Friends of the Internet and Big Bobby The Boss, November 16, 2016
****
Edited by Azizi Powell
"The Black Gospel Source of The "Beans, Greens, Potatoes, Tomatoes (U Name It) Song & Dance Challenge." *
This post also includes information about Gospel singer Shirley Caesar and information about DJ Suede.
The content of this post is presented for folkloric, cultural, religious, entertainment purposes
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to Pastor Shirley Caesar, DJ Suede, and all those who are featured in this video. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publisher of this YouTube video.
-snip-
*That 2016 pancocojams post includes additional content about the "Beans, Greens, Potatoes, Tomatoes...You Name It" remix (also known as "Hold My Mule") that DJ Suede recorded in 2016.
****
INFORMATION ABOUT SHIRLEY CAESAR
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirley_Caesar
"Shirley Ann Caesar-Williams (née Caesar; born October 13, 1938),[1] known professionally as Shirley Caesar, is an American gospel singer. Her career began in 1951, when she signed to Federal Records at the age of 12.[2] Throughout her seven decade career, Caesar has often been referred to as the "First Lady of Gospel Music",[1] and "The Queen of Gospel Music".[3] She has won 11 Grammy Awards, 15 Dove Awards, and 14 Stellar Awards.
She [Shirley Caesar]] has made a name for herself on the gospel music circuit, making guest appearances on the Bobby Jones gospel show and other popular television shows. Caesar credits Albertina Walker as her mentor and "Queen of Gospel Music".
Between 1981 and 1995, she received seven Dove Awards for Black Gospel Album of the Year for Live at the G.M.W.A., Celebration, Christmasing, Sailin‘, Live ... In Chicago, