Latetst Update - January 5, 2022
This pancocojams post provides a time line for the Mardi Gras Indian chant "Tu Way Pocky Way" (and various other spellings). This chant/song is also known as "Hey, Pocky-Way" (and similar titles).
Some information about and YouTube links to most of these citations are also included in this pancocojams post.
The Addendum to this post presents the words to and my comments about a foot stomping cheer that I collected in 1985 from African American girls living in a community near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, and entertainment purposes.
All copyrights remain with their respective owners.
Thanks to all those who composed these chants and songs and all those who perform/ed these chants and songs. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and all those who published these sound files or videos on YouTube.
A TIMELINE FOR "TU WAY POCKY WAY" (ALSO KNOWN AS "HEY POCKY A-WAY"
From https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Dumaine&prev=search&pto=aue
"Louis Dumaine (born July 17, 1889 in New Orleans , † September 9, 1949 ibid. [1] ) was an American cornet player and band leader of New Orleans jazz . [2]
Louis Dumaine was a member of the Tuxedo Brass Band in the early to mid-1920s . He also played with the Henry Allen Brass Band , [3] the Eagle Brass Band , Kid Howard and trombonist Frankie Duson . In 1927 he recorded five tracks for Victor with his Dumaines' Jazzola Eight , such as “Pretty Audrey”, “Red Onion Drag”, “Franklin Street Blues” and “To -wa-bac-a-wa ". He accompanied the blues singer Ann Cook on “Mama Cookie” and “He's the Sweetest Black Man in Town”. Contributors included clarinetist Willie Joseph, trombonist Earl Humphrey, and pianist Morris Rouse. In the 1930s he continued to lead his own brass bands , such as the WPA Band in 1935 and the ERA Orchestra in 1936.
For the authors Rex Harris and Brian Rust , the Dumaines'
Jazzola Eight played authentic New Orleans jazz that was created before the
revival phase."
-snip-
Louis Dumaine's 1927
Excerpt #2
To Wa Bac A Wa
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRejOstWsTk
Louis Dumaine's Jazzola Eight – Topic, Nov. 8, 2014
Alan Lomax Archive,
-snip-
Jelly Roll Mortion describes the Mardi Gras Indians dancing in a ring while chanting "Tu way Pocka Way" (This is my phonetic spelling of this chant.)
"The text from Allan Lomax's book MISTER JELLY ROLL reveals the Creole spelling as "T'ouwais, bas q'ouwais" and response "Ou tendais," though there have been other representations. One possible translation of the phrase is "I'll kill (tuez) you if you don't get out the way, " with the response "Entendez," or "I hear ya!"...
-snip-
This is a quote from an article that was entitled "Mardi Gras Influence on New Orleans Music. That website is no longer available. I quoted a portion of that article in a Mudcat discussion forum comment that I wrote in 17 Jan 06 https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=88125#1650526. The website's name was given as a hyperlink and the article was copyrighted in 2002 by Thomas L Morgan.
1965- The Dixie Cups - Two Way Poc A Way
https://www.discogs.com/master/694246-The-Dixie-Cups-Two-Way-Poc-A-Way
-snip-
Thanks to Menno de Blaeij for alerting me to this record by email on Jan. 4, 2022.
****
Excerpt #1
From https://www.translateasy.com/en/song/the-meters-rejuvenation-album-hey-pocky-a-way-english-lyrics/6926
"The loose and infectious melody of “Hey Pocky A-Way” has been covered and re-recorded many times since its first release in 1974 by New Orleans funk heavyweights The Meters. The highly recognizable chorus–which reputedly stems from early Native American dialects in the region that would come to cradle New Orleans–has lost most of its linguistic meaning, but none of its emotional acuity. Later, The Grateful Dead’s cover of the song popularized it further, even as members of The Meters went on to join the famous soul group, The Neville Brothers."
-snip-
This page also includes the complete lyrics to that song.
****
Excerpt #1:
From http://www.deaddisc.com/songs/Hey_Pocky_Way.htm
"The original recording of this song by The Meters and other recordings by the group use the title Hey Pocky A-Way. The majority of other recordings use the title Hey Pocky Way. The song was written in 1974. It incorporates traditional chants and a drum rhythm that was first used by Meters drummer Zig Modeliste on the Dr. John song Shoo Fly Marches On.
The Grateful Dead performed Hey Pocky Way about 30 times
between September 1987 and July 1990.The song has also been performed by The
Dead and Furthur."...
-snip-
Here's a list from that website for recordings of this song by various groups, including The Meters and the Greatful Dead. Note that a number of these citations have a link for more information.
