"Turkey In The Straw" is a very well known American fiddle tune (instrumental). "Turkey In The Straw" used to be a dance song for people of all ages. However, it now is mostly considered to be a children's song.
"Turkey In The Straw"'s lyrics can be rightly considered to be "nonsense" verses. While the tune for "Turkey In The Straw" is the same as that used by a song which originally had racist lyrics, it appears that the early & the later lyrics for "TurkeyIn The Straw" weren't and aren't racist.
Like other songs of that era, it's difficult to determine how much of the early versions of "Turkey In The Straw" originated with African Americans or with White Americans. However, it's clear from documentation that early versions of "Turkey In The Straw" contain floating verses that are found in a number of songs that were sung by (Southern) Black Americans.
Here's a lengthy quote about "Turkey In The Straw" from http://www.contemplator.com/america/turkeyis.html
"Turkey In the Straw was one of the earliest American minstrel songs. It was a fiddle tune named Natchez Under the Hill befoe [sic] it was published with words in 1834 as Old Zip Coon. It was very popular during Andrew Jackson's presidency.
The first verse of Old Zip Coon is:
There once was a man with a double chin
Who performed with skill on the violin,
And he played in time and he played in tune,
But he wouldn't play anything but Old Zip Coon.
According to Linscott, the tune is derived from the ballad My Grandmother Lived on Yonder Little Green which in turn derived from the Irish ballad The Old Rose Tree
[LYRICS]
As I was a-gwine down the road,
With a tired team and a heavy load,
I crack'd my whip and the leader sprung,
I says day-day to the wagon tongue.
Turkey in the straw, turkey in the hay,
Roll 'em up and twist 'em up a high tuckahaw
And twist 'em up a tune called Turkey in the Straw.
[The words in italics are henceforth given "Chorus"]
Went out to milk, and I didn't know how,
I milked the goat instead of the cow.
A monkey sittin' on a pile of straw,
A-winkin' at his mother-in-law.
Chorus
Met Mr. Catfish comin' down stream.
Says Mr. Catfish, "What does you mean?"
Caught Mr. Catfish by the snout,
And turned Mr. Catfish wrong side out.
Chorus
Came to a river and I couldn't get across,
Paid five dollars for a blind old hoss;
Wouldn't go ahead, nor he wouldn't stand still,
So he went up and down like an old saw mill.
Chorus
As I came down the new cut road,
Met Mr. Bullfrog, met Miss Toad
And every time Miss Toad would sing,
Old Bullfrog cut a pigeon wing.
Chorus
Oh I jumped in the seat and I gave a little yell
The horses ran away, broke the wagon all to hell
Sugar in the gourd and honey in the horn
Chorus
-snip-
Click http://www.gutenberg.org/files/27195/27195-h/27195-h.htm for song examples from Thomas W. Talley's 1922 collection Negro Folk Rhymes: Wise & Otherwise [henceforth referred to as "Talley: Negro Folk Rhymes"] that refer to going down a new cut road, "went to a river" etc, "milking a goat instead of a cow" etc, and dancing the pigeon wing.
****
ADDITIONAL EARLY SOURCES FOR SOME VERSIONS OF "TURKEY IN THE STRAW"
From http://www.bluegrassmessengers.com/turkey-in-the-straw--version-9-old-zip-coon.aspx
"Turkey in the Straw/Old Zip Coon/Natchez Under the Hill/Old Bog Hole
Bluegrass and old-time song and breakdown. Very widely known
ARTIST: by either? George Washington Dixon, George Nichols, or Bob Farrell- Old Zip Coon (1834) CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes
DATE: 1834 (Five publications) as “Old Zip Coon;” Fuld reports the title "Turkey in de Straw" appeared in 1861; Earliest recording c. 1901 Silas Leachman;
RECORDING INFO “Old Zip Coon”: Arkansas Charlie [pseud. for Charlie Craver], "Old Zip Coon (Vocalion 5384, c. 1930); Hindermyer & Tuckerman [Goldy & Dusty], "Zip Coon" (Edison 51830, 1926)...
SOURCES “Turkey in the Straw”: Ceolas; Digital Tradition; Folk Index; Traditional Ballad Index; Randolph 274, "Turkey in the Straw" (2 texts plus a fragment, 1 tune); Randolph/Cohen, pp. 234-237, "Turkey in the Straw" (1 text, 1 tune -- Randolph's 274A); BrownIII 94, "Turkey in the Straw" (1 fragment); also 511, "The Preacher Song" (1 text, a complex mix of verses from "Turkey in the Stray" and "Some Folks Say that a Preacher Won't Steal" with the "Uncle Eph" chorus)"...
-snip-
My focus is on the songs "Some Folks Say that a Preacher Won't Steal" with the "Uncle Eph [Got A Coon & Gone].
Click http://www.fresnostate.edu/folklore/ballads/Br3423.html for information about & some lyrics of the song "Some Folks Say that a Preacher Won't Steal". Warning: What is now known as the n word is fully spelled out on that page.
A version of that song is also found in "Talley: Negro Folk Rhymes" under the name "They Steal Gossip". There’s an ongoing debate as to whether the word “preacher” was a substitution for the "n word" or vice versa.
Click http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=9197#1003259 for information about "Uncle Eph Got A Coon And Gone". That link is just one of the comments on that discussion thread about that song. Warning: What is now known as the n word is fully spelled out in that discussion thread.
The word "coon" in this song rerfers to "racoon". That said, it should be remembered that "coon" also was a 19th century referent for Black people that was used by some Black Americans & some White Americans, particularly in the South.
A YouTube video of "Uncle Eph Got A Coon And Gone" can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Acle20uGn1E
Floating verses found in "Uncle Eph Got A Coon" are also found in "Old Dan Tucker", "Possum Up A Gum Stump", "Liza Jane", "Shake Them 'Simmons" and a parody of Golden Slippers also have contributed. [from cited Mudcat link posted by Q, 2003]
****
ADDITIONAL FEATURED VIDEOS & SOUND FILES OF "TURKEY IN THE STRAW"
Example #1:- RARE 1945 FOOTAGE! Callahan Brothers - TURKEY IN THE STRAW
OldTimeMusic, Feb 23, 2009
Callahan Brothers perform Turkey In the Straw in the 1945
Jimmy Wakely western "Springtime in Texas".
****
Example #2 - Merry Singers-Turkey In The Straw
KiddieRecordKrazy, Uploaded on Mar 26, 2010
Old MacDonald Had a Farm
Merry Records
****
Example #3: The Skillet Lickers-Turkey In The Straw
BBYMRLCCOTN, Uploaded on Feb 3, 2010
The Skillet Lickers-Turkey In The Straw
****
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Visitor comments are welcome.
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Two Versions Of The Song "Old Zip Coon" (sound file & lyrics)
Edited by Azizi Powell
Revised February 6, 2018
This is Part I of a two part series on the song "Old Zip Coon" and the song "Turkey In The Straw". Both of these songs use the same tune.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/04/early-sources-versions-of-song-turkey.html for the post on the song "Turkey In The Straw".
The content of this post is presented for folkloric, historical, and cultural purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2011/10/deconstructing-caricature-of-zip-coon.html for a post about Zip Coon character & characterization.
****
INFORMATION ABOUT THE SONGS OLD ZIP COON
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkey_in_the_Straw
" 'Turkey in the Straw' is a well-known American folk song dating from the early 19th century.
The song's tune was first popularized in the late 1820s and early 1830s by blackface performers, notably George Washington Dixon,[1] Bob Farrell[1] and George Nichols.[citation needed] Another song, "Zip Coon", was sung to the same tune. This version was first published between 1829 and 1834 in either New York or Baltimore. All of the above performers claimed to have written the song, and the dispute is not resolved. Ohio songwriter Daniel Decatur Emmett is sometimes erroneously credited as the song's author.[2]"...
-snip-
Other online articles that I've read indicate that "Old Zip Coon" was composed before "Turkey In The Straw". Read, for example, the quotes about these songs that are found on the Mudcat folk music forum, found below.
****
INFORMATION & LYRICS
ZIP COON (OLD ZIP COON) Version #1
(Example #1)
http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=7876 as posted by rich r. Date: 04 Dec 98 - 10:34 PM
"'Zip Coon' which was popular in the 1830's was one of the earliest pieces of music used extensively by black-face singers before the advent of the minstrel shows. The Zip Coon character was an urban dandy, the complete opposite of the Jim Crow character who was depicted as rural. The unofficial garb for Zip Coon included a blue long-tailed jacket, a frilly lacey front shirt, watch fob and jewelry. At least 3 different performers claimed to have written the song. George Washington Dixon who is mentioned on the cover of sheet music published by J.L. Hewitt & Co. sometime between 1830 and 1835 ( a reprint of this sheet music can be found in: Popular Songs of Nineteenth-Century America by Richard Jackson, Dover Publications 1976). George Nichols who was an early blackface clown in circuses. Bob Farrell, who was actually known as "Zip Coon", and is known to have performed it in New York in 1834. Below are the lyrics as contained in the sheet music. MOst of the odd spellings are in the original and I will try not to add too many new ones.
ZIP COON
[1834]
1. O ole Zip Coon he is a larned skoler
O ole Zip Coon he is a larned skoler
O ole Zip Coon he is a larned skoler
Sings possum up a gum tree an coony in a holler
Possum up a gum tree, coony on a stump
Possum up a gum tree, coony on a stump
Possum up a gum tree, coony on a stump
Den over dubble trubble, Zip Coon will jump.
CHORUS: O zip a duden duden duden zip a duden day.
O zip a duden duden duden duden duden day.
O zip a duden duden duden duden duden day.
O zip a duden duden duden zip a duden day.
2. O its old Suky blue skin, she is in lub wid me,
I went the udder arter noon to take a dish ob tea;
What do you tink now, Suky hab for supper,
Why chicken foot an possum heel, widout any butter.
3. Did you eber see the wild goose, sailing on de ocean,
O de wild goose motion is a bery pretty notion;
Ebry time de wild goose, beckens to de swaller,
You hear him google google google google goller.
4. I tell you what will happin den, now bery soon,
De Nited States Bank will be blone to de moon;
Dare General Jackson, will him lampoon,
An de bery nex President, will be Zip Coon.
5. An wen Zip Coon our President shall be,
He make all de little Coons sing posum up a tree;
O how de little Coons, will dance an sing,
Wen he tie dare tails togedder, cross de lim dey swing.
6. Now mind wat you arter, you tarnel kritter Crocket,
You shant go head widout old Zip, he is de boy to block it,
Zip shall be President, Crocket shall be vice,
An den dey two togedder, will hab de tings nice.
7. I hab many tings to tork about, but don't know wich come first,
So here de toast to old Zip Coon, before he gin to rust;
May he hab de pretty girls, like de King ob ole,
To sing dis song so many times, fore he turn to mole. "
-snip-
Pancocojams Editor's Notes [added 2/6/2018]
"Possum Up A Gum Tree" is a plantation dance song. The second line to that song is "Coony in de hollar"
"Cooney In The Holler" = means raccoon in the holler. "A holler is a valley that is between two hills and it represents a "hollowed out space." http://www.topix.com/forum/city/pikeville-ky/T8QQGR2S57BHNUPUH as posted by Granny, Stanton, KY, 2009
Click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iAZ2wIfFp8 for a video of a fiddle performance of the 1830s song "Possum Up A Gum Stump". "Cooney in the holler" is the second line in the song "Possum Up A Gum Stump".
Like other songs of that era, it's difficult to determine how much of "Possum In A Gum Stump" originated with African Americans or White Americans. However, it's clear from documentation that "Possum Up A Gum Stump" and other songs like it were known by both Black Americans & White Americans. Furthermore, "Possum Up A Gum Stump" is now considered to be 19th century (Southern) Black American secular song.
**
"Coons" is a derogatory referent for Black people". There appear to be two main theories about the reason why "coon" was -and, to a much lesser degree) still is- used as an almost always derogatory referent for Black people.
