Sweet Honey In The Rock - "No Mirrors In My Nana's House"

tubelogin, Uploaded on Nov 18, 2009
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This animated version of "No Mirrors In My Nana's House" was shown on the American children's television station "Nick Jr". The composer of this song is Ysaye M. Barnwell and the illustrator for this video is Chris Rashchka.

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This post showcases the song "No Mirrors In My Nana's House".

Information about the vocal group "Sweet Honey In The Rock" and a video of that group's performance of this song are also included in this post.

The content of this post is presented for cultural, inspirational, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with theeir owners.

Thanks to Ysaye M. Barnwell for composing this song and thanks to thee musical legacy of Sweet Honey In The Rock. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publisher of this video on YouTube.
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This post is an exact reprint of a 2014 pancocojams post. That 2014 post includes several comments from people who remember their mother, grandmother, or teachers reading this book.
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I'm reprinting this post (with additions) on Mother's Day 2025. Happy mother's Day to all those people regardless of their gender who have "mothered" or are "mothering" other people and/or "fur babies".

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INFORMATION ABOUT SWEET HONEY IN THE ROCK
From http://sweethoneyintherock.org/
"Sweet Honey In The Rock® is a performance ensemble rooted in African American history and culture. The ensemble educates, entertains and empowers its audience and community through the dynamic vehicles of a cappella singing and American Sign Language interpretation for the Deaf and hearing impaired. Sweet Honey’s audience and community comes from diverse backgrounds and cultures throughout the United States and around the world, and includes people of all ages, economic/education/social backgrounds, political persuasions, religious affiliations, sexual preferences and differing abilities."

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From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_Honey_in_the_Rock
"Sweet Honey in the Rock is an all-woman, African-American a cappella ensemble. They are an American Grammy Award–winning (and many times nominated) troupe who express their history as African-American women through song, dance, and sign language.[1] Originally a four-person ensemble, the group have expanded to five-part harmonies, with a sixth member acting as a sign-language interpreter. Although the members have changed over three decades, the group continues to sing and has helped to produce several children's records as well as those intended for adults.

Sweet Honey in the Rock was founded in 1973 by Bernice Johnson Reagon, who was teaching a vocal workshop with the Washington, D.C. Black Repertory Company.[1] Reagon retired from the group in 2004. The name of the group was derived from a song, based on Psalm 81:16, which tells of a land so rich that when rocks were cracked open, honey flowed from them. Johnson has said that this first song in which four women blended their voices was so powerful, that there was no question what the name of the group should be. The ensemble's most powerful messages are proclaimed through an enormous catalog of songs addressing the world's woes. They are currently occupied with immigration injustices, congressional greed and lack of compassion for hurting citizens, the environmental imbalance, racial issues and women's issues."...

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LYRICS: NO MIRRORS IN MY NANA'S HOUSE
from CROSSINGS by Ysaye .M. Barnwell ©1992

There were no mirrors in my Nana's house,
no mirrors in my Nana's house.
There were no mirrors in my Na's house,
no mirrors in my Nana's house.
And the beauty that I saw in everything
was in her eyes (like the rising of the sun).

I never knew that my skin was too black.
I never knew that my nose was too flat.
I never knew that my clothes didn't fit.
I never knew there were things that I'd missed,
cause the beauty in everything
was in her eyes (like the rising of the sun);
...was in her eyes.

There were no mirrors in my Nana's house,
no mirrors in my Nana's house.
And the beauty that I saw in everything
was in her eyes (like the rising of the sun).

I was intrigued by the cracks in the walls.
I tasted, with joy, the dust that would fall.
The noise in the hallway was music to me.
The trash and the rubbish just cushioned my feet.
And the beauty in everything
was in her eyes (like the rising of the sun).
...was in her eyes.

There were no mirrors in my Nana's house,
no mirrors in my Nana's house.
And the beauty that I saw in everything
was in her eyes (like the rising of the sun).

The world outside was a magical place.
I only knew love.
I never knew hate,
and the beauty in everything
was in her eyes (like the rising of the sun).
...was in her eyes.

There were no mirrors in my Nana's house,
no mirrors in my Nana's house.
There were no mirrors in my Nana's house,
no mirrors in my Nana's house.
And the beauty that I saw in everything
was in her eyes (like the rising of the sun).

"Chil', look deep into my eyes."
"Chil', look deep into my eyes."
"Chil'..."

Source: http://www.ymbarnwell.com/lyrics.php
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Dr. Ysaye M. Barnwell is a member of the vocal group Sweet Honey In The Rock.

The word "nana" means "grandmother" or "grandparents" in a number of languages throughout the world, including the Twi language of the Akan people in Ghana and the Ivory Coast.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/09/what-nana-means-in-akan-culture-its-use.html for a pancocojams post on the word "nana".

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Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Birmingham Jubilee Singers - "Sweet Mama, Tree Top Tall" (an early 20th century "Blues" song)

CanadianFolkBlues, Published on Jun 6, 2012

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post showcases the song "Sweet Mama Tree Top Tall" by the Birmingham Jubilee Singers. Information about the Birmingham Jubilee Singers is included in this post.

This post also includes definitions of the word "jubilee" and information about the referent "Jubilee singers" as it applies to African American religious and secular singers.

Lyrics to the Birmingham Jubilee Singers' version of "Sweet Mama Tree Top Tall" are also included in this post along with my comments about the meanings of three African American Vernacular English expressions that are found in this song: "tree top tall", "turn your damper down" and "don't like my peaches, don't shake my tree".

This pancocojams post also includes an example of an African American children's rhyme that includes those lines from that song which have become a "floating verse" (i.e. words/lyrics that appear in other songs/rhymes regardless of their genre). 

