Latest revision: February 6, 2020
This is Part V of a five part pancocojams series on the male name "Jerome".
Part V showcases the 2019 Pop/R&B Lizzo song "Jerome".
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-origin-meaning-of-name-jerome.html for Part I of this pancocojams series. Part I provides information about the origin and meaning of the name "Jerome".
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-perception-of-jerome-as-black-name.html for Part II of this pancocojams series. Part II provides information and comments about the perception of "Jerome" as a "Black name" in the USA even though there are more White people named "Jerome" in the USA than there are Black people with that name.
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2020/01/united-states-mass-media-examples-that.html for Part III of this pancocojams series. Part III presents some United States mass media examples that include the name "Jerome" that may have contributed to "Jerome" being considered a Black name.
Part IV provides information about musician Jerome Green, showcases Bo Diddley's 1955 song "Bring It To Jerome" and provides my speculation that that song contributed to the perception in the United States that Jerome/is was a "Black Name".
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The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, aesthetic, and onomastic* purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to Lizzo for her musical legacy. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to Lizzo for publishing this video on YouTube.
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*One definition of "onomastics" is "the science or study of the origin and forms of proper names of persons or places". https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/onomastics
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INFORMATION ABOUT LIZZO'S SONG "JEROME"
From https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/lizzo-jerome-cuz-i-love-you-823734/
APRIL 20, 2019 9:00AM ET
"Song You Need to Know: Lizzo, ‘Jerome’
On this ‘Cuz I Love You’ standout, Lizzo wishes the best for both herself and an immature lover
Lizzo’s major-label debut album, Cuz I Love You, re-introduces the world to a freshly evolved artist. While she launched her solo career years ago as a backpack rapper, the new album highlights the fact that Lizzo has since become a world-class belter, using the raw passion in her voice to unlock spiritual and emotional growth.
On “Jerome,” a standout from the tightly-produced album, Lizzo is let loose. Over an old-school R&B beat, she lets her self-actualization do the talking when it comes to sending a guy named Jerome on his way. The song is an excellent moment of stream-of-consciousness songwriting, similar to what Lizzo showed us with her 2016 track “Phone.” With “Jerome,” Lizzo narrates the thought process behind saying no to the man in front of her, wishing he would grow up and recognizing that it would do them both a favor for him to find someone better suited to handle his baggage.
This is not your typical anti-scrub anthem: Lizzo sees both sides with earnest charm. She’s fairly complimentary to the dude she kicks to the curb, recognizing that his “pretty face” can be too much of distraction while also staying firm on the fact that she deserves more than vague late-night texts. “Jerome” is a fair-game, grown-ass break-up song, wishing the best for both parties in the healthiest, sincerest way."
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SHOWCASE VIDEO: Lizzo - Jerome (Live at the 2019 American Music Awards)
Lizzo Music, Nov 26, 2019
Born in Houston and raised in Detroit, Lizzo adopted her moniker in 2011 and fronted Lizzo & the Larva Ink after moving to Minneapolis. Her work began to intertwine with the city's indie scene, allowing her to work with artists like Gayngs and Doomtree.
Since then, Lizzo has collaborated with a variety of creatives--Clean Bandit, Bastille, and Big Freedia, to name a few--and was named one of Forbes Magazine's 2018 "30 Under 30". Her top singles "Good As Hell" and "Truth Hurts" have gained over 34.5 million Spotify streams combined. In addition to headlining her own Good As Hell tour in 2017, Lizzo joined Haim on the Sister Sister Sister tour in 2018.
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LYRICS:
(written By Sam Harris, Lizzo, Adam Levin & Casey Harris)
[Intro]
Woo, oh
Here we go again
Uh-uh, hee-hee
Uh, look, listen, shut up
[Chorus]
Jerome, Jerome
Take your ass home
And come back when you're grown
Jerome, Jerome
Go on, take your ass home
Where the peaches have thorns, ooh
[Verse 1]
Poor little baby
Who told you that you stood a chance with this royalty?
You're so sweet, bless your heart
Can't let a pretty face distract me from business
And God as my witness, your ugly ass won't either
I'm sorry, 2 AM photos with smileys and hearts
Ain't the way to my juicy parts
Boy, thank me later, looks good on paper
But love isn't easy, so I'll do the hardest part
[Chorus]
Jerome, Jerome
Go on, take your ass home
And come back when you're grown
Jerome, ooh, Jerome
Go on, take your ass home
Where the peaches have thorns
[Verse 2]
I never said I was perfect
Or you don't deserve a good person to carry your baggage
I know a few girls that can handle it
I ain't that kind of chick, but I can call 'em for you if you want
I never said that you wasn't attractive
Your style and that beard, ooh, don't get me distracted
I'm tryna be patient, and patience takes practice
The fact is I'm leaving, so just let me have this
[Chorus]
Jerome, Jerome
Take your ass home
And come back when you're grown, oh
Jerome, ooh, Jerome
Go on, take your ass home
Where the peaches have thorns
[Outro]
Hee, hee, hee, hee, hee
(Don't cry for me, baby)
Hee, hee, hee, hee, hee
Hee, hee, hee, hee, hee
(Oh, don't cry for me, baby)
Hee, hee, hee, hee, hee, hee
Source: https://genius.com/Lizzo-jerome-lyrics
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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE - POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE INFLUENCES ON "JEROME" BEING CONSIDERED A "BLACK NAME"
As the title of this post indicates, I wonder if Lizzo's 2019 song "Jerome" will add to what I think is a mistaken perception in the United States that "Jerome" is a Black name. That perception certainly is mistaken if by "Black name" one means a name that is exclusively or mostly given to people who self-identify as Black (African American).
