Vincent Bates, Apr 5, 2012
[LYRICS Come through in a hurry, come through in a hurry, come
through in a hurry Alabama Gal.
I don't know how how . . . . I'll show you how how . . .
Ain't I rock candy . . .
-snip-
I believe that "Ain't I rock candy" means "Aren't I sweet?" (Rock candy is what people in the United States now refer to as hard candy such as peppermint balls.)
-snip-
Repeating the word "how how" is probably a relatively contemporary revision for the elongated word "how".
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Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post showcases five YouTube videos of the American play party song "Alabama Gal".
This post also presents information, lyrics, & instructions for this play party song.
The content of this post is presented for folkloric, cultural, entertainment, and linguistic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to the unknown composer/s of the play party song "Alabama Gal". Thanks also to the collectors of this song and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to all those who are featured in these videos, and thanks to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.
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INFORMATION ABOUT "PLAY PARTY SONGS" & INFORMATION ABOUT "ALABAMA GAL"
Excerpt #1
From https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=PL001 The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture: Play Parties
"The play-party developed out of the American frontier experience and continued in rural environs well into the twentieth century. A play-party is a social gathering in which young people "play" a game involving drama and swinging movements performed to singing and hand clapping, without instrumental accompaniment. The play-party evolved from children's games and grew up in an era when musical instruments were considered inappropriate for proper social occasions. Many churches in early American communities shunned the fiddle, which was often described as "the Devil's box." In the middle South and in the southern highlands, oral tradition preserved play-parties, and as pioneers migrated westward, they carried these traditions with them.
The play-party typically used a song like "Skip to My Lou" or "London Bridge" as a game, combined with music. Participants and sometimes bystanders sang the songs. Play-parties took the place of dance parties for children and adolescents where all other dancing was forbidden. Also popular in less restrictive communities, the play-parties continued into the1930s as entertainment for young adults who could not afford to go to a public dance. As public schools developed, play-parties thrived on the playground. In the twentieth century playgrounds likely preserved many of the songs. Play-parties.... only began to lose popularity in the 1950s..
A play-party could be held in a front room, on a front
porch, in a schoolroom, or in any other open area. Participants dressed more
casually than they would have for dances of the same eras, but play-parties
that were planned in advance encouraged some girls to "fix up." Often
the play-party allowed young women to take the lead in a social situation, as
girls usually organized the party."
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Excerpt #2
From http://assets.pearsonschool.com/asset_mgr/pending/03_AlabamaGal_Mvt_In.pdf
"The song “Alabama Gal” is traditional to the southern United States, and has been enjoyed as a play party for more than 150 years. The play party is not considered to be a dance but a singing game, begun in frontier areas of the country about the middle of the 1800s. It developed because of the prohibition by some pioneer communities against what they perceived as the social dangers of dancing for young people. Moving to the accompaniment of singing, rather than instrumental music, seemed to be acceptable—now the kids were just playing a game instead of dancing. Soon the older and younger generations joined in.
Play parties continued to be one of the main forms of recreation for all ages through the 1940s, and they are still enjoyed today. Several versions of “Alabama Gal” have developed over the years. This one was arranged to fit the musical and interactive form of this lesson.
[...]
Teaching Tips:
● Using the word “pair” instead of “couple” will avoid some
silliness.
● In the classroom, it may be helpful to start with the three pairs shown on the screens, but later, perhaps, have six pairs in each set, repeating the song so each pair has a turn to be the leader. Originally, the game was for “as many as will.
In the old days, males and females danced as partners—this
is how they got to know one another; however, mixed-gender pairs may not
work in the classroom and are not necessary to enjoy this play
party."...
-snip-
This article about "Alabama Gal" has the most detailed play instructions that I have found online.
There are multiple videos of "Alabama Gal" on YouTube. Although this excerpt indicates that "Several versions of "Alabama Gal" have developed over the years", almost all of the YouTube videos and text examples of this play party song that I have come across have the exact same or almost the exact same lyrics, tune, and tempo. Furthermore, all of the "Alabama Gal" examples on YouTube examples that I have watched are played almost the same.
Almost all of these videos show school children in the United States (as young as 2nd grade) performing this play party song under the direction of their music teacher (instead of being self-initiated ). In these videos the children move to the words of a recording of this song* and don't sing the song themselves or have part of the group singing the song while others perform the movements. In some videos, the teacher occasionally sings some of the words to that song, perhaps because that record is difficult to hear.
Most of the other YouTube videos of "Alabama Gal" show adults attending university music classes (in the United States) learning that play party song by singing it and performing its movements.
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ADDITIONAL SHOWCASE VIDEOS
These videos are numbered for referencing purposes only.
SHOWCASE VIDEO #2 - Alabama Gal!!
Music Teacher, Dec 20, 2013
Folk Dance Performed by 4th Grade Students!
-snip-
The first couple who sashay down the middle of the lines in most YouTube videos that I've watched of longways set children’s singing games designate the first couple as the one that I (and I think most people in the United States nowadays) would say is standing "at the top" of the lines. However, in standard longways set (contra dances), that couple would be considered as the "bottom" couple.
This video shows the children using the standard bottom/top references.
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SHOWCASE VIDEO #3: -Brown Elementary 2nd Grade Program (3-11-15) Alabama Gal
Bow Tie Music, Mar 12, 2015
The music and calls for this dance can be found in the New
England Dancing Masters book/CD "Alabama Gal," available here:
https://dancingmasters.com/product/al...
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SHOWCASE VIDEO #4: Alabama Gal with a Grown-up - 3rd Grade Music Program at LPE
Remi Vlogs, Sept. 16, 2022
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SHOWCASE VIDEO #5 - Alabama Gal
Kaci Uipi, Nov 7, 2023
5th graders practice “Alabama Gal.” Boys and girls are
afraid to touch each other’s hands.
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"ALABAMA GAL" - PLAY INSTRUCTIONS
From https://halesharmonies.com/2021/06/03/alabama-gal/
"History:
This is a true southern American gem. This folk dance
appeared in the mid-1800s and was specifically referred to as a play-party.
Many communities believed that some activities, like dancing, were too
dangerous and would corrupt the morals of young people. So rather than having
am immoral dance celebration, people decided it was more appropriate to come
together for “play-parties” where they sang instead of playing instruments. Now
people of all ages are able to participate in this enjoyable social dance.
Formation: There are 4 verses/sections of this dance.
Verse 1: “Come through in a hurry!“
Have children form two lines facing each other. The head
couple (use the language “pair” or “partners” to avoid complaints/silliness)
will link hands and sashay down the center of the lines and then back up to
their original spots. (16 beats total)
Verse 2: “I don’t know how, how.”
Partners move forward and hook elbows for a right elbow turn
(8 beats) and then switch for a left elbow turn (8 beats). By the end, they
must return to their original spots. (16 beats total)
Verse 3: “I’ll show you how, how!”
The head partners cast-off and lead their line in a circle.
They will stop at the original end of the line and create an arch for the rest
of the partners to go under. (16 beats total)
Verse 4: “Ain’t I rock candy?”
The first set of partners to go under the arch will stop at
the top of the line. Everyone else follows and recreates the lines from the
beginning. The original head partners are now at the end of the line and a new
head partners are leading the sashay at the front.
Repeat as many times as you’d like!
Classroom Applications:
–Really good folk dance if you need your kids MOVING
–Great way to teach dance terminology (ex. sashay,
cast-off/”peel the banana”, right/left elbow turn, arch, etc.)
–Song has syncopation in each verse
–Pentatonic scale
–Historical discussions about what used to be appropriate in
dance and entertainment
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