The content of this post is presented for folkloric, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the Birmingham Jubilee Singers for their musical legacy. Thanks also to those quoted in this post and thanks to the publisher of this sound file on YouTube.
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This post is largely a reprint of a pancocojams post that was published in 2013. . That 2013 post had been updated at least once in 2013.

There are no comments in the discussion thread for that YouTube sound file or for that 2013 pancocojams post.

Information about the word "Jubilee" is added to this 2025 post along with information about the Fisk Jubilee Singers, particularly regarding the fact that while Jubilee singing groups mostly performed religious music (African American Spirituals), they also performed non-religious music which can be classified as Blues.
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I'm reprinting this post (with additions) on Mother's Day 2025. Happy mother's Day to all those people regardless of their gender who have "mothered" or are "mothering" other people and/or "fur babies".

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WHAT THE WORD "JUBILEE" MEANS IN THE NAME OF THIS MUSIC GROUP AND OTHER BLACK AMERICAN MUSIC GROUPS 
The word "Jubilee" in the name of the music group "Birmingham Jubilee Singers" follows the naming custom of the Fisk Jubilee Singers. Here's some information about that group from
" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fisk_Jubilee_Singers
"The Fisk Jubilee Singers are an African-American a cappella ensemble, consisting of students at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. The first group was organized in 1871 to tour and raise funds for college. Their early repertoire consisted mostly of traditional spirituals, but included some songs by Stephen Foster. The original group toured along the Underground Railroad path in the United States, as well as performing in Europe. Later 19th-century groups also toured in Europe.

[…]

History
….[The music group’s name is] “in memory of the Jewish year of Jubilee."[2] This was a reference to Jubilee described in the book of Leviticus in the Bible. Each fiftieth Pentecost was followed by a "year of jubilee" in which all slaves would be set free.[3] Since most of the students at Fisk University and their families were newly freed slaves,[5] the name "Jubilee Singers" seemed fitting.

The Jubilee Singers' performances were a departure from the familiar "black minstrel" genre of white musicians performing in blackface. One early review of the group's performance was headlined "Negro Minstrelsy in Church--Novel Religious Exercise," while further reviews highlighted the fact that this group of Negro minstrels were, oddly enough, "genuine negroes."[6] "Those who have only heard the burnt cork caricatures of negro minstrelsy have not the slightest conception of what it really is," Doug Seroff quotes one review of a concert by the group as saying.[7] This was not a uniquely American response to the group's performance, but was typical in audience receptions in Europe as well: "From the first the Jubilee music was more or less of a puzzle to the critics; and even among those who sympathised with their mission there was no little difference of opinion as to the artistic merit of their entertainments. Some could not understand the reason for enjoying so thoroughly as almost everyone did these simple unpretending songs."[8]

…The original Jubilee Singers introduced slave songs to the world in 1871 and were instrumental in preserving this unique American musical tradition known today as Negro spirituals. They influenced many other troupes of jubilee singers who would go on to make their own contributions to the genre,"...
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"Negro" is an outdated referent for African Americans (Black Americans) since the 1960s. Although it was the custom for mainstream America to spelling the referent "Negro" with a lower case "n", that population protested that practice because it was offensive given the fact that the spelling for referents for all other races began with an upper case letter. That referent is sometimes informally used by African Americans (Black Americans) as a put down of a person from that population who is behaving in ways that are obsequious toward White people and/or in ways that ae against the well being of Black people (i.e. "acting like an Uncle Tom")
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Here's a sentence from AI (Google results May 11, 2025) that apparently refers to other African American Jubilee music groups such as the Birmingham singers" 
. .."While known for their spirituals, the group's [Fisk Jubilee Singers] performances and the spirituals themselves became a foundation for the development of blues, gospel, jazz, country, and rock music."

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE BIRMINGHAM JUBILEE SINGERS
From http://www.last.fm/music/Birmingham+Jubilee+Singers
"The Birmingham Jubilee Singers were an American gospel quartet from Birmingham, Alabama.

They were put together in 1926 by Charles Bridges, a native of Birmingham suburb Pratt City, who studied voice at his high school and sang with the Dolomite Jubilee Singers after graduating....

The group became Alabama’s first professional quartet when in 1926 they were discovered by a Columbia Records talent scout, and travelled from Jefferson County to record in Atlanta. They achieved nationwide popularity through their live radio broadcasts over WAPI, WVRC and WJLD.

Becoming one of Columbia’s most prolific black vocal groups, they played vaudeville stages in New York and Chicago with the likes of Ethel Waters. They played a mix of both gospel songs and secular material, performing on gospel and vaudeville stages alike.

The group disbanded in the 1930s when Dave Ausbrooks died. Their complete recorded works were reissued on two compact discs in 1995 by the Document Records label."
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Italics added to highlight this sentence which refers to the types of music that this group sang. In the mid 20th century to date (2025) African American Gospel groups don't record Blues music or almost any other type of secular (non-religious) music 

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LYRICS - SWEET MAMA TREE TOP TALL
(As sung by the Birmingham Jubilee Singers on "Birmingham Jubilee Singers: Complete Recorded Works in Chronological Order: Volume 1: 1926 – 1927" (Document Records, DOCD-5345):

1. Sweet mama, treetop tall, baby, turn your damper down.
I smell your bread cookin', honey. Done got good an' brown.
I'm goin' away sweet mama just worry you off my mind,
'Cause you keep us both worried 'bout the baby all the time.
Sweet mama, treetop tall, baby, turn your damper down.

2. Sweet mama, treetop tall, baby, turn your damper down.
I smell your bread cookin', honey. Done got good an' brown.
I just got a letter from a gal in Rome.
Says she got plenty money, gonna bring it home.
Sweet mama, treetop tall, baby, turn your damper down.