**
Excerpt #2
Grateful Dead - Hey Pocky Way 10/3/1987 [video]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAAHJS7DfRE
Brant Pittman, Aug 10, 2015
****
1991- The Neville Brothers - Hey Pocky Wayhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_w-ibD-wBRo&ab_channel=NevilleBrothersonMVNevilleBrothersonMV [video]
Neville Brothers on MV
Recorded Live: 10/31/1991 - Municipal Auditorium New Orleans - New Orleans, LA
RECORD LISTS FOR THIS SONG
From http://www.deaddisc.com/songs/Hey_Pocky_Way.htm
[Note: A number of these citations include a "info" tab which leads to more information about that record.]
Rejuvenation, The Meters, 1974
Single (Hey Pocky A-Way / Africa), The Meters, 1974
The Best of the Meters, The Meters, 1975
House of the Rising Sun, Idris Muhammad, 1976
Wild Tchoupitoulas, Wild Tchoupitoulas, 1976
Yellow Fever, Herbie Mann, 1979
Fiyo On The Bayou, Neville Brothers, 1981
Treacherous: A History of the Neville Brothers 1955-1985, The Neville Brothers, 1986?
Massive, Arrow, 1989
O'la Soca, Arrow, 1989
Keys to the Crescent City, Various Artists (Art Neville), 1991
Mardi Gras Party, Various Artists (Art Neville), 1991
Uptown Rulers: The Meters Live on the Queen Mary, The Meters, 1992
New Orleans Party Classics, Various Artists (Nevill Brothers), 1992
The Best of Louisiana Music, Various Artists (Meters), 1993
Funkify Your Life: The Meters Anthology, The Meters, 1995
Mardi Gras in New Oleans, Vol. 2, Various Artists (Meters), 1995
Roll Up The Rugs & Crank It: Live From Styleen's Rhythm Palace Syracuse, NY, Little Georgie & The Shuffling Hungarians, 1996
Bayou Bound, Poorboys, 1996
The Very Best of the Meters, The Meters, 1997
By Special Request, Van Broussard, 1997
Go-Go & Gumbo, Satchmo N Soul, Carte Brass & Percusion, 1997
Live in San Francisco, Leo Nocentelli, 1997
In Native, Soul Bossa Trio, 1997
A'capella New Orleans Volume 2, Jay-Ray & Gee with Friends, 1997
Uptown Rulin': The Best of the Neville Brothers, The Neville Brothers, 1999
Carnival '99, String Cheese Incident, 1999
Tribute, Van Broussard, 1999
Mardi Gras Party, Various Artists (Meters), 1999
Mardi Gras Essentials, Various Artists (Nevill Brothers), 2000
Bring A Friend, Flat Cat, 2000
The Blues Tribute To The Grateful Dead, Various Artists, 2001
Super Mann/Yellow Fever, Herbie Mann, 2001
Legacy 2: Toshiki Kadomatsu Presents Kudu Best Collection, Various Artists (Idris Muhammad), 2001
Simply Sound: Best Tracks 1993-2000, Soul Bossa Trio, 2001
Live in CPH, SP Just Frost, 2001
Drew's Famous Party Music: Mardi Gras, Hit Crew, 2001
We Got The Funky Blues, Roger Girke And The Funky Twisters, 2001
The Essentials, The Meters, 2002
Greatest Hits Vol. 2, The Lucky Devils, 2001
On the Road: July 4, 2002 Steamboat Springs, CO, String Cheese Incident, 2002
The Best of the Atlantic Years, Herbie Mann, 2002
Shakin' in the Makin', Ben Waters, 2002
Performances, Various Artists (Flat Cat), 2002
Live au Satellit'Cafe, Pierre Sibille, 2002
Pure Swamp Pop Gold, Vol. 4, Various Artists (Van Broussard), 2003
20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: The Best of the Neville Brothers, The Neville Brothers, 2004
Doctors, Professors, Kings and Queens: The Big Ol' Box of New Orleans, Various Artists (Meters), 2004
On The Road: July 10, 2004, Morrison, CO, String Cheese Incident, 2004
On The Road: October 5, 2003, Philadelphia, PA, String Cheese Incident, 2004
On The Road: October 29, 2004, Chicago, IL, String Cheese Incident, 2004
DSO Live: Jan 29, 2004, Charlotte, NC, Dark Star Orchestra, 2004
DSO Live: Jan 31, 2004, Raleigh, NC, Dark Star Orchestra, 2004
DSO Live: Feb 6, 2004, Pompano Beach, FL, Dark Star Orchestra, 2004
DSO Live: Mar 15, 2004, Winooski, VT, Dark Star Orchestra, 2004
CTI Master Collection, Vol. 2, Various Artists (Idris Muhammad), 2004
Gold, The Neville Brothers, 2005
On The Road: October 29, 2005, Las Vegas, NV (Orleans Ballroom), String Cheese Incident, 2005
On The Road: Archive Series: New Orleans, LA, May 1, 1999, String Cheese Incident, 2005
The Sandwich Man: With a Large Side of Love, Featuring Hammond Sandwich and Dark Star Orchestra, 2005
