Why Jamaican Mento Music Has Been Called Calypso (videos and excerpts)

TheBluesfan12, Jan 12, 2012

Lord Messam - Take Her To Jamaica (1952) Mento
-snip-
"Take her to Jamaica/where the rum comes from".

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post showcases three YouTube examples of  Jamaican Mento music (including Harry Belafonte's original 1956 recording of "Banana Boat (Day O"). 

This post also  presents some online excerpts about why Jamaican Mento has so often been referred to as Calypso.

The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owner.

Thanks to all those artists who are featured in this pancocojams post. Thanks to the composers of these songs that are featured in this post. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publishers of these sound file on YouTube.
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I was motivated to publish this post by the news of Harry Belafonte's passing. Rest In Power, Mr. Belafonte.

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SHOWCASE SOUND FILE  #2 -Harry Belafonte - Day-O (Banana Boat Song) (1956) [Digitally Remastered]

Classic Mood Experience, Sep 28, 2013

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SHOWCASE SOUND FILE #3 - JAMAICAN MENTO - Island Champions (1958)

INVIGORATION, May 16, 2017
-snip-
Here are the time stamps for these songs from that sound file's discussion thread:

Diego Hemken, 2019
"A1 00:00 Reincarnation

A2 03:45 Coolie Gal

A3 06:54 In De Land Of America

A4 09:41 Wrong Man

A5 12:31 Adams Fault

A6 15:15 River Dem Come Down

B1 18:25 Caroline

B2 20:21 Big Bamboo

B3 23:17 Charlie's Cow

B4 25:38 Jamaica Banana

B5 28:27 Rock You Baby In Time

B6 30:54 Daphne's Bebop Walking"

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AN EXCERPT ABOUT MENTO MUSIC
From http://www.mentomusic.com/WhatIsMento.htm  ,
Michael Garnice  (Mento Mike] website editor

..."The Secret History of Mento Music

Mento music had its beginnings in Jamaica in the 19th century, and was  uniquely Jamaican fusion of African and European musical traditions. In mento's recorded history pre-history, from the 1920s through the 1940s, a number of Jamaican songs were put to wax by Caribbean jazz artists. In the 1930 and 1940s, Slim and Sam, a mento group who performed in Kingston, gained renown and are recalled today. They're  remembered for their originals, and sold "tracts" -- printed lyrics -- at their performances. (The book "Reggae Routes" by Kevin O'Brien Chang and Wayne Chen lists the names of some of these originals, and  has additional information and even a picture of Slim and Sam.)

But it wasn't until the early 1950s that true mento recordings first began to appear on 78 RPM discs. This decade was mento’s golden age, as a variety of artists recorded mento songs in an assortment of rhythms and styles. It was the peak of mento's creativity and popularity in Jamaica and the birth of Jamaica's recording industry.

These recordings reveal mento to be a diverse musical genre, sometimes played with reckless abandon and other times with orderly precision. In addition to mento's African and European roots, by this time, it had also encompassed pan-Caribbean influences, as well as from American jazz. Although it was informed by a world of music, mento is clearly, uniquely Jamaican. And as Jamaica's original music, all other Jamaican music can trace its roots to mento.

Some styles of mento would evolve into ska and reggae. (As a matter of fact, some mento songs are still being recorded inna dancehall stylee today.) Other styles, while purely mento, seem to have done less to contribute to the development of later Jamaican music.

During this time, Trinidadian calypso was the Caribbean’s top musical export, and the term "Calypso" was used generically applied to Jamaican mento as well. Far more often than it was called by its proper name, mento was called "calypso", "kalypso" or "mento calypso". Adding to the confusion, Jamaica had its own calypso singers that did not record mento, such as Lord Creator. (The Trinidad-born Creator later became a ska singer for Studio 1.) And mento artists would often perform calypso songs in the mento style, or record a mento song with calypso influence. Some mento artists followed the calypsonian practice of adding a title such as "Count" or "Lord" to their name. But make no mistake, mento is a distinctly different sound from calypso, with its own instrumentation, rhythms, pacing, vocal styles, harmonies, and lyrical concerns."....

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JAMAICAN OBSERVER ARTICLE EXCERPT 
https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/mento-v-calypso/ Mento v calypso
written byRohan Budhai, Jan 12, 2023
 …."Most musicologists agree that mento and calypso are two different genres. All have agreed that mento is authentically Jamaican. However, mento has suffered the ignominy of being called names like mento calypso, kalypso, and calypso itself. So it seems mento was considered to be sub-genre of calypso. This, even though the most successful island song to this day is a mento rendition, not calypso. More on that.

So what has caused the conflation of these two distinct genres?

The real issue is more about the similarities of both genres and less about the differences. So what are these similarities that are causing the conflation? First, mento and calypso are similarly rooted in African musical culture, which influenced oral/vocal expressions. Second, mento's vocal patterns are similar to calypso's, with the usual storytelling, social discourse, and call-and-response African traditions.

Both genres developed from the fusion of African and European music, except that mento did not have the French influences that calypso did. Also, they were both considered folk music of their respective countries and were played with rudimentary instruments. The Jamaicans mastered the rhumba box, while the Trinidadians introduced the Latin-influenced horn section and developed the steel pan.

Nevertheless, the two genres, given the above-mentioned similarities, can easily be confused.

The differences between the two are subtle. Mento has a more rural feel, and the musical instruments utilised give a distinct "rootsy" sound. Mento has a more acoustic sound with the rhumba box, banjo, and fiddle versus calypso's syncopated rhythms and song patterns. In the end, both genres fed off each other.

But what made the conflation favour calypso over mento?

As mentioned before, calypso was introduced to the North American market before other Caribbean music, so it stood out as the standard-bearer for island music, and other styles were considered mere sub-genres. To the North Americans, all music from the Caribbean was considered calypso. As a result, calypso as an international genre progressed while mento remained rural and subdued. This was especially evident with the introduction of vibrant horn sets in calypso.

Jamaican music producers were timid in the early days. They hesitated to invest in mento, which limited the audience reach of the genre. Meanwhile, some of these same producers were comfortable producing calypso songs because of their international. This environment delayed mento's progress, and the genre continued to be seen as just another calypso style.

However, in retrospect, the most tremendous disservice done to mento was by singer and actor Harry Belafonte. Even though it was chock full of mento songs, he named his debut album Calypso. And the album was the first to sell one million units in the USA. In addition, the album's signature mento hit, Day-O, became the most famous folk song from the islands. One wonders what would have happened if Belafonte had called the album Mento.

With Belafonte's success, calypso ruled the Caribbean music roost. Soon hotels were demanding entertainers perform calypso instead of mento. Entertainers who couldn't conform were out of a job. According to the famous mento balladeer Lord Flea, "If the tourist dem waan calypso, mi wi gi dem calypso." That said, Lord Flea and his mento ensemble seamlessly transitioned to calypso.

The circle of conflation was complete.

So mento got a lousy deal. But that's the way it goes in this music business. Also, we forgive Belafonte; after all, his efforts were a plus to Jamaican and Caribbean culture. Additionally, he remains an honorary ambassador of our African diaspora.

[…]

As for the mento-calypso conflation, old-time Jamaican people would say, "Wha gwaan bad a morning, cyaan come good a evelin" "

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TWO COMMENTS FROM A QUORA DISCUSSION THREAD ON THIS SUBJECT
https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-musical-difference-between-mento-and-calypso-music

1.  Dario Smagata, 2016
Reggae fan and collector of Jamaican vinyl records
"I am a collector of all Caribbean music and have listened to a lot of both genres in question :)

 There biggest difference to me is in the instruments. Mento music uses unusual instruments, such as the Rumba box and bamboo saxophone, which are nowhere to be found in Trinidadian music. Banjo and fiddle have also been used in many mento songs, and again, they do not appear in the calypso genre. The most famous instrument used for calypso is the steelpan, which is not used for traditional mento music. (Jamaican steelbands have existed since the 1950s, but they rarely covered mento songs.)

I am not a musical expert, and I know nothing specific about timing, beats and other such things. But after listening to many mento and calypso recordings, you may notice that mento songs (particularly those of the 1950s) often have a pre-reggae kind of rhythm, while calypso songs from the same period do not. 'Ethiopia' by Lord Lebby and 'Big Bamboo' by the Hiltonaires are good examples of mento songs with a reggae sound, years before reggae came on to the scene.

