Two Clean Versions Of The African American Toast "Shine And The Great Titanic"

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part I of a two part pancocojams series that presents "clean" versions of the African American Toast (Narrative) entitled "Shine And The Great Titanic".

Part I presents information about African American toasts along with two relatively clean versions of "Shine and the Titanic".

Part II presents a third example of "Shine And The Titanic" and includes my comment about how some topical references in that particular example of the Shine narrative dates that version.

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.
-snip-
DISCLAIMER: This pancocojams series isn't meant to imply that these showcased versions of "Shine And The Great Titanic" are the most authentic or the most well known versions of this toast. Read my comment in this post's discussion section below.

**
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/01/information-about-shine-as-pejorative.html for a closely related pancocojams post entitled "Information About "Shine" As A Pejorative Referent For Black People, As An Early 20th Century Song About Black People, And As A Folk Character In Black "Toasts"".

****
INFORMATION ABOUT TOASTS AND EXAMPLES OF "SHINE AND THE GREAT TITANIC" TOASTS

1.
From https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803100502103;jsessionid=5FB613A9C769BA24C9EDEA12E297B99F

Shine

QUICK REFERENCE

Probably the most well-known twentieth-century trickster, Shine is an epic figure in African American folklore. His name could refer to the generic nickname given to black men who shined shoes or it could indicate that his skin was dark enough to literally “shine.” In the toasts that celebrate him, the wiry-built Shine begins as the lowest-ranked employee on the ill-fated Titanic, the infamous luxury ship that hit an iceberg during its maiden voyage in 1912. Assigned to stoke coal in the ship's bowels, the fictional hero notices the encroaching water and repeatedly warns the captain. Unwilling to heed the lowly black man's advice, the captain waits too long before ordering the passengers and crew to evacuate. Shine's status has risen and many of the passengers seek his assistance in their quest for safety. Concerned only with his own well-being, Shine answers the pleas for help with his bawdy rhymes and emerges, in most versions of the toast, as the ship's only survivor. One version concludes, “When the word got to Washing'times the great Titanic was sunk / Shine was on Broadway, one-third drunk.”

Tricksters such as Shine or even Brer Rabbit appeal to African Americans for several reasons. Ostensibly, they are the least powerful characters in a given situation. But they use their cunning to undermine their larger, more powerful opponents. Their social world reflects that of many African Americans, accustomed to making their way in spite of handicaps. Also their verbal dexterity has considerable appeal.

John Roberts, From Trickster to Badman: The Black Folk Hero in Slavery and Freedom, 1989."

—-Patricia A. Turner

From:  Shine  in  The Concise Oxford Companion to African American Literature »

**** 
2.
From http://www.louisianafolklife.org/LT/Articles_Essays/creole_art_toast_tradition.html
..." "Toasts" are performed narratives of often urban but always heroic events. For many Blacks, both performers and audience, hearing about or performing the winning ways of the central character becomes as creative a release as Black music. Toasting is today's continuance of an oral tradition, but many contemporary toasters read their complicated and elaborate versions from a text. As with any oral tradition, many versions of the same toast exists...

[...]

A toast well known in any large American city with a significant Black population is "Shine and the Titanic." This toast relates the heroic efforts of an old Black stoker to warn of the ship's impending disaster, but when ignored, he strives to save himself. The Titanic sank on its maiden voyage in 1912, during the Jim Crow days when Blacks were not allowed as passengers.

Toasts are typical of other Black traditions, such as quilting and gospel, in that improvisation is highly valued. Therefore, one will find many different versions of any toast; many use profane street speech. This version of "Shine and the Titanic" heard by the author in Oakland, California, has been edited for publication.

In toasts, historical accuracy is not considered important. For instance, although in reality the Titanic sank in April, in the ballad it sinks in May. Audiences expect, accept, and appreciate the toaster's improvisations.

As is common in toasts, a narrator describes Shines's successful exploits, while Shine directly addresses the captain, his daughter, and the whale. Shine, the black stoker and hero of the toast, repeatedly warns the white captain of the impending disaster and humbly gives updates on the sinking ship. Even though Shine is ignored, hustled, and chased by a whale, he remains confident of his ability and determination. It is Shine alone who can save the day.

Shine and the Titanic

It was a hell of a day in the merry month of May
When the great Titanic was sailing away.
The captain and his daughter was there, too,
And old black Shine, he didn't need no crew.
Shine was downstairs eating his peas
When the . . .water come up to his knees.
He said, "Captain, Captain, I was downstairs eating my peas When the water come up to my knees."
He said, "Shine, Shine, set your black self down.
I got ninety-nine pumps to pump the water down."
Shine went downstairs looking through space.
That's when the water came up to his waist.
He said, "Captain, Captain, I was downstairs looking through space,
That's when the water came up to my waist."
He said, "Shine, Shine, set your black self down.
I got ninety-nine pumps to pump the water down."
Shine went downstairs, he ate a piece of bread.
That's when the water came above his head.
He said, "Captain, Captain, I was downstairs eating my bread
And the . . .water came above my head."
He said, "Shine, Shine, set your black self down.
I got ninety-nine pumps to pump the water down."
Shine took off his shirt, took a dive. He took one stroke
And the water pushed him like it pushed a motorboat.
I'll give you more money than any black man see."
Shine said, "Money is good on land or sea.
Take off your shirt and swim like me."
And Shine Swam on.
Shine met up with the whale.
The whale said, "Shine, Shine, you swim mighty fine,
But if you miss one stroke, your black self is mine."
Shine said, "You may be the king of the ocean, king of the sea,
But you got to be a swimming son-of-a-gun to out-swim me."
And Shine swam on.
Now when the news got to the port, the great Titanic has sunk,
You won't believe this, but old Shine was on the corner damn near drunk."...
-snip-
This article also includes a version of "The Signifying Monkey", an even more popular African American toast.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/06/oscar-brown-jr-signifyin-monkey-video.html for the 2012 pancocojams post entitled "Oscar Brown Jr - "The Signifyin Monkey" (Video, Lyrics, Comments).

****
3.
From https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=97381
Subject: RE: Folklore: Who's this 'Shine' guy?
From: Azizi
Date: 21 Dec 06 - 06:26 PM

Geneva Smitherman includes a version of Shine & The Titanic in her "Talkin and Testifyin" book [Geneva Smitherman, "Talkin That Talk", Language, Culture, and Education in African America {Routledge, London, Canada & USA, 2000; 225-227].

This version begins very much like the one that Mona Lisa Saloy featured in her article on "The African American Toast Tradition"
[see my 20 Dec 06 - 11:45 PM post on this thread]

However, there are some differences. Check it out:

"Shine went back on down in the hole. He kept on shoveling coal. He started to eat a piece of bread. That's when the water rose above the Brother's head.

Shine split back up on deck. "Captain, Captain, you speak well, and your words they sound true. But this time, Captain, your words they won't do. This here ship is sinking! Little fishes, big fishes, whales and sharks too, gert out of my way, 'cause I'm coming through!"

Shine yanked off his clothes in a flash. He jumped on in the water and started to splash.

The captain saw the water rise out of the hole and he start thinking, "That boy is right. This here ship is sinking", He call out to Shine. "Shine, Mr. Shine, please save me! I'll make you master of the sea!".

Shine say "Master on land, master on the sea. If you wnt to love, Captain, you better jump in here and swim like me".

The captain's wife ran out on deck in her nightgown, with her fine, fine self. She call out to Shine, "Shine, Shine, please save poor me! I'll give you more loving than you ever did see."

Shine say, "Loving ain't nothing but hugging and squeezing. Sometime it be tiring. Sometime it be pleasing. I can swim, but I ain't no fish. I like loving, but not like this."

An old fat banker come up on the deck carrying his money bags. He called out to Shine, "Shine, Shine, please save me! I'll make you richer than any man could be".

Shine say, "Money's good on land, but it's weight in the sea. If you want to live, fatty, you better jump in her[e] and swim like me."

Shine took one stroke and shot on off through the water like a motorboat. He met up with this here shark. The shark say, "Shine, Shine,you swim so fine. But if you miss one stroke, your butt is mine."

Shine say, "I swims the ocean. I swims the sea. There just ain't no shark that can outswim me." Shine outswimmed the shark.

After a while, Shine met up with this here whale. The whale say,
"I'm the king of the ocean. I'm the king of the sea."
Shine say, "You may be the king of the ocean. And you just may be the king of the sea, but you got to be about a swimming sucker to outswim me." Shine outswimmed the whale.

Now dig this. When the news reach land that the "Great Titanic" had sunk, Shine was down on the corner, half-way drunk."

****
This concludes Part I of this pancocojams post.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.