1. a clip of the word raccoon", perhaps because of that animal's wily nature, or perhaps because of that animal's facial appearance
one online source: https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-origin-of-the-slur-%E2%80%9Ccoon%E2%80%9D-once-commonly-applied-to-African-Americans
2. a clip of the word "baraccoon" meaning cages where enslaved Africans were held while they were waiting to be sent to America
one online source: https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-origin-of-the-slur-%E2%80%9Ccoon%E2%80%9D-once-commonly-applied-to-African-Americans
**
"Den over dubble trubble, Zip coon will jump." - Versions of the song "Juba" also refer to "jumping over double trouble" (double trouble= a lot of trouble, or severe difficulties). To "jump over double trouble means to be flexible in the face of trouble.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2011/10/pattin-juba-hambone-and-bo-diddley-beat.html for the pancocojams post entitled "Pattin Juba, Hambone, And The Bo Diddley Beat
**
The chorus "O Zip a duden duden duden zip a duden day" is the source of the much later song "Zip A Dee Do Da".
**
"Suky" is a once widely used nickname for the female name "Susan" which was used by Black people and by White people in the United States. The nickname "Snookie" is probably another form of "Sukie". Neither of these nicknames are used in the United States anymore.
**
"Blue skin" means skin so blue that it is black. It's probably significant that this woman who is depicted as being "country" is described as being dark skinned. As such, that description is an example of colorism (prejudice among People of Color for those of their race or ethnicity who are darker -or less often- lighter).
**
"Natty" in the line "Ole Zip Coon he is a natty scholar" (Example #2) may mean "fancy" or "stylish" [as in Bob Marley's song "[as in Reggae song "Natty Dread"]. In this version of "Ole Zip Coon", the singer may be making fun of a Black man "acting like he's a scholar.
****
OLD ZIP COON (Example #2)
(3x) O ole Zip Coon he is a larned skoler,
Sings posum up a gum tree an conny in a holler.
(3x) Posum up a gum tree, coonny on a stump,
Den over dubble trubble, Zip coon will jump.
Chorus:
O Zip a duden duden duden zip a duden day.
O Zip a duden duden duden duden duden day.
O Zip a duden duden duden zip a duden day.
Zip a duden duden duden zip a duden day.
O ist old Suky blue skin, she is in lub wid me
I went the udder arter noon to take a dish ob tea;
What do you tink now, Suky hab for supper,
Why chicken foot an posum heel, widout any butter.
Chorus:
Did you eber see the wild goose, sailing on de ocean,
O de wild goose motion is a berry pretty notion;
Ebry time de wild goose, beckens to de swaller,
You hear him google google google google gollar.
Chorus:
I went down to Sandy Hollar t other arternoon
And the first man I chanced to meet war ole Zip Coon;
Ole Zip Coon he is a natty scholar,
For he plays upon de Banjo “Cooney in de hollar”.
Chorus:
My old Missus she’s mad wid me,
Kase I would’nt go wid her into Tennessee
Massa build him barn and put in de fodder
Twas dis ting and dat ting one ting or odder.
Chorus:
I pose you heard ob de battle New Orleans,
Whar ole Gineral Jackson gib de British beans;
Dare de Yankee boys do de job so slick, creek.
For dey cotch old Packenham an rowed him up de first.
Chorus:
-snip-
Source - Library of Congress American Memory Collection; quoted in http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=7876 by Jim Dixon, Date: 02 Jan 04 - 01:30 PM
****
LYRICS - OLD ZIP COON (Version #2)
There once was a man with a double chin,
Who played with skill on a violin:
And he played in time and he played in tune,
But he never played anything but 'Old Zip Coon'.
'Old Zip Coon' he played all day,
Until he drove his friends away;
He played all night by the light of the moon
And wouldn't play anything but 'Old Zip Coon'.
So the neighbours said "Will you kindly play
'Nellie Bly' or 'Where are the Flowers in May'?"
Any tune will do if its not that tune,"
But he wouldn't play anything but 'Old Zip Coon'.
'Old Zip Coon' he played all night,
Until the owls and bats took flight;
His friends all begged for a different tune,
But he wouldn't play anything but 'Old Zip Coon'.
So they took that man with the double chin,
All his worldly goods and the violin.
And they shipped him off to a foreign shore
Where the natives had never heard the tune before.
'Old Zip Coon' he played all day:
He played until the natives ran away:
He played and played by the light of the moon
Till they wished they had never heard of 'Old Zip Coon'.
They have left him there by the deep blue sea,
Where he lives alone in a hollow tree;
And he played that tune and it never ends,
So it isn't surprising that he has no friends.
'Old Zip Coon' he plays all day,
There's no one left to run away;
And still he thinks it's a beautiful tune,
And that is the history of 'Old Zip Coon'.
Source- Singing Together, Autumn 1960, BBC Publications
(quoted from http://www.joe-offer.com/folkinfo/songs/547.html)
-snip-
This version is also found on http://www.joe-offer.com/folkinfo/songs/547.html where it is credited to
"Singing Together, Autumn 1960, BBC Publications".
That publication's notes indicated that this is an "Old American Tune; Words by David Stevens".
Notice that that version of "Old Zip Coon" is cleaned of its Black Southern dialect and contains no references to Black people. This version is sung in the sound file given below.
****
Official Boy Scout Record - Old Zip Coon - Sung by the Old Time Scout (Al Bernard) - 1924
victrolamanUploaded on Dec 12, 2011
In 1924 The American Record Company of Framingham, Massachusetts pressed this "Official Boy Scout Record", which contained two selections taken from the Boy Scout Song book. The label design shows two Scouts in Uniform, both standing on a rocky knoll, one is using the signal flags and the other is peering throw his binoculars. The selection on this video is side B "Old Zip Coon" identified on the record only as an "Old Time Scout", but easily identified by his voice as early recording artist Al Bernard. These records were pressed by Cameo in 1924, presumably for use by Boy Scout troupes and their members, and they were played around the campfires during the evenings for entertainments and sing-a-longs.
Comment from the video uploader: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jx8vi4trDIo [hereafter given as "Old Zip Coon video comments"
"According to one comment below, this was still being sung, and included in the Boy Scout Song Book as late as the early 60's. These are the modern day lyrics and do not include any race related verbiage. The only race related reference is to the Title of the song, which the fellow kept singing over and over again. The melody and title date to the early 1830's, and the intention of the posting was to show, a little known part of Boy Scout History, (The Record and a typical scout campfire Song.).
-victrolaman, January 2013
****
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS ABOUT THESE EXAMPLES
Comment About Example #1:
The title "Old Zip Coon" was undoubtedly chosen to make fun of Black people. To quote a commenter in the featured video's viewer comment thread: "First performed by George Dixon in 1834, Zip Coon made a mockery of free blacks. An arrogant, ostentatious figure, he dressed in high style and spoke in a series of malaprops and puns that undermined his attempts to appear dignified."
- victrolaman, January, 2013
"Old Zip Coon video comments"
**
Pancocojams Editor's Comments:
Although some of the verses of this version aren't obviously racist, the intent of this version of "Old Zip Coon" with its blackface performance and its use of Black Southern dialect is a clear intent to make fun of & otherwise put down Black people.
Unlike the words in the other verses which aren't obstensible racist except for the word "coon", the lyrics to Verses #4 & #5 of Example #1 are clearly racist. Those verses ironically refer to what was considered to be a ludicrous occurance that the President of the United States would be Black. And Verse #5 could be read to mean that Black children have tails instead of possums having tails that would be tied together. Some people have also indicated that this verse is a wink at lynching (Old "Old Zip Coon video comments, favoom1, 2012)
In my opinion, Verse #2 in Example #1 also includes a put down of "country" Black folks (Black people who either live in the country or have kept their "country" [rural] ways. Notice, for example, the implication that the country dishes of "chicken foot an posum heel, widout any butter" that the dark skinned woman (Suky* blue skin**) prepares for supper is something that is beneath the culinary tastes of the singer. In my opinion, that verse is one of many such verses & songs of the 19th and early 20th century & later which reflect classism, in this context meaning having a preference for city living & city folks rather than country living & country folks. For example, click this page of my cultural blog http://www.cocojams.com/content/african-american-secular-slave-songs[hereafter given as Cocojams: Secular Slave Songs] to read "Aunt Jemima" from Thomas W. Talley's 1922 collection Negro Folk Rhymes, Wise & Otherwise.
Note: This verse is also found in the version of this song that is given as Example #2 of this post.
**
Note: "My old Missus she’s mad wid me/Kase I would’nt go wid her into Tennessee" - This line reflects the reluctance of enslaved Black people to live in the deep South where conditions were worse for Black people and where it was more difficult to escape slavery. Of course, unlike the implication of this verse, it wasn't a matter of choice whether a slave would move down South with his or her master & mistress or not.
****
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks to those whose comments & transcriptions I quoted. Thanks also to the publisher of this sound file on YouTube.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
Revised February 6, 2018
This is Part I of a two part series on the song "Old Zip Coon" and the song "Turkey In The Straw". Both of these songs use the same tune.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/04/early-sources-versions-of-song-turkey.html for the post on the song "Turkey In The Straw".
The content of this post is presented for folkloric, historical, and cultural purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2011/10/deconstructing-caricature-of-zip-coon.html for a post about Zip Coon character & characterization.
****
INFORMATION ABOUT THE SONGS OLD ZIP COON
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkey_in_the_Straw
" 'Turkey in the Straw' is a well-known American folk song dating from the early 19th century.
The song's tune was first popularized in the late 1820s and early 1830s by blackface performers, notably George Washington Dixon,[1] Bob Farrell[1] and George Nichols.[citation needed] Another song, "Zip Coon", was sung to the same tune. This version was first published between 1829 and 1834 in either New York or Baltimore. All of the above performers claimed to have written the song, and the dispute is not resolved. Ohio songwriter Daniel Decatur Emmett is sometimes erroneously credited as the song's author.[2]"...
-snip-
Other online articles that I've read indicate that "Old Zip Coon" was composed before "Turkey In The Straw". Read, for example, the quotes about these songs that are found on the Mudcat folk music forum, found below.
****
INFORMATION & LYRICS
ZIP COON (OLD ZIP COON) Version #1
(Example #1)
http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=7876 as posted by rich r. Date: 04 Dec 98 - 10:34 PM
"'Zip Coon' which was popular in the 1830's was one of the earliest pieces of music used extensively by black-face singers before the advent of the minstrel shows. The Zip Coon character was an urban dandy, the complete opposite of the Jim Crow character who was depicted as rural. The unofficial garb for Zip Coon included a blue long-tailed jacket, a frilly lacey front shirt, watch fob and jewelry. At least 3 different performers claimed to have written the song. George Washington Dixon who is mentioned on the cover of sheet music published by J.L. Hewitt & Co. sometime between 1830 and 1835 ( a reprint of this sheet music can be found in: Popular Songs of Nineteenth-Century America by Richard Jackson, Dover Publications 1976). George Nichols who was an early blackface clown in circuses. Bob Farrell, who was actually known as "Zip Coon", and is known to have performed it in New York in 1834. Below are the lyrics as contained in the sheet music. MOst of the odd spellings are in the original and I will try not to add too many new ones.
ZIP COON
[1834]
1. O ole Zip Coon he is a larned skoler
O ole Zip Coon he is a larned skoler
O ole Zip Coon he is a larned skoler
Sings possum up a gum tree an coony in a holler
Possum up a gum tree, coony on a stump
Possum up a gum tree, coony on a stump
Possum up a gum tree, coony on a stump
Den over dubble trubble, Zip Coon will jump.
CHORUS: O zip a duden duden duden zip a duden day.
O zip a duden duden duden duden duden day.
O zip a duden duden duden duden duden day.
O zip a duden duden duden zip a duden day.
2. O its old Suky blue skin, she is in lub wid me,
I went the udder arter noon to take a dish ob tea;
What do you tink now, Suky hab for supper,
Why chicken foot an possum heel, widout any butter.
3. Did you eber see the wild goose, sailing on de ocean,
O de wild goose motion is a bery pretty notion;
Ebry time de wild goose, beckens to de swaller,
You hear him google google google google goller.
4. I tell you what will happin den, now bery soon,
De Nited States Bank will be blone to de moon;
Dare General Jackson, will him lampoon,
An de bery nex President, will be Zip Coon.
5. An wen Zip Coon our President shall be,
He make all de little Coons sing posum up a tree;
O how de little Coons, will dance an sing,
Wen he tie dare tails togedder, cross de lim dey swing.
6. Now mind wat you arter, you tarnel kritter Crocket,
You shant go head widout old Zip, he is de boy to block it,
Zip shall be President, Crocket shall be vice,
An den dey two togedder, will hab de tings nice.