All that said, mento was very strongly influenced by calypso, so there are many mento songs that sound just like Trinidadian calypsoes. 'Maintenance' by Cobra Man and the 1980s version of 'Water the Garden' by Count Lasher are examples of that."

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2.  Chase Muckle, 2018
Into history, immigration, Zizek and goats.
"Dario Smagata is spot on about the primary difference being in the instrumentation. However, it’s also a matter of semantics, in that similar music styles go by different names from island to island in the Caribbean.

The foundation for calypso/mento/benna/shanto, etc is from the musical styles of the Kingdom of Kongo, present-day Nigeria. Some ethnomusicologists refer to these Kongo musical styles under the umbrella term ‘kaiso’. During the trans-Atlantic slave trade, kaiso then developed within the contexts of the various Caribbean islands to which European slavers brought enslaved Africans. With the French, Dutch, English, Spanish, and Danish colonizing and thus influencing the various islands over different periods, each island’s music developed a distinctive feel. The backbone was always African but, over generations, that became mixed with the popular European styles of the day.

One of those styles was the French quadrille. From the mid-eighteenth into the nineteenth century, plantation owners throughout the Caribbean employed European musicians to perform at the quadrille balls/dances on their plantations. Eventually, enslaved Africans replaced the European musicians for the balls. They were trained on European instruments in the Western European approach to music theory. When they mixed all of that with the stronger, driving rhythms of kaiso is when the seed of calypso/mento, etc was sown.

Perhaps some of the eventual differences between the islands’ styles had to do with the infrastructure for music training on each island. T&T’s traditional calypso music is for the most part more complex than many other islands. (Music, I said, not necessarily lyrics.) Guyana is similar, which may show how strong the European and even Indian influences are on those two countries. Jamaican mento music is usually more driving, more repetitive, simpler.

If you’re curious to know more, check out the website mentomusic. The guy who runs it, Mento Mike, is a great source for more info.
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The first excerpt in this pancocojams post is from that mentomusic website.

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Visitor comments are welcome. 

Lord Invader & Mighty Dictator - "My Intention is War" (1940s Calypso sound file, information, lyrics, & comments)

oldmanmorgan, Mar 11, 2008

91,962 views • Mar 11, 2008

From Lord Invaders Calypso in New York-snip-
This Calypso is sung by Lord Invader and Mighty Dictator in the 1940s.

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post showcases a 1940s example of Calypso by Lord Invader and Mighty Dictator.

Information about Lord Invader is included in this post along with the lyrics for this Calypso and selected comments from the YouTube discussion thread for that sound file.

The content of this post is presented for historical and cultural purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Lord Invader and Mighty Dictator for their musical legacies. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publisher of this sound file on YouTube.
-snip-
 
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/05/calypso-war-lord-invader-macbeth-duke.html for a 2012 pancocojams post entitled "Lord Invader, Macbeth, & Duke Of Iron - "Calypso War" (with lyrics) My Intention Is War - Lord Invader, Macbeth, & Duke Of Iron (Lyrics)

That post showcases a 1946 sound file of Calypsonians Lord Invader, Macbeth, and Duke of Iron engaging in a extemporaneous Calypso battle.

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INFORMATION ABOUT LORD INVADER
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Invader
"Lord Invader (Rupert Westmore Grant; 13 December 1914 – 15 October 1961) was a prominent calypsonian with a very distinctive, gravelly voice.

 He was born in San Fernando, Trinidad. He became active in calypso in the mid-1930s, and was considered a country bumpkin by his contemporaries, because of his humble beginning. It was Grant's tailor who gave him his moniker by commenting, "I tell you, Rupert, you should call yourself Lord Invader so when you go up to the city you be invadin' the capital." With a new name, in 1937 he went to the capital city of Port of Spain and began his career in earnest.

He competed in many calypso competitions (including the very first Calypso King competition) and recorded for RCA Bluebird. Lured by Decca Records, he travelled to New York City in 1941 with other calypsonians such as Roaring Lion and Atilla the Hun to make records and promote calypso music. He wrote many calypsos; his most famous lyrics, "Rum and Coca-Cola", were plagiarised by Morey Amsterdam and became a hit for the Andrews Sisters. Invader travelled to New York and sued, eventually winning compensation, although the final settlement allowed Amsterdam to retain his copyright. In the early 1940s, radio stations in the USA refused to play his own version on the grounds of its using the trademarked name, Coca-Cola, and its references to prostitution and alcohol. He stayed in New York for a few years because of the lengthy court case. During his tenure in New York City, he became a fixture in the local calypso scene and recorded many tracks for Moses Asch. Eventually, he won his court case, but did not receive his settlement check for seven years, so he returned to Trinidad in the meantime. He opened a calypso club there and penned and recorded many original songs.

He is often credited with writing "Zombie Jamboree", although the song was actually written by Lord Intruder (Winston O'Conner), who released it on the B-side of his 1953 single "Disaster with Police". It was covered by Conrad Eugene Mauge Jr,[1] who recorded it in 1959 and was also often credited for writing it. The confusion probably stems from the introduction of the version by the Kingston Trio, which mentions "Lord Invader and his Twelve Penetrators". At long last, Invader collected his money from his court case, and began to tour the U.S., later expanding to Britain and Europe. In the last half of 1958, he returned to New York City and continued recording for Moses Asch. He continued to return to his homeland for business and pleasure, although he had, with Wilmoth Houdini, made himself one of America's most successful calypsonians. On 15 October 1961, Lord Invader died at a Brooklyn, New York hospital."

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LYRICS: MY INTENTION IS WAR
(Lord Invader and Mighty Dictator )

Lord Invader:

Yes, my mother dead and my father disown me / What am I to do? / My mother died and my father disown me / What am I to do? / I am livin' in this world, I ain't got nobody / Not a brother, sister, nor cousin, family / War and rebellion when I meet calypsonian / My intention is war.

Dictator, you insolent boobie, delirious mule / Audacious slum monger, you're out of rule / Your abnormal expressions worth no while in hearing / Descend at once, Dictator, and stop your sneering / You gabilous squabbler, illiterate ape / Now you are in a terrible scrape / Dictator, you resemble Manuel Gogo / A fowl thief from Tobago / My intention is war.

Mighty Dictator:

Now Lord Invader, why you pick on me? / Remember that I was near your family / Take it from me in calypso / Remember me once in San Fernando / Now believe I can give you the score / Remember, you were sleeping on the floor / I used to mash your head / Going to sleep on my bed / My intention is war.

Invader:

Now calypso singing is such a technical thing / It was not made for one and every to sing / How by the heavens can this songster win? / Except by necromancy, that is a sin / My head is like a book that is well compact / My tongue is like a gun that never yet snap / And I'm sorry, Dictator, / If he molest with Invader / My intention is war.

Dictator:

Now Lord Invader, fighting makes no sense / Why not say something of eloquence? / Talk about the boys playing the music / And with that, please do not do any trick / Remember that I am a Lord / And on the bass, we have Mr. Ford / The Duke Of Iron of calypso / The master playing the piano.

Invader:

Now Dictator, what a boobie / You're a calypsonian [ain't?] / To sing this verse I give you satisfaction / Hear the gentleman there, he's sitting up there / Sitting there, without any fear / Rhyme a verse extemporaneously / As to prove your singing ability / And if you give me satisfaction / You're known as the champion / My intention is war.

Dictator:

To sing on the gentleman, I'll take the choice / He's my friend, his name is Lawrence / He's a very great guitar player / And you can take this tip from the Dictator / On him I have to make no attack / He's sitting there all dressed in black / And I'll tell you why, he's a chap / He's wearing a red tie / My intention is war.

Invader:

I think we goin' out.

Now Mighty Dictator, put your hands in mine / That verse that you sung is well, superfine / You know that I know you in Trinidad / And you are king in singing calypso ballad.

Dictator:

Now Invader, you too are really great / And my statement no one can adjudicate / Put your hand in mine / Let our friendship remain sublime.