3. Sweet mama, treetop tall, baby, turn your damper down.
I smell your bread cookin', honey. Done got good an' brown.
I've got a gal in Georgia, two in Tennessee.
Got three in Alabama good enough for me.
Sweet mama, treetop tall, baby, turn your damper down.

4. Hey beauty, wake up honey, I know you heard the whistle blow.
You got a few more minutes to get your clothes on; then you have to go.
Your hands are already rough and your feet are long.
... can't see what'n the world you're waitin' on.
Hey beauty, wake up honey, I know you heard the whistle blow.

5. Sweet mama, treetop tall, baby, turn your damper down.
I smell your bread cookin', honey. Done got good an' brown.
I'm standing on the corner with my hat in my han',
... waitin' for the woman ain't got no man.
Sweet mama, treetop tall, baby, turn your damper down.

6. Sweet mama, treetop tall, baby, turn your damper down.
I smell your bread cookin', honey. Done got good an' brown.
If you don't like my peaches, don't you shake my tree.
... let my peaches be.
Sweet mama, treetop tall, baby, turn your damper down.
(I said) Baby, turn your damper down.
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Hat tip to Jim Dixon and Arkansas Red for this transcription.
http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=24332&messages=22 "Lyr Req: Sweet Mama Tree-Top Tall (Lasses White)"

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EXPLANATION OF THE TERM "TREE TOP TALL"
"Tree top tall" is a referent for a very tall person

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[Update 11/7/2013]

EXPLANATIONS OF THE TERM "TURN YOUR DAMPER DOWN"
"Turn your damper down"
Here's an explanation of "turn your damper down" from
http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=24332&messages=22
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sweet Mama Tree-Top Tall (Lasses White)
From:GUEST,Arkansas Red-Ozark Troubadour
Date: 03 Jun 13 - 01:29 PM

"From what I understand "turning a damper down" in cooking with a wood stove means to reduce the heat. So the double entendre in this song probably refers to "sweet mama" having "the hots" for other men, and spreading it around, so she is advised to keep her damper turned down and "make it hot" for her man only. This I was told by an [sic] black blues singer who probably knew more double entendres in songs than anybody. Blues are filled with double entendres. That's what makes the blues so great."
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Here's another opinion about what "turn your damper down" from that same discussion thread:

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sweet Mama Tree-Top Tall
From:GUEST,Arkie
Date: 22 Jul 05 - 10:23 AM

Having grown up in a farm house heated by a woodstove with a damper in the stovepipe, I've always taken the phrase to mean "calm down" or "don't be so intense". The phrase was sometimes used in conversation when someone had become a little overheated or excited. While I suspect that some may have conjured up sexual imagery from the phrase, in my own experience it was related to a volatile temper.
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In my opinion, that non-sexual meaning is more accurate for this Blues song. Here's another non-sexual example of "turning your damper down" that I shared on that discussion thread in 21 Jul 05 -11:19 PM

from an article about Bessie Smith*:

"Her relationships with other female singers were often stormy. Bessie did agree to record with rival, Clara Smith (no relation) a few songs of which My Man Blues portrays the two in mock competition over the same man. The following dialogue comes from that 1925 recording.22

(Bessie:) It is my man, sweet papa Charlie Gray.
(Clara:) Your man? How do you git that way?
(Bessie:) Now look here, honey, I been had that man for umpteen year.
(Clara.) Child, didn't I turn your damper down?
(Bessie.) Yes, Clara, and I've cut you every way but loose!"

*A hyperlink was given to this article, but the link is no longer active.

Here's information about wood burning stove dampers:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood-burning_stove
"Keeping the air flowing correctly through a wood-burning stove is essential for safe and efficient operation of the stove. Fresh air needs to enter the wood compartment to provide oxygen fuel for the fire; as the fire burns, the smoke must be allowed to rise through the stove pipes, and exit through the chimney. To regulate air flow, there are damper devices built into the stove, flue, and stove pipes...

By opening or closing the dampers, air flow can be increased or decreased, which can fan the fire in the wood compartment, or "dampen" it by restricting airflow and reducing the flames.”
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I think that "turn your lamp down low" (in Blues songs) is a closely related expression to "turn your damper down".

Here's information about turning the flame of a kerosene lamp down low from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerosene_lamp
"The kerosene lamp (widely known in Britain as a paraffin lamp) is a type of lighting device that uses kerosene (British "paraffin", as distinct from paraffin wax) as a fuel...

Lighting a flat-wick lamp requires filling the fuel tank (fount) with fuel and allowing time for the wick to absorb the fuel. The wick is trimmed straight across with a pair of sharp scissors before lighting. With the glass chimney lifted off the lamp, the wick is turned up and lighted with a match or other lighter. The wick is turned down if smoke develops, and the lamp chimney lowered. After a few minutes warm-up the lamp can be turned to full brightness. Extinguishing the lamp is done by turning down the wick and blowing out the flame, or by turning the wick down below the top of the wick tube."

So, to conclude, I believe that "turn your damper down" and "turn your lamp down low"] mean "to reduce the heat you are emitting" - to "cool out" and not be "heated", "hot", "hot and bothered" or "enflamed" by someone or about something. Another of saying this is "to cease being or refrain from being irritated or angry at someone or about something."

However, at the same time or separately, both of those expressions may also have the sexual meaning whose explanation s given above.

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[Update 11/7/2013]

EXPLANATIONS OF THE TERM "IF YOU DON'T LIKE MY PEACHES, DON'T SHAKE MY TREE
If you don't like my peaches, don't you shake my tree.
... let my peaches be" is a floating verse that is found in a number of Blues songs & other songs. "Peaches" in those Blues songs had a sexual meaning" and that line means the same thing as "If you don't like me, don't come around me looking for just sex."

