Edited by Azizi Powell
This is Part II of a three part pancocojams series about the meaning of the "-o" in titles and lyrics of some (such as "day-o" and "valley-o")
This post presents examples, information, and theories about the meaning of the use of -o in titles and lyrics of some Caribbean folk songs. This list is culled from a Mudcat folk music discussion thread entitled "West Indian and Calypso Songs". That thread includes song books from other Caribbean nation and is still open for comments (as of April 26, 2026).
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/04/comments-about-meaning-of-o-in-titles.html for Part I of this pancocojams series. That post presents comments from two online discussion threads about the meaning of the "-O" in titles and lyrics of some (such as "day-o" and "valley-o")
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/04/o-in-some-west-african-languages-its.html for Part III of this pancocojams series. That post presents information and theories about the influence of the use of -o in some West African languages on the use of -o in the titles and lyrics of some Caribbean folk songs.
The content of this post is presented for linguistic and folkloric purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to the composers of these Caribbean folk songs and the collectors of these songs. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post..
-snip-
This post replaces a 2022 pancocojams post on this subject.
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A LIST OF CARIBBEAN FOLK SONGS WHOSE TITLES END WITH AN
"O" OR THE WORD "OH" [From Mudcat Folk Music Forum]
Pancocojams Editor's Note:
These excerpts only include the songs in these books whose
titles end with an "o" or the word "oh".
These featured titles are a small subset of the titles for the songs in the books that are given in that Mudcat folk music discussion thread.
Additions and corrections are welcome.
Numbers are added for referencing purposes only and doesn't coincide with the posts (comments) that are found in that discussion thread since the posts (comments) that don't have any song titles with an "o" or "oh" ending aren't included in this pancocojams excerpt.
https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=138255
1. Subject: Index: West Indian and Calypso Songs (Silverman)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 01 Jun 11 - 08:05 PM
Jerry Silverman, 1994, ©1995
English : Printed music : Popular music 1 score (64 p.) : ill. ; 32 cm.
New York : Chelsea House,...
A collection of songs created from the coming together of West African and European traditions in the Caribbean region.
...Feuille-o... Day-o."..
**
2. Subject: RE: Songbook Indexing: Calypso Songbooks
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 01 Jun 11 - 09:28 PM
" "SONGS FROM TRINIDAD
Edric Connor, 1958, Arranged for voices, guitar, drum and
bass by Gareth Walters.
Oxford University Press, London, quarto, pbk.
...Calypsos
22. Sing Sally Oh"...
**
3. Subject: RE: Songbook Indexing: Calypso/Caribbean
Songbooks
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 10 Jun 11 - 01:56 PM
"JAMAICAN SONG AND STORY
Annancy Stories, Digging Sings, Ring Tunes, and Dancing Tunes. With introductory essays.
Walter Jekyll, coll. and edit., 1904 (Dover reprints), The
Folk-lore Society, LV.
...Part II
...Bad homan oh!
Bell a ring a yard oh!
...Oh Samuel oh!
Oh 'liza oh!
Aunty Mary oh!
...Cheer me oh!
...Part III
Ring Tunes
...Oh me Toad oh!"...
Part IV
Dancing Tunes
(to follow in next post)"
**
4. Subject: RE: Songbook Indexing: Calypso/Caribbean
Songbooks
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 10 Jun 11 - 04:06 PM
"Jamaican Song and Story con't.
Part IV
Dancing Tunes
....Oh jilly oh!...
Susan, very well why oh!...
Blackbird a eat puppa corn, oh!"...
**
5. Subject: RE: Songbook Indexing: Calypso/Caribbean
Songbooks
From: MorwenEdhelwen1
Date: 10 Jun 11 - 09:14 PM
"Mango Time: Folk Songs of Jamaica
Noel Dexter, Geoffrey Taylor, Ian Randle Publisherds, Kingston, Jamaica, 2007.
...Day Oh...
Missa Ram Goat O..."
**
6. Subject: RE: Songbook Indexing: Calypso/Caribbean
Songbooks
From: GUEST,Gda Music
Date: 11 Jun 11 - 02:51 PM
"Folk Songs of JAMAICA
Edited and arranged by Tom Murray
Oxford University Press (60p) ....
INTRODUCTION - TOM MURRAY
KINGSTON, JAMAICA, B.W.I - April, 1951
...SONGS ABOUT ANIMALS OR BIRDS
Chi-Chi Bud Oh!....
....WORKING SONGS
...Sammy Dead Oh!"...
**
7. Subject: RE: Songbook Indexing: Calypso/Caribbean
Songbooks
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 30 Jun 11 - 04:36 PM
"FORTY FOLK SONGS OF JAMAICA
Olive Lewin, collected and transcribed by, 1973.
With musical scores, Notes and Glossary. Comments and photographs....
...Little Samuel-O (Revival song)
Wheel Oh (Jonkunnu)"...