Invader:

War, war, war, war, war -- la da day, la da doy / La da day, la da day, la da doy.

lyrics published by MrQwerty88, 2021 in the discussion thread for  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qD_l2OVVQsc
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Here are some more comments from that discussion thread (with numbers added for referencing purposes only)

1. Masaru kun, 2015
"this is one of the oldest 'hip hop' songs ive heard"

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Reply
2. aka allen pain, 2015
"early battle rap"

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Reply
3. PL M, 2016
"Lord Invader was a famous Calypsonian who practised Xtempo Lyric battles back in the 30s and 40s in Trinidad and England , a lotof you young fools listen to this should learn how these guys used imagination and  good english , not a bunch of N word BS and disrespecting women"

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Reply
4. PL M, 2017
"Elijah Dash Who us You!You have no home training, talking pure sh-t*,This classic Caiso, you don't know dis na boy"
-snip-
*This word is fully spelled out in this comment.

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Reply
5. Richard Hansen, 2017
"This track is indeed not hip hop but calypso. But the singing got so much to it that anticipates all the rhythmic qualities in rap. There's no need to insult people and to me your message about the "n word" shows that your opinion may be based on your superficial impression and general dislike of rap. If untrue, at least that's what your rude sentences resemble."

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Reply
6. Chris Benson, 2019
"PL M i cannot believe it this does actually sound like rap."

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7. machel john, 2022
"Real extempo"
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"extempo" is an abbreviation of "extemporaneous" meaning that the words were spoken without preparation.

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Visitor comments are welcome.

 

"Jumbie Jamboree" ("Zombie Jamboree"; "Back To Back, Belly To Belly") YouTube examples, information, lyrics, & comments

Grovetownyute74, March 10, 2013
-snip-
This version of "Jumbie Jamboree" was released in 1962

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post showcases two sound files of the song "Jumbie Jamboree" or "Zombie Jamboree" (also known as "Back to Back, Belly to Belly".

Information about the song "Jumbie Jamboree" ("Zombie Jamboree") is also included in this post.

This post also includes the lyrics to "Jumbie Jamboree" as sung by Laurel Aitken and the  lyrics of this song by The Wailers (also given as the Skatalites/Wailers").

This pancocojams post also includes a few comments about this song from the discussion threads of several YouTube sound files of "Jumbie Jamboree" ("Zombie Jamboree".) 

The content of this post is presented for cultural and entertainment purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to  Conrad Eugene Mauge, Jr. (Lord Intruder), the composer of "Jumbie Jamboree" and thanks to all the performing artists who are showcased in this post. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post.

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Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2015/10/seven-examples-of-jumbie-jamboree-also.html for a 2015 pancocojams post entitled Seven Examples Of "Jumbie Jamboree" (also known as "Zombie Jamboree" & "Back To Back, Belly To Belly")

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SHOWCASE YOUTUBE EXAMPLE #2: Jumbee Jamboree

Laurel Atkins, September 4, 2020

℗ 1965 Pressure Drop/Cherry Red Records

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SONG "JUMBIE JAMBOREE"
From  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jumbie_Jamberee
"Jumbie Jamberee" is a calypso song credited to Conrad Eugene Mauge, Jr.[1] In 1953 Lord Intruder released the song as the B-side to "Disaster With Police".[2] The song is also known as "Zombie Jamboree" and "Back to Back". In the introduction to the Kingston Trio's version "Lord Invader and his Twelve Penetrators" are incorrectly credited with the song instead of Lord Intruder.

The oldest versions of the song refer to a jumbee jamboree. Jumbies are evil spirits who were thought to cause wild dancing in their victims. The song's references to Carnival also suggest a connection to the Moko jumbie, a protecting spirit figure represented during Carnival on Trinidad by stilt walkers and dancers. The switch to "Zombie Jamboree" occurred very early with King Flash's version with those lyrics coming out in 1956, only three years after "Jumbie Jamboree" first appeared."...
-snip-
I added italics to highlight the fact that in Caribbean culture "jumbies" are quite different from "zombies". In contrast, a "zombie" is a corpse that has been reanimated, especially by means of a supernatural power or spell.

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SONG LYRICS: JUMBIE JAMBOREE
(as sung by Laurel Aitken)

Oh what a jumbie jamboree took place in a Kingston cemetry
Oh what a jumbie jamboree took place in a Kingston cemetry
Jumbies from up north of the island
Some of them are great calypsonians
Since the season was carnival
They ska together in Bakanal
And what they singing
And what they singing

Back to back, belly to belly. I dont care a damn
I dun dead already
Back to back, belly to belly that a jumbie jamboree

One female jumbie wouldn't behave
Look how she jumping on the grave
In one hand'e holding a qwart of rum
The next hand shes beating congo drum
The lead singer starts to make his rhyme
while othe jambies rock their bones in time
One bystander started to say
It was a sight to see jumbie break away

And what they singing

Back to back...

Left to right things was getting sweet
A bystander mash a jumbie feet
One jumbie raise his finger to one
He said mister take care you mashing me corn
The funniest thing I have ever seen
To see jumbie eating salt fish and ackee
I never see more marpy or gingerbeer
That took place at a jumbie parade last year

What they singing

Back to back...


Source: http://www.ska-talk.org/forum/index.php?topic=12714.0;wap2

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SOME COMMENTS ABOUT THIS SONG FROM SEVERAL YOUTUBE DISCUSSION THREADS
The sources for these comments are given in no particular order. The comments are numbered for referencing purposes only.

YOUTUBE DISCUSSION THREAD SOURCE #1 
From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFytKAzLDlE  Peter Tosh - Jumbie Jamboree, published by nina lolitax, May 23, 2014 Peter Tosh (1944 - 1987)

R.I.P Album: The Toughest [Heartbeat] -snip- This recording is also credited to The Wailers and to The Wailers/Skatalites ("Skatalites" is the band's name.) 1. willieluncheonette, 2015
"From 1965 this fine ska song was born from an unfortunate incident that happened in late 1964 at a Wailers' concert at the Palace theater. With the Skatalites playing and the Wailers singing, a power failure hit the house, plunging it into darkness. A riot ensued with flying bottles, and stage equipment and theater seats demolished. The terrified musicians hid in the backstage bathroom. The event gave birth to two Wailers' songs. "Hooligans" and "Jumbie Jamboree" The word jumbie means ghost or "duppy" Remember Duppy Conqueror, the great Wailers' song produced by Lee Perry? When a Jamaican calls a person a jumbie or a duppy he means that person has no soul or feelings. Although the song is critical of the rioters the Wailers end with "yes sir, me glad you come out deh." I wonder if  Bunny Wailer picked up on this idea after he went out on his own.  You know  he started each live show with the song Old Dragon. It's a song about the devil. When asked why he chose a song about the devil to open each show he replied it's better to acknowledge him right off the bat, otherwise he might sneak up on you and cause a whole lot of trouble."

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2. diego hiraldo, 2019
"Lyrics please"

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Reply
3. Charlie Parker, 2019
"Oh what a jumbie jamboree to take place in the palace x2

They nearly mash up the theater

Because electricity had a failure

But when the hooligans them start to shout he said people?? I'll make them shut up their mouth

Everybody go why yo why why why yo and I hope you come out?

Some slip some may run some may duck some may fly

Some lick even more some lick up the eye

Grab a piece of broad board oh grab a piece of broad board oh grab a piece of broad board and cover me head

Yes sir me glad you come out deh

Woah yo me glad you come out deh

Yes sir me glad you come out deh

(Repeat entire thing)

 

That's the best I can make out the lyrics. Hope they help"

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YOUTUBE DISCUSSION THREAD SOURCE #2

From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tzukOqoQ5Y "Lord Jellicoe & His Calypso Monarchs - Zombie Jamboree" published by Steve, Nov. 9, 2009

1. Warren Anderson, 2014
"I like this better than the Harry Belafonte version."

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Reply
2. Battle Of Trenton, 2021
"Belafonte's version falls apart in later verses discussing unrelated topics of Bridget Bardot and nuclear war."

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3. M. H. Nude, 2016
"This is THE version for sure/  This is what Lord Jellicoe and his Monarchs sang at the Jamaican hotels for the tourists.  Anyone know what the lyrics are in the verse that goes, "The funniest thing I ever did see, a zombie  ____ salt fish without a key(?) ."  I got the rest but I can't make that one out// Oh,oh, this recording was cut short and is incomplete.  too bad.

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Reply
4. AmbassadorsOfSorrow, 2016
"@ M H Nude -- it's "a zombie nyam a salt fish without ackee" -- Ackee & salt fish is a Jamaican dish -- 'nyam' means 'eat' X"
-snip-
 https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/nyam#Etymology has an entry for the word nyam under the section for the etymology of that Jamaican Creole word. That entry begins by stating that that Jamaican Creole word is "Borrowed from Wolof nyam, nyami, nyamnyam (“food; to eat”), or from Fula nyama, nyami, nyamgo (“to eat”). Possibly via Ghanaian Pidgin English."