7. I hab many tings to tork about, but don't know wich come first,
So here de toast to old Zip Coon, before he gin to rust;
May he hab de pretty girls, like de King ob ole,
To sing dis song so many times, fore he turn to mole. "
-snip-
Pancocojams Editor's Notes [added 2/6/2018]
"Possum Up A Gum Tree" is a plantation dance song. The second line to that song is "Coony in de hollar"
"Cooney In The Holler" = means raccoon in the holler. "A holler is a valley that is between two hills and it represents a "hollowed out space." http://www.topix.com/forum/city/pikeville-ky/T8QQGR2S57BHNUPUH as posted by Granny, Stanton, KY, 2009
Click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iAZ2wIfFp8 for a video of a fiddle performance of the 1830s song "Possum Up A Gum Stump". "Cooney in the holler" is the second line in the song "Possum Up A Gum Stump".
Like other songs of that era, it's difficult to determine how much of "Possum In A Gum Stump" originated with African Americans or White Americans. However, it's clear from documentation that "Possum Up A Gum Stump" and other songs like it were known by both Black Americans & White Americans. Furthermore, "Possum Up A Gum Stump" is now considered to be 19th century (Southern) Black American secular song.
**
"Coons" is a derogatory referent for Black people". There appear to be two main theories about the reason why "coon" was -and, to a much lesser degree) still is- used as an almost always derogatory referent for Black people.
1. a clip of the word raccoon", perhaps because of that animal's wily nature, or perhaps because of that animal's facial appearance
one online source: https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-origin-of-the-slur-%E2%80%9Ccoon%E2%80%9D-once-commonly-applied-to-African-Americans
2. a clip of the word "baraccoon" meaning cages where enslaved Africans were held while they were waiting to be sent to America
one online source: https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-origin-of-the-slur-%E2%80%9Ccoon%E2%80%9D-once-commonly-applied-to-African-Americans
**
"Den over dubble trubble, Zip coon will jump." - Versions of the song "Juba" also refer to "jumping over double trouble" (double trouble= a lot of trouble, or severe difficulties). To "jump over double trouble means to be flexible in the face of trouble.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2011/10/pattin-juba-hambone-and-bo-diddley-beat.html for the pancocojams post entitled "Pattin Juba, Hambone, And The Bo Diddley Beat
**
The chorus "O Zip a duden duden duden zip a duden day" is the source of the much later song "Zip A Dee Do Da".
**
"Suky" is a once widely used nickname for the female name "Susan" which was used by Black people and by White people in the United States. The nickname "Snookie" is probably another form of "Sukie". Neither of these nicknames are used in the United States anymore.
**
"Blue skin" means skin so blue that it is black. It's probably significant that this woman who is depicted as being "country" is described as being dark skinned. As such, that description is an example of colorism (prejudice among People of Color for those of their race or ethnicity who are darker -or less often- lighter).
**
"Natty" in the line "Ole Zip Coon he is a natty scholar" (Example #2) may mean "fancy" or "stylish" [as in Bob Marley's song "[as in Reggae song "Natty Dread"]. In this version of "Ole Zip Coon", the singer may be making fun of a Black man "acting like he's a scholar.
****
OLD ZIP COON (Example #2)
(3x) O ole Zip Coon he is a larned skoler,
Sings posum up a gum tree an conny in a holler.
(3x) Posum up a gum tree, coonny on a stump,
Den over dubble trubble, Zip coon will jump.
Chorus:
O Zip a duden duden duden zip a duden day.
O Zip a duden duden duden duden duden day.
O Zip a duden duden duden zip a duden day.
Zip a duden duden duden zip a duden day.
O ist old Suky blue skin, she is in lub wid me
I went the udder arter noon to take a dish ob tea;
What do you tink now, Suky hab for supper,
Why chicken foot an posum heel, widout any butter.
Chorus:
Did you eber see the wild goose, sailing on de ocean,
O de wild goose motion is a berry pretty notion;
Ebry time de wild goose, beckens to de swaller,
You hear him google google google google gollar.
Chorus:
I went down to Sandy Hollar t other arternoon
And the first man I chanced to meet war ole Zip Coon;
Ole Zip Coon he is a natty scholar,
For he plays upon de Banjo “Cooney in de hollar”.
Chorus:
My old Missus she’s mad wid me,
Kase I would’nt go wid her into Tennessee
Massa build him barn and put in de fodder
Twas dis ting and dat ting one ting or odder.
Chorus:
I pose you heard ob de battle New Orleans,
Whar ole Gineral Jackson gib de British beans;
Dare de Yankee boys do de job so slick, creek.
For dey cotch old Packenham an rowed him up de first.
Chorus:
-snip-
Source - Library of Congress American Memory Collection; quoted in http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=7876 by Jim Dixon, Date: 02 Jan 04 - 01:30 PM
****
LYRICS - OLD ZIP COON (Version #2)
There once was a man with a double chin,
Who played with skill on a violin:
And he played in time and he played in tune,
But he never played anything but 'Old Zip Coon'.
'Old Zip Coon' he played all day,
Until he drove his friends away;
He played all night by the light of the moon
And wouldn't play anything but 'Old Zip Coon'.
So the neighbours said "Will you kindly play
'Nellie Bly' or 'Where are the Flowers in May'?"
Any tune will do if its not that tune,"
But he wouldn't play anything but 'Old Zip Coon'.
'Old Zip Coon' he played all night,
Until the owls and bats took flight;
His friends all begged for a different tune,
But he wouldn't play anything but 'Old Zip Coon'.
So they took that man with the double chin,
All his worldly goods and the violin.
And they shipped him off to a foreign shore
Where the natives had never heard the tune before.
'Old Zip Coon' he played all day:
He played until the natives ran away:
He played and played by the light of the moon
Till they wished they had never heard of 'Old Zip Coon'.
They have left him there by the deep blue sea,
Where he lives alone in a hollow tree;
And he played that tune and it never ends,
So it isn't surprising that he has no friends.
'Old Zip Coon' he plays all day,
There's no one left to run away;
And still he thinks it's a beautiful tune,
And that is the history of 'Old Zip Coon'.
Source- Singing Together, Autumn 1960, BBC Publications
(quoted from http://www.joe-offer.com/folkinfo/songs/547.html)
-snip-
This version is also found on http://www.joe-offer.com/folkinfo/songs/547.html where it is credited to
"Singing Together, Autumn 1960, BBC Publications".
That publication's notes indicated that this is an "Old American Tune; Words by David Stevens".
Notice that that version of "Old Zip Coon" is cleaned of its Black Southern dialect and contains no references to Black people. This version is sung in the sound file given below.
****
Official Boy Scout Record - Old Zip Coon - Sung by the Old Time Scout (Al Bernard) - 1924
victrolamanUploaded on Dec 12, 2011
In 1924 The American Record Company of Framingham, Massachusetts pressed this "Official Boy Scout Record", which contained two selections taken from the Boy Scout Song book. The label design shows two Scouts in Uniform, both standing on a rocky knoll, one is using the signal flags and the other is peering throw his binoculars. The selection on this video is side B "Old Zip Coon" identified on the record only as an "Old Time Scout", but easily identified by his voice as early recording artist Al Bernard. These records were pressed by Cameo in 1924, presumably for use by Boy Scout troupes and their members, and they were played around the campfires during the evenings for entertainments and sing-a-longs.
Comment from the video uploader: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jx8vi4trDIo [hereafter given as "Old Zip Coon video comments"
"According to one comment below, this was still being sung, and included in the Boy Scout Song Book as late as the early 60's. These are the modern day lyrics and do not include any race related verbiage. The only race related reference is to the Title of the song, which the fellow kept singing over and over again. The melody and title date to the early 1830's, and the intention of the posting was to show, a little known part of Boy Scout History, (The Record and a typical scout campfire Song.).
-victrolaman, January 2013
****
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS ABOUT THESE EXAMPLES
Comment About Example #1:
The title "Old Zip Coon" was undoubtedly chosen to make fun of Black people. To quote a commenter in the featured video's viewer comment thread: "First performed by George Dixon in 1834, Zip Coon made a mockery of free blacks. An arrogant, ostentatious figure, he dressed in high style and spoke in a series of malaprops and puns that undermined his attempts to appear dignified."
- victrolaman, January, 2013
"Old Zip Coon video comments"
**
Pancocojams Editor's Comments:
Although some of the verses of this version aren't obviously racist, the intent of this version of "Old Zip Coon" with its blackface performance and its use of Black Southern dialect is a clear intent to make fun of & otherwise put down Black people.
Unlike the words in the other verses which aren't obstensible racist except for the word "coon", the lyrics to Verses #4 & #5 of Example #1 are clearly racist. Those verses ironically refer to what was considered to be a ludicrous occurance that the President of the United States would be Black. And Verse #5 could be read to mean that Black children have tails instead of possums having tails that would be tied together. Some people have also indicated that this verse is a wink at lynching (Old "Old Zip Coon video comments, favoom1, 2012)
In my opinion, Verse #2 in Example #1 also includes a put down of "country" Black folks (Black people who either live in the country or have kept their "country" [rural] ways. Notice, for example, the implication that the country dishes of "chicken foot an posum heel, widout any butter" that the dark skinned woman (Suky* blue skin**) prepares for supper is something that is beneath the culinary tastes of the singer. In my opinion, that verse is one of many such verses & songs of the 19th and early 20th century & later which reflect classism, in this context meaning having a preference for city living & city folks rather than country living & country folks. For example, click this page of my cultural blog http://www.cocojams.com/content/african-american-secular-slave-songs[hereafter given as Cocojams: Secular Slave Songs] to read "Aunt Jemima" from Thomas W. Talley's 1922 collection Negro Folk Rhymes, Wise & Otherwise.
Note: This verse is also found in the version of this song that is given as Example #2 of this post.
**
Note: "My old Missus she’s mad wid me/Kase I would’nt go wid her into Tennessee" - This line reflects the reluctance of enslaved Black people to live in the deep South where conditions were worse for Black people and where it was more difficult to escape slavery. Of course, unlike the implication of this verse, it wasn't a matter of choice whether a slave would move down South with his or her master & mistress or not.
****
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks to those whose comments & transcriptions I quoted. Thanks also to the publisher of this sound file on YouTube.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Chicago Steppin' Songs (Sound Files & Videos)
Edited by Azizi Powell
This is Part II of a two part pancocojams series on Chicago steppin'.
Part II showcases nine records that are played for Chicago stepping.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/04/chicago-stepping-information-videos.html for Part I.
Part I provides information about Chicago stepping and showcases nine videos of that dance form.
The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
-snip-
"Chicago Steppin" isn't the same as the movement art form known as "steppin'" that is most closely associated with historically Black Greek letter fraternities and sororities.
****
FEATURED VIDEOS
(These sound files & videos are presented in chronological order based on the date of their YouTube posting, with the oldest dated examples posted first.)
Example #1: Steppin to a love song By Michael Cooper
claireyfairey1, Uploaded on Aug 2, 2009
From the album 'Are We Cool'
****
Example #2: R. Kelly - Step In The Name Of Love
RKellyVEVO,Uploaded on Oct 24, 2009
Music video by R. Kelly performing Step In The Name Of Love. (C) 2003 Zomba Recording LLC
****
Example #3: R. Kelly - Happy People
RKellyVEVO, Uploaded on Oct 25, 2009
Music video by R. Kelly performing Happy People. (C) 2004 Zomba Recording LL
****
Example #4: Didn't We- Gerald Levert
Amysorel 12, Uploaded on Jan 12, 2011
****
Example #5: MC - Da Producers - Step it up
Michel Kacie, Uploaded on Sep 4, 2011
****
Example #6: Chicago Steppin Music
Kenneth Hartfield Published on May 4, 2012
Malachi Blowin my mind
****
Example #7: STEPPERS - MARVIN JUNIOR - LET'S STEP THE NIGHT AWAY.wmv
djwilma Published on Jun 11, 2012
****
Example #8: Ultimate Stepper's CD ~ Feel Like Steppin
MrOleSkool1, Published on Oct 15, 2012
Chicago Style Steppin!!!!
****
Example #9: To The Left,To The Right-Carlos Cannon
Dustyologist II, Published on Dec 23, 2012
From The 2010 CD "Steppin' Up The Game"
****
RELATED LINK
Here's a 2008 list of favorite R&B songs that are played for Chicago Stepping:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090515213147AAeOlkf "Best R & B steppin songs?"
****
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks the featured vocalists and thanks to the producers of these videos and to their YouTube publishers.
This is Part II of a two part pancocojams series on Chicago steppin'.
Part II showcases nine records that are played for Chicago stepping.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/04/chicago-stepping-information-videos.html for Part I.
Part I provides information about Chicago stepping and showcases nine videos of that dance form.
The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
-snip-
"Chicago Steppin" isn't the same as the movement art form known as "steppin'" that is most closely associated with historically Black Greek letter fraternities and sororities.
****
FEATURED VIDEOS
(These sound files & videos are presented in chronological order based on the date of their YouTube posting, with the oldest dated examples posted first.)
Example #1: Steppin to a love song By Michael Cooper
claireyfairey1, Uploaded on Aug 2, 2009
From the album 'Are We Cool'
****
Example #2: R. Kelly - Step In The Name Of Love
RKellyVEVO,Uploaded on Oct 24, 2009
Music video by R. Kelly performing Step In The Name Of Love. (C) 2003 Zomba Recording LLC
****
Example #3: R. Kelly - Happy People
RKellyVEVO, Uploaded on Oct 25, 2009
Music video by R. Kelly performing Happy People. (C) 2004 Zomba Recording LL
****
Example #4: Didn't We- Gerald Levert
Amysorel 12, Uploaded on Jan 12, 2011
****
Example #5: MC - Da Producers - Step it up
Michel Kacie, Uploaded on Sep 4, 2011
****
Example #6: Chicago Steppin Music
Kenneth Hartfield Published on May 4, 2012
Malachi Blowin my mind
****
Example #7: STEPPERS - MARVIN JUNIOR - LET'S STEP THE NIGHT AWAY.wmv
djwilma Published on Jun 11, 2012
****
Example #8: Ultimate Stepper's CD ~ Feel Like Steppin
MrOleSkool1, Published on Oct 15, 2012
Chicago Style Steppin!!!!
****
Example #9: To The Left,To The Right-Carlos Cannon
Dustyologist II, Published on Dec 23, 2012
From The 2010 CD "Steppin' Up The Game"
****
RELATED LINK
Here's a 2008 list of favorite R&B songs that are played for Chicago Stepping:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090515213147AAeOlkf "Best R & B steppin songs?"
****
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks the featured vocalists and thanks to the producers of these videos and to their YouTube publishers.
Chicago Stepping Dances (Information & Dance Videos)
Edited by Azizi Powell
This is Part I of a two part pancocojams series on Chicago stepping.
This post provides information about Chicago stepping and showcases nine videos of those dances.
Part II features nine songs that are played for Chicago stepping. Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/04/chicago-stepping-songs-sound-files.html for Part II.
The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners
-snip-
"Chicago Steppin" isn't the same as the movement art form known as "steppin'" that is most closely associated with historically Black Greek letter fraternities and sororities.
****
INFORMATION ABOUT CHICAGO STEPPING
From http://thesteadysteppers.com/index.php/about-us/faqs
"What is Stepping?
Stepping is an urban, partnered dance art form that is indigenous to Chicago, Illinois. Steppin’ should not be confused with fraternity and sorority Greek stepping which is very popular on college and university campuses throughout the country.
What are some of the teaching methods of stepping?
For instructional purposes, counting methods (generally 6-count or 8-count) are used to teach synchronized movements during which times partners clasp hands and face each other. Steppin’ is done to smooth sounds of Jazz, Soul, Funk, R&B, or Rap music."...
-snip-
From http://www.rockcityuniquesteppers.com/id13.html
"A Brief History of Steppin'
Steppin' originated in the 1930's as the Jitterbug. By the 1960's it was known as the Bop, which evolved into a unique style of its own called Steppin' – in the city of Chicago. Steppin' developed a phenomenal era of its own; it is not just a dance but the addictive aura of music, smooth moves, stylish dress (reminiscent of the 1920s) and the mood of a by-gone era. Steppin’ is truly a hypnotic work of art and captivates people of all ages and ethnic groups. As the saying goes: “Steppin' is a way of life.”
The suave rhythm of this dance which incorporates gliding, striding and dipping your partner during the 1950's and 1960's eras, to the popular music of young groups – such as the Temptations and other R&B artists – filtrated the African-American community across the United States. From the fashionable clubs (Peps in Philadelphia, Savoy in Chicago, and now at JT's Bourbon St. in Rockford, IL etc.) to the juke joints (speakeasys), Steppin’ – in the guise of the Jitterbug and the Bop – took root and found acceptance in both Black and White communities.
After the fall of the popular Disco era, the Bop was rejuvenated and became known as Steppin'. The emergence of Steppin’ contests and Steppin' Balls became popular, along with music seemingly reserved for Steppin’. Steppin' swept the nation as a dance that not only depended upon smooth moves and creativity but high fashion (chic dress by both the male and female steppers) to complete its ambiance. Steppin' is as much a part of the African-American community's culture and history as is its music from the early days of Jazz, and Rhythm ‘n Blues up to the current style of Soul and Rap music."...
****
FEATURED VIDEOS
(These videos are presented in chronological order based on the date of their YouTube posting, with the oldest dated videos posted first.)
Example #1: SHAKEDOWN/Stepper video
Quicksilver Cooley, Uploaded on Sep 26, 2006
Steve Butler and DJ Soulfather Cooley bring to you the Shakedown line with some of the windy city steppers. produced by Steve Butler video directed & edited by DJ Soulfather Cooley...
****
Example #2: * Expanded * How to Step - Chicago Style
Uploaded on Mar 27, 2007
www.Steppers.tv -Presented by the Stepper's Network(R)- Fundamentals of Chicago Style Stepping: Basic steps, half turn, full turn are demonstrated.
-snip-
Here's a guestion and its response from this video's viewer comment thread:
"do the women and the men start off with the left foot? With the Kansas City 2 step the men start off with the left and the women with their right foot."
-TheRed1955, 2010
Reply:
"what you say about about the KC 2-step is the "normal" dance convention of mirrored partner dances. The only dance I have done that does not follow it is Argentine tango and Chicago-style stepping. Stepping in Chicago is generally taught Left for follower & right for leader. But, if you dance the way it is shown it will not make a difference! I learned a mirrored stepping originally using conventional starting foot. But, somehow it changed in Chicago. Why???"
-bbstepper, 2010
****
Example #3: Chicago Style Steppin Atlanta (Steppin Music)
Kenneth Hartfield, Uploaded on Jul 7, 2009
4th of July at Mishons mid-day set. Chicago Steppin around Atlanta [Georgia]...
-snip-
Here's a comment from this video's viewer comment thread:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoixrxFWh3U
"Haters are everywhere. Some folks forget that the world doesn't revolve around them. Different strokes for different folks I say. I like all styles of steppin' (walking, the creativity of freestyle, old school, new school and the smoothe stuff depicted in this video) but it is the smoothe style that says, "for this dance you are mine and I love the way 'you' make me feel", that this video represents (the likes of Ron Brown & Victor James) that I choose to focus on"
-MrPapasam21, 2012
****
Example #4: Chicago's V103 STEPPERS CONTEST, "To The Left, To The Right" performed by Carlos Cannon
Carlos Cannon, Uploaded on Apr 7, 2010
Chicago's Hottest Steppers' contest celebrating Carlos Cannon smash hit single, "To The Left,To The Right." From the,"Steppin' Up The Game," album...
****
Example #5: The Real Chicago Steppers
La Tanya Morris, Uploaded on May 27, 2010
****
Example #6: Original Steppers Competition From Chicago's Largest 2010
StepperDJ, Uploaded on Apr 13, 2011
This is video I shot from the 2010 Chicago's Largest Steppers Contest held at the Burbank Manor. Steppers battled it out on the dance floor in the original category. The audience judged the contest and some people got paid for their efforts. Visit SteppersUSA.Com for steppers events listings, Classes & workshops and more.
-snip-
In response to the question which couple won, a commenter wrote “Ty and Celeste”.
****
Example #7: StepChi Steppin in Chicago presents end of night fun VIP Prod. Set 06/11/11
Hadiyah Al-Sudan, Uploaded on Jun 12, 2011
Steppin Chicago Stepping
****
Example #8: Steppers: Winning Performances Cadillac Presents 21st Annual Steppers Contest
.
sixbrownchicks, Uploaded on Sep 18, 2011
Cadillac presented the 21st Annual World's Largest Steppers Contest recently in Tinley Park, Illinois. This year's winners were judged in several categories, including routines and creativity. Special thanks to Yanni Brown, and organizers Pete Frazier, Terrance Pratt and Andre Blackwell.
****
Example #9: Victor James & Nicola Thomas Steppin Again
tmac53088, Published on Dec 23, 2012
This fun video was recorded for entertainment purposes only. Thanks for the love you've shown us with the video "My Love Is True". Here's one more video created just for you...enjoy!
****
RELATED LINK
Click this page of my cultural blog for videos of fraternity & sorority steppin': http://cocojams.com/content/fraternity-sorority-step-stroll-related-videos
****
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks to the featured dancers. Thanks also to the producers of these videos and to their YouTube publishers.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
This is Part I of a two part pancocojams series on Chicago stepping.
This post provides information about Chicago stepping and showcases nine videos of those dances.
Part II features nine songs that are played for Chicago stepping. Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/04/chicago-stepping-songs-sound-files.html for Part II.
The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners
-snip-
"Chicago Steppin" isn't the same as the movement art form known as "steppin'" that is most closely associated with historically Black Greek letter fraternities and sororities.
****
INFORMATION ABOUT CHICAGO STEPPING
From http://thesteadysteppers.com/index.php/about-us/faqs
"What is Stepping?
Stepping is an urban, partnered dance art form that is indigenous to Chicago, Illinois. Steppin’ should not be confused with fraternity and sorority Greek stepping which is very popular on college and university campuses throughout the country.
What are some of the teaching methods of stepping?
For instructional purposes, counting methods (generally 6-count or 8-count) are used to teach synchronized movements during which times partners clasp hands and face each other. Steppin’ is done to smooth sounds of Jazz, Soul, Funk, R&B, or Rap music."...
-snip-
From http://www.rockcityuniquesteppers.com/id13.html
"A Brief History of Steppin'
Steppin' originated in the 1930's as the Jitterbug. By the 1960's it was known as the Bop, which evolved into a unique style of its own called Steppin' – in the city of Chicago. Steppin' developed a phenomenal era of its own; it is not just a dance but the addictive aura of music, smooth moves, stylish dress (reminiscent of the 1920s) and the mood of a by-gone era. Steppin’ is truly a hypnotic work of art and captivates people of all ages and ethnic groups. As the saying goes: “Steppin' is a way of life.”
The suave rhythm of this dance which incorporates gliding, striding and dipping your partner during the 1950's and 1960's eras, to the popular music of young groups – such as the Temptations and other R&B artists – filtrated the African-American community across the United States. From the fashionable clubs (Peps in Philadelphia, Savoy in Chicago, and now at JT's Bourbon St. in Rockford, IL etc.) to the juke joints (speakeasys), Steppin’ – in the guise of the Jitterbug and the Bop – took root and found acceptance in both Black and White communities.
After the fall of the popular Disco era, the Bop was rejuvenated and became known as Steppin'. The emergence of Steppin’ contests and Steppin' Balls became popular, along with music seemingly reserved for Steppin’. Steppin' swept the nation as a dance that not only depended upon smooth moves and creativity but high fashion (chic dress by both the male and female steppers) to complete its ambiance. Steppin' is as much a part of the African-American community's culture and history as is its music from the early days of Jazz, and Rhythm ‘n Blues up to the current style of Soul and Rap music."...
****
FEATURED VIDEOS
(These videos are presented in chronological order based on the date of their YouTube posting, with the oldest dated videos posted first.)
Example #1: SHAKEDOWN/Stepper video
Quicksilver Cooley, Uploaded on Sep 26, 2006
Steve Butler and DJ Soulfather Cooley bring to you the Shakedown line with some of the windy city steppers. produced by Steve Butler video directed & edited by DJ Soulfather Cooley...
****
Example #2: * Expanded * How to Step - Chicago Style
Uploaded on Mar 27, 2007
www.Steppers.tv -Presented by the Stepper's Network(R)- Fundamentals of Chicago Style Stepping: Basic steps, half turn, full turn are demonstrated.
-snip-
Here's a guestion and its response from this video's viewer comment thread:
"do the women and the men start off with the left foot? With the Kansas City 2 step the men start off with the left and the women with their right foot."
-TheRed1955, 2010
Reply:
"what you say about about the KC 2-step is the "normal" dance convention of mirrored partner dances. The only dance I have done that does not follow it is Argentine tango and Chicago-style stepping. Stepping in Chicago is generally taught Left for follower & right for leader. But, if you dance the way it is shown it will not make a difference! I learned a mirrored stepping originally using conventional starting foot. But, somehow it changed in Chicago. Why???"
-bbstepper, 2010
****
Example #3: Chicago Style Steppin Atlanta (Steppin Music)
Kenneth Hartfield, Uploaded on Jul 7, 2009
4th of July at Mishons mid-day set. Chicago Steppin around Atlanta [Georgia]...
-snip-
Here's a comment from this video's viewer comment thread:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoixrxFWh3U
"Haters are everywhere. Some folks forget that the world doesn't revolve around them. Different strokes for different folks I say. I like all styles of steppin' (walking, the creativity of freestyle, old school, new school and the smoothe stuff depicted in this video) but it is the smoothe style that says, "for this dance you are mine and I love the way 'you' make me feel", that this video represents (the likes of Ron Brown & Victor James) that I choose to focus on"
-MrPapasam21, 2012
****
Example #4: Chicago's V103 STEPPERS CONTEST, "To The Left, To The Right" performed by Carlos Cannon
Carlos Cannon, Uploaded on Apr 7, 2010
Chicago's Hottest Steppers' contest celebrating Carlos Cannon smash hit single, "To The Left,To The Right." From the,"Steppin' Up The Game," album...
****
Example #5: The Real Chicago Steppers
La Tanya Morris, Uploaded on May 27, 2010
****
Example #6: Original Steppers Competition From Chicago's Largest 2010
StepperDJ, Uploaded on Apr 13, 2011
This is video I shot from the 2010 Chicago's Largest Steppers Contest held at the Burbank Manor. Steppers battled it out on the dance floor in the original category. The audience judged the contest and some people got paid for their efforts. Visit SteppersUSA.Com for steppers events listings, Classes & workshops and more.
-snip-
In response to the question which couple won, a commenter wrote “Ty and Celeste”.
****
Example #7: StepChi Steppin in Chicago presents end of night fun VIP Prod. Set 06/11/11
Hadiyah Al-Sudan, Uploaded on Jun 12, 2011
Steppin Chicago Stepping
****
Example #8: Steppers: Winning Performances Cadillac Presents 21st Annual Steppers Contest
.
sixbrownchicks, Uploaded on Sep 18, 2011
Cadillac presented the 21st Annual World's Largest Steppers Contest recently in Tinley Park, Illinois. This year's winners were judged in several categories, including routines and creativity. Special thanks to Yanni Brown, and organizers Pete Frazier, Terrance Pratt and Andre Blackwell.
****
Example #9: Victor James & Nicola Thomas Steppin Again
tmac53088, Published on Dec 23, 2012
This fun video was recorded for entertainment purposes only. Thanks for the love you've shown us with the video "My Love Is True". Here's one more video created just for you...enjoy!
****
RELATED LINK
Click this page of my cultural blog for videos of fraternity & sorority steppin': http://cocojams.com/content/fraternity-sorority-step-stroll-related-videos
****
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks to the featured dancers. Thanks also to the producers of these videos and to their YouTube publishers.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Ugandan Children Singing "Welcome Visitors" (with lyrics)
Edited by Azizi Powell
This post presents a video of Ugandan children singing a delightful English language welcome song. The lyrics of that song are also included in this post.
The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
****
SHOWCASE VIDEO - 'Welcome Visitors' song | Iganga | Uganda | Africa
Send a Cow, Uploaded on Jan 9, 2012
A group of pupils in Iganga, Uganda, sing a song to welcome visitors. It would be fun to welcome parents or visitors at your school with this song and video it. If you do this, please send us a video link to education@sendacow.org.uk and we'll send it to this school.
****
SONG LYRICS - WELCOME VISITORS*
Lead singer - I’m so excited at the top of the mountain. **
I feel joy down in my heart.
That’s why I’m singing and dancing.
You are welcome.
We love you, visitors.***
You are welcome.****
We love you, visitors.
Lead & Group:
Oh, I’m so excited at the top of the mountain. **
I feel joy down in my heart.
That’s why I’m singing and dancing.
You are welcome.
We love you, visitors.
You are welcome.
We love you, visitors.
[Repeat the entire verse without the word "Oh"]
Lead Singer - My name is ___ [singer gives his or her first name or nickname]
I feel joy [continue the verse as given above].
[Group & lead sing together]
I’m so excited [continue the verse as given above one time]
[Repeat this verse with a new lead singer who says his or her first name. Continue this pattern with new lead singers. End the song with the group and lead singing the verse together as given above. 2x]
-snip-
Transcription by Azizi Powell from this video. Additions and corrections are welcome.
*I'm not sure if this is the song's title or not.
**Thanks, Steve K for your suggestion about the word "visitor" for the last word in this line. That makes a lot of sense. I was unsure of this word, and thought that it might be "mister" which wouldn't be correct English if there were male visitors and female visitors.
***Comment revised May 1, 2016 - Previously I wrote that adding the English word "at" would result in this sentence making more sense in English. However, it occurs to me that "I'm so excited the top of the mountain" may mean that "My excitement is as high as the top of the mountain".
**** The sentence "You are welcome" is used two ways in English: 1. to let a person know that you are glad that he or she has come to visit and 2. as a response to the sentence "Thank you". Therefore, it may be better to add the word "here" to the end of "You are welcome" in this song as a way of making the meaning of those words clearer.
An alternative version of those lines in that song is:
We love you, welcome.
You are welcome here.
We love you, welcome.
-snip-
One more suggestion is to change the word "down" in "down in my heart" to the word "deep". I make that suggestion because "deep in my heart" is the more commonly found usage in American English. However, "down in my heart" may be common in other types of English, and it's meaning is clear either way.
I think it would be great if this English language song was translated into Swahili or another traditional language spoken in Uganda, East Africa. Hopefully, someone will do that and post those words in that video's YouTube viewer comment thread or here.
For instance, according to the Google translate feature "we love you" is "tunakupenda". I think that word is pronounced "too-nah-koo-PEN-dah). Also, according to the Google translate feature the word "welcome" is "kuwakaribisha". I think that word is pronounced "koo-wah-kah-re-BE-shah".
****
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks to all those children who are featured in this video. My thanks also to the composer of this song, the children's instructors, the producer & YouTube publisher of this video.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
This post presents a video of Ugandan children singing a delightful English language welcome song. The lyrics of that song are also included in this post.
The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
****
SHOWCASE VIDEO - 'Welcome Visitors' song | Iganga | Uganda | Africa
Send a Cow, Uploaded on Jan 9, 2012
A group of pupils in Iganga, Uganda, sing a song to welcome visitors. It would be fun to welcome parents or visitors at your school with this song and video it. If you do this, please send us a video link to education@sendacow.org.uk and we'll send it to this school.
****
SONG LYRICS - WELCOME VISITORS*
Lead singer - I’m so excited at the top of the mountain. **
I feel joy down in my heart.
That’s why I’m singing and dancing.
You are welcome.
We love you, visitors.***
You are welcome.****
We love you, visitors.
Lead & Group:
Oh, I’m so excited at the top of the mountain. **
I feel joy down in my heart.
That’s why I’m singing and dancing.
You are welcome.
We love you, visitors.
You are welcome.
We love you, visitors.
[Repeat the entire verse without the word "Oh"]
Lead Singer - My name is ___ [singer gives his or her first name or nickname]
I feel joy [continue the verse as given above].
[Group & lead sing together]
I’m so excited [continue the verse as given above one time]
[Repeat this verse with a new lead singer who says his or her first name. Continue this pattern with new lead singers. End the song with the group and lead singing the verse together as given above. 2x]
-snip-
Transcription by Azizi Powell from this video. Additions and corrections are welcome.
*I'm not sure if this is the song's title or not.
**Thanks, Steve K for your suggestion about the word "visitor" for the last word in this line. That makes a lot of sense. I was unsure of this word, and thought that it might be "mister" which wouldn't be correct English if there were male visitors and female visitors.
***Comment revised May 1, 2016 - Previously I wrote that adding the English word "at" would result in this sentence making more sense in English. However, it occurs to me that "I'm so excited the top of the mountain" may mean that "My excitement is as high as the top of the mountain".
**** The sentence "You are welcome" is used two ways in English: 1. to let a person know that you are glad that he or she has come to visit and 2. as a response to the sentence "Thank you". Therefore, it may be better to add the word "here" to the end of "You are welcome" in this song as a way of making the meaning of those words clearer.
An alternative version of those lines in that song is:
We love you, welcome.
You are welcome here.
We love you, welcome.
-snip-
One more suggestion is to change the word "down" in "down in my heart" to the word "deep". I make that suggestion because "deep in my heart" is the more commonly found usage in American English. However, "down in my heart" may be common in other types of English, and it's meaning is clear either way.
I think it would be great if this English language song was translated into Swahili or another traditional language spoken in Uganda, East Africa. Hopefully, someone will do that and post those words in that video's YouTube viewer comment thread or here.
For instance, according to the Google translate feature "we love you" is "tunakupenda". I think that word is pronounced "too-nah-koo-PEN-dah). Also, according to the Google translate feature the word "welcome" is "kuwakaribisha". I think that word is pronounced "koo-wah-kah-re-BE-shah".
****
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks to all those children who are featured in this video. My thanks also to the composer of this song, the children's instructors, the producer & YouTube publisher of this video.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
Monday, April 22, 2013
Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. Be Owt Videos
Edited by Azizi Powell
This is Part II of a two part pancocojams series on the African American orginated expression "be owt".
Part II showcases YouTube videos of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. footwork (steppin). Members of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. (also known as Omegas, Ques) coined the expression "be owt" in the early 1990s if not before then.
Part I of this post provides definitions of the expression "be owt". Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-real-meanings-of-phrase-be-owt.html for that post.
The content of this post is presented for folkloric, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
****
FEATURED VIDEOS
(These videos are presented in chronological order based on the date of their YouTube posting, with the oldest dated videos posted first.)
Example #1:
Be owt with the bruhs in the cafe
addoque1911, Uploaded on Nov 16, 2009
-snip-
"Bruhs" is a contemporary spelled clip of the word "brothers". However, when used by members of historically Black Greek lettered organizations, that referent means a member of one or all of those fraternities.
****
Example #2: Ques Hopping at The Be Owt (Centennial Conclave Cookowt)
bec131, Uploaded on Jul 31, 2011
Ques Centennial Cookowt!
****
Example #3: 100 ways to be owt
DeShaun Jackson, Uploaded on Feb 19, 2012
Phi Psi chapter
-snip-
At the conclusion of the video, the man who is identifiably a Que (because of his t-shirt & shoulder brands) says "See, I told you I was owt.“ "Owt" here means "outstanding", "bad" (with "bad" here meaning very good.)
****
Example #4: Omega Psi Phi - 78th Grand Conclave - The "Be Owt" Edition
MNQues, Published on May 14, 2012
Graduate, undergraduate, young, or seasoned the 78th Grand Conclave of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. is for all those looking to have a good time. Ask anyone, there is no party, like a "Que Party." And this "conclave" is a national gathering of the Brothers of Que Psi Phi.
****
Example #5: Foot Action Que settin it owt at the 2012 Conclave in Minneapolis
Leon Spencer, Published on Jul 11, 2012
Funky bruhz bien owt
Here's a comment from that video's viewer comment thread http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87-ZxSKh4fM
msphd2014, 2012
"Be OWT then frat."
-snip-
"Foot work" is a referent for the unique way that members of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity step [do steppin routines]. That form of steppin is noted for its hopping. I'm not sure when "foot work" or "footwork" was first used as a referent for how Ques step. However, I don't recall it being used in the mid to late 1960s when I was an undergraduate who pledged Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and "hung with" Ques.
**
Funky bruhz bien owt - "translated" to standard American English (except for the slang word "funky") = Funky brother being out.
This entire statement, including the word "funky" is highly complimentary. This is the second meaning for "being owt". In standard American English, that phrase means "doing something-in this case doing footwork- very well." The first meaning of "being owt" is being at a fraternity [Omega Psi Phi Fratrnity] event or otherwise "hanging with" that fraternity.
"Be Owt, frat" - a "frat" is the same thing as "Brutha", in this case that means a fellow Que.
An old school way of saying the complimentary meaning of "Be Owt!" is "Go'n (Go on) with ya bad self."
****
RELATED LINKS
Click http://www.blackgreek.com/divinenine/for a listing of the "Divine Nine". "The term "Divine Nine" comes from the fact that there are nine historically Black fraternities and sororities that are members of the National Panhellenic Council.
I prefer to use the phrase "Black Greek lettered" fraternities and sororities. However, "Black Greek letter" is the more commonly found usage.
**
Click this post on my zumalayah blog for a form of South African dance that reminds me of how the Ques step (do footwork):
http://zumalayah.blogspot.com/2013/04/indlamu-dance-that-ladysmith-black.html Indlamu - The Dance That Ladysmith Black Mambazo Does
**
Click this page of my cultural website for examples of fraternity and sorority chants: http://cocojams.com/content/fraternity-and-sorority-chants
**
Click this page of my cultural website for examples of steppin and stoll videos http://cocojams.com/content/fraternity-sorority-step-stroll-related-videos
****
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks to all those who are featured in this post. My thanks also to the producers of these videos and the video's publishers on YouTube.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
This is Part II of a two part pancocojams series on the African American orginated expression "be owt".
Part II showcases YouTube videos of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. footwork (steppin). Members of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. (also known as Omegas, Ques) coined the expression "be owt" in the early 1990s if not before then.
Part I of this post provides definitions of the expression "be owt". Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-real-meanings-of-phrase-be-owt.html for that post.
The content of this post is presented for folkloric, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
****
FEATURED VIDEOS
(These videos are presented in chronological order based on the date of their YouTube posting, with the oldest dated videos posted first.)
Example #1:
Be owt with the bruhs in the cafe
addoque1911, Uploaded on Nov 16, 2009
-snip-
"Bruhs" is a contemporary spelled clip of the word "brothers". However, when used by members of historically Black Greek lettered organizations, that referent means a member of one or all of those fraternities.
****
Example #2: Ques Hopping at The Be Owt (Centennial Conclave Cookowt)
bec131, Uploaded on Jul 31, 2011
Ques Centennial Cookowt!
****
Example #3: 100 ways to be owt
DeShaun Jackson, Uploaded on Feb 19, 2012
Phi Psi chapter
-snip-
At the conclusion of the video, the man who is identifiably a Que (because of his t-shirt & shoulder brands) says "See, I told you I was owt.“ "Owt" here means "outstanding", "bad" (with "bad" here meaning very good.)
****
Example #4: Omega Psi Phi - 78th Grand Conclave - The "Be Owt" Edition
MNQues, Published on May 14, 2012
Graduate, undergraduate, young, or seasoned the 78th Grand Conclave of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. is for all those looking to have a good time. Ask anyone, there is no party, like a "Que Party." And this "conclave" is a national gathering of the Brothers of Que Psi Phi.
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Example #5: Foot Action Que settin it owt at the 2012 Conclave in Minneapolis
Leon Spencer, Published on Jul 11, 2012
Funky bruhz bien owt
Here's a comment from that video's viewer comment thread http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87-ZxSKh4fM
msphd2014, 2012
"Be OWT then frat."
-snip-
"Foot work" is a referent for the unique way that members of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity step [do steppin routines]. That form of steppin is noted for its hopping. I'm not sure when "foot work" or "footwork" was first used as a referent for how Ques step. However, I don't recall it being used in the mid to late 1960s when I was an undergraduate who pledged Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and "hung with" Ques.
**
Funky bruhz bien owt - "translated" to standard American English (except for the slang word "funky") = Funky brother being out.
This entire statement, including the word "funky" is highly complimentary. This is the second meaning for "being owt". In standard American English, that phrase means "doing something-in this case doing footwork- very well." The first meaning of "being owt" is being at a fraternity [Omega Psi Phi Fratrnity] event or otherwise "hanging with" that fraternity.
"Be Owt, frat" - a "frat" is the same thing as "Brutha", in this case that means a fellow Que.
An old school way of saying the complimentary meaning of "Be Owt!" is "Go'n (Go on) with ya bad self."
****
RELATED LINKS
Click http://www.blackgreek.com/divinenine/for a listing of the "Divine Nine". "The term "Divine Nine" comes from the fact that there are nine historically Black fraternities and sororities that are members of the National Panhellenic Council.
I prefer to use the phrase "Black Greek lettered" fraternities and sororities. However, "Black Greek letter" is the more commonly found usage.
**
Click this post on my zumalayah blog for a form of South African dance that reminds me of how the Ques step (do footwork):
http://zumalayah.blogspot.com/2013/04/indlamu-dance-that-ladysmith-black.html Indlamu - The Dance That Ladysmith Black Mambazo Does
**
Click this page of my cultural website for examples of fraternity and sorority chants: http://cocojams.com/content/fraternity-and-sorority-chants
**
Click this page of my cultural website for examples of steppin and stoll videos http://cocojams.com/content/fraternity-sorority-step-stroll-related-videos
****
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks to all those who are featured in this post. My thanks also to the producers of these videos and the video's publishers on YouTube.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
The REAL Meanings Of The Phrase "Be Owt"
Edited by Azizi Powell
This is Part I of a two part series on the African American orginated expression "be owt". Part I of this series provides definitions of and discussions about the phrase "Be Owt". Explanations of other Black Greek Lettered Organization (BGLO) acronyms and terms are also included in this post.
Part II showcases YouTube videos of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. footwork (steppin). Members of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. (also known as "Ques" and as "Omegas") coined the expression "be owt" in the early 1990s if not before then.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/04/omega-psi-phi-fraternity-inc-be-owt.html for Part II of this post.
For the record, I'm an inactive member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc (Gamma Zeta chapter, 1967).
The content of this post is provided as a way of doumenting & sharing information about and examples of African American culture, with particular attention to examples of African American English as used by persons associated with Black Greek lettered organizations (fraternities & sororities). The Addendum to this post provides some information about little sister (auxilary) groups that are unofficially associated with those fraternities.
****
If you're searching on the internet for the real meanings of colloquial expressions, you're likely to come across erroneous information. Take, for example, the expression "Be owt". According to http://www.internetslang.com/OWT-meaning-definition.asp, the word "owt" means "anything". WRONG!!!
The first definition given in the lone entry for "be owt" on http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Be-Owt is closer to one meaning of that expression. Here's that entry with the numbers of site visitors who voted that definition up or down:
"Be-Owt
1.) To be out supporting a certain black greek organization events.
2.) GID, or a person interested in a black greek organization.
3.) After probating, being out for your greek organization.
-Jessyce Apr 19, 2008
-snip-
*In the context of this post, "Greek" means fraternities and sororities whose names are made from three of the letters of the Greek alphabet.
-snip-
Of the examples, that Jessyce gave along with that entry, only the 3rd example is an appropriate usage of the phrase "be owt".
1.) I think Sean is a Be-owt for Omega.
2.) Those girls over there are Be-Owts for AKA.
3.) Go ahead Bruh, BE-OWT!!!!
-snip-
There are nine nationally & internationally recognized historically Black Greek lettered organizations (five fraternities and four sororities). A link to information about these "Divine Nine" organizations is found in the Related Links section below.
I've found one video of "be owt" for a sorority-no link given. However, I'm not sure if other fraternities and sororities typically use the exclamation or statement "be owt". My online research indicates that "Be owt" appears to be almost entirely reserved for members of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
[UPDATE: September 18, 2018. Since I published this post, I've found examples of "Be owt" used by other historically Black (African American) Greek letter organization (i.e. fraternities and sorority) members besides Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. That said, I still believe that this saying came from Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. Is this true?] end of UPDATE.
For what it's worth, I've never seen the acronym "GID" related to a fraternity or sorority, and I've no idea what it means, if anything.
My daughter, a Que Pearl* from Western Pennsylvania, has a video of a 1993 step show that was held at Slippery Rock University which is located near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I previously watched that step show and watched it today for the purpose of verifying my memories of it. As I recalled, the exclamation "Be owt" [or "Be out"] is clearly heard several times during the Que step team performance. That exlamation was shouted by one very pumped [meaning very enthusiastic] Que while he watched a Que step routine being performed during a step show. That Que shouted "Be owt, dogs!" ("Dogs" is the Omega Psi Phi "mascot" and a complimentary referent for Ques.)
Of course, since those words were spoken, and I therefore don't know how they were spelled. I wouldn't be surprised if "owt" was first spelled the standard English way, but was later changed to "owt" to distinquish it from that adverb.
*Some information about little sister groups is provided in the Addendum to this post which is found below.
Like other colloquial expressions, "be owt" has more than one meaning depending on the context of its use. It's highly likely that "be owt" came from the earlier slang phrase "be out", "owt" being an updated, cool way of spelling "out" although the two words are pronounced basically the same. Here's a 2002 urban dictionary entry for "be out" http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=be%20out
50 up, 9 down
1. To leave a location.
2. To quickly depart from a location.
"I gotta be out holmes, I'll check you later."
by El-Keter Jul 24, 2002
-snip-
However, it's important to recognize that "be owt" as used by African Americans usually doesn't mean the same thing as the meanings given for "be out". Instead, one meaning of "be owt" is to "hang out" [to spend some time at a specific location or event; to be present at a social event.] "To hang out" [attend a step show or other fraternity function] is probably the earliest source for the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity originated phrase. However, there's also another, apparently common meaning for "Be owt".
The second meaning for "Be owt" is "to do something very well" "Be owt!" is usually shouted as an exclamation in recognition that a fraternity brother is steppin hard [doing footwork very well] or doing something else very well. My guess is that the phrase "go all out" was the source of this meaning for "Be owt", but the word "owt" ["out"] could have also been a clip of the word "outstanding", although I think it's just fortuitous happenchance that the phrase "be owt" has the same meaning as the "outstanding".
Note: There's no history of "Be outstanding" having been a colloquial African American expression, but there is a history and present occurances of "to go all out" being a colloquial African American expression. "To go all out" when doing something means the same thing as being hard when you do something, that is to put your maximum effort into what your doing so that it is done very well. As part of that sentiment, another expression from at least the early 1990s was "Go hard or go home". That sentiment is also packed into the "Be owt" expression.
That second complimentary or declarative meaning of "Be owt" is given in the sentence "Go ahead Bruh, BE-OWT!!!! which is qiven in the urban dictionary entry that is found above. However, I think that most African Americans who would be shouting such an exclamation would probably say "Go 'head" and not "Go ahead".
Thus, in my opinion, the REAL meanings of "be owt" are
1. to hang out [to be present at a Omega Psi Phi Fraternity event] - probably the earliest meaning
2. a statement that a person is doing something very well [going all out], or an encouragement for the person to do something very well ["be hard", "Go all out"]. "Owt" has the same slang meaning as "bad" with "bad" meaning "very good". When "be owt" is given as an exclamation, it has the same encouraging and complimentary meanings as "Go 'head!", "Do it!", and "Go on, with yah bad self" (with "bad" here meaning "very good".)
ONLINE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE PHRASE "BE OWT"
The earliest online discussion that I've found about the meaning of the expression "be owt" was a Greekchat blog. As background, this three page discussion in 2002 began when someone asked about the meaning of the phrase "be owt". The fact that the meaning of "be owt" wasn't known to that person suggests that this may have been a relatively new expression. However, much of that often heated discussion revolved around the position held by some posters that non-Greeks shouldn't know the meaning of "be owt" as it was an expression that was coined by members of the historically Black Greek lettered organization Omega Psi Phi, Inc. (non-"Greeks" - those who aren't associated with a fraternity or sorority.)
These Greekchat forum entries include several different usages for the expression "be owt". These entries also include other examples of African American English. I'll provide meanings for some of these colloquial terms or expressions after each quote.
http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/showthread.php?t=12725
Quote #1:
Other African American English terms in this comment:
"Old school" - In the context of this discussion, "old school" means a long time member of a sorority or fraternity, an "elder". [Of course, "Long time" might just mean someone who became a member of the organization as short as five years ago.]
An elder - same as above.
A seasoned member" of a BGLO [Black Greek Lettered Organization] means the same thing as old school and elder as given above. A "seasoned member" is in contrast to an “unseasoned” member, meaning a "neo" (from "neophyte"); a new member of the organization.
Bruh - a contemporary spelling of the word "bro" which is a clip of the word "brother". "Bruh" specifically means a member of a fraternity. Another word with thee same meaning is "frat". The comparable term for females is "soror" or "sister" (sometimes shortened to "sis" and sometimes spelled "sista")
dissed - disrespect, insult
Also "whether you are spr. 50, 60 or whatever...." means whether you joined your fraternity or sorority in the spring of 1950, 1960 or whenever.
****
Quote #2
Other African American English terms in this comment:
"Whoo, it's hot up in heah" - the conversation is really heated (argumentative)
"some sorors had your back" - Some members of a particular sorority or members of any other sorority wrote comments that were supportive of you.
"welcome to the sisterhood" - Welcome to that particular sorority or, more generally, welcome to Black Greek lettered sororities in general.
"shoot" [in the context of this comment] - same as "shucks"
"hang hard" - to spend a lot of time with someone of with a group of people
Alphas, Kappas, or Sigmas - members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc, or Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. [also known as "Deltas"]. Deltas are often considered to be an unofficial sister organization of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
****
http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/showthread.php?t=12725&page=2
Editor: The quote in this blockquote is in response to a request for DST1345623, the original poster of this discussion, to identify the chapter and the location of her Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.
Quote #3:
**
Meanings of "owt" in this comment:
be "owt" at the Clave - attend
set you out = show you a good time [in the context of this comment, to make up for questioning you]
"owt bruhs" - outstanding members of Omega Psi Phi fraternity
Also, "Doggystyle"'s tag name [internet name] identifies him as a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. because that fraternity's mascot is a dog.
"DST1345623"'s tag name [internet name] identifies her as a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
"Clave" is a clip of the word "conclave" -a gathering of members of fraternities and sororities, or a specific fraternity and/or sorority.
****
Editor: As per comments #4 & #5 that were posted in 2007, some people continued to hold strong positions that the meaning of the term "be owt" and/or knowledge of its meaning should be reserved for Greeks only. I don't know if that position is still generally held today.
Quote #4: [in response to a question about what "be owt" means]
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Quote #5
Abbreviations used in this comment:
OP = Original Poster [the person who started the discussion]
GC = Greek chat forum
****
ADDENDUM - LITTLE SISTER GROUPS
"Little sister groups" are unauthorized organizations which are made up of females. Little sister groups are associated with a particular historically Black Greek lettered fraternity. The females who pledge a little sister group must at least be in their first year of college or university. The little sister organizations that I'm aware of are "Q Pearls" or "Q Essence" ("Q" may be spelled "Que") for Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.; "Alpha Angels" for Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc, Kappa Sweethearts" or "Kappa Kourts" for Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc, and "Sigma Doves" for Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. have "Sigma Doves", and Iota Sweethearts for Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc.
These little sister auxiliary groups are not authorized as per a rule of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, the governing body of the "Divine Nine" historically Black Greek lettered organizations (BGLOs). Furthermore, little sister groups generally receive very little respect from members of other BGLOs. Indeed, being a member of one of these auxiliary groups may jeapordize a female's ability to join a historically Black Greek lettered sorority. However, some members of little sister organizations have later joined a historically Black Greek lettered sorority.
My daughter pledged Q Pearl in her first year at a university. Later she chose not to join a sorority. Also, she has indicated that her "big brothers" (the Ques who helped pledge her and other Ques she has subsequently met) always treated her and other little sisters she has known with respect.
Although I don't recall there being little sister groups when I attended a college in the mid to late 1960s, I admit that I had/have a fondness for the Ques because at that time when and at the place where I went to college [in New Jersey near New York City] members of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity and the AKAs (members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the sorority which I pledged & "went over" [became a member of] were considered to be brother & sister organizations. I later learned that that association was not the norm. Because of their history, members of Alpha Phi Alpha, Inc and members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Inc are usually considered to be brothers and sisters.
Click http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/showthread.php?t=5868 for a looong discussion about little sister groups. Additional names for the specific auxiliary groups that I have mentioned above are given in that post.
Comment #14 on page #1 of that post, written by a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority (as indicated by her internet name
12dn94dst) wrote on 05-22-2000 that "From reading through these posts and others on this site, I get the feeling that sweethearts and little sisters are viewed in a more positive light in predominantly caucasian GLOs than they are in predominantly BGLOs....I could be wrong though."
-snip-
I found that interesting because my daughter is a Q Pearl and she attended and graduated from a small predominately White university in Western Pennslyvania that had only a small number of Black students, very few of whom were members of a BGLO. As a matter of fact, until her senior year, there was only one Que who attended that university. It may be that females attending those organizations who pledge a little sister group, and those groups might get more respect at a predominately White colleges or universitities, particularly a small predominately White college or university in large part because there are so few Black students at those colleges and universitiesnd and therefore there are far fewer opportunities to join a BGLO as an undergraduate (Note: People can join BGLOs after they graduate from a four year college or university). For that reason, joining a little sister organization may be the only chance some women might have as undergraduates to experience being part of sorority-like organization. For example, my daughter still has her Greek 'nelia [paraphenalia such as her Que Pearl jacket in the same purple and gold colors as Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. And my daughter also experienced steppin at her probate show when she and the 12 other sisters on her "line" were introduced to the general public. However, even at her university, little sisters weren't allowed to perform at other step show. Also, my daughter's Q Pearl paraphenalia such as her jacket only has one Greek letter and not the three Greek letters that sororities have.
****
RELATED LINKS
Click http://www.blackgreek.com/divinenine/for a listing of the "Divine Nine". "The term "Divine Nine" comes from the fact that there are nine historically Black fraternities and sororities that are members of the National Panhellenic Council.
I prefer to use the phrase "Black Greek lettered" fraternities and sororities. However, "Black Greek letter" is the more commonly found usage.
Click this page of my cultural website for examples of fraternity and sorority chants: http://cocojams.com/content/fraternity-and-sorority-chants
Click this page of my cultural website for examples of steppin and stoll videos http://cocojams.com/content/fraternity-sorority-step-stroll-related-videos
****
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks to all those whose comments are featured in this post.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
I'm particularly interested in comments that might shed more light on when the expression "be owt" was first coined. I'm also very interested in the position/s that is/are held by most BGLO [Black Greek lettered organizations] about about whether non-Greeks or members of BGLOs other than Omega Psi Phi should use the expression "be owt". I'm also interested in whether people believe that non-Greeks shouldn't know what "be owt" really means.
This is Part I of a two part series on the African American orginated expression "be owt". Part I of this series provides definitions of and discussions about the phrase "Be Owt". Explanations of other Black Greek Lettered Organization (BGLO) acronyms and terms are also included in this post.
Part II showcases YouTube videos of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. footwork (steppin). Members of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. (also known as "Ques" and as "Omegas") coined the expression "be owt" in the early 1990s if not before then.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/04/omega-psi-phi-fraternity-inc-be-owt.html for Part II of this post.
For the record, I'm an inactive member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc (Gamma Zeta chapter, 1967).
The content of this post is provided as a way of doumenting & sharing information about and examples of African American culture, with particular attention to examples of African American English as used by persons associated with Black Greek lettered organizations (fraternities & sororities). The Addendum to this post provides some information about little sister (auxilary) groups that are unofficially associated with those fraternities.
****
If you're searching on the internet for the real meanings of colloquial expressions, you're likely to come across erroneous information. Take, for example, the expression "Be owt". According to http://www.internetslang.com/OWT-meaning-definition.asp, the word "owt" means "anything". WRONG!!!
The first definition given in the lone entry for "be owt" on http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Be-Owt is closer to one meaning of that expression. Here's that entry with the numbers of site visitors who voted that definition up or down:
"Be-Owt
1.) To be out supporting a certain black greek organization events.
2.) GID, or a person interested in a black greek organization.
3.) After probating, being out for your greek organization.
-Jessyce Apr 19, 2008
-snip-
*In the context of this post, "Greek" means fraternities and sororities whose names are made from three of the letters of the Greek alphabet.
-snip-
Of the examples, that Jessyce gave along with that entry, only the 3rd example is an appropriate usage of the phrase "be owt".
1.) I think Sean is a Be-owt for Omega.
2.) Those girls over there are Be-Owts for AKA.
3.) Go ahead Bruh, BE-OWT!!!!
-snip-
There are nine nationally & internationally recognized historically Black Greek lettered organizations (five fraternities and four sororities). A link to information about these "Divine Nine" organizations is found in the Related Links section below.
I've found one video of "be owt" for a sorority-no link given. However, I'm not sure if other fraternities and sororities typically use the exclamation or statement "be owt". My online research indicates that "Be owt" appears to be almost entirely reserved for members of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
[UPDATE: September 18, 2018. Since I published this post, I've found examples of "Be owt" used by other historically Black (African American) Greek letter organization (i.e. fraternities and sorority) members besides Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. That said, I still believe that this saying came from Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. Is this true?] end of UPDATE.
For what it's worth, I've never seen the acronym "GID" related to a fraternity or sorority, and I've no idea what it means, if anything.
My daughter, a Que Pearl* from Western Pennsylvania, has a video of a 1993 step show that was held at Slippery Rock University which is located near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I previously watched that step show and watched it today for the purpose of verifying my memories of it. As I recalled, the exclamation "Be owt" [or "Be out"] is clearly heard several times during the Que step team performance. That exlamation was shouted by one very pumped [meaning very enthusiastic] Que while he watched a Que step routine being performed during a step show. That Que shouted "Be owt, dogs!" ("Dogs" is the Omega Psi Phi "mascot" and a complimentary referent for Ques.)
Of course, since those words were spoken, and I therefore don't know how they were spelled. I wouldn't be surprised if "owt" was first spelled the standard English way, but was later changed to "owt" to distinquish it from that adverb.
*Some information about little sister groups is provided in the Addendum to this post which is found below.
Like other colloquial expressions, "be owt" has more than one meaning depending on the context of its use. It's highly likely that "be owt" came from the earlier slang phrase "be out", "owt" being an updated, cool way of spelling "out" although the two words are pronounced basically the same. Here's a 2002 urban dictionary entry for "be out" http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=be%20out
50 up, 9 down
1. To leave a location.
2. To quickly depart from a location.
"I gotta be out holmes, I'll check you later."
by El-Keter Jul 24, 2002
-snip-
However, it's important to recognize that "be owt" as used by African Americans usually doesn't mean the same thing as the meanings given for "be out". Instead, one meaning of "be owt" is to "hang out" [to spend some time at a specific location or event; to be present at a social event.] "To hang out" [attend a step show or other fraternity function] is probably the earliest source for the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity originated phrase. However, there's also another, apparently common meaning for "Be owt".
The second meaning for "Be owt" is "to do something very well" "Be owt!" is usually shouted as an exclamation in recognition that a fraternity brother is steppin hard [doing footwork very well] or doing something else very well. My guess is that the phrase "go all out" was the source of this meaning for "Be owt", but the word "owt" ["out"] could have also been a clip of the word "outstanding", although I think it's just fortuitous happenchance that the phrase "be owt" has the same meaning as the "outstanding".
Note: There's no history of "Be outstanding" having been a colloquial African American expression, but there is a history and present occurances of "to go all out" being a colloquial African American expression. "To go all out" when doing something means the same thing as being hard when you do something, that is to put your maximum effort into what your doing so that it is done very well. As part of that sentiment, another expression from at least the early 1990s was "Go hard or go home". That sentiment is also packed into the "Be owt" expression.
That second complimentary or declarative meaning of "Be owt" is given in the sentence "Go ahead Bruh, BE-OWT!!!! which is qiven in the urban dictionary entry that is found above. However, I think that most African Americans who would be shouting such an exclamation would probably say "Go 'head" and not "Go ahead".
