This pancocojams post presents a YouTube video of the Jamaican circle game "Brown Girl In The Ring" with selected comments from some of these videos' discussion threads.
This post also includes lyrics for an example of a 1904 version of "There's A Brown Girl In The Ring" as well as lyrics for Lord Invader's 1946/1947 Calypso version of this game song.
This pancocojams post also presents information about the meaning of skin color meaning of "brown" and "browning" in Jamaica and includes my editorial comments about whether "Brown Girl In The Ring" is racist and/or promotes colorism. .
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The content of this post is presented for folkloric and socio-cultural purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to the unknown composer/s of this song. Thanks to Lord Invader for his musical legacy and thanks to all those who are featured in this showcase video. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the publisher of this video on YouTube.
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This post is a copy of a pancocojams post http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2017/03/is-caribbean-game-song-brown-girl-in.html that was published in 2017: That post has been extensively revised since its initial publication on pancocojams in 2017 and has 11 comments as of January 13, 2023.
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2023/01/theres-brown-girl-in-ring-youtube.html. Most of the YouTube examples, lyrics, and comments in that post were included in the original 2017 post.
I decided to revisit that 2017 post on the game song "Thee's A Black Girl In The Ring" because I happened to come across this statement about the song "Brown Girl in the Ring" in this Wikipedia page "Colorism" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorism_in_the_Caribbean#Jamaica
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I still don't know that it's true that the "There's A Brown Girl In The Ring" game "promotes a preference for 'brown skin girls' over dark-skinned ones." in Jamaica or elsewhee/
I'd love to know how Dr. Petra Robinson reached those conclusions.
My answer- No. maybe, and yes.
I agree with Tami Winfrey Harris that "Brown Girl In The Ring" isn't intrinsically racist. However, "Brown Girl In The Ring is racial as it refers to the race (skin color) of children who are playing a game.
The sections in this post help suss out why I don't have a clear cut answer to the question of whether "Brown Girl In The Ring " is racist.
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WHAT DOES "BROWN" MEAN IN THE SONG "BROWN GIRL IN THE RING"
The word "brown" in the song "Brown Girl In The Ring" refers to the skin color of children who are playing a circle game (ring game). The girl (or boy) "in the ring" is standing in the middle of the circle.
I believe that "brown" in the Jamaican singing game "Brown Girl In the Ring" is a color reference that described who was playing that game. The earliest version of that singing game that I have come across 'There's A Black Boy In The Ring" ("Ring" here means the the circle that is formed by the game's players.
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A 1904 VERSION OF THIS GAME SONG
"There's A Black Boy In The Ring" singing game is included in a 1904 collection entitled "Jamaican Song and Story: Annancy stories, digging sings, ring tunes, and dancing tunes" by Walter Jekyll. A digital version of this book can be found at https://www.gutenberg.org/files/35410/35410-h/35410-h.htm#Page_207. [This singing game is actually on page 208]
| There's a black boy in a ring, tra la la la la, There's a black boy in a ring, tra la la la la, There's a black boy in a ring, tra la la la la, He like sugar an' I like plum. Wheel an' take you pardner, jump shamador! Wheel an' take you pardner, jump shamador! Wheel an' take you pardner, jump shamador! For he like sugar an' I like plum. |
The boy inside the ring chooses his partner, whom he leaves there after the dance. She obtains release by choosing another partner, whom she leaves behind. So there is alternately a boy and a girl in the ring.
"Shamador" is possibly a corruption of "camerado."
-end of quote-
I don't know when or why the color referent in this game song changed from "Black" to "Brown"
Was a version of this song that used the "brown girl" rather than the "black boy" words so popular that people sang those words and by force of repetition, that wording became the sandard?
Did people change the color referent in this song from "Black" to "Brown" because the population of Jamaica was becoming more brown than black? I don't know.
However, by 1946/1947 the eminent Trinidadian Calypsonian Lord Invader's recording of this game song was titled "Brown Girl In A Ring". Maybe that was the song that was so popular that the wording changed from black to brown. (Although in his lyrics to that song, Lord Invader says that he sung this song when he was a child).