That entry then notes that "Many other West African languages use similar terms for "flesh" or "meat", such as: Chichewa nyama, Efik unam, Esimbi ɛnyimi, Hausa nama, Lingala nyama, Swahili nyama, and Zulu inyama. Also compare Hausa nyamnyam, yamyam (“cannibal”) and Luba-Kasai nyama (“animal”)."

The word "West" in that wiktionary.org sentence is (hopefully) a typographical error since - except for Efik and Hausa and possibly Esimbi*- the other languages that are listed in that sentence aren't from West Africa. ( *I don't know where Esimbi is spoken). Excluding those languages, that sentence would be correct if it indicated that "Many other African languages use similar terms for "flesh: or "meat".

Here's the geographical locations for those other languages that are included in that passage:
Chichewa is from Southern, Southeast and East Africa, Lingala is from Central Africa, Swahilis is from East Africa and Central Africa, Zulu is from South Africa, and Luba-Kasai is from Central Africa.    

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YOUTUBE DISCUSSION THREAD SOURCE #3

From  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RixHMMTM0dQ   Harry Belafonte - Zombie Jamboree (Back to Back), published by Jose Alfonso Del Rio

1. TheJonaco, 2019
"I just heard the Kingston Trio's live recording of this calypso classic (1959). I believe Belafonte recorded it a couple of years later. The Trio's version was very funny, but Belafonte- ever the peacenik- added a little message at the end. Still, both honored the calypsonian tradition by making up new words on the spot. It was Rockapella who introduced me to this song years later on "Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego"- the best kids' quiz show ever."

**
Reply
2. Tawananyasha Mutekwe, 2021
"The original version was by Trinidadian calypsonian Lord Intruder who also wrote it. Belafonte just like The Kingstone Trio adapted it as cruise-ship calypso."

**
3. Jacob Short, 2021
"Back in the early 1990s I was a teenager watching Where In The World Is Carmen San Diego? And the music for this children's gameshow was provided by the  acapella group Rockapella. They sang this song and provided their own vocal musical accompaniment. They changed the words just a little: Back to back, belly to belly. I don't give a damn 'cause I'm stone-dead alread-eee!!! Back to back, belly to belly, it's a zombie jamboree!"

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Visitor comments are welcome.

Mighty Sparrow - "Bang Bang Lulu" (Calypso sound file, lyrics, & comments)

Marle de bakker, Jul 22, 2010

Golden Oldie

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This post is part of an ongoing pancocojams series on Old Time music sources for the large family of "Miss Susie Had A Steamboat" and Miss Lucy Had A Baby" children's playground rhymes.

This pancocojams post showcases a sound file of Mighty Sparrow singing a version of the dirty song "Bang Bang Lulu".

Information about Mighty Sparrow is included in this post along with the lyrics for this song and comments about this song.

Thanks to Mighty Sparrow for his musical legacy. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publisher of this sound file on YouTube.
-snip-
WARNING: "Bang Bang Lulu" is considered to be crude ("dirty") as the end word for its verses suggests explicit language or references.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2021/04/my-lula-gal-and-bang-bang-lulu.html for the closely related pancocojams post entitled "My Lula Gal" And "Bang Bang Lulu" - Information With Some Clean And Some Sanitized Examples)"

****
INFORMATION ABOUT MIGHTY SPARROW
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mighty_Sparrow
"Slinger Francisco[1] ...(born July 9, 1935), better known as Mighty Sparrow, is a Trinidadian calypso vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist. Known as the "Calypso King of the World", he is one of the best-known and most successful calypsonians. He has won Trinidad's Carnival Road March competition eight times, Calypso King/Monarch eight times, and has twice won the Calypso King of Kings title.

Career

Slinger Francisco was born in the fishing village of Grand Roy, Grenada, West Indies on July 9, 1935. He moved to Trinidad as a one-year-old with his mother,[1] his father having relocated there in 1937.[2][3] He grew up in Port of Spain.[citation needed] He began singing as a small child, but his love of calypso was discouraged while at Newtown Boys Catholic School, where he sang in the choir.[2][3] At the age of 14 he joined a steel band comprising neighbourhood boys, and performed with the band at Carnival.[2]

He received his performing name "Little Sparrow" during his early career,[1] as a result of his energetic stage performances:

"Your calypso name is given to you by your peers, based on your style. In the old days they tried to emulate British royalty. There was Lord Kitchener, Lord Nelson, Duke. When I started singing, the bands were still using acoustic instruments and the singers would stand flat footed, making a point or accusing someone in the crowd with the pointing of a finger, but mostly they stood motionless. When I sing, I get excited and move around, much like James Brown, and this was new to them. The older singers said "Why don't you just sing instead of moving around like a little sparrow?" It was said as a joke, but the name stuck.[4]"
— Mighty Sparrow

After a couple of years he changed his stage name to "Mighty Sparrow".[2][5] "...

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LYRICS FOR MIGHTY SPARROW'S VERSION OF "BANG BANG LULU"

Bang, bang, Lulu,
Lulu's gone away
Who is gonna bang bang,
Now Lulu's gone away

Bang, bang, Lulu,
Lulu's gone away
Who is gonna bang bang,
Now Lulu's gone away

(I wanna hear you sing!)

Bang, bang, Lulu,
(One more time!)
Lulu's gone away
(C'mon now!)
Who is gonna bang bang
Now Lulu's gone away

Bang, bang, Lulu,
Lulu's gone away
Who is gonna bang bang,
Now Lulu's gone away

Lulu had a boyfriend,
His name was Diamond d___,
Some girls love his diamond,
But Lulu loved his...

Bang, bang, Lulu,
Lulu's gone away
Who is gonna bang bang,
Now Lulu's gone away

(I want to hear you sing...)

Bang, bang, Lulu,
Lulu's gone away
Who is gonna bang bang Lulu,
Now Lulu's gone away

Lulu had two boy-friends,
One was very rich,
One was the son of a banker,
The other was a son-of-a ...

Bang, bang, Lulu,
Lulu's gone away
Who is gonna bang bang,
Now Lulu's gone away

(Sock it to them!)

Bang, bang, Lulu,
Lulu's gone away
Who is gonna bang bang,
Now Lulu's gone away

Lulu had a boy-friend,
His name was Tommy Tucker,
He took her to his appartment
And then Tucker tried to...

Bang, bang, Lulu,
Lulu's gone away
Who is gonna bang bang,
Now Lulu's gone away

(One more time!)

Bang, bang, Lulu,
Lulu's gone away
Who is gonna bang bang,
Now Lulu's gone away

Lulu has a bicycle,
The seat was made of glass,
And every time she'd ride it
It broke off and went up her...

Bang, bang, Lulu,
Lulu's gone away
Who is gonna bang bang,
Now Lulu's gone away

(I want to hear you sing it!)

Bang, bang, Lulu,
Lulu's gone away
Who is gonna bang bang,
Now Lulu's gone away

Lulu had some money
From a dirty old man named Hutch
He said if you're a baby
I'll bite you in the...

Bang, bang, Lulu,
Lulu's gone away
Who is gonna bang bang,
Now Lulu's gone away

(I want to hear it!)

Bang, bang, Lulu,
Lulu's gone away
Who is gonna bang bang,
Now Lulu's gone away

Bang, bang, Lulu,
Lulu's gone away
Who is gonna bang bang,
Now Lulu's gone away

[Repeat ad lib. with scat and fade]


Source: https://www.justsomelyrics.com/2011675/mighty-sparrow-bang-bang-lulu-lyrics.html

These lyrics are given as they were found on that website.

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SELECTED COMMENTS FROM DISCUSSION THREADS OF TWO YOUTUBE SOUND FILES FOR MIGHTY SPARROW'S "BANG BANG LULU" 

Numbers are added for referencing purposes only.

Discussion Thread #1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZ97Ybfg0Io&ab_channel=Marledebakker
(This discussion thread is for the sound file that is embedded in this post.)

1. edc1951, 2012
"Oh the snickering that went on when we who understood the raciness were with those too young to get it.  and the looks of innocence when a group would break into a chorus of this only to be met with "looks" from our elders..."I'm not saying any bad words..." "

**
Reply
2. Ava Watson, 2019
"edc1951 OMG. I use to hear this song when I was growing up at family parties, but NEVER remembered those lyrics, lol!!! The song crossed my mind and now at 58 I’m realizing what was being said.  If you look at the history of the dong it’s an American dong that has been adapted in many countries. 😳"
-snip-
The word “dong” in this comment is probably a typo for “song”

**
3. boonestead, 2014
"holy crap  we used to sing this when we were kids  didn't know it was an actual song

LOVE IT  funny where you tube may lead you to"

**
4. Rich Townsend, 2015
"This was one of several songs we sang in the Marines while we were marching through the boondocks in the early 60's.  Thanks for the memories!"

**
5. Angela M, 2016
"Got my calypso version from an album my parents owned, brought in from the Grand Bahamas, by Prince Charles and his Royal Cats.  Probably done back in the late '50s. . .  I was floored when I first heard it, thinking, my PARENTS owned this?!?!  LOL!"

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Discussion Thread #2 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwSuZ56nxIM&ab_channel=EdwardSpencer Mighty Sparrow - Bang Bang Lulu, published by Edward Spencer, Sep 7, 2012

Arranged by Mighty Sparrow

1. Westley P. Crawford, 2014
"This brings back so many great memories of growing up in the Bronx in the 70s. My parents would play this and all of us would dance and laugh...two of the greatest feelings in the world at the same time! THANK YOU MOMMY AND DADDY..I LOVE YOU."

**
2. Shania Sampson, 2015
"so many innuendos!"

**
3. Larry Watson, 2017
"im 61yrs from N.Y.I remembered this song caause i knew i never supose to listen to it as akid. l love it."

****
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Visitor comments are welcome. 

Excerpts From The Pdf Entitled "Historical Culture of Gender and Hetero/Sexual Violence in Calypso in Trinidad: Treat ‘Em Rough"

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post presents an excerpt of pdf by Maude Dikobe entitled "Historical Culture of Gender and Hetero/Sexual Violence in Calypso in Trinidad: Treat ‘Em Rough".

[I don't see a date for this pdf which may be from a chapter in a published book.]

With one exception, this excerpt is given without its accompanying notes.

The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, and folkloric purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owner.

Thanks to Maude Dikobe for writing this book and pdf. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this article, and thanks to http://genderlinks.org.za for publishing this pdf online.
-snip-
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2020/01/bajan-calypsonian-singing-francine.html for the closely related pancocojams post entitled "(Bajan Calypsonian) Singing Francine- "Runaway" (a Calypso song about spousal abuse)"

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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
As a reminder, I feature excerpts of articles, pdf files, and books as a means of highlighting those writings and as a means of encouraging people to read the entire work, if possible.

****
EXCERPT from http://genderlinks.org.za/wp-content/uploads/imported/articles/attachments/historical_culture_of_gender_hetersexual_violence_maude_dikobe.pdf "Historical Culture of Gender and Hetero/Sexual Violence in Calypso in Trinidad: Treat ‘Em Rough" By Maude Dikobe [in] GENDER & MEDIA DIVERSITY JOURNAL [page 117-125] (2007?)
"Abstract
Gender based violence is pervasive staple of Trinidad’s calypso music, presented and encouraged in some male calypsonians’ lyrics for a long time. A new breed of female caplyso singers are now turning the tide, using the lyrics to speak out against gender violence in the country. This paper explores a female point of view on gender-related violence such as rape, incest, sexual harassment, and shaming. Calypso lyrics sung by men will be read against calypsos sung by women (particularly Singing Sonia and Singing Sandra), many of which are eloquent responses to the verbal and physical abuses to which women are subjected in Trinidad.

You got to love me or leave me
Or live with Miss Dorothy
This time is too hard
For me to mind a man that is bad
--“Love Me or Leave Me,” Lady Iere

Calypso and gender
Calypso is an icon of Trinidadian identity and culture. Yet, this often ignores how it simultaneously
obscures and perpetuates the acceptance of sexual violence.

[...]

PAGE 117

[...]

Calypso’s overwhelming endorsement of violence against women cannot be overstated. Stereotypical representation in calypso of women as sexually forward, cheats, unhygienic, and so on, helps to control them. One has only to recall “Dorothy” a sexual archetype about whom countless calypsos have been written:2 Dorothy personifies many of the worst stereotypes about women in Trinidad: She is “a stuckup slut whose only positive aspect is her seductive availability.” Given her immodesty and deceitfulness, she deserves to be “controlled.” The lyrics below, from Roaring Lion’s My Darling Dorothy (c. 1944) are emblematic of countless examples that can serve to summarise the character of women as portrayed in male lyrics:

Good Lord since I marry Dorothy she had me going crazy
(x2)
When is good I can’t stand the pressure
She want me to commit murder
She has a sailor man
She has a Chinee man
Then she left a Chinee man
To come with a police man
Then she left the yankee man
And go pick up the steel band man….
-- “My Darling Dorothy,” Roaring Lion

[...]


While various forces in society mediate calypso lyrics, it is important to understand how lyrics contribute to sexual violence. Calypsos often reflect social reality; the attitudes towards women they express serve as evidence of dominant gender ideology at different historical points. The violent nature of so many calypso lyrics helps one to understand scenarios where the imagined violence in calypso lyrics would be translated into real physical torment of women...

The question of whether violent art causes or reflects real violence in society is still being widely debated. Many Trinidadian women believe that misogynistic calypso lyrics do nurture certain attitudes, especially widespread violence against them: “We believe that the many ills, such as wife battering, rape and assault, incest and other effects in our society today, can be attributed to the lack of respect to our women.”3

[...]

Love Me or Leave Me: Feminine Accents In Calypso
It would be wrong to treat the misogynistic lyrics sung by male calypsonians as if they were unmediated. The overtly feminist lyrics of two calypsonians, Singing Sonia and Singing Sandra, building on lyrics of earlier female calypsonians, such as Lady Iere’s “Love Me or Leave Me,” and Singing Francine’s “Run Away” thwart conventional representations of women in calypso as they focus on women’s interests and concerns – woman as subjects, not objects.

If she bring she friends to visit the house
You insulting she you calling them louse
If she talk to Greg you say she with he
Like she is a slot puppy
Morning noon and night you blowing she mind
You binging she old, old before she time
Seven years you living in misery
Woman runaway, woman, runaway, woman run away
from he
--“Runaway,” Singing Francine

The existence of such articulate feminist commentaries forces the audience to reexamine some stereotypes traditionally associated with women in calypso, as they finally hear the story from the woman’s point of view. Where do these songs stand in relation to traditional calypsos? They stand firmly grounded in women’s lived experiences, and force the listeners to scrutinise everyday events in feminist terms.

For instance, when Singing Francine wrote a calypso about women in abusive relationships, her simple,
authoritative advice was far different from Atilla’s male-bonding urge toward violence. Francine told her listeners to resist such violence by any means necessary, and take defensive action. Her song title says it all: “Run Away” (1979).

Loud debates in parliament on the need to end sexual violence often complement female calypsonians’ social commentaries.18 The small but deter-mined feminist movement in Trinidad should have increased awareness of the need to address these social problems; this, in turn, led to more feminist themes in calypso (Mohammed, 1991, Reddock, 1998, Massiah, 1988)

PAGE 123
The increasing presence of women on the calypso music scene, the impact of the kinds of topics they cover, and the unique ways in which they cover them, all force us to acknowledge the fact that the personal concerns they bring to the table are profoundly political. This is ironic, considering that traditionally the only way a woman’s calypso might be credited as political would be if it had a patriotic thrust, i.e., if it were a “nation building” calypso.

Equalising Acts: Death to Raperman
Among contemporary female calypsonians, no one has been more consistent in her focus on sexual violence than Singing Sandra (Sandra Des Vignes). Her ongoing interest is visible in the titles of her songs: “Raperman” (1984), “Sexy Employers” (or “Die With My Dignity”) (1987), and “Equaliser” (1994). In “Equaliser” (written by Christopher Grant) Sandra makes no attempt to hide her anger at, and hatred for, the brutal purveyors of sexual violence. On the contrary, she describes herself as the “Equaliser,” the only one capable of punishing the perpetrators. Impatient with rhetoric, she demands a real commitment on the part of the legal system in Trinidad to ensure equal rights for both women and men:

We tired beg, we tired plead
Still man wouldn’t hear.
Everyday they making we bleed,
Stick break in de ear.
And the authorities; is nothing dey doing,
The law needs reviewing.
Is time to get tough,
I know exactly what to do
Send them to me,
Enough is enough.
--“Equaliser,” Singing Sandra

Sandra had sung on rape before, notably in her 1984 calypso “Raperman” – but this time she appeared on stage with a pair of rusty garden shears, ready to punish sex offenders by chopping off their testicles. Delivered with powerful conviction and an almostterrifying fury, her merciless song some male calypsonians strongly criticised her as being unnecessarily graphic and violent. However, woman’s columnist Donna Pierre described it as “[T]he voice of abused and battered women everywhere, sending a strong message to both the men who inflict such pain, and the powers that be who cannot yet decide upon a penalty appropriate for such crimes.”19 Like “Die With
My Dignity” (1987), this calypso has come to be considered one of Sandra’s trademark songs.

Feminist singers like these give advice to women on how to deal with sexual violence: Whether it is Francine telling battered women to run away, Singing Sonia drawing our attention to shameful sexual abuses in the home, or Singing Sandra threatening to castrate rapists, these songs spoke directly woman to woman. Although most female calypsonians resist the “feminist” label, that doesn’t stop them from addressing female issues in their calypso.

In “Die With My Dignity” (also known as “Sexy Employers”) Singing Sandra might be talking about every woman applying for a job when she observes:
You looking out to find something to do
You meet a boss man who promise to help you
But when the man lay down the condition
Is nothing else but humiliation
They want to see your whole anatomy
They want to see whey yuh doctor never see
They want you to do whey yuh husband never do…
To get a job these days as a woman!
Brother they go keep their money
I go keep my honey
And die with my dignity
--“Die With My Dignity,” Singing Sandra

Moreover, in a calypso entitled “Professional Advice” (1992) Singing Sonia (and her songwriter, Shadow) capture the situation in which female calypsonians struggle to gain recognition and respect in the highly competitive and manipulative world of calypso:

PAGE 124
They are some sharks looking for bait
They want to bite then kill you still
Don’t let them use you like a tool
Or you will become a fool
Stand up for all your rights
And fight them with all your might.
--“Professional Advice,” Singing Sonia

Overall, many female calypsonians’ lyrics urge their listeners to recognise the sexism still operating in
Trinidad society, and its attendant sexual violence.
By persistently foregrounding female experience, both Sonia, Sandra, and their sisters usher in gender dissent that is not even on the radar for most male calypsonians. They counsel women to express themselves with dignity, and foster awareness of their rights. Female calypsonians continue to “do their thing” as per Calypso Rose’s song title – joined by women from all walks of life as they demand that their voices not only be heard, but be respected.

While there is no single response to the challenges presented by gender violence (not even Sandra’s “Equaliser”) broadening our understanding of sexual violence can help foster a culture that has zero tolerance for such barbaric acts.

Thanks to the female calyponians, women in Trinidad are being heard at last – through calypso lyrics, parliamentary speeches, focus groups, rallies, television commentary, talk-show call-ins, the presence of female programme hosts and steelband critics on the radio, and much more. The fact that some of the songs about sexual violence performed by these women are, in fact, collaborations between the singers and the men who write for them, demonstrates that sexual violence is not only a woman’s problem, but a national problem as well. To borrow the words of two African diasporic sisters, Singing Sandra and Aretha Franklin, as women fight gender discrimination they demand R.E.S.P.E.C.T.

Notes
2. Calypsos on Dorothy include “Don’t Hide Behind the Door, Dorothy” (Growler),
“Don’t Tickle Me, Dorothy” (Beginner), “Dorothy Went to Bathe” (Lion), “Leave
Me Alone, Dorothy” (Destroyer), “My Troubles With Dorothy” (Executer), and
perhaps the most cleverly political “Dorothy” song, “Wait, Dorothy, Wait” (Black
Stalin).

writer's bio

Maude M. Dikobe is a lecturer in the English Department at the University of Botswana, where
she teaches literature and the expressive arts of the African Diaspora. Her dissertation research focused
on contested expressions of gender and sexuality by women performers in Trinidadian [sic]"

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The Mighty Gabby - "Government Boots" (Bajan Calypso sound files & selected comments)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post showcases three sound files of Bajan [Barbados] Calypsonian The Mighty Gabby's song "Government Boots" (also known as "Boots").

Selected comments from these sound files are included in this post.

The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Mighty Gabby for his musical legacy. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publishers of these sound files on YouTube.
-snip-
I haven't been able to find the lyrics for this song online. If you know these lyrics, please share them in the comment section below. Thanks!

Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VW63g6u-Qg4&t=74s for a "We Bajan" documentary about The Mighty Gabby.

Also, click https://www.caribbean-beat.com/issue-7/no-eclipse-mighty-gabby#axzz5FCUqz2my for more information about The Mighty Gabby.

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SHOWCASE EXAMPLES:
Example #1: Boots-GABBY




ScorpioPetey, Published on Nov 7, 2008

Produced by Eddy Grant

BARBADOS 1983
-snip-
Here are a few selected comments from another this sound file, with numbers assigned for referencing purposes only:

1. SuperSnk1, 2010
"I remember that this song was banned in Barbados but was a very big hit here in TnT. You can't keep a good song down; by nature it will rise.Big up to Gabby."
-snip-
"T&T" = Trinidad and Tobago

**
2. Json Perez, 2010
"i first heard this song in my sister wedding sometime in the 80`s when the d.j played this everybody went mad trini`s really know how to party yes..."

**
3. sentinel2020, 2010
"BIG SYLES FROM THE OLD DAYS!!"

**
4. morpheus232001, 2011
"Classic! Remember always hearing this song in the distance as a child. Left,right,left, right!"

**
5. morpheus232001, 2011
"BIG TUNE!! LoL. Was a HUGE hit in T & T"
-snp-
"T&T" = Trinidad and Tobago

**
6. nicolo paganini, 2011
"these guys did'nt care about politice, they sang how they felt"

**
7. Bikey Hendricks. 2012
"Bigggg Friggggiiiinnnn Chuneeeeeeee......"
-snip-
"Chune" = Tune (meaning the lyrics and sound of a song)

**
8. maryclyne, 2014
"my favorite Gabby song, Baxter road at night with all the guys lining the streets wearing camouflage and soldiers boots and the song playing in every shop. till Tom banned camouflage.memories, THANKS!"

**
9. Ashton E. 2015
"Imagine this song was banned in Barbados but burning up the air waves in Trinidad. Love it. Used to sing it at school whenever cadets were training. Didn't care.!"

**
REPLY
10. Kevinttcolaw, 2016
"+Ashton E Why was it banned?"

**
REPLY
11. Tasha Wilson, 2016
"+unclelink the lyrics are facts..."
-snip-
Note that Kevinttcolaw apparently changed his screen name.

**
REPLY
12. Kevinttcolaw, 2016
"Interesting!"

**
13. Jarrod Butts, 2016
"Timing is everything. Just when the Americans invaded Grenada in late October 1983, this song just exploded. Especially in Trinidad and Tobago."

**
14. Dhalpourie, 2016
"This one took over the Caribbean, lol"

**
15. Davo GT, 2016
"i remember performing this song way back in 1998 with my classmates in a school play....
Vreed-en-Hoop Primary School,
West Coast Demerara, Guyana..."

**
16. sugartrail, 2017
"this was my wedding song in 1984. Had to let him know who was boss then!"

**
17. junior burchall, 2018
"Up here in too-damn-cold Canada, dreaming of Crop Over in Barbados...loving Gabby from time. Black Rock childhood memories (late 70s-early 80s).....#MissThemDays"

**
18. Karlene Langton, 2018
"I was a little girl, i can remember my parents blasting this song , wish i can go back in time with this one"
-snip-
Here's a comment from another YouTube clip of this song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZlExF7fP5c

Christopher White, 2017
"It was illegal to play it on St. Vincent but we brought some copies over from St. Lucia anyway in 1983."

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Example #2: Government boots



lovah man, Published on Apr 5, 2009
boots
-snip-
Here are a few selected comments from another this sound file, with numbers assigned for referencing purposes only:
1. MCLADYG, 2012
"Now, dat is TUNE, bwoy!"

**
2. mdekato, 2013
"On honeymoon on the Grand Bahama Island 26 years ago, in the dining room of the hotel, my wife and I were one of two couples there. In the background this was playing, Till my dying day I'll aways remember goverment boots."

