tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post4997272100653089126..comments2024-03-28T07:58:41.643-04:00Comments on pancocojams: "Old Dollar Mamie" (African American Prison Work Song)Azizi Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14963772326145910073noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-85704292634591926002023-10-13T11:00:37.218-04:002023-10-13T11:00:37.218-04:00Wow these lyrics are so heavy…. I’ve loved this so...Wow these lyrics are so heavy…. I’ve loved this song for years but never understood the meaning. My attempts to understand were woefully wrong, but I could hear the spirit in the song of the desire for a better life. I am white, but still have had many feelings of being marginalized and wanting a better life. I could hear this in their voice, and thanks to your “translation” I can better understand the meaning. thank you for doing this :’)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-52821767290041266472019-11-05T09:09:16.116-05:002019-11-05T09:09:16.116-05:00Here's my attempt at explaining the song "...Here's my attempt at explaining the song "Old Dollar Mamie" based on the first lyric transcription that is given in this pancocojams post [additions and corrections are welcome)<br /><br />verse #1- "Old Dollar Mamie" and "Old Dollar Bob" are nicknames for a woman and a man who may not actually be "old". They are a couple (in a romantic relationship together).<br /><br />A "dollar" is a unit of money in the United States.<br /><br />Old Dollar Mamie wanted a dress that cost a dollar a yard.<br /><br />verse #2 - Old Dollar Mamie is crying because she wants that dress. Old Dollar Bob tells her to stop crying (hush) because he will buy it for her if it is at all possible (if it's in this world)<br /><br />Verse #3- Old Dollar Mamie cried so loud you could hear here crying for a mile (a level mile is probably flat ground without hills or mountains).<br /><br />My guess is that implication is that Old Dollar Bob was taken to prison.<br /><br />verse #4- The lead singer says that when he gets his parole (gets out of prison) he's going to stand on the levee (a landing place next to a river) and watch the boats go by blowing their (signal) horn.<br /><br />verse #5 -The Katy is a nickname for a boat. My guess that this boat is carrying men who are being taken to prison. It started with 100 men but when that boat reached a certain city it only had ten men.<br /><br />Verse #6- This verse instructs the singers who are in a prison chain gang how to lift and then drop their hoes. The lead says no matter how hard they work and how much they cut, they won't really notice the difference at the end of the day (when the sun goes down).<br />Azizi Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14963772326145910073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-48227778260688872182019-11-05T09:08:08.917-05:002019-11-05T09:08:08.917-05:00Unknown, thanks for your request.
The words to Ne...Unknown, thanks for your request.<br /><br />The words to Negro (I prefer the term: African American) prison aren't really considered "American slang" or African American slang. Instead, I would refer to these lyrics as mostly "vernacular [informal] English" with many informal words from the 1940s/1950s aren't used any more in everyday American English, or aren't used in the same way they were then. <br /><br />Some African American prison work songs have references to prison. But I don't think that the ones in "Old Dollar Mamie" are coded (have hidden meanings). <br /><br />Also, I don't think that African American spirituals always had hidden meanings (about escaping from enslavement). But that's another subject.<br /><br />By the way, as a matter of information, "Negro" is an out dated term for African Americans/Black Americans which hasn't been used since around the late 1960s. Spelling that word with a small "n" is considered very offensive. <br /><br />(I mention this just for your information. I'm sure you didn't mean any harm.)<br /><br />My attempt at explaining the words to "Old Dollar Mamie" is in my next comment.Azizi Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14963772326145910073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-32570954862133767182019-11-05T04:54:45.717-05:002019-11-05T04:54:45.717-05:00Could somebody talk about the meaning of this song...Could somebody talk about the meaning of this song?<br />For those who don't know american slang it is not easy to understand. I also guess there are some hidden meanings about freedom as in negro spirutuals?<br />Thanks in advanceAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03191592354259833295noreply@blogger.com