This verse is also found as a taunting line in a few contemporary American children's playground rhymes and children's cheer leader cheers where it's usually given as "if you don't like my apples, don't shake my tree".

I think that most of these taunting rhymes/cheers originated with African Americans although they were/are also recited by non-African Americans. Here's one example that I cited in this discussion thread on the "don't like my apples don't shake my tree" expression http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=123813

I'll BE

I'll be. be
Walking down the street,
Ten times a week.
Un-gawa. Un-gawa {baby}
This is my power.
What is the story?
What is the strike?
I said it, I meant it.
I really represent it.
Take a cool cool Black to knock me down.
Take a cool cool Black to knock me out.
I'm sweet, I'm kind.
I'm soul sister number nine.
Don't like my apples,
Don't shake my tree.
I'm a Castle Square Black
Don't mess with me.

Source: John Langstaff, Carol Langstaff, Shimmy Shimmy Coke-Ca-Pop!, A Collection of City Children's Street Games & Rhymes {Garden City, New York, Double Day & Co; p. 57; 1973)

That line's inclusion in children's cheerleader cheers is undoubtedly lifted from its use in Blues songs and/or songs from other genres, although few children reciting that line know or care about the source for that line.

The main non-sexual meaning of the "if you don't like my peaches [apples], don't shake my tree" expression is "If you don't like me, leave me alone."

The referent "Castle Square Black" probably refers to a Black person who lives in a certain neighborhood or in a certain housing project that is named "Castle Square". ("The projects" is a term that has been used in the United States since the 1950s to refer to government subsidized housing with low rents).  

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Visitor comments are welcome.

19th Century "Long Tail Blue" Men's Coats (Referred To In The 19th Century Blackfaced Minstrel Song "My Long Tail Blue") Partly Explains Why There Were So Many 2025 Met Gala Fashions That Had Tails

 

Caricature of Mr John Delacour (19th century) wearing dress coat with top hat and white tie.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tailcoat

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post presents information about the 2025 Met Gala and presents information about the 19th century male fashion known as "the long tail blue". This post also presents information and lyrics about the 19th century minstrel song "Long Tail Blue".

I believe that the 19th century "long tail blue" men's coat which was popularized by the blackfaced minstrel song "My Long Tail Blue" was one of the main reasons why a number of the outfits that were showcased at that Gala had "tails".

The content of this post is presented for historical and socio-cultural purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post  
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*This post doesn't include any visuals of or identifying information about 2025 Met Gala outfits with or without tails.
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Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2022/02/1844-old-time-music-minstrel-song-dandy.html for a 
related 2022 pancocojams post entitled (1844 Old Time Music, Minstrel Song) - "Dandy Jim From Caroline" (video, information, comments, & lyrics).

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE 2025 MET GALA
From https://www.vogue.com/slideshow/met-gala-2025-red-carpet "See Every Look From The Met Gala 2025 Red Carpet Night", May 6, 2025
"Fashion fans, the 2025 Met Gala red carpet has officially closed! Every year, the star-studded gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City gathers an impressive crowd of actors, musicians, models, designers, and more to mark the museum’s new spring Costume Institute exhibition. This year, the event celebrated “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” which will be on view from May 10th to October 26th; The new showcase explores the importance of clothing and style to the formation of Black identities in the Atlantic diaspora, and will be arranged by 12 characteristics of Black dandyism.

To reflect the theme this year, the dress code for the 2025 Met Gala red carpet last night was dubbed “Tailored For You,” a sartorial mood that is “purposefully designed to provide guidance and invite creative interpretation.” Given the exhibition holds a strong focus on menswear and suiting, we saw many Met Gala looks leaned into tailoring—both in classic and sleek ways, and in a more theatrical and avant-garde manner. (The Met, after all, has a long history of the latter.)

As for who we saw hit the iconic Met steps this evening? We of course saw this year’s official (and extremely stylish) co-chairs at the event—including A$AP Rocky, Lewis Hamilton, Colman Domingo, and Lewis Hamilton. Unsurprisingly, they all made the 2025 Met Gala best dressed list along with many other dressed-to-impress attendees."...

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WHAT IS BLACK DANDYISM?
from https://www.vogue.com/article/what-is-black-dandyism Black Dandyism Explained—From Its 18th-Century Roots to Modern-Day Expressions

By Ty Gaskins, April 29, 2025

…"What Is Dandyism?

Dandyism is often described as a style, but it’s more than just aesthetics. The original dandy—most famously embodied by figures like Beau Brummell in 18th-century Britain—was a man whose primary purpose was to stand out by being impeccably groomed and dressed. Brummell, whose personal motto was “Don’t talk about your clothes, let your clothes do the talking,” revolutionized fashion by elevating personal style to an art form. He rejected the flamboyance of past aristocratic dress, favoring understated, sharp tailoring that emphasized refinement over ostentation.

For the dandy, fashion was a vehicle for both self-expression and a subtle form of rebellion against societal norms. And that rebellious streak is just as present in Black dandyism—though here, the stakes are higher. Black dandyism has always been about more than aesthetics. It has been about identity, power, and resistance. In a world where Black people have been marginalized, the dandy became a figure who defied the rigid categories of race and class that sought to confine them."...