**
3. maryclyne, 2014
"The Mighty Gabby from Barbados sang this song and he was talking about Tom Adams then Prime Minister of Barbados. who also got this song and most of Gabby's songs ban on CBC radio station"

**
4. SuperSnk1, 2016
"That year when this was banned in Bajan Land Gabby spent Carnival in Trini Land singing with one of the Big Calypso Tents and boy he was a BIG BIG HIT . He was a crowd puller and a crowd pleaser with this MEGA TUNE ."

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Example #3: The Mighty Gabby ~ "Boots"



Bajanbloom Bloom, Published on Jul 10, 2012

"Anthony "Mighty Gabby" Carter (born 30 March 1948) is a legendary Barbadian calypsonian and a Cultural Ambassador for the island of Barbados. He is the youngest calypsonian to win the calypso crown in Barbados at age 19 in 1968 and went on to win the Calypso king title again in 1969, 1976, 1985, 1999, 2000 and again in 2010. He has penned over 700 songs and was awarded Folk Singer Of The Year in 1977, 1978, 1979
The "Mighty Gabby" has been writing and singing calypso music for over 40 years, and is known for his satirical songs criticizing politicians and cultural trends. He won the first ever Crop-Over road march title in 1979 with "Burn Mr. Harding" and again in 1982 with "Jack" (dah beach is mine). He received the 2005 Clement Payne National Hero Award and awarded the Living Legend Award at the first ever Barbados Music Awards in January 2006. He is a vocal Pan-Africanist.

Gabby's no-holds-bars lyrics drew criticism politicians who tried to stifle his expression."
-snip-
Here are a few selected comments from another this sound file, with numbers assigned for referencing purposes only:
1. dave payne, 2013
"marina house 1983 barbados oh lawrd dis choon drop,dance was crazy memories..."

**
2. Dragon 9imposter9, 2014
"BAJAN PRIDE"

**
3. Ashesrocks101, 2014
"They days when a simple 2 step was enough to enjoy yaself and not have to worry bout some nasty random person trying to juk u down pon a fence!"

**
4. p097744969, 2014
"We was on holiday I the caribean when this song was out ! So many years ago but our hearts are still there, where the heck can I buy this song - plus Jack and of course Red Plastic Bag songs - anyone know please help !!!"

**
5. Troy Alkins, 2015
"Gabbys song the number one back in those times boots."

**
6. Margaret Brady, 2015
"Government Boots - a CLASSIC!"

**
7. Tasha Wilson, 2016
"Tell Tom I say, that wouldn't do,He got to see 'bout me and you And most of all, all the children And stop dem soldiers from marching...lollol"

**
8. Bob W, 2016
"Every time we visit Barbados this is always on yet I never think about buying it out there, which I will the next time but why cannot I buy this anywhere in the UK? ITunes, CD, not vinyl.
Anyone help."

**
9. Shelly Hinkson, 2016
"hard tune then"

****
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Visitor comments are welcome.

Three Examples Of Lyrics For The Calypso Song "Stone Cold Dead In De Market" (also known as "He Had It Coming To Him" & Dead In De Market") with information, comments, & four selected YouTube examples

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams provides three versions of lyrics for the Calypso song "Murder In De Market" (also known as He Had It Coming To Him" and "Stone Cold Dead In The Market".

Information and comments about this song are included in this post along with four YouTube examples of this song performed by Gracie Barrie (1940s); Ella Fitzgerald/Louis Jordan (1946); Harry Belafonte and The Islanders (1960s), and Lorna Myers; 2010?).

In addition to presenting these lyrics and information, I'm also highlighting the use of the term "stone cold" in these songs.

The content of this post is presented for linguistic, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes. purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Lord Invader for composing and performing this song and thanks to the other Calypsonians for their adaptations of this song. Thanks also to Houdini and other singers for their renditions of these songs. In addition, thanks to members of the Mudcat online folk music discussion forum who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publishers of these examples on YouTube.

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This post serves as a companion to this January 31, 2017pancocojams post: https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2017/01/what-susan-rice-meant-by-term-stone.html
What Susan Rice Meant by The Term "Stone Crazy" In Her Tweet About Trump's National Security Council & Other Comments About The Vernacular Use Of The Word "Stone"

That post quotes this entry from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stone%E2%80%93cold:
"Definition of stone–cold: absolutely (stone–cold sober)

First Known Use of stone–cold: 1592

Definition of stone–cold for English Language Learners: completely or totally".
-snip-
While this post doesn't focus on the issues of spousal abuse and revenge murder, I recognize the significance of those issues in this song and in life itself.

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SONG LYRICS
These lyrics are given as Example #1, Example #2, and Example #3.

I believe that the composition that is given as Example #1 is older than the composition that is given as Example #2. However, I'm not sure about this.

Example #1:
LYRICS: MURDER IN DE MARKET
(Lord Invader, 1939?)

Murder in de Market, murder.
Murder in de Market, murder.
Murder in de market, murder.
Betsy Thomas, she kill Payne stone dead.

Murder in de market, murder.
Murder in de market, murder.
Murder in de market, murder.
Betsy Thomas, she kill Payne stone dead.

Payne dead, Payne dead, stone dead.
Payne dead, Payne dead, stone dead.
Payne dead, Payne dead, stone dead.

Betsy Thomas she kill Payne stone dead.
"oh, I ain't kill nobody but me husband.
Oh, I didn't kill nobody but me husband.
Oh, I didn't kill nobody but me husband.

Oh, I ain't kill nobody but me husband,
So I could face de judge independent!

Murder in de market, murder.
Murder in de market, murder.
Murder in de market, murder.
Betsy Thomas she kill Payne stone dead.

De big Grand Session is tomorrow,
De big Grand Session is tomorrow,
De big Grand Session is tomorrow,
Betsy Thomas she kill Payne stone dead.

She ain't kill nobody but she husband,
Oh, she didn't kill nobody but she husband,
Oh, she ain't kill nobody but she husband,
Betsy Thomas, she kill Payne stone dead.

Murder in de market, murder.
Murder in de market, murder.
Murder in de market, murder.
Betsy Thomas kill Payne stone dead.

"Pp. 34-36, musical score, notated for voice, guitar, drums and bass.
Edric Connor, Songs from Trinidad, 1958, Oxford University Press.

A version sung by Young Tiger, 1953, is on youtube.

Discussed in Louise Cramer,"Songs of West Indian Negroes in the Canal Zone." California Folklore Quarterly, vol. 5, no. 3, July, 1946. (JSTOR)
This article (not seen) is the basis for assigning the song to Barbados, and has the story behind the song. (It may have the date of the event).

Rewritten and revised as "Stone Cold Dead in the Market" by Wilmouth Houdini, a calypso singer, in 1939,* an adaptation of "He Had it Coming" (another title), it was a hit for Ella Fitzgerald, Belafonte and others. See thread 34020 for the Belafonte version as posted by Joe Offer.
http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=34020

Franklin Bruno, 2011, Popular Music and Society** vol. 34, issue 1, pp. 7-21.
http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~db=all~content=a933307712
-snip-
posted on Mudcat discussion thread http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=138235 by Q (Frank Staplin), 31 May 11 - 05:57 PM along with the following citation of locations: Barbados, Trinidad, Canal Zone of Panama"
-snip-
Pancocojams Editor: *According to the information given in Comment #3 of the Mudcat excerpt below, the information given in this sentence is incorrect. The corrected information is that Lord Invader composed and recorded this song is 1939 and Houdini, another Calypso singer (Calypsonian), recorded an adapted version of this song in 1946.

**This quote is given in this post after the Ella Fitzgerald/Louis Jordan sound file that is embedded below.

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Example #2
STONE COLD DEAD IN THE MARKET
"(Frederick Hendricks; aka Lord Invader) [Pancocojams Editor's note: This could be Wilmouth Houdini's 1946 adaptation]

"She: He's stone cold dead in de market,
He's stone cold dead in de market,
He's stone cold dead in de market,
I kill nobody but me husband.

He: Last night I went out drinking,
When I came home I gave her a beating;
So she cotch up up de rolling pin,
And went to work on my head 'til she boshed it in.

I lie cold dead in de market,
Stone cold dead in de market,
I lie cold dead in de market,
She kill nobody but her husband

She: I lick him with de pot and de frying pan,
I lick him with de pot and de frying pan,
I lick him with de pot and de frying pan,
And if I kill him, he had it coming.