New Orleans Party Classics, Various Artists (Neville Brothers), 2005
PhryPhest, Great American Music Hall, SF, CA, July 5, 2006, Steve Kimock / ALO / New Monsoon, 2006
On The Road: June 25, 2006, Los Angeles, CA, String Cheese Incident, 2006
From the Big Apple to the Big Easy: Madison Square Garden Concert, Various Artists (Nevill Brothers), 2006
Live @ JZ, Monique diMattina/ Andrew Swann, 2006
Hard Ticket, Michael Schatte, 2006
New Orleans Mardi Gras, Dukes of Dixieland/Luther Kent, 2006
Taillights, Johnny Duke and the Aces, 2006
On The Road: July 29, 2007, North Plains, OR, String Cheese Incident, 2007
12/29/07, Beacon Theatre, New York, NY, Gov't Mule, 2007
Revolutions In Sound: Warner Bros. Records: The First Fifty Years (10 CD), Various Artists (Meters), 2008
Revolutions In Sound: Warner Bros. Records: The First Fifty Years (USB), Various Artists (Meters), 2008
Trick or Treat Box Set, String Cheese Incident, 2009
YarmonyGrass, August 16, 2008, Rebel Alliance Jam, 2009
Authorized Bootleg: Warfield Theatre, San Francisco, CA, Feb 27, 1989, Neville Brothers, 2010
On The Road: July 30, 2010, North Plains, OR, String Cheese Incident, 2010
Iridium Live 004: 7.12.2012, Donna Jean Godchaux Band, 2012
On The Road: July 20, 2012, North Plains, OR, String Cheese Incident, 2012
From The Archives 2/12/17, Voodoo Dead, 2020
Hey Pocky A-Way (A Way) [sound file]
The Wild Tchoupitoulas - Topic, July 29, 2018
℗ 1976 Island Records, a division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Released on: 1976-01-01
Producer: Allen Toussaint
Producer: Marshall E. Sehorn
Composer Lyricist:
Arthur Neville
Composer Lyricist:
Charles Neville
Composer Lyricist:
George Porter Jr.
Composer Lyricist:
Joseph Modeliste
Composer Lyricist:
Leo Nocentelli
Big
Chief Juan Pardo & Golden Comanche's - Topic,
Tu Way Pocky Way · Big Chief Juan Pardo · Golden Comanche's
Spirit Food
℗ 2015 Big Chief Juan Pardo
****
ADDENDUM- TWO WAY PASS AWAY" (foot stomping cheer)
1985- "Two Way Pass Away" foot stomping cheer
All: Two way pass away. Two way pass away.
Soloist #1: Well, my name is Shana.
Group: Two way pass away.
Soloist #1: And if you don’t like it,
Group: Two way pass away.
Soloist #1: You can kiss what I twist.
And I don’t mean my wrist.
-African American girls (around 8-12 years old), Braddock, Pennsylvania, collected by Azizi Powell, 1985
(Repeat the entire cheer from the beginning with the next soloist and continue repeating until every member of the group has had one turn as the soloist.)
I didn't write down how the girls performed any of these cheers. In the pancocojams post entitled "Overview of Foot Stomping Cheers" *, I wrote that most foot stomping cheers use this beat pattern: "stomp clap/ stomp stomp/ clap". Another beat pattern is "stomp stomp clap/ stomp stomp clap." If I recall correctly, the beat pattern for "Two Way Pass Away" is "stomp clap/ stomp stomp/ clap". However, if I recall correctly, the soloist and the other chanters (steppers) paused the beat pattern for the words "You can kiss what I twist/and I don't mean my lips". On those words, the soloist switched one hip and said those words with a "sassy attitude". Those words were immediately followed by the entire group beginning the chant again with a new soloist (until everyone in the group had one turn as the soloist.)
I believe that the phrase "two way pass away" is derived from the Mardi Gras Indian chant "Tu Way Pock A Way". When I heard this cheer performed in 1985, I didn't know anything about the Mardi Gras Indians, and I've never heard the chant "Tu way pocka way" or the song "Hey, Pocky-a Way". I remember writing the cheer down as "Too way pass away" and I remember asking the girls what those words meant. They said that they didn't know what it meant. It was only after I learned about the Mardi Gras Indians (in the mid 1990s) that I began using "Two" as the spelling for that word instead of "Too".
**Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/09/foot-stomping-cheers-alphabetical-list.html for Version #4 of "Cheerleader: Braddock, Pennsylvania 1985).
****
Thanks for visiting poancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