**
8. Subject: RE: Songbook Indexing: Calypso/Caribbean
Songbooks
From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch
Date: 29 Jan 16 - 09:38 PM
"Songs Belafonte Sings
Harry Belafonte; Bob Bollard, ed., Charles White, illus. (New York: Duell, Sloan and Pearce, 1963)
©1962 Harry Belafonte Enterprise's, Inc.
...Part Three THE WEST INDIES
Day-O
...Angelique-o"...
**
9. Subject: RE: Songbook Indexing: Calypso/Caribbean
Songbooks
From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch
Date: 05 Feb 16 - 06:52 PM
"Island in the Sun: The Songs of Irving Burgie
Okun, Milt, ed, (Port Chester: Cherry Lane Music Company, 1996)
© 1996 Cherry Lane Music Company
ISBN 1-5760-036-6
Day-O"...
**
10. Subject: RE: Songbook Indexing: Calypso/Caribbean
Songbooks
From: Padre
Date: 12 Feb 16 - 11:02 PM
"Deep the Water, Shallow the Shore" by Roger D. Abrahams contains shanties from Nevis, Tobago, and St. Vincent. The Boarding Party sang several of them, including "Solid Fas' Bully, Long Time Ago" "Yard O, Yard O"
**
11. Subject: RE: Songbook Indexing: Calypso/Caribbean
Songbooks
From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch
Date: 13 Feb 16 - 09:49 PM
" "Brown Girl in the Ring: An Anthology of Song Games from the Eastern Caribbean
Lomax, Alan, Elder, J.D., Lomax, Bess Hawes, (New York: Pantheon, 1997)
© 1997 by Alan Lomax
SONG GAMES FROM TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
...Sammy Dead-O...
Mister Ram Goat-O...
SONG GAMES FROM DOMINICA AND ST. LUCIA
Ariyèl-O
...Ay Zabèl-O
....PASS-PLAY SONGS FROM CARRIACOU
Anana-O
Élé Misi-O
Mary and Martha Is Bound to Wear the Crown-O"...
**
11. Subject: RE:
Songbook Indexing: Calypso/Caribbean Songbooks
From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch
Date: 16 Feb 16 - 06:10 PM
"Le Carnival de St-Pierre (Martinique)
45 Chansons Créoles Recufillies de 1920 a 1925 par Victor Coridun
Deuxième Edition, R. Illemay, Fort-de-France, 1930
CHANSONS POLITIQUES
Périnelle, oh!..."
**
12. Subject: RE: Songbook Indexing: Calypso/Caribbean
Songbooks
From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch
Date: 17 Apr 16 - 05:28 AM
[..]
"Elia And Michele Clark – Sing Calypso Songs For Children
Columbia LP: CL 995, 1957 (17 tracks)
...Oh, Gel-ique-O!"...
13.
From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch
Date: 29 Jan 16 - 09:38 PM
"Songs Belafonte Sings
Harry Belafonte; Bob Bollard, ed., Charles White, illus.
(New York: Duell, Sloan and Pearce, 1963)
©1962 Harry Belafonte Enterprise's, Inc.
[...]
Day-O
Angelique-o
**
14.
From: Padre
Date: 12 Feb 16 - 11:02 PM
15.
From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch
Date: 13 Feb 16 - 09:49 PM
Brown Girl in the Ring: An Anthology of Song Games from the Eastern Caribbean
Lomax, Alan, Elder, J.D., Lomax, Bess Hawes, (New York:
Pantheon, 1997)
© 1997 by Alan Lomax
SONG GAMES FROM TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
[...]
Sammy Dead-O
Mister Ram Goat-O
SONG GAMES FROM DOMINICA AND ST. LUCIA
[...]
Ariyèl-O
Ay Zabèl-O
[...]
PASS-PLAY SONGS FROM CARRIACOU
Anana-O
Élé Misi-O
[...]
Mary and Martha Is Bound to Wear the Crown-O"...
**
16. Subject: RE: Songbook Indexing: Calypso/Caribbean Songbooks
From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch
Date: 16 Feb 16 - 06:10 PM
" Le Carnival de St-Pierre (Martinique)
45 Chansons Créoles Recufillies de 1920 a 1925 par Victor
Coridun
Deuxième Edition, R. Illemay, Fort-de-France, 1930
CHANSONS POLITIQUES
Périnelle, oh!
**
17. Subject: RE: Songbook Indexing: Calypso/Caribbean Songbooks
From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch
Date: 22 May 16 - 02:02 PM
[...]
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This concludes Part II of this pancocojams series.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
I'm interested in learning about linguistic research about whether Southern/Appalachian American folk songs were influenced by the West African/Caribbean custom of ending sentences with "o" and/or using "o" as the end of those song titles.
ReplyDeletePlease share any information about this research in this comment section.
Thanks in advance.