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AN EXCERPT ABOUT BLACKFACED MINSTRELS DEPICTIONS OF REAL BLACK DANDIES IN 19TH CENTURY UNITED STATES
From https://www.thesegalcenter.org/jadt/twisting-the-dandy%3A-the-transformation-of-the-blackface-dandy-in-early-american-theatre Issue 27- 3; "Twisting the Dandy: The Transformation of the Blackface Dandy in Early American Theatre" By Benjamin Miller, November 12, 2015
..."This article will draw on minstrel studies to analyse the character of the blackface dandy in three iconic songs of early American blackface theatre, “My Long Tail Blue,” “Jim Crow,” and “Zip Coon.” Arguably, the earliest popular representations of black dandyism on the American stage contained features and characteristics designed to diminish any threat posed by real black dandies to the white working class’ imagined white superiority, and these features were quickly amplified in the following years to repress the perceived challenge posed by discourses and performances of black liberty. 

[...]

An Early Blackface Dandy: Long Tail Blue

The best-known performer of blackface dandyism in the period of early blackface was Dixon, born to a poor family in Richmond, Virginia, probably in 1801. Of what little is known about his early life, Cockrell describes how a circus manager noticed Dixon’s potential as a vocalist at the age of 15 and he was apprenticed to West’s traveling circus as an errand boy; also, it is likely he first used blackface as a clown in the circus.[29] Citing the various formal influences on early blackface, Lott mentions the American clown, as well as the harlequin of commedia dell’arte and the burlesque tramp, as overlapping traditions “tending more or less toward self mockery on the one hand and subversion on the other.”[30] Such diverse traditions influenced the formation of the blackface dandy character.

A proponent of the self-mockery and subversion typical of blackface clowning and commedia dell’arte, Dixon became known for his performances of the blackface song “My Long Tail Blue” as early as 1827.[31] Of Dixon’s “My Long Tail Blue” the S. Foster Damon songbook—Series of Old American Songs (1936)—states: “it remained for half a century one of the standard burnt-cork songs.”[32] Given it is rare to find versions of “My Long Tail Blue” with a post-1830 publication date (where they are provided), or in post-1840 song sheet collections, it is unlikely the popularity of “My Long Tail Blue” lasted more than a decade. Nevertheless, “My Long Tail Blue” did popularize the character of the black dandy, which certainly proved to be an enduring presence, though continually altered and adjusted to respond to white concerns and black responses and challenges, in blackface entertainment over the rest of the century. 

[...]

“My Long Tail Blue” tells the story of a black dandy who courts women and flouts authority. The narrator of the song describes his blue jacket with long tails, a mark of respectability and class. The dandy—named Blue—wears his blue jacket on Sundays, while (religiously) pursuing women. While audiences enjoyed hearing about the character’s sexual pursuits, they also wished to see the upwardly mobile dandy brought down a peg or two. The song doesn’t disappoint, describing an encounter between Blue and Jim Crow.[35] In “My Long Tail Blue,” Crow is an escaped black slave who is found courting a white girl named Sue when Blue intrudes. As Blue intervenes and Crow sneaks away, Blue is arrested and his jacket is torn in a scuffle with the authorities. Blue has his jacket mended upon his release from jail and the song concludes with him advising the audience to go and buy a jacket so they too can be like him, winning the ladies’ hearts, flouting authority, and rising up the social hierarchy. Many aspects of the performance—from the costume to the lyrics, to the advertisements and musical style—represent the first moves by a white performer to alienate the black dandy in the creation of a blackface dandy."...

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WHAT DOES 'TAILS' MEAN IN REGARDS TO FASHION?
From AI Overview
"In fashion, "tails" typically refers to the long, trailing sections at the back of a tailcoat, also known as a dress coat or evening coat. These coats are part of formal evening attire, particularly for white tie events. Tails can also refer to the long, decorative tails on certain types of morning suits.

Here's a more detailed explanation:

Formal Evening Attire:

Tails, in the most common sense, are the distinctive feature of a tailcoat, a coat worn as part of full evening dress (white tie) for formal occasions.

Morning Suits:

Some morning suits also feature long tails at the back, although their length and style may differ from the tailcoats worn for evening events.

Other Uses:

The term "tails" can also be used to describe the long, trailing parts of other garments, like shirts, where the tails are intended to be tucked into trousers."

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WHAT IS A "LONG TAIL BLUE" [FASHION TERM]?
from AI Overview [May 9, 2025]
"In fashion history, "long-tail blue" (also "long-tailed blue") refers to a swallowtail jacket worn by black dandies in the 19th century, as highlighted in Green's Dictionary of Slang. These jackets, a symbol of black dandyism, were also known as "old blue".

Here's a more detailed look:

Black Dandies:

Black dandies were men who embraced a style of dress that mimicked or even surpassed the fashion of wealthy white men. They used clothing as a way to assert their status and challenge societal expectations.

Swallowtail Jacket:

The swallowtail jacket, also known as a tailcoat, was a formal coat with a long, pointed tail at the back.

Historical Significance:

"Long-tail blue" was a term used to describe the specific type of swallowtail jacket worn by black dandies, highlighting their unique and stylish approach to fashion.

Minstrel Shows:

The character "Long Tail Blue" was also a figure in antebellum minstrel shows, representing a black dandy.

Modern Usage:

While the term "long-tail blue" is primarily a historical reference, it's still used in some contexts to describe swallowtail jackets or the overall concept of black dandyism.

****
A LIST OF THE PRINTED USE OF THE TERM "LONG TERM BLUE"
Pancocojams Editor's Note: 
*I consider "the n word" to be a derogatory referent and present it in this post with amended spelling. That word is fully spelled out in these online sources. 

From https://greensdictofslang.com/entry/osulu7a Green’s Dictionary of Slang
"Search Entries

long-tail blue n.

also long-tailed blue

1. (also old blue) a swallowtail jacket, worn by black dandies.

1827 [US] George Washington Dixon [song title] My Long-Tail Blue.

1839 [UK] ‘Uncle Sam’s Peculiarities’ in Bentley’s Misc. 270: What a long-tailed blue dis ni-ga* hab to be sure.

1841 [Ire] ‘The Long Tail Blue’ Dublin Comic Songster 25: I wears a jacket all the week, / And a Sunday my long tail blue.

1844 [US] ‘Jonathan Slick’ High Life in N.Y. I 196: I bundled up old blue, and the pepper and salt trousers.

1851 [US] ‘London Vocalists’ in Jolly Comic Songster 237: Dame Durden had five serving maids, with The long tail’d blue, sirs.

1860  London City Press 18 Feb. 5/5: [His] attire [...] consisting of a long-tail blue coat, knee breeches [...] and a yellow neckerchief.

1867 [UK]  J. Greenwood Unsentimental Journeys 189: The various bands of Ethiopian ‘serenaders,’ many of whom, divested of their business as wool and ‘long-tail blues,’ mixed with the crowd.

1884 [US]  (con. c.1840) ‘Mark Twain’ Huckleberry Finn 161: He had an old long-tailed blue jeans coat with slick brass buttons flung over his arm.

1922 [US] ‘To Win A Yellow Girl’ in T.W. Talley Negro Folk Rhymes 102: You ‘borrow’ Mosser’s Beaver hat, / An’ slip on his Long-tailed Blue.

2001 [US]  (ref. to early 19C) N. Tosches Where Dead Voices Gather (ms.) 11: The long-tail blue was the swallowtail jacket emblematic of the wardrobe of urban black dandies — zip coons — of the early nineteenth century.

2. the black dandy that wore such a coat.

1839 [UK] ‘Uncle Sam’s Peculiarities’ in Bentley’s Misc. 265: A dandy ni-ger*, technically termed a ‘long-tailed blue,’ dancing Jim Crow’s pattern dance.

1844  Uncle Sam Peculiarities II 170: A dandy ni-ger*, technically termed a ‘long-tailed blue,’ [is] dancing Jim Crow’s pattern dance [DA].

1867 [US] Atlantic Monthly Nov. 610/2: ‘Clar de Kitchen’ soon appeared as a companion piece, followed speedily by ‘Lucy Long.’ [...] ‘Long-Tail Blue,’ and so on [DA].

1872  [US]  Schele De Vere Americanisms 153: [The song] Jim Crow [...] was quickly followed by several other songs of the same kind, such as Zip Coon, Longtailed Blue, Ole Virginny nebber tire, Settin’ on a Rail, etc.

****
THE  OLD TIME AMERICAN MUSIC TUNE & SONG "LONG TAIL BLUE"

Example #1: Long Tail Blue 

Long Tail Blue,  Nov 6, 2014

Provided to YouTube by The Orchard Enterprises,  

Long Tail Blue · John Snipes

Black Banjo Songsters of North Carolina and Virginia

℗ 1998 Smithsonian Folkways Recordings

Released on: 1998-02-17

Auto-generated by YouTube

****
Example #2- Long Tail Blue

Chris Prieto,   Sep 11, 2016

****
COMMENTS ABOUT THE SONG "MY LONG TAIL BLUE" (INCLUDING LYRICS)
These comments are given in no particular order and are numbered for referencing purposes only. Numbers are added for referencing purposes only.

(As a reminder, the "n word" is given with amended spelling in this pancocojams post but is fully spelled out in these comment and in these lyrics).

SOURCE #1

Google results AI (information about the song “Long Tail Blue”)

"Long Tail Blue" is an old, and potentially controversial, minstrel song, typically attributed to George Washington Dixon. It's often associated with the blackface minstrel tradition and depicts a stereotypical "dandy" character. The song's lyrics, which begin, "I've come to town to see you all, I ask you how d'ye do?", reference a fashionable long-tail blue coat, a fashion item that was popular at the time. While sometimes cited as the origin of the popular "Blue-Tail Fly" (or "Jimmy Crack Corn"), which is a different song with a similar title.

Key points about "Long Tail Blue":

Origin:

Often attributed to George Washington Dixon, who claimed to have written it, though others may have performed it previously.

Minstrel Tradition:

The song fits within the broader context of blackface minstrelsy, a form of entertainment that was widely criticized for its racist depictions of African Americans.

"Dandy" Character:

The song features a character who is trying to fit into Northern white society, a common trope in minstrelsy.

Controversy:

The song's association with racism and minstrelsy makes it a subject of ongoing debate and discussion.

Not to be Confused with "Blue-Tail Fly":

While they share a title element, they are different songs with different narratives.
-snip-
Read the definitions of “dandy” and “Black dandy” to add to or correct the statement under the above “Dandy Character” sub-title

****
SOURCE #2
From https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=69384

Subject: Lyr Add: LONG TAIL BLUE
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 01 May 04 - 09:01 PM

"This old minstrel lyric of little merit has caused much confusion, because it was mentioned in Billy Barlow lyrics, and is sometimes confused with the later "Blue Tail Fly-Jimmy Crack Corn" songs.

A part of one version was posted in thread 52057 (Long-Tailed Roustabout) and mentioned in thread 18602 (Jimmy Crack Corn).

Long-Tailed Roustabout: Long-Tailed Roustabout

Jimmy Crack Corn: Jimmy Crack Corn

According to The Traditional Ballad Index, it has been attributed, with ? mark, to George Washington Dixon, 1827.

Roud 1287.

The version given here is from sheet music in the Levy Collection, where it appears in a collection called "The Crow Quadrilles," 1837, Nunns, Philadelphia, and in sheet music published by J. L. Hewitt, NY, G. Willig Jr., Baltimore, and Atwills Music Sales (all without date).

The Willig copy has an attached note, "My Long Tail Blue, Sung by Mr. Dixon, 1834." That is the one given here.

Lyr. Add: Long Tail Blue

(As sung by Mr. W. E. Pennington)

I've come to town to see you all,
I ask you how d'ye do?
I'll sing a song, not very long,
About my long tail blue.

Chorus:

Oh! for the long tail blue.
Oh! for the long tail blue.
I'll sing a song not very long
about my long tail blue.

Some N-gers* they have but one coat,
But you see I've got two;
I wears a jacket all the week,
And Sunday my long tail blue.

Jim Crow is courting a white gall,
And yaller folks call her Sue;
I guess she back'd a ni-ger* out,
And swung my long tail blue.

As I was gwoin up Market Street,
I holler'd arter Sue,
The watchman came and took me up,
And spilte my long tail blue.

 
I took it to a tailor's shop,
To see what he could do;
He took a needle and some thread,
And mended my long tail blue.

If you want to win the Ladie's hearts,
I'll tell you what to do;
Go to a tip-top tailor's shop,
And buy a long tail blue.

 

Spelling preserved."

****
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Some Early Examples Of "The Duckworth Chant" ("Sound Off") Military Cadences.

Michael Cavanaugh, Jul 22, 2013

"In mid-1944, then-Pvt. Willie Lee Duckworth Sr., detached from Camp Kilmer NJ to Ft. Slocum NY for Provisional Training, devised a marching cadence.  It is known first as the Duckworth Chant, later as the Jody Call;  it was also copyrighted as Sound Off and various pop recordings were made of it.  Although he first [revised* it on post, Duckworth led it (as the introduction here recounts) marching back from bivouac in nearby Ardsley.  After Duckworth returned to post, he was called in by the Commanding Officer, Col. Bernard Lentz.   (He is shown in front of the tent.)   During WWI Lentz had invented The Cadence System of Teaching Close-Order Drill, and was enthusiastic about Duckworth's cadence.  

In the time remaining before returning to Kilmer, Lentz detailed Duckworth to work on the cadence with instructors in the Provisional Training Center, including T/Sgt Henry "Jack" Felice, seen on the viewer's right in the group shot, and WO Edward "Eddie" Sadowski, then leader of the post band, the 378th Army Service Forces Band.  Felice reads the introduction, then leads the standard version of the Duckworth Chant;  together these formed the A side of a V-Disc recorded at Slocum in Raymond Hall in 1945 with inmates of what had then become the Rehabilitation Center. (That is Felice leading the Chant in the marching photo with the water tower in the background.)  

After the War, Lentz copyrighted the chant as Sound Off;  he shared the royalties with Duckworth, and to this day they continue to come in to both the Duckworth and Lentz families.   In 2009 a committee of local admirers led by Rosby Gordon placed this granite marker on the grounds of the courthouse in Washington Co, GA, T/4 Duckworth's home county;  at the same time a portion of GA State Hwy 252, running in front of Duckworth's house, was named in his honor.   Duckworth's chant, the Jody, remains a staple both of military life and of popular culture  (from the soundtracks of military-themed films to jingles such as SpongeBob Squarepants)."
-snip-
I reformatted this summary to enhance its readability. 

*This word is given as "devised" in this summary.

No transcription is given of this sound file.

****
Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post presents some early (1944-1950s) sound file, video, or word only examples  of "The Duckworth Chant" ("Sound Off") military cadences.

"The Duckworth Chant" ("Sound Off") are call & response military cadences that sparked the creation of other American call & response marching and running chants during World War II and beyond.

The content of this post is presented for historical, folkloric, cultural, and educational purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Willie Lee Duckworth for his cultural legacy and thanks to all the collectors and researchers of "The Duckworth Chant" ("Sound Off') and other military cadences. Things to all those who are quoted in this pancocojams post and thanks to the producers and publishers of these YouTube examples. Thanks also to all those who composed verses for this Duckworth Chant ("Sound Off"). 
-snip-
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/05/information-about-willie-lee-duckworth.html for the closely related pancocojams post entitled "Information About Willie Lee Duckworth, The First Creator Of "The Duckworth Chant" ("Sound Off") Military Cadences."

Here's a statement that is included in that post from a 2008 draft pdf by Michael Cavanaugh:
"There was no audio recording of the original chant, nor any known attempt to transcribe its original lyrics. Reading between the lines of several published lyrics, it is clear that some of them trace to Ft. Slocum and are as early as late 1944. Over time various stories have been told about its origins."...
-snip-
Excerpts of that pdf are quoted in the pancocojams post whose link is given above.

****
EARLY VERSIONS OF THE DUCKWORTH CHANT ("SOUND OFF")
These versions aren't given in any particular order and are numbered for referencing purposes only. 

Version #1
This version is given at the top of this post.

****
Version #2
https://www.musixmatch.com/lyrics/Vaughn-Monroe/Sound-Off-the-Duckworth-Chant

"Lyrics Of Sound Off (The Duckworth Chant) by Vaughn Monroe
The heads are up The chests are out The arms are swinging

Let′s go back and count some more

I had a good home, but I left (you're right)

I had a good home, but I left (you′re right)

Jody was there, when I left (you're right)

Jody was there, when I left (you're right)

I left gal away out west

I thought this army life was best

Now she′s someone elses wife

And I′ll be marchin' the rest of my life

The captain rides in a jeep

The general rides in a limosine

But we′re just out of luck

The heads are up

The chests are out

The arms are swinging

Ennie, Meanie, Minnie, Moe

And let's go back and count somemore

Writer(s): Willie Lee Duckworth, Bernard Lentz" -snip- Bernard Lenz was the commanding officer of the United State's army base Fort Slocum,New York when Private Willie Lee Duckworth chanted what became cadence call ("Jody call") that is now known as "The Duckworth Chant" (also known as "Sound Off"). **** Version #4 http://www.hardscrabblefarm.com/ww2/cadence_calls.htm

Second World War Cadence - SOUND OFF

By Michael Stucke, 2003 Brian Mead "An old Army legend is told... in May, 1944, an fatigued marching column, returning to barracks at Ft. Slocum, New York, picked up the step with a chant heard in the ranks. Others repeated it and the "Duckworth Chant" or "Sound Off" was born. Pvt. Willie Duckworth, an African American soldier created the chant that we know today.

"Sound Off"

(CHORUS) SOUND OFF (By individual)

1 - 2 (By troops)

SOUND OFF (By individual)

3 - 4 (By troop)

CADENCE COUNT (By individual)

1 - 2 - 3 - 4, 1 - 2 --- 3 - 4 (By troops)

VERSE 1 The heads are up and the chests are out

The arms are swinging in cadence count.

Repeat - Chorus after every verse

VERSE 2 Head and eyes are off the ground, Forty inches, Cover down.

VERSE 3 It won't get by if it ain't GI,

It won't get by if it ain't GI,

VERSE 4 I don't mind taking a hike

If I can take along a bike.

VERSE 5 I don't care if I get dirty

As long as the Brow gets Gravel Gertie.

VERSE 6 The Wacs and Waves will win the War

So tell us what we're fighting for.

VERSE 7 They send us out in the middle of the night To shoot an azimuth without a light.

VERSE 8 There are lots plums upon the tree

For everyone exceptin' me.

VERSE 9 The first platoon, it is the best.

They always pass the Colonel's tests.

JODY CALLS - Who is Jody? Jodie (Jody) is a mysterious, often sinister character that stays home and indulges in the good life as a civilian. This person can be a male or a female depending on the spin of the verses and is ready to comfort or take away your wife, girlfriend, sister or possessions while you are soldiering. Jody may be synonymous with G.I. Joe, a variation of John Doe. The verses are never-ending and are often made up for a particular person, place, unit or situation.

Here's a sample: You had a good home when you left (By individual)

You're right (By troops)

You had a good home when you left (By individual)

You're right (By troops)

Jodie was there when you left (By individual)

You're right (By troops)

Jodie was there when you left (By individual)

You're right (By troops)

(CHORUS) SOUND OFF (By individual)

1 - 2 (By troops)

SOUND OFF (By individual)

3 - 4 (By troop)

CADENCE COUNT (By individual)

1 - 2 - 3 - 4, 1 - 2 --- 3 - 4 (By troops)

You had a good home when you left (By individual)

You're right (By troops)

Jodie was there when you left (By individual)

You're right (By troops)

Her mamma was there when you left (By individual)

You're right (By troops)

Her papa was there when you left (By individual)

You're right (By troops)

(CHORUS)

You had a good home when you left (By individual)

You're right (By troops)

Your baby was there when you left (By individual)

You're right (By troops)

The police were there when you left (By individual)

You're right (By troops)

And that's why you left (By individual)

You're right (By troops)

(CHORUS)

The Captain rides in a jeep,

You're right (By troops)

The Sergeant rides in a truck,

You're right (By troops)

The General rides in a limousine

You're right (By troops)

But your just out a luck.

You're right (By troops)

(CHORUS)

Occasionally, one hears a cadence or "Jody" in films or records. These may not be exactly authentic but most capture the feeling of the period and the spirit of the cadence. "Battleground" has scenes of this call that is closer than most."... **** Version #4 - BATTLEGROUND - 1949 clip 2

dday0606, Apr 5, 2008

Closing scene of Battleground, coming off the line. -snip- From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battleground_(film) "Battleground is a 1949 American war film directed by William A. Wellman and starring Van Johnson, John Hodiak, Ricardo Montalbán, George Murphy, and James Whitmore. It follows a fictional company of the 327th Glider Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division as they fight in the siege ofBastogne during the Battle of the Bulge, in World War II.

[...]

A widespread critical and commercial success, the film won Best Story and Screenplay (Pirosh) and Best Cinematography – Black-and-White (Paul C. Vogel) at the 22nd Academy Awards, out of six total nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director for Wellman. James Whitmore, for his second-ever film role, was nominated for an Oscar and won a Golden Globe Award for his performance.".. -snip- My apologies. This video is given in this pancocojams post without a transcript.

**** Video #5- Duckworth Chant Ft Slocum 1945 VDisc SSgt Woodard WAC
s

Michael Cavanaugh, Jul 22, 2013

This is a 1945 recording from V-Disc of the Duckworth Chant

in Raymond Hall, Ft. Slocum NY.  It is led by S/Sgt Gladys "Woodie" Woodard of the WAC detachment, and is a specific WAC version of the chant.  The visual is of that detachment marching in Central Park in late June 1944, just after the Duckworth Chant was composed at Ft Slocum by Pvt. Willie Lee Duckworth Sr.;  it is very likely that this is what the WACs in the photo are vocalizing.  The detachment is led by 1/Sgt Dorothy "Dot" Hood;  S/Sgt Woodard is in the front rank, 3rd from the viewer's right. -snip- from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women%27s_Army_Corps "The Women's Army Corps (WAC) was the women's branch of the United States Army. It was created as an auxiliary unit, the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC), on 15 May 1942, and converted to an active duty status in the Army of the United States as the WAC on 1 July 1943. Its first director was Colonel Oveta Culp Hobby.[1][2] The WAC was disbanded on 20 October 1978, and all WAC units were integrated with male units."... -snip- My apologies. This video is given in this pancocojams post without a transcript.

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