He's stone cold dead in de market,
He's stone cold dead in de market,
He's stone cold dead in de market,
I kill nobody but me husband.

He: My family is swearing to kill her,
My family is swearing to kill her,
She: His family is swearing to kill me,
And if I kill him, he had it coming.
He's stone cold dead in de market,

He: He lie cold dead in de market,
Stone cold dead in de market,
He lie cold dead in de market,
She kill nobody but her husband

She: There's one thing that I am sure
He ain't going to beat me no more
So I tell you that I doesn't care
If I was to die in de 'lectric chair

He's stone cold dead in de market,
He's stone cold dead in de market,
He's stone cold dead in de market,
I kill nobody but me husband.

He: (spoken): Hey, child, I'm goming back and bosh you on the head one more time
.
She: (spoken): No, no, man, you can't do dat

He's stone cold dead in de market,
He's stone cold dead in de market,
The criminal is stone cold dead in de market,
I kill nobody but me husband.


This source says the song was written by Frederick Hendricks, Northern Music/ASC
AP
Recorded by Harry Belafonte
Transcribed from "Ella Fitzgerald, 75th Birthday Celebration" (Decca CD) (duet w
ith Louis Jordan)

Another source attributes it to Wilmoth Houdini, 1946."

Source: http://mudcat.org/@displaysong.cfm?SongID=9478

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Example #3:
LYRICS- MURDER IN THE MARKET
"As recorded by Young Tiger (George Browne) in 1953

Stone cold dead in de market,
Stone cold dead in de market,
Stone cold dead in de market,
Well, she killed nobody but she husband.

Yes, she hit him in de head wit' de fryin' pan,
She hit him in de head wit' de fryin' pan,
She hit him in de head wit' de fryin' pan,
And if she kill him, he had it comin'.

And so he's stone cold dead in de market,
Stone cold dead in de market,
Stone cold dead in de market,
Well, she killed nobody but she husband.

Last night he went out drinkin',
And den he came in and gave her a beatin' [not sure; recording has a glitch at this point]
So she picked up de rollin' pin,
And worked on his head till she bashed it in.

And now he's stone cold dead in de market,
Stone cold dead in de market,
Stone cold dead in de market,
Well, she killed nobody but she husband.

Now his family is swearin' to kill her,
His family is swearin' to kill her,
His family is swearin' to kill her,
So if she kill him, he had it comin'.

And now he's stone cold dead in de market, mother! [or "murder"?]
Stone cold dead in de market,
Stone cold dead in de market,
Well, she killed nobody but she husband."
-snip-
*These lyrics were transcribed by Jim Dixon from the recording on YouTube and posted on Mudcat 04 Jun 11 - 08:46 AM http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=34020

Unfortunately, Young Tiger's sound file is no longer available on YouTube (as of the date of this pancocojams post, but probably earlier.)

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SELECTED COMMENTS ABOUT "MUrDER IN DE MARKET" (also known as "STONE COLD DEAD IN THE MARKET" & "HE HAD IT COMING TO HIM"

Pancocojams's Editor: These selected comments are given in chronological order based on their publishing date. They are numbered in this post for referencing purposes only. I encourage you to read the entire discussion thread which also includes biographical information for and comments about Lord Invader.

My explanatory comments are given in parenthesis.

From http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=34020
1. [This first comment refers to what this commenter alleges was an actual event that served as the story behind Lord Invader's song].

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Murder in de Market (Caribbean)
From: MorwenEdhelwen1
Date: 01 Jun 11 - 02:13 AM

"Q, Betsy Thomas' murder of Thomas Payne occurred in the 1870s."

**
2. [This comment was written in response to Q's question about the citation of the 1870s date.]

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Murder in de Market (Caribbean)
From: MorwenEdhelwen1
Date: 01 Jun 11 - 05:48 PM

"i have the songbook "Folk Songs of Barbados" collected by Trevor Marshall, Peggy McGeary, and Grace Thompson. They include the song and its melody, unfortunately no accompaniment :( and the date of the events, stating that "Betsy Thomas, the common-law mate of one Thomas Payne, allegedly murdered him during a quarrel". There is a mention of the song in Trinidadian songbooks. What I find interesting is how distanced the folk version is from the events, compared with "Stone Cold Dead in The Market", which is from a first-person perspective, and is, in my opinion, one of the best songs about battered woman syndrome ever, done before battered woman syndrome was ever named or recognised. Also in the case of murder ballads based on true stories, how does a person find information on the actual incident? Because some American murder ballads seem to have a large proportion of people on this forum who have information about the real incident."

**
3. [Q provides information about Lord Invader's composition of this song, including the original song title "He Had It Coming" and the composition date of 1939.]

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Murder in de Market (Caribbean)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 05 Jun 11 - 03:29 PM

"(Houidini's) "Stone Cold Dead describes a murder in Port-of-Spain's Grass Market in 1939. He recorded it himself in 1939 (as "He Had it Coming) but it got no popularity until Songstress Fitzgerald unearthed it......"

Time Magazine, Music: King of Calypso, Aug. 26, 1946. Unsigned article about Wilmoth Houdini (Edgar Leon St.-Clair his real name).

The 1939 incident may have been an unintentional copycat murder?"

-snip-
The information given in comment #3 above corrects the information given in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_Cold_Dead_in_the_Market_(He_Had_It_Coming) about this song:
" "Stone Cold Dead in the Market (He Had It Coming)" is a 1946 song with lyrics and music by Wilmoth Houdini, a Trinidad and Tobago musician who had moved to the United States. It was recorded by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five on Decca and later included in the Ella Fitzgerald album Ella and Her Fellas. The single was the first of five singles that Louis Jordan would take to the number-one spot on the R&B Juke Box chart.[1] The song also reached number seven on the U.S. pop chart.[2] The B-side of the single, "Petootie Pie," was also an R&B chart hit peaking at number three. This song received later notoriety in the 2010s with the 2011 release of L.A. Noire in which this song is featured."

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SHOWCASE EXAMPLES
Example #1 [Video]: STONE COLD DEAD IN THE MARKET (1940s)



silezukuk, Uploaded on Sep 24, 2009

Gracie Barrie [singer]

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Example #2: [Sound File] : Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Jordan - Stone Cold Dead In The Market (He Had It Coming)



FunkyChez's channel, Uploaded on Jan 14, 2009
-snip-
Here's a review of this song as mentioned earlier in this post:
From http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03007766.2011.539807
Altmetric Articles
“Stone Cold Dead in the Market”: Domestic Violence and Americanized Calypso"
Franklin Bruno
Pages 7-21 | Published online: 10 Feb 2011

"Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Jordan's recording of “Stone Cold Dead in the Market” was a major R&B and pop hit in 1946. In narrating a woman's murder of her abusive husband from a sympathetic first-person point of view, the recording's depiction of domestic violence raises the question of how it achieved mass popularity in a cultural milieu that discouraged frank discussion of this topic. This paper attempts to account for this popularity by tracing the musical and lyrical changes between the hit recording and its sources, the Caribbean folk ballad “Payne Dead”/“Murder in the Market” and calypso performer Wilmouth Houdini's 1939 adaptation “He Had It Coming,” and by arguing that Fitzgerald and Jordan's adoption of an exoticized West African accent, as well as their public personae, effectively produced a comic and ethnic “mask” from behind which the song's subject matter could be presented with relative frankness."

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Example #3 [Sound File] MURDER IN DE MARKET (Barbados) - Lorna Myers



angarseno, Uploaded on Aug 10, 2010

A Juilliard School graduate, Lorna Myers' opera and concert career spanned Europe, the USA, Mexico and the Caribbean...

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Example #4 [Sound File]: Lie Stone Dead In The Market by Harry Belafonte & Islanders on early 1960's Mono Celebrity LP.



lrh1966, Uploaded on Jan 9, 2012

Celebrity record album# UT 154. We usually think of the 1956 classic, "The Banana Boat Song", and its signature lyric "Day-O" when we hear the name "Harry Belafonte", but this "King of Calypso" had many other songs and albums as well, including this lp album titled: "An Evening Of Folk Songs & Calypso - With The Islanders". He broke away from "RCA Victor" for a bit to do this lp with the obscure label, "Celebrity". Not sure of exact recording date, but estimate it in the 1960 to 1963 frame of time.

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