Edited by Azizi Powell
Latest Revision- Oct. 27, 2022
This pancocojams post presents a list of Jamaican and Trinidadian folk songs whose titles end with an "oh" or the word "oh".
This list is culled from a Mudcat folk music discussion thread entitled "West
Indian and Calypso Songs". That thread includes song books from other Caribbean nation and is still open for comments (as of September 19, 2022).
The content of this post is presented for historical, folkloric, cultural, and educational purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to the composers of these Caribbean folk songs and the collectors of these songs. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post.
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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
I believe that the custom of adding an "o" or the word "oh" for some titles of Jamaican folk song may partly be traced to the Yoruba, Igbo, Nigerian Pidgin English and some other African languages that helped form Jamaican Patois (Patwa).
Here's an excerpt from https://journals.openedition.org/linx/8350 The sentence final particle o in Ikwere by Sylvester N. OSU 30 décembre 2021
"The sentence final particle (henceforth SFP)1 o has been identified in several Nigerian languages (e.g., Igbo, Yoruba, Ikwere) extending to the Nigerian Pidgin English. According to Williamson (1972: 350), it is used at the end of sentences in Igbo (Benue-Congo, Igboid, Nigeria) when speaking to someone at a distance; it is also used as a sign of affirmation, or assent to a salutation. Sachnine (1997: 200) reports that it has a slight emphatic function in Yoruba (Benue-Congo, Yoruboid, Nigeria). Faraclas (1996: 116) finds that it has an emphatic marking function and adds meanings of empathy, solidarity and realis modality to the assertion in the Nigerian Pidgin English. Interestingly, the SFP o does exist in other languages outside Nigeria. For instance, Helmlinger (1972: 387) states that it is used in Duala (Benue-Congo, Bantu, Cameroon) for questions or calls at a distance. Furthermore, Singler (1988: 123) suggests that “the sentence-final particle o is a real feature par excellence, extending along the West African coast from Sierra Leone to Nigeria. English-and French-lexifier pidgins and creoles display it as well, not only in West Africa but also in the Caribbean”. To buttress this point, Singler (1988: 123-125) draws examples from Klao, Bassa, Kroumen, Wobe (Kru); Nkonya, Twi (Kwa); Mende, Kpelle, Mano (Mande); Kisi (West Atlantic); as well as Ibibio (Benue-Congo)."...
-snip-
I added italics to highlight these sentences.
**
Also, read this excerpt from
https://www.amazon.com/Comparative-Analysis-Jamaican-Nigerian-English/dp/1478158905 A Comparative Analysis of Jamaican Creole and Nigerian
Pidgin English Paperback by Pamela Odimegwu – July 2, 2012
"Nigerian Pidgin English shows a large number of similarities to Jamaican Creole or Patois. Many phrases and words in Patois are also found in Nigerian Pidgin English. Linguists believe that this is due to the fact that the majority of slaves taken to the New World were from West Africa."...
-snip-
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2022/09/o-at-end-of-sentences-in-yoruba-igbo.html for the pancocojams post entitled "O" At The End Of Sentences In Yoruba, Igbo, Nigerian Pidgin English & Various Other African Languages (Online Excerpts) to read these and some other excerpts on this subject.
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A LIST OF CARIBBEAN FOLK SONGS WHOSE TITLES END WITH AN "O" OR THE WORD "OH"
Pancocojams Editor's Note:
These excerpts only include the songs in these books whose titles end with an "o" or the word "oh".
These featured titles are a small subset of the titles for the songs in the books that are given in that Mudcat folk music discussion thread.
Additions and corrections are welcome.
Numbers are added for referencing purposes only and doesn't coincide with the posts (comments) that are found in that discussion thread since the posts (comments) that don't have any song titles with an "o" or "oh" ending aren't included in this pancocojams excerpt.
https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=138255
1. Subject: Index: West Indian and Calypso Songs (Silverman)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 01 Jun 11 - 08:05 PM
"West Indian and Calypso songs /
Jerry Silverman
1994, ©1995
English : Printed music : Popular music 1 score (64 p.) :
ill. ; 32 cm.
New York : Chelsea House,...
A collection of songs created from the coming together of
West African and European traditions in the Caribbean region.
****
2. Subject: RE: Songbook Indexing: Calypso Songbooks
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 01 Jun 11 - 09:28 PM
"SONGS FROM TRINIDAD
Edric Connor, 1958, Arranged for voices, guitar, drum and bass by Gareth Walters.
Oxford University Press, London, quarto, pbk.
...Calypsos
22. Sing Sally Oh"...
3. Subject: RE: Songbook Indexing: Calypso/Caribbean Songbooks
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 10 Jun 11 - 01:56 PM
"JAMAICAN SONG AND STORY
Annancy Stories, Digging Sings, Ring Tunes, and Dancing
Tunes. With introductory essays.
Walter Jekyll, coll. and edit., 1904 (Dover reprints),
The Folk-lore Society, LV.
...Bad homan oh!
Bell a ring a yard oh!
...Oh Samuel oh!
Oh 'liza oh!
Aunty Mary oh!
...
...Part III
Ring Tunes
...Oh me Toad oh!"...
Part IV
Dancing Tunes
(to follow in next post)"
4.
