Edited by Azizi Powell
This is the fifth page of an alphabetical collection of chants and songs from historically Black Greek letter organizations (BGLOs).
This page includes examples beginning with O-R.
Click
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2015/03/examples-of-historically-black.html for Numbers to B
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2015/03/examples-of-historically-black_16.html for C-F
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2015/03/examples-of-historically-black_17.html for G-J
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2015/03/examples-of-historically-black_14.html for K-N
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2015/03/examples-of-historically-black_75.html for S-V
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2015/03/examples-of-historically-black_65.html for W-Z
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The majority of these chants are from the nine university based, historically Black Greek fraternities and sororities that are informally referred to as "the Divine Nine". Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Pan-Hellenic_Council for information about the fraternities and sororities which are referred to by this term.
Examples in this compilation that are given without attribution are from visitors to my now retired cultural website cocojams.com.
The content of this post is presented for folkloric and cultural purposes.
Thanks to all those organizations whose chants and songs are featured in this collection. Also, thanks to all those who directly contributed examples of these chants & songs to my now retired website.
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DISCLAIMER: This series is not meant to be a complete list of Black Greek letter organization chants and songs.
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More information about these examples and additional selected examples of historically Black Greek organization chants, songs, and culture can be found in other pancocojams posts which can be assessed by clicking the tags found below.
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Note: Greek letter organization chants should only be recited or performed by persons who are affiliated with the specific organization from which the chant comes.
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EXAMPLES (O - R)
Examples with the same title or first line are given in relative chronological order based on their posting date, their retrieval online or collection date by me, or the date that I recall learning or hearing the examples.
O,P
OH WHEN I FIRST SAW THE LADY IN HER PINK AND GREEN
Oh when I first saw the lady in her pink and green
She asked me what do I want to be
Well, I said I want to be an AKA
Cause Alpha Kappa Alpha
is the only way
I didn't see the Delta flicker,
I saw the light
Cause in my heart I knew my choice was right
Well, I didn't want to be no Delta
I didn't want S G Rho
I didn't want to be a Z Phi B
Cause I didn't want to step that low.
-Sophist08ed Lady ; 7/17/2007
-snip-
This is an Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc chant that disses the other historically Black Greek letter sororities.
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OH IT'S SO HARD PLEDGING B-PHI
Song of Pledges:
Ohhh its sooo hard pledging B-PHI
a constant struggle each and everyday/
Some wonder why...i chose B-PHI and continue pledging this way/
Many are blinnnnddd And cannot find, the truth
cause no-one seems to really know?
but I WILL DROP!!!
(Unison) HELL NO!!!/
And thats the way its gonna be
ohh Dean YOU'VE GOT TO LET ME AND MY LINE BROS GO!!
-Simon H., 3/23/2006
-snip-
This is a Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity chant.
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OH MOTHER HUBBARD
Old Mother Hubbard
Went to the cupboard
To fetch her poor dog a bone.
But when she bent over,
Rover came over,
And he had a bone of his own.
-excerpt, the complete chant can be found on several YouTube videos; this was posted by Azizi Powell, 2/3/2010
-snip-
I recently saw a YouTube video in which an Omega Psi Phi Fraternity member recited this chant with additional verses.
What is interesting to me is that in 2001 a White man (who is a member of Mudcat folk/blues music forum that I used to be very active with), posted this very similar version of this rhyme in a thread entitled "Nasty Nursery Rhymes" and indicated that it was over forty years old.
That Mudcat member indicated that the rather "risque" comedian Andrew "Dice" Clay also used a verse like that in his nightclub acts. "The only one of his that I know for a fact WAS making the schoolyard rounds at least 40 years ago is a bit different than listed there. I remember it quite well:
Old Mother Hubbard
Went to the cupboard
To fetch her poor dog a bone.
But when she bent over,
Rover came over,
And he had a bone of his own.
-snip-
I'm not sure who was the first to chant this parody of the "Old Mother Hubbard" nursery rhyme.
If we found out with a large degree of certainity that this version of "Old Mother Hubbard" came from Black folks, that's cool. And if we find out that this verse came from White folks and we took it and rebaptized it in the name of Blackness for our organizations' use, then as far as I'm concerned. that's also cool.
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ONE AND ONE AND ONE MAKE THREE (Example #1)
One and one and one makes three.
You better watch your man
cause your man is watchin me.
So if you came her with your man
you better hold him tight.
Cause you damn sure better believe
He’ll be leaving here with a Q Pearl tonight.
-a member of Q Pearl, 1990s {East Coast, USA}; posted by Azizi, 12/05;
also featured in Meharry College step show video, (with the name "AKA" substituted for "Q Pearl) late 1990s; transcribed and posted by Azizi, 12/2005.
