Edited by Azizi Powell
This is Part I of a two part pancocojams series that presents examples of rhymes from that refer to food or beverages from African American university professor Thomas W. Talley's 1922 book entitled Negro Folk Rhymes; Wise and Otherwise.
Part I provides information about Thomas W. Talley, including information about his now classic collection Negro Folk Rhymes (Wise and Otherwise). This post also presents some examples of this sub-category of rhymes (songs) from that collection.
Click https://www.blogger.com/blog/posts/5893219718076521675 for Part II of this series. That post present some additional examples of this sub-category of rhymes (songs) from Thomas W. Talley's collection.
The content of this post is presented for historical, socio-cultural, and educational purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to Dr. Thomas W. Talley for his research and writing. Thanks to all the unknown composer/s of these rhymes (songs) and those people who shared these rhymes Dr. Talley. Thanks to all others who are quoted in this post. In addition, thanks to the original publisher of this collection and thanks to and thanks to The Project Gutenberg for the 2008. Ebook edition of this book.
-snip-
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2022/02/jessica-rose-food-and-slave-communities.html for the closely related pancocojams post entitled "Jessica Rose - "Food And Slave Communities In The Antebellum South" (Excerpt Of A 2016 CUNY Dissertation)." Most of the research that is presented in that dissertation is validated by these Negro Folk Rhymes examples. (That research also presents information about the relationship between poor Whites and enslaved Black people in the southern region of the United States. That subject isn't mentioned in the Negro Folk Rhymes collection.)
Also, click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/07/versions-of-shortnin-bread-1900-1950.html for a pancocojams post entitled "Versions Of "Shortnin' Bread" Song (1900-1950)". The title for the "Shortnin' Bread" song is given in Thomas W. Talley's book as "Two Sick Negroes". The song "Salt-Rising Bread" in that collection is also related to the song "Shortnin Bread".
****
INFORMATION ABOUT THOMAS W. TALLEY
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_W._Talley
"Thomas Washington Talley (October 9, 1870 – July 14, 1952)
was a chemistry professor at Fisk University and a collector of African
American folk songs.
Early life and education
Thomas W. Talley was born on October 9, 1870, in
Shelbyville, Tennessee. He was one of eight children born to former slaves,
Charles Washington and Lucinda Talley.[1]
Talley attended public school for six years, followed by high school and college at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, where he received an A.B. in 1890 and a master's degree in 1893. Starting in 1888 he participated in the Fisk music program, singing with the New Fisk Jubilee Singers and the Mozart Society, as well as the Fisk Union Church. He also conducted the Fisk choir for a number of seasons.[2]
[…]
Negro Folk Rhymes (Wise and Otherwise)
Talley began collecting rural black folk songs later in his
life. Talley's first collection, published in 1922, Negro Folk Rhymes (Wise And Otherwise) contained 349 secular folksongs and spirituals. Already being
well-known as the first such collection assembled by an African-American
scholar,[2] the book was seen at the time as a "masterpiece of the
field".[5] It was not only the first compilation of African-American
secular folk songs, but also of folk songs of any kind from Tennessee.[2] An
edited edition of Negro Folk Rhymes/ was re-released in 1991. Additional
published works about music by Talley include The Origin of Negro Traditions
and A Systematic Chronology of Creation.[1]
The publication of Negro Folk Rhymes marked a turning point in the study of African-American verse. Before its publication, little note had been taken of black secular traditions. Talley's book, along with a later collection by Howard Odum and Guy Johnson, called attention to these works.[6]”…
PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
This pancocojams series presents some examples from a sub-set of rhymes (songs) in Thomas W. Talley's
These selected examples are presented in this pancocojams series "as is" (in whole or in part) according to their page/s in the Project Gutenberg Ebook edition of that collection. The exceptions to this statement is that I've added asterisks between each example and I've used amended spelling for the referent that is commonly called "the n word". (The spelling that I've used is "Ni&&er" or "Ni&&ah").
In Thomas W. Talley's 1922 book Negro Folk Rhymes, "the n word" was used as a largely non-offensive group referent for Black people. However, in most of the 20th century and in the 21st century "the n word" is usually considered to be a highly derogatory referent whose use is very much discouraged.
-snip-
Added: Feb. 22, 2022
Thomas W. Talley's 1922 Negro Folk Rhymes documents that these versions of the rhymes (songs) in his collection were remembered by Talley and/or by other African Americans who shared them with him. It doesn't mean that these examples necessarily originated with African Americans.
It's very difficult if not impossible to know who were the original composers of American [United States] folk songs. To a large extent that is because of racism against Black Americans and the fact that so much of Black history (in the United States and elsewhere, was purposely lost and stolen.
Click https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/05/20/rhiannon-giddens-and-what-folk-music-means for a related article entitled "Rhiannon Giddens and What Folk Music Means".
****
FOOD OR BEVERAGES REFERENCES IN THE 1922 BOOK "NEGRO FOLK RHYMES"
From https://www.gutenberg.org/files/27195/27195-h/27195-h.htm by Thomas W. Talley [originally published 1922]
[...]
Dance Rhyme Section
[Pg 2]
STILL WATER CREEK
'Way down yon'er on Still Water Creek,
I got stalded an' stayed a week.
I see'd Injun Puddin and Punkin pie,
But de black cat stick 'em in de yaller cat's eye.
[…]
I got hongry on Still Water Creek,
De mud to de hub an' de hoss britchin weak.
I stewed bullfrog chitlins, baked polecat pie;
If I goes back dar, I shō's gwine to die.
****
[Pg 6]
T-U-TURKEY
T-u, tucky, T-u, ti.
T-u, tucky, buzzard's eye.
T-u, tucky, T-u, ting.
T-u, tucky, buzzard's wing.
Oh, Mistah Washin'ton! Don't whoop me,
Whoop dat Ni&&er Back 'hind dat tree.
[Pg 7]
He stole tucky, I didn' steal none.
Go wuk him in de co'n field jes fer fun.
[Pg 7]
CHICKEN IN THE BREAD TRAY
"Auntie, will yō' dog bite?"—
"No, Chile! No!"
Chicken in de bread tray
A makin' up dough.
"Auntie, will yō' broom hit?"—
"Yes, Chile!" Pop!
Chicken in de bread tray;
"Flop! Flop! Flop!"
"Auntie, will yō' oven bake?"—
"Yes. Jes fry!"—
"What's dat chicken good fer?"—
"Pie! Pie! Pie!"
"Auntie, is yō' pie good?"—
"Good as you could 'spec'."
Chicken in de bread tray;
"Peck! Peck! Peck!"
[Pg 10]
ON TOP OF THE POT
Wild goose gallop an' gander trot;
Walk about, Mistiss, on top o' de pot!
Hog jowl bilin', an' tunnup greens hot,
Walk about, Billie, on top o' de pot!
Chitlins, hog years, all on de spot,
Walk about, ladies, on top o' de pot!
[Pg 11]
NEGROES NEVER DIE
Ni&&er! Ni&&er never die!
He gits choked on Chicken pie….
****
[Pg 17]
JACKSON, PUT THAT KETTLE ON!
Jackson, put dat kittle on!
Fire, steam dat coffee done!
Day done broke, an' I got to run
Fer to meet my gal by de risin' sun.
My ole Mosser say to me,
Dat I mus' drink [10]sassfac tea;
But Jackson stews dat coffee done,
An' he shō' gits his po'tion: Son!
[10] Sassfac = sassafras.
[Pg 18]
DINAH'S DINNER HORN
It's a cōl', frosty mornin',
An' de Ni&&ers goes to wo'k;
Wid deir axes on deir shoulders,
An' widout a bit o' [11]shu't.
Dey's got ole husky ashcake,
Widout a bit o' fat;
An' de white folks'll grumble,
If you eats much o' dat.
I runs down to de henhouse,
An' I falls upon my knees;
It's 'nough to make a rabbit laugh
To hear my tucky sneeze.
I grows up on dem meatskins,
I comes down on a bone;
I hits dat co'n bread fifty licks,
I makes dat butter moan.
It's glory in yō' honor!
An' don't you want to go?
I sholy will be ready
Fer dat dinnah ho'n to blow.
[Pg 19]
Dat ole bell, it goes "Bangity—bang!"
Fer all dem white folks bo'n.
But I'se not ready fer to go
Till Dinah blows her ho'n.
"Poke—sallid!" "Poke—sallid!"
Dat ole ho'n up an' blow.
Jes think about dem good ole greens!
Say? Don't you want to go?
****
Pg 23
AN OPOSSUM HUNT
'Possum meat is good an' sweet,
I always finds it good to eat.
My dog tree, I went to see.
A great big 'possum up dat tree.
I retch up an' pull him in,
Den dat ole 'possum 'gin to grin.
[Pg 24]
I tuck him home an' dressed him off,
Dat night I laid him in de fros'.
De way I cooked dat 'possum sound,
I fust parboiled, den baked him brown.
I put sweet taters in de pan,
'Twus de bigges' eatin' in de lan'.
[Pg 24]
DEVILISH PIGS
I wish I had a load o' poles,
To fence my new-groun' lot;
To keep dem liddle bitsy debblish pigs
Frum a-rootin' up all I'se got.
Dey roots my cabbage, roots my co'n;
Dey roots up all my beans.
Dey speilt my fine sweet-tater patch,
An' dey ruint my tunnup greens.
I'se rund dem pigs, an' I'se rund dem pigs.
I'se gittin' mighty hot;
An' one dese days w'en nobody look,
Dey'll root 'round in my pot.
WHEN MY WIFE DIES
W'en my wife dies, gwineter git me anudder one;
A big fat yaller one, jes lak de yudder one.
I'll hate mighty bad, w'en she's been gone.
Hain't no better 'oman never nowhars been bo'n.
W'en I comes to die, you mus'n' bury me deep,
But put Sogrum molasses close by my feet.
Put a pone o' co'n bread way down in my han'.
Gwineter sop on de way to de Promus' Lan'….
[Pg 29]
RING ON YOUR HOT CORN
Bring along yō' hot co'n,
Bring along yō' col' co'n;
But I say bring along,
Bring along yō' [13]Jimmy-john.
Some loves de hot co'n,
Some loves de col' co'n;
But I loves, I loves,
I loves dat Jimmy-john.
[13] Jimmy-john = a whiskey jug.
[Pg 30]
SUGAR IN COFFEE
Sheep's in de meader a-mowin' o' de hay.
De honey's in de bee-gum, so dey all say.
My head's up an' I'se boun' to go.
Who'll take sugar in de coffee-o?
I'se de prettiest liddle gal in de county-o.
My mammy an' daddy, dey bofe say so.
I looks in de glass, it don't say, "No";
So I'll take sugar in de coffee-o.
[Pg. 33]
RABBIT SOUP
Rabbit soup! Rabbit sop!
Rabbit e't my tunnup top.
Rabbit hop, rabbit jump,
Rabbit hide behin' dat stump.
Rabbit stop, twelve o'clock,
Killed dat rabbit wid a rock.
Rabbit's mine. Rabbit's skin'.
Dress 'im off an' take 'im in.
Rabbit's on! Dance an' whoop!
Makin' a pot o' rabbit soup!
[
OLD GRAY MINK
I once did think dat I would sink,
But you know I wus dat ole gray mink.
Dat ole gray mink jes couldn' die,
W'en he thought about good chicken pie.
He swum dat creek above de mill,
An' he's killing an' eatin' chicken still.
[
SHAKE THE PERSIMMONS DOWN
De raccoon up in de 'simmon tree.
Dat 'possum on de groun'.
De 'possum say to de raccoon: "Suh!"
"Please shake dem 'simmons down."
[Pg 35]
De raccoon say to de 'possum: "Suh!"
(As he grin from down below),
"If you wants dese good 'simmons, man,
Jes clam up whar dey grow."
****
[Pg 37]
WANTED! CORNBREAD AND COON
I'se gwine now a-huntin' to ketch a big fat coon.
Gwineter bring him home, an' bake him, an' eat him wid a
spoon.
Gwineter baste him up wid gravy, an' add some onions too.
I'se gwineter shet de Ni&&rs out, an' stuff myse'f clean
through.
I wants a piece o' hoecake; I wants a piece o' bread,
An' I wants a piece o' Johnnycake as big as my ole head.
I wants a piece o' ash cake: I wants dat big fat coon!
An' I shō' won't git hongry 'fore de middle o' nex' June.
RATION DAY
Dat ration day come once a week,
Ole Mosser's rich as Gundy;
But he gives us 'lasses all de week,
An' buttermilk fer Sund'y.
Ole Mosser give me a pound o' meat.
I e't it all on Mond'y;
Den I e't 'is 'lasses all de week,
An' buttermilk fer Sund'y.
Ole Mosser give me a peck o' meal,
I fed and cotch my tucky;
But I e't dem 'lasses all de week,
An' buttermilk fer Sund'y.
Oh laugh an' sing an' don't git tired.
We's all gwine home, some Mond'y,
To de honey ponds an' fritter trees;
An' ev'ry day'll be Sund'y.
[
GOOSEBERRY WINE
Now 'umble Uncle Steben,
I wonders whar youse gwine?
Don't never tu'n yō' back, Suh,
On dat good ole gooseberry wine!....
****
[Pg 46]
RATTLER
Go call ole Rattler from de bo'n.
Here Rattler! Here!
He'll drive de cows out'n de co'n,
Here Rattler! Here!
Rattler is my huntin' dog.
Here Rattler! Here!
He's good fer rabbit, good fer hog,
Here Rattler! Here!
He's good fer 'possum in de dew.
Here Rattler! Here!
Sometimes he gits a chicken, too.
Here Rattler! Here!
****
[Pg 46]
BROTHER BEN AND SISTER SAL
Ole Br'er Ben's a mighty good ole man
He don't steal chickens lak he useter.
He went down de chicken roos' las' Friday night,
An' tuck off a dominicker rooster.
[Pg 47]
Dere's ole Sis Sal, she climbs right well,
But she cain't 'gin to climb lak she useter.
So yonder she sets a shellin' out co'n
To Mammy's ole bob-tailed rooster.
[…]
Ole Sis Sal's got a foot so big,
Dat she cain't wear no shoes an' gaiters.
So all she want is some red calico,
An' dem big yaller yam sweet taters….
****
[Pg 47]
NOBODY LOOKING
Well: I look dis a way, an' I look dat a way,
An' I heared a mighty rumblin'.
W'en I come to find out, 'twus dad's black sow,
A-rootin' an' a-grumblin'.
Den: I slipped away down to de big White House.
Miss Sallie, she done gone 'way.
I popped myse'f in de rockin' chear,
An' I rocked myse'f all day.
Now: I looked dis a way, an' I looked dat a way,
An' I didn' see nobody in here.
I jes run'd my head in de coffee pot,
An' I drink'd up all o' de beer.
****
[Pg 49]
HOECAKE
If you wants to bake a hoecake,
To bake it good an' done;
Jes' slap it on a Ni&&er's heel,
An' hol' it to de sun.
Dat snake, he bake a hoecake,
An' sot de toad to mind it;
Dat toad he up an' go to sleep,
An' a lizard slip an' find it!
My mammy baked a hoecake,
As big as Alabamer.
She throwed it 'g'inst a Ni&&er's head
An' it ring jes' lak a hammer.
De way you bakes a hoecake,
In de ole Virginy 'tire;
You wrops it 'round a Ni&&er's heel,
An' hōl's it to de fire.
****
[Pg 50]
I WENT DOWN THE ROAD
I went down de road,
I went in a whoop;
An' I met Aunt Dinah
Wid a chicken pot o' soup.
Sing: "I went away from dar; hook-a-doo-dle,
hook-a-doo-dle."
"I went away from dar; hook-a-doo-dle-doo!"
I drunk up dat soup,
An' I let her go by;
An' I tōl' her nex' time
To bring Missus' pot pie.
Sing: "Oh far'-you-well; hook-a-doo-dle,
hook-a-doo-dle;
Oh far'-you-well, an' a hook-a-doo-dle-doo!"
This concludes Part I of this two part pancocojams series.
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