Thus, in my opinion, the REAL meanings of "be owt" are
1. to hang out [to be present at a Omega Psi Phi Fraternity event] - probably the earliest meaning
2. a statement that a person is doing something very well [going all out], or an encouragement for the person to do something very well ["be hard", "Go all out"]. "Owt" has the same slang meaning as "bad" with "bad" meaning "very good". When "be owt" is given as an exclamation, it has the same encouraging and complimentary meanings as "Go 'head!", "Do it!", and "Go on, with yah bad self" (with "bad" here meaning "very good".)
ONLINE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE PHRASE "BE OWT"
The earliest online discussion that I've found about the meaning of the expression "be owt" was a Greekchat blog. As background, this three page discussion in 2002 began when someone asked about the meaning of the phrase "be owt". The fact that the meaning of "be owt" wasn't known to that person suggests that this may have been a relatively new expression. However, much of that often heated discussion revolved around the position held by some posters that non-Greeks shouldn't know the meaning of "be owt" as it was an expression that was coined by members of the historically Black Greek lettered organization Omega Psi Phi, Inc. (non-"Greeks" - those who aren't associated with a fraternity or sorority.)
These Greekchat forum entries include several different usages for the expression "be owt". These entries also include other examples of African American English. I'll provide meanings for some of these colloquial terms or expressions after each quote.
http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/showthread.php?t=12725
Quote #1:
01-02-2002, 10:39 AM**
NAMCAP
"OWT = to party, to hang out... he is OUT or OWT = he is the life of the party
“I think if YOU are considered OLD SCHOOL then YOU should show respect by example.....don't automatically think you should get respect cuz you are OLD SCHOOL..... I also think that WE should recognize when our ELDERS are speaking and not try to DISCREDIT ther existence....so it goes both ways... both of you (BRUH and SOROR) you know better then to dissed each other publicly like that...... bottom line, asking what OUT or OWT means is nothing crucial.... now like the BRUH said, you should know what OUT or OWT means if you truly hang...whether you are spr. 50, 60 or whatever.... as terms change they stay the same.... OUT or OWT hasn't changed much....the word has added more meaning....
Other African American English terms in this comment:
"Old school" - In the context of this discussion, "old school" means a long time member of a sorority or fraternity, an "elder". [Of course, "Long time" might just mean someone who became a member of the organization as short as five years ago.]
An elder - same as above.
A seasoned member" of a BGLO [Black Greek Lettered Organization] means the same thing as old school and elder as given above. A "seasoned member" is in contrast to an “unseasoned” member, meaning a "neo" (from "neophyte"); a new member of the organization.
Bruh - a contemporary spelling of the word "bro" which is a clip of the word "brother". "Bruh" specifically means a member of a fraternity. Another word with thee same meaning is "frat". The comparable term for females is "soror" or "sister" (sometimes shortened to "sis" and sometimes spelled "sista")
dissed - disrespect, insult
Also "whether you are spr. 50, 60 or whatever...." means whether you joined your fraternity or sorority in the spring of 1950, 1960 or whenever.
****
Quote #2
01-03-2002, 12:41 AM**
Three_Love
Location: DC Metro Area
Hot in Heah!!
Whoo, it's hot up in heah!! Well, at least you know some sorors had your back, DST1345623 (welcome to the sisterhood).
Knowing what "Owt" means doesn't have anything to do with Delta...it is about hanging out with Omegas. If you hang out with Ques, then more than likely, you know what "owt" means. Now, you can 'TRULY HANG', and hang hard, but if you're hanging hard with Alphas, Kappas, or Sigmas, you may have never heard "owt".
To "champion" who talked about discretion - shoot, "owt" is not HARDLY a secret, so no discretion was needed. I knew what "owt" meant long before I became a member of Delta Sigma Theta, because I have a lot of friends who are Omegas.
And finally, you never know, soror who asked about "owt" may have heard someone say "Be owt" before, but she may not have realized that it's spelled "OWT", but it's pronounced like "out". She may have thought it was an acronym for something, as in "oh double-U tee" rather than pronounced like the word OUT.
But of course, this is all just my 3 cents on the matter.
Other African American English terms in this comment:
"Whoo, it's hot up in heah" - the conversation is really heated (argumentative)
"some sorors had your back" - Some members of a particular sorority or members of any other sorority wrote comments that were supportive of you.
"welcome to the sisterhood" - Welcome to that particular sorority or, more generally, welcome to Black Greek lettered sororities in general.
"shoot" [in the context of this comment] - same as "shucks"
"hang hard" - to spend a lot of time with someone of with a group of people
Alphas, Kappas, or Sigmas - members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc, or Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. [also known as "Deltas"]. Deltas are often considered to be an unofficial sister organization of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
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http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/showthread.php?t=12725&page=2
Editor: The quote in this blockquote is in response to a request for DST1345623, the original poster of this discussion, to identify the chapter and the location of her Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.
Quote #3:
01-07-2002, 01:30 PM
DoggyStyle82
...I'm sure you must know Juggernaut and the crew there in Rock Hill.
Well, if you choose to be "owt" at the Clave in Charlotte, I'll be sure to set you "owt" for questioning you, Sis. Nice wesbsite. Y'all got a cute chapter and nice webmaster.
BTW, Psi Kappa Chapter at Winthrop are some "owt" Bruhs.
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Meanings of "owt" in this comment:
be "owt" at the Clave - attend
set you out = show you a good time [in the context of this comment, to make up for questioning you]
"owt bruhs" - outstanding members of Omega Psi Phi fraternity
Also, "Doggystyle"'s tag name [internet name] identifies him as a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. because that fraternity's mascot is a dog.
"DST1345623"'s tag name [internet name] identifies her as a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
"Clave" is a clip of the word "conclave" -a gathering of members of fraternities and sororities, or a specific fraternity and/or sorority.
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Editor: As per comments #4 & #5 that were posted in 2007, some people continued to hold strong positions that the meaning of the term "be owt" and/or knowledge of its meaning should be reserved for Greeks only. I don't know if that position is still generally held today.
Quote #4: [in response to a question about what "be owt" means]
03-03-2007, 01:50 PM
ladygreek
Location: In the fraternal Twin Cities
Originally Posted by bIueangel
Sending the poster here was cruel. Apparently, the people who did so were anxious to see her embarrassed and berated over what was most likely a very innocent question. The better response to her original question would have been, "I'm sorry, that's information that only initiated members know." That would have put an end to it right there with no feelings getting hurt.
EXCUSE ME! I sent her here, because 1) the word was originated by the Omegas--they should be the ones to decide if to answer it or not, and 2) she has posted the same question on multiple forums including MY sorority's forum. It was there I first told her to come here, because we could not answer it. Instead she posted it on GL where I reiterated that she should ask it here.
So if you think that was cruel--then this is not the board for you!
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Quote #5
...As to the OP being clueless - if she has heard the term "OWT" and knows that it has something to do with Greek life - enough to come to a Fraternity/Sorority message board to try and ascertain the meaning of it - then she should know enough to be aware that fraternities and sororities have SECRETS and that this just might be one of them. Anyone who has seen random movies with fraternities in them knows that there are secrets and rituals. You don't have to be in one to know that. I doubt that she's in high school or elementary school and is saavy enough to have been around adult men in a fraternity, have heard the term "OWT," and then figured out that this is the place to find out their secrets.**
As to whether or not it is OK to be "cruel," I don't think it is that big of a deal whether they are "cruel" or not. In this case, I don't think the responses were cruel, because as I mentioned, the OP should have figured out long ago that it probably isn't her business. If she heard it from a fraternity man, she would have had the opportunity to ask him in person. Perhaps she did and she was not given the answer - so she sought it online. Whether or not people on GC are "cruel" should not be a defining factor in whether or not they are allowed to SPEAK FREELY. Let them say whatever they want. If you think this is a hostile atmosphere, you have no obligation to continue reading. If I don't like porn, I won't look at it. I'm not going to start a crusade against someone else's free expression.
I am going to refer to a response to the first time babygirl12 posted this question. This should have been sufficient - in addition to everything else she has received:
Quote:
Originally Posted by dzdst796
If you have to ask then you don't need to know.
Abbreviations used in this comment:
OP = Original Poster [the person who started the discussion]
GC = Greek chat forum
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ADDENDUM - LITTLE SISTER GROUPS
"Little sister groups" are unauthorized organizations which are made up of females. Little sister groups are associated with a particular historically Black Greek lettered fraternity. The females who pledge a little sister group must at least be in their first year of college or university. The little sister organizations that I'm aware of are "Q Pearls" or "Q Essence" ("Q" may be spelled "Que") for Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.; "Alpha Angels" for Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc, Kappa Sweethearts" or "Kappa Kourts" for Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc, and "Sigma Doves" for Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. have "Sigma Doves", and Iota Sweethearts for Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc.
These little sister auxiliary groups are not authorized as per a rule of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, the governing body of the "Divine Nine" historically Black Greek lettered organizations (BGLOs). Furthermore, little sister groups generally receive very little respect from members of other BGLOs. Indeed, being a member of one of these auxiliary groups may jeapordize a female's ability to join a historically Black Greek lettered sorority. However, some members of little sister organizations have later joined a historically Black Greek lettered sorority.
My daughter pledged Q Pearl in her first year at a university. Later she chose not to join a sorority. Also, she has indicated that her "big brothers" (the Ques who helped pledge her and other Ques she has subsequently met) always treated her and other little sisters she has known with respect.
Although I don't recall there being little sister groups when I attended a college in the mid to late 1960s, I admit that I had/have a fondness for the Ques because at that time when and at the place where I went to college [in New Jersey near New York City] members of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity and the AKAs (members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the sorority which I pledged & "went over" [became a member of] were considered to be brother & sister organizations. I later learned that that association was not the norm. Because of their history, members of Alpha Phi Alpha, Inc and members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Inc are usually considered to be brothers and sisters.
Click http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/showthread.php?t=5868 for a looong discussion about little sister groups. Additional names for the specific auxiliary groups that I have mentioned above are given in that post.
Comment #14 on page #1 of that post, written by a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority (as indicated by her internet name
12dn94dst) wrote on 05-22-2000 that "From reading through these posts and others on this site, I get the feeling that sweethearts and little sisters are viewed in a more positive light in predominantly caucasian GLOs than they are in predominantly BGLOs....I could be wrong though."
-snip-
I found that interesting because my daughter is a Q Pearl and she attended and graduated from a small predominately White university in Western Pennslyvania that had only a small number of Black students, very few of whom were members of a BGLO. As a matter of fact, until her senior year, there was only one Que who attended that university. It may be that females attending those organizations who pledge a little sister group, and those groups might get more respect at a predominately White colleges or universitities, particularly a small predominately White college or university in large part because there are so few Black students at those colleges and universitiesnd and therefore there are far fewer opportunities to join a BGLO as an undergraduate (Note: People can join BGLOs after they graduate from a four year college or university). For that reason, joining a little sister organization may be the only chance some women might have as undergraduates to experience being part of sorority-like organization. For example, my daughter still has her Greek 'nelia [paraphenalia such as her Que Pearl jacket in the same purple and gold colors as Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. And my daughter also experienced steppin at her probate show when she and the 12 other sisters on her "line" were introduced to the general public. However, even at her university, little sisters weren't allowed to perform at other step show. Also, my daughter's Q Pearl paraphenalia such as her jacket only has one Greek letter and not the three Greek letters that sororities have.
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RELATED LINKS
Click http://www.blackgreek.com/divinenine/for a listing of the "Divine Nine". "The term "Divine Nine" comes from the fact that there are nine historically Black fraternities and sororities that are members of the National Panhellenic Council.
I prefer to use the phrase "Black Greek lettered" fraternities and sororities. However, "Black Greek letter" is the more commonly found usage.
Click this page of my cultural website for examples of fraternity and sorority chants: http://cocojams.com/content/fraternity-and-sorority-chants
Click this page of my cultural website for examples of steppin and stoll videos http://cocojams.com/content/fraternity-sorority-step-stroll-related-videos
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks to all those whose comments are featured in this post.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
I'm particularly interested in comments that might shed more light on when the expression "be owt" was first coined. I'm also very interested in the position/s that is/are held by most BGLO [Black Greek lettered organizations] about about whether non-Greeks or members of BGLOs other than Omega Psi Phi should use the expression "be owt". I'm also interested in whether people believe that non-Greeks shouldn't know what "be owt" really means.
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