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 10 Jun 11 - 04:06 PM
"Jamaican Song and Story con't.
Part IV
Dancing Tunes
....Oh jilly oh!...
Susan, very well why oh!...
Blackbird a eat puppa corn, oh!"...
****
5.
From: MorwenEdhelwen1
Date: 10 Jun 11 - 09:14 PM
"Mango Time: Folk Songs of Jamaica
Noel Dexter, Geoffrey Taylor, Ian Randle Publisherds,
Kingston, Jamaica, 2007.
...Day Oh...
Missa Ram Goat O..."
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6. Subject: RE: Songbook Indexing: Calypso/Caribbean Songbooks
From: GUEST,Gda Music
Date: 11 Jun 11 - 02:51 PM
"Folk Songs of JAMAICA
Edited and arranged by Tom Murray
Oxford University Press (60p) ....
INTRODUCTION - TOM MURRAY
KINGSTON, JAMAICA, B.W.I - April, 1951
Chi-Chi Bud Oh!....
....WORKING SONGS
...Sammy Dead Oh!"...
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7. Subject: RE: Songbook Indexing: Calypso/Caribbean Songbooks
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 30 Jun 11 - 04:36 PM
"FORTY FOLK SONGS OF JAMAICA
Olive Lewin, collected and transcribed by, 1973.
With musical scores, Notes and Glossary. Comments and
photographs....
...Little Samuel-O (Revival song)
Wheel Oh (Jonkunnu)"...
****
8. S
From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch
Date: 29 Jan 16 - 09:38 PM
"Songs Belafonte Sings
Harry Belafonte; Bob Bollard, ed., Charles White, illus.
(New York: Duell, Sloan and Pearce, 1963)
©1962 Harry Belafonte Enterprise's, Inc.
Day-O
...
****
9. Subject: RE: Songbook Indexing: Calypso/Caribbean Songbooks
From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch
Date: 05 Feb 16 - 06:52 PM
"Island in the Sun: The Songs of Irving Burgie
Okun, Milt, ed, (Port Chester: Cherry Lane Music Company,
1996)
© 1996 Cherry Lane Music Company
ISBN 1-5760-036-6
Day-O"...
****
10. Subject: RE: Songbook Indexing: Calypso/Caribbean Songbooks
From: Padre
Date: 12 Feb 16 - 11:02 PM
"Deep the Water, Shallow the Shore" by Roger D.
Abrahams contains shanties from Nevis, Tobago, and St. Vincent. The Boarding
Party sang several of them, including "Solid Fas' "Bully, Long Time
Ago" "Yard O, Yard O"
****
10.
From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch
Date: 13 Feb 16 - 09:49 PM
"Brown Girl in the Ring: An Anthology of Song Games from the Eastern Caribbean
Lomax, Alan, Elder, J.D., Lomax, Bess Hawes, (New York:
Pantheon, 1997)
© 1997 by Alan Lomax
SONG GAMES FROM TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
...Sammy Dead-O...
Mister Ram Goat-O...
SONG GAMES FROM DOMINICA AND ST. LUCIA
Ariyèl-O
...Ay Zabèl-O
....PASS-PLAY SONGS FROM CARRIACOU
Anana-O
Élé Misi-O
****
11.
From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch
Date: 16 Feb 16 - 06:10 PM
"Le Carnival de St-Pierre (Martinique)
45 Chansons Créoles Recufillies de 1920 a 1925 par Victor
Coridun
Deuxième Edition, R. Illemay, Fort-de-France, 1930
CHANSONS POLITIQUES
Périnelle, oh!..."
****
12.
From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch
Date: 17 Apr 16 - 05:28 AM
[..]
Elia And Michele Clark – Sing Calypso Songs For Children
Columbia LP: CL 995, 1957 (17 tracks)
...Oh, Gel-ique-O!"...
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Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
I'm aware of three American folk songs have titles and some lyric lines that end with the letter "o": "The Pretttiest Girl In The County-o", "Sugar In My Coffee-o", and "What Will We Do With The Baby-o".
ReplyDeleteAll of these songs have their source in the mid 19th century minstrel song "Dandy Jim From Caroline".
From http://www.bluegrassmessengers.com/dandy-jim-from-caroline-minstrel-lyrics.aspx
"NOTES: Dandy Jim of Caroline is the 1843 Minstrel song that spawned such fiddle songs as "Sugar in My Coffee-O," first recorded by by Crockett's Kentucky Mountaineers, and "What are You Going To Do With the Baby," the 1928 song by the Hodge Brothers. The first related version and title was "Prettiest Little Gal in the County" by Gid Tanner and Riley Puckett in 1924."...
-snip-
The chorus of "Dandy Jim From Caroline" is
"CHORUS
For my ole mama tole me,
I'm de best looking man in de county oh,
I look in de glass, as I found it so,
Just as massa tell me, oh."...
-snip-
The word "man" was originally "ni--ger" and is sometimes given as "fella".
-snip-
There's probably no way to find out at this late date, but I wonder if (in addition to its rhyming feature), the "o" ending for the titles/lines of these Southern/Appalachian American folk songs was influenced by the West African/Caribbean custom of ending sentences with "o" or using "o" as the end of some song titles.
Has any folklorist ever raised this as a possibility?