What "Singing Flat Footed" Means In African American Vernacular English

Edited by Azizi Powell Edited by September 29, 2024

This is Part II of a two part pancocojams series about the African American Vernacular English (AAVE) complimentary phrase "flat footed" as it refers to a certain type of singer.
This post presents a definition, information, comments, and an article excerpt about the complimentary African American Vernacular English term "flat footed" as it relates to singers. Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2024/09/video-examples-of-flat-footed-singing.html for Part II of this pancocojams series. That post showcases three YouTube videos of Gospel singers who are complimentarily referred to as "singing flat footed" or "flat footed singers". Selected comments from those videos' discussion threads are also included in this post.
The content of this post is presented for linguistic and cultural purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks also to the publishers of these videos on YouTube. -snip-
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/02/linguistic-alert-another-verncular.html for a closely related 2014 pancocojams post entitled "What "Sang", "Sanging", & "Sanger" REALLY Mean In African American Vernacular English".**** A DEFINITION FOR "SINGING FLAT FOOTED" OR ''FLAT FOOTED SINGERS" The African American Vernacular English present tense, exhortation, and other tenses for the English word "sang" means "to sing very well, and especially to sing soulfully very well".* Vocalists may "sang" in different ways. Flat footing is just one way to "sang". The present tense AAVE meaning of "sang" is, in part, an updated forms of how African Americans have used the word "sing" (i.e. "Sing it!" ; "You better sing that song, chile".) While "sing" is still used those ways, the AAVE meaning of "sang" and its other forms seem to have largely taken the place of the word "sing" with its added meaning of "singing very well., especially singing soulfully very well." *This is the definition for the African American Vernacular English (AAVE) term "sang" that I wrote in 2014. That meaning for "sang" and "sangin' can be found online (particularly in YouTube discussion threads for African American Gospel music) from at least 2010 or so. I consulted* with my brother R.E.B. Manning about the terms "singing flat footed" and "flat footed singers". Dr. Manning is a , an African American musician/church choir director and former public school administrator who has a PhD in music education, indicated that "flat footed singer" is an old African American referent from the South that describes and compliments vocalists who sing hard (powerfully) while standing with their feet flat on the ground. Dr. Manning also confirmed my guess that "singing flat footed" and "flat footed singer" aren't widely used anymore. Dr. Manning shared that instead of "flat footed", the terms "anointed singers" and "sang" (as in "He can sang" are frequently used to refer to powerful Gospel singers. *I'm very proud of my brotherfor his academic accomplishments and otherwise which is why I used the word "consulted" instead of "asked". My sense is that the vocalists who are referred to as "sangers" but wouldn't be described as being "flat footed" singers, are more performative in the way they sing. This doesn't necessarily mean that those people who aren't singing flat footed are being fake or what some people would consider to be overly theatrical. After all, there's a wide range of ways that vocalists-like other people- can express the Spirit and/or express their real selves when they sing. For example, click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLVkVbrWidk for part II of a three part YouTube video series about Patti Labelle, an undisputed R&B & Gospel queen of sanging. That video is entitled "Patti Labelle being EXTRA on stage Part 2" was published by Pop Land on June 7, 2020. Here's the summary for that video: "Enjoy the second installment in a series that celebrates the , kick her shoes off, roll on the floor, Queen of Extra, Ms Patti Labelle!"
As the video about Patti Labelle suggests, although almost all of the references to "singing flat footed" that I've come across online apply to Black Gospel singers, singing flat footed can also apply to other genres of music and to other races and ethnicities. Read the portion of the video below that refers to some Pop vocalists as being "flat flooted" singers **** A FACEBOOK DISCUSSION THREAD ABOUT SOME POP VOCALISTS WHO ARE FLAT FOOTED SINGERS from https://www.facebook.com/mikephillipsfan/posts/can-anyone-just-stand-flat-footed-and-sing-anymore-seems-like-people-need-more-a/10151262524520251/
I added numbers for referencing purposes only. 1. Mike Phillips, Feb 12, 2012 "Can anyone just stand flat footed and sing anymore? Seems like people need more and more things around their art to make the art better... But it doesn't make it better.. its just a whole bunch of things that get in the way of the music. #imissyouwhitney" -snip- This hash tag refers to Pop singer Whitney Houston with the implication that she was a flat footed singer.
** Reply 2. Abby Franklin, 2012 "Adele is up next. She will stand flat footed."
** Reply 3. Desiréia Valteau, 2012 "Commercial music is all about an image - a facade. Just sing."
** Reply 4. J Henry Live, 2012 "well said man! It drives me that there is no originality or pure talent"
** Reply 5. Sonya Lavonne, 2012 "And there stands Adele..." ** Reply 6. Melissa Dye, 2012 "I keep thinking that the worse the band, the more stage props and distraction they get. Alicia and Bonnie stood still, no flashing lights, etc...and killed it.

Coldplay needed 40,000 glowsticks to remain interesting."

** Reply 7. Monica Fuller Hawkins, 2012 "Adele is and that is about it"
** Reply 8. Mike Phillips, 2012 "Yes Abby she is a beast"

**** AN ARTICLE EXCERPT ABOUT ARETHA FRANKLIN from https://medium.com/@KeaWorthen/rest-in-heaven-queen-2886320e6c8b  "Rest In Heaven, Queen" by K. R. Worthen, August 16, 2018 "We have a saying in the Southern Baptist tradition: When you are prepared to stand flat-footed and sing, you are singing for the Lord. It’s about believing in something greater than yourself and trusting that everything is going to work out. It’s not about deciding to be vulnerable, it’s about understanding that you already are, and just giving it up, turning it loose, and accepting it.

In this acceptance, you stand and, from the bottom to the top, you turn it all over to God. With a flat-footed stance, and your face turned toward heaven, you sing. This is what Aretha did throughout her life. This is what her music represents. Let’s be clear,

Aretha’s voice was otherworldly, but she was not just a singer, she was a musician, pianist, and artist. She turned all of those aspects of herself over to God, and it gave her singing richness, depth, and power the likes of which we rarely see.

I’m not much of a church person these days, but there is something about the musicians that have their foundation in the church. It is more than just vocal ability, it’s about a learned willingness to give it all up as you sing and create. Whether Aretha was singing the Gospel or singing about giving her man something he can feel, she learned early in life that the best path on the artist’s walk is one where you learn to let go.”… -snip- Without directly stating it, this article asserts that Aretha Franklin was a flat footed singer.

**** I contend in this pancocojams post that the terms "singing flat footed" and "flat footed singers" came from African American Vernacular English and particularly came from African American church goers in the southern region of the United States. I believe that this is the case because so many of the online examples of these terms seem to be used by people from those demographics. Please share any information that you know about when and where the meaning of "singing flat footed" / "flat footed singers" originated and whether and where those terms are still used. Thanks! **** This concludes Part II of this two part pancocojams series. Thanks for visiting pancocojams. Visitor comments are welcome.