-snip-
My guess is that the musical inspiration for the chant phrase "one and one and one makes three" is the song "Kokomo Blues". Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/12/kokomo-blues-as-source-of-beatles-lyric.html for a pancocojams post about this song, the fraternity and sorority examples, and its use in a Beatles song.
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ONE AND ONE AND ONE MAKE THREE (Example #2)
I was chattin' with my LB (Tail) a few minutes ago and he reminded me of this one...
1 and 1 and 1 is 3
You better watch your girl
Bekause she's watching me,
2 plus 2 and 1 is 5
We are those Pretty Nupes of the K A Psi
And if at night You hear a noise
It's just your freaky girl with them Kappa boys!
-Kappachino3Klub (Texas), http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/showthread.php?t=99226&page=5
-snip-
This is a Kappa Psi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. chant. "LB" = line brother. The "Tail" is the last person in the pledge "line" (group). Usually, the "tail" is the tallest person in a line.
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ONE AND ONE IS TWO (Example #1)
1 plus 1 is 2
And 2 plus 2 is four;
You better watch your man.
Cuz he's knockin at my door.
He didn't want a Delta.
Didn't want a Skee-Wee.
Not even a Zeta.
All he wanted was me.
Cuz I'm a Sigma ("...what?...")
Gamma Rho ("...oh")
Don't even trip.
I said my sorors say EE-YIP!
(sorors EEE-YIP)
-Paragon1922, http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/showthread.php?t=6876, 03-09-2001
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ONE AND ONE IS TWO (Example #2)
I said 1 and 1 is 2
And 2 and 2 is 4
You’d better get your man because he’s knocking at my door!
He don’t want a Delta
Not even a Zeta
Not even a Skeewee
All he wanted was me
Cause I’m a Sigma
What?
Gamma Rho!
Ooooh!
So don’t even trip!
My Sorors say EE-Yip!!!
- from http://ms_quiet.tripod.com/chants.html, retrieved 12/8/2012]
-snip-
This is a Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc, chant
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ONE MORNING
I woke up one morning and what did I see?
Three mighty founders of PHI B. E.
They touched heart and they touched my soul.
They said oh don't you pledge that black and gold.
They touched my mouth and they touched my eye
and said oh don't you pledge no K-A-Psi.
Now they looked me down form my head to my shoe
and said you sho don't want to be no Que.
Now I'm walking down that Sigma Street.
I saw some Zetas they were looking at me.
I looked to my left and I looked to my right
and all I could see was that Blue and White.
Now the closer I got to that light you see.
PHI BETA SIGMA was growing in me.
The road is hard to Sigmaland.
Before I got there I had to cross them sands.
Now that I've crossed those burning sand.
I can say I am a SIGMA MAN!!!!
- http://pbsthetaalpha.tripod.com/chants.html
-snip-
This is a Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. chant
*On the website from which this chant was taken, the "Zetas" in the chant was given as "Xetas". "Xetas" may be an alternative misspelling of the word "Zetas", the Sigma's official sister group (perhaps to imply that they are extra special.)
The colors for both the fraternity & the sorority are Royal Blue & Pure White.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2015/01/black-fraternities-sororities-chants_16.html a pancocojams post about "crossing the burning sands" phrase
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PROBATE MAN
When I was a probate man
trying to find my way across the burning sands
come on brothers and rescue me
RELEASE! ME! FROM! MY! MISERY!
i said i oweeeeeeeeeeee
my lifeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
to SIGMA whooooo!
S-I-G-M-A!
I owe! I owe my life!
- http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:3hmPQ4Qtk7wJ:pbsthe..., retrieved on September 30, 2010
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Q,R,S
RED AND WHITE
Red and white or
Red and gold
Delta Sigma Theta
You don't even know
One..bright...shiny day
Your VERY FIRST founder was an A-K-A
So greet ME Delta, stand in line
Cause you don't know who you are
And you can't make up your mind!
-PrettyPhenomenal, http://www.stophazing.org/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=7;t=000243;p=2, 9/30/2005
-snip-
This is a Alpha Kappa Alpha chant that disses Delta Sigma Theta.
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REPRESENT REPRESENT
Soloist#1: We are the Deltas
And we are here to represent.
Delta
Group: Represent Represent
Soloist #2: 1913
Group: Represent Represent
Soloist #3 DST
Group :Represent Represent
Soloist #4: 1913
Group: Represent Represent
-Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. chapter; Meharry Medical College, step show video, 1996, posted by Azizi Powell
-snip-
Different soloists were used for each line of this chant. A different step routine was performed for each line. "1913" is the date that Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. was founded. “DST” is an abbreviation of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. In this context, “represent” means to act as a representative for the group, to let people know about the group, and promote the group’s virtues.
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RIGHT SMACK DAB
Right smack dab in da middle of the sands
you will find a proud Omega man!
So when this ole world starts getting you down
Omega Psi Phi will always be around !
-Que Pup; 4/5/2007
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