Perhaps because of Bo Diddley's 1955 song "Bring It To Jerome", urban dictionary entries for the name "Jerome" (which have been quoted in this series) suggest that the name Jerome has had the positive connotations of a man who is a good romantic partner, and not a man who cheats on his girlfriend as the Jerome in Lizzo's song does. Apart from whether the name "Jerome" is considered a "Black name", I suspect that Lizzo's song "Jerome" will have an negative impact on those connotations.
As I previously mentioned in this series (although I didn't retrieve those examples) some commenters in the YouTube discussion thread for Erykah Badu's now iconic 1997 song "Tyrone" that I showcased in another pancocojams post* wrote that Lizzo's Jerome was the new Tyrone. Those same type of comments are found in the discussion thread for a video of Lizzo's "Jerome" song that is referred to in this post.
There's no doubt that Erykah Badu's song "Tyrone" negatively contributed to the characterization of the name "Tyrone" and [I believe] therefore contributed to the decreased selection in the United States of the name "Tyrone". I wouldn't be surprised if even prior to Lizzo's 2019 record, the name "Jerome" had already suffered from the negative effects of the name "Tyrone" because "Jerome" nearly rhymes with "Tyrone". Also, the fact that "Jerome" almost rhymes with "Tyrone" which is considered a "Black name" in the United States, may be one reason why "Jerome" is also frequently considered a "Black name" in this nation.
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*Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2020/01/is-tyrone-really-black-name-and-if-so.html Is "Tyrone" REALLY A Black Name? And If So, Why?
The portrayal of "Jerome" in the television series Martin heavily influenced the idea that "Jerome" is a Black name and also heavily contributed to negative connotations that may be associated with that name. I also believe that that fictitious character's "Jerome's in the house" signature spiel [as Wikipedia put it] played a large role in popularizing the "[somebody or some group is] in the house" phrase.
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2020/02/what-in-house-really-means-definitions.html for the pancocojams post entitled "What "In The House" REALLY Means (Definitions, History, & Some Examples From YouTube Discussion Threads)".
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COMMENTS FROM THE DISCUSSION THREAD OF THE EMBEDDED LIZZO'S "JEROME" VIDEO
Here are a few comments on this subject from the embedded Lizzo video:
(numbers added for referencing purposes only)
1. Elizabeth Taylor, 2019
"Tyrone is Jerome's cousin. This is the prequel."
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REPLY
2. Monique Stewart, 2020
"YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS, I knew I was going to find this comment.LOL!!!!"
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REPLY
3. Haleemah, 2020
"She wasn't kicking out Tyrone, Tyrone was helping her ex get his sh&t* lol."
-snip-
*This word is fully spelled out in that comment.
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4. Samantha Mac, 2019
"2019 version of “Tyrone” 😂 I need her and Eryka Badu to do a mashup"
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5. Nafisah Coma, 2019
"I can't be the only one getting "Tyrone" vibes from this"
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6. MindlessMisfit1219, 2019
"lol this is officially the "tyrone" of this generation. if you know then you know"
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REPLY
7. Latrel Magallon, 2019
"Tyrone by erykah badu?"
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REPLY
8. Kat Webb, 2019
"@Latrel Magallon Yes"
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REPLY
9. too dank, 2019
"this is true tea"
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REPLY
10. SiSi, 2019
"👏👏👏👏👏👏
Tyrone's & Jerome's round the world, git yo sh&t* & come back when yo grown 🙌"
-snip-
This word is fully spelled out in that comment.
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REPLY
11. justice relax, 2019
"Right the names rhymes with each other."
-snip-
Also, here are a few of the comments from that same discussion thread about the name "Jerome":
1. tearso0, 2019
"I feel bad for every high school kid whose name is Jerome😂"
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2. Chantal Rensburg, 2019
"I bet the dislikes came from all of them Jerome's😏"
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3. Reneilwe Lesufi, 2019
"Pretty awkward when your boyfriend’s name is actually Jerome😂"
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REPLY
4. Pretty Banda, 2019
"It’s gonna work out if he messes up thou 😂"
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REPLY
5. evangelina grey, 2019
"🤣🤣🤣"
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This concludes this pancocojams series.
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