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Since at least the 19th century in Jamaica, the skin color referent "brown" refers to light skin Black people and mixed race people. (These two terms sometimes refer to different populations.)
The next sections provide some historical and current usages of the word "brown" in Jamaica when it is used to refer to certain populations.
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19th CENTURY MEANINGS OF THE WORD "BROWN" IN JAMICA
Judging by Jamaican sea chanties, since at least the 19th century in Jamaica, the word "brown" used as a skin color referent means "light skinned" and/or mixed race (i.e.Black mixed with White and/or another race.
Here's some information about Sally Brown shanties from my 2012 pancocojams post with that title:
" "Sally Brown" is a Jamaican sea shanty about a mixed race (mulatto; Creole) woman. Like all shanties, there are multiple versions of "Sally Brown". In addition to the song titled "Sally Brown", there are many other shanties that mention "Sally" and "Sally Brown".
The surname (last name) "Brown" may have referred to Sally's mixed race ancestry. Note that the word "shallow" (challow) in the song "Shallow Brown" means a person of mixed race."
-end of quote-
In the Jamaican sea shantie "Roll And Go", Sally Brown is referred to as a "bright mulatto". In those lyrics "bright" very light and "mulatto" is a person who has one Black birth parent and one White birth parent. (The term "mulatto" has been retired from formal usage in the United States since around the mid 1960s). "Bright mulatto" means the same thing as the United States term "high yellow". That term has also been retired from formal usage since at least the mid 20th century.
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EARLY 20th CENTURY EXAMPLES OF THE WORD "BROWN" IN JAMAICAN SONGS
There are numerous other Jamaican examples of folk songs which feature a person whose last name is "Brown". One example that interested me was
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JAMAICAN PATOIS DEFINITIONS FOR "BROWN" AND "BROWNING"
Here's a Jamaican Patois definition for "brown" from https://jamaicanpatwah.com/term/Brown-man/1311#.Y8BszHbMK1s
Brown man (Noun)
English Translation
Light skinned black male
Definition
Slang expression used to refer to a light skinned black male
Example Sentences
Patois: Who dah brown man deh ova deh suh?
English: Who’s that light skinned black man over there?"
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Here's a Jamaican Patois definition of the word "browning" from https://jamaicanpatwah.com/term/Browning/928#.Y8BtGXbMK1s
Browning
English Translation
Mixed race
Definition
a person who is mixed race with light skin
Example Sentences
Patois: Look pon dah browning deh!
English: Look at that light skin person
posted by alicia.dean.7940 on March 22, 2017
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Dancehall star Buju Banton had a smash hit called "Love My Browning" in 1992. In that song he may have been referring to mixed race women or to light skin women whether they be mixed race or not. He later recorded a song about how he loves "all Black women". https://genius.com/Buju-banton-love-black-woman-lyric
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WHY DO PEOPLE THINK THAT "BROWN GIRL IN THE RING" IS RACIST
1. I believe that some people think that "Brown Girl In The Ring" is racist because they believe that any mention of race or skin color is racist.
For what it's worth, I don't agree with that.
Under some circumstances, I believe that it is appropriate and perhaps even necessary to use racial or skin color references- for instance for descriptive purposes that don't have or imply a positive or negative valuation.
I believe that the words "There's a brown girl in the ring" (with its earlier words "There's a Black boy in the ring" was written to describe who was playing that game. Given the oppression and prejudice that children of African descent or some African descent live/d under, my guess is that that skin color reference was purposely used to boost up the self-esteem and the group esteem of those children.
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2. Some people think that "brown" in the song "Brown Girl In The Ring" means a light skinned Black person, some other light skinned person who isn't White, and/or a mixed race person.
Those people who think that might also believe that the song (or people who play that game) encourages children to favor light skinned/mixed race people over other people.
Doing so would be an example of colorism. Colorism means the preference of one skin color over others, for instance favoring light skin Black people over dark skin Black people.
For what it's worth, I don't agree that this song encourages children to favor light skinned/mixed race people over other people. Besides its descriptive purpose (to point out who was playing that game), I believe that that song may have been compose to boost the self-concept and group concept of Black (Brown skinned ) children regardless of whether their skin color was light, "medium brown, or dark.
Here's a comment exchange from the discussion thread for the YouTube video of Jamaican school girls playing "Brown Girl In The Ring" that is embedded at the top of this pancocojams post. That comment exchange includes a comment that I wrote:
(Numbers are added for referencing purposes only.)
1. Phillip M. Ranglin, 2021
"Did someone stop a girl at the start, saying that she’s not brown?"
Reply
2.
"Yes. Right around 6 seconds. I never noticed it before. I can't say that I'm surprised. Unfortunately there is quite a bit of colorism in the schools, and in society here."
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Reply
3. Lael Wildgoose, 2021
"I definitely didnt see or hear it...
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Reply
4. Ms Sophia Ffrench, 2022
"Yes that's what I hear🤣🤣
Reply
Azizi Powell, 2023
"
I assume that Dr. Robinson meant "lighter brown skinned girls over "darker" brown skinned girls. I'd like to read her dissertation to see how she arrived at that conclusion instead of interpreting "brown" as a group referent for all Black people in Jamaica (as well as as a group referent for other non-White girls in that nation).
With regard to this video, It appears to me that all but one of the girls in this video are the same brown skin color. The girl who appears to be a little lighter than the others isn't the one who is addressed (at .06 in this video). I believe that one girl told the other something like "You're not brown". I think this comment might have meant something innocuous like "You already had a turn being the brown girl in the ring" or "It's not your turn to be the brown girl in the ring".
As such, I don't think this particular video is an example of colorism."
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SOME CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE "BROWN GIRL IN THE RING" COULD BE PROBLEMATIC
The singing game "Brown Girl In The Ring" could be problematic if children sing this song in a majority White setting where there is only one or only a few children of color (meaning "children of some black African descent and/or other children whose skin complexion is brown). I've read comments about brown skinned girls who were given “the honor” or the responsibility of playing the role of the "brown girl in the ring". Even if other people thought/think that this is an honor, it may not be considered that way by those "brown skinned girls" or "brown skinned boys" (when the song is sung to reflect the gender of the child who happens to be in the middle).
Read the comments that are quoted in the Addendum below.
The "Brown Girl In A Ring" game song can be problematic if the words are adapted to reflect the races/ethnicities of children playing that game. People usually use visual clues such as skin color, facial features, and hair texture to guess what race/ethnicity a person is part of. Those visual clues may be wrong, the person could be of ambiguous ethnicity, and/or the person may consider themselves to be a member of more than one racial/ethnic group.
I cringe at the thought of children changing the words to "Brown Girl In The Ring" when a girl who looks "White" is in the middle of the ring or when a girl who is Asian in the middle of the ring: i. e, "There's a White girl in the ring tra la la la la" and "There's an Asian girl in the ring tra la la la la." And what of children who are first generation mixed race? Having other people decide which race/ethnicity a mixed racial person is a part of can exacerbate the issues many mixed race people have with the racial identity.
I also cringe at the thought of children changing the words to "Brown Girl In The Ring" using other skin color references such as "yellow" for Asians and "red" for Native Americans, etc..
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MY RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT THE GAME SONG "THERE'S A BROWN GIRL IN THE RING"
Despite what I consider its pleasant, catchy tune, and its creative lyrics, and more positive attributes, given the racial (and sometimes racist) environment that children still have to navigate in the 2000s, my recommendation is to err on the side of caution and NOT include the game song "There's A Brown Girl In The Ring" in children's music curriculum, unless this song is part of the curriculum for older children who are studying the history of folk songs or the history of Jamaican and/or Caribbean children's game songs and/or folk songs.
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ADDENDUM: SELECTED COMMENTS FROM A BONEY M VIDEO OF "BROWN GIRL IN THE RING"
Here are some comments from a Boney M video's discussion thread in which the commenters mention racism:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1So7q6IfJ4&feature=emb_logo
1. mr y mysterious video, 2009
"true story....
when i was about 6, there was only one black girl in our whole school in wales.
they played this song at our xmas party, we all sat in a circle while she danced for our entertainment - it wasn't a racist thing though - we were being literal and she seemed to enjoy herself."
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2. Becca Secret, 2009
"funny, my aunt thought this song was rascist xxx"
11. mr y mysterious video
"i was 7, at school in ely, cardiff, wales.
it was christmas, the entire school gathered in a big circle while the sole black girl in school stood in the middle and danced with all her heart to this song - a true story.
and yet... it was all so innocent, nobody had any malice but they wouldn't try that these days!"
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3. mr y mysterious video, 2012
"i was 7, at school in ely, cardiff, wales.
it was christmas, the entire school gathered in a big circle while the sole black girl in school stood in the middle and danced with all her heart to this song - a true story.
and yet... it was all so innocent, nobody had any malice but they wouldn't try that these days!"
4. RichXboxOne, 2015
"This is an excellent song, but if it was released now, the PC Brigade and the Loony left would complain about it being racist. "
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5. Francisco Castillo Mata,2017
"Qué bonitas son las pieles morenas, y cuanto han sido maltratadas por el " hombre blanco" ( y lo siguen siendo, más sutilmente, tal vez ). En un tiempo lejano, todos fuimos negros, o de un color oscuro. Son los orígenes de toda la humanidad. En EEUU, por ejemplo, todavía hay muchísimo racismo, y a veces no se molestan ni en disimularlo ( también en España, por supuesto). Bueno, el vídeo es encantador, y la música muy contagiosa. Solo espero que no me fusilen por haber expresado ciertas ideas, y que la USA Air Forcé no me bombardee."
Google translate from Spanish to English:
"How beautiful are the brown skins, and how much they have been battered by the "white man" (and they are still, more subtly, perhaps). In a distant time, we were all black, or a dark color. They are the origins of all humanity. In the US, for example, there is still a lot of racism, and sometimes they do not bother or disguise it (also in Spain, of course). Well, the video is charming, and the music very contagious. I just hope they do not shoot me for expressing certain ideas, and that the USA Air Force did not bomb me."
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6. Ravneet Bains, 2018
"My mum just told me thought this song was about Asian girls back in the 1980's and she felt very offended at the time because she thought they where being racist. Now she has got over once I told her that the song is light skin black women."
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Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
I want to acknowledge that my conclusion about whether the game song "There's A Brown Girl In The Ring" is racist is vastly different now than it was in my 2017 post on this subject.
ReplyDeleteThat 2017 post mostly focuses on the possibility that the "There's A Brown Girl In The Ring" singing game could be racially problematic when performances of that game singled out Brown girls for the "honor" of being the Brown girl in the ring.
My conclusion in that original 2017 pancocojams post was that that song wasn't racist and I made no conclusions about whether that song should or shouldn't be included in children's musical curriculums.
One main difference between that 2017 pancocojams post and this one was that I only considered the skin color referent "brown" using my experiences in the United States where that color then and now is mostly interpreted as meaning "all Black people" and where there are no colorist interpretations that I am aware of.
Another significant difference is that the original 2017 version of this post (that I deleted) doesn't mention the 1904 example of this game song that has the title "There's A Black Boy In The RIng". That 2017 version of this post also doesn't refer to Lord Invader's 1946-1947 version of "Brown Girl In The Ring". That 2017 version also doesn't include any information about the long history of "brown" (and the current definition of "browning") in Jamaica meaning "a light skinned [Black] person and/or "a person of mixed race".
All of these additions where made in that original pancocojams post between 2017 and January 2023. That 2017 post was so heavily revised that I decided to delete its content, but not its viewer comments. I also decided to publish the portion of tht 2017 that showcased several videos to a separate 2023 pancocojams post.
Furthermore, I decided to publish the same content that is now in the 2017 post in this 2023 post so that current pancocojams visitors could more easily find a post on this subject.
I didn't save any of the old versions of this post because I want to make sure that the content of this post is read rather than what I've come to see is the incomplete and faulty post that I had written and revised between 2017 and now.
I don't promise that there won't be other additions to this post. If so, I will date them in the post itself.
Thanks again to all those that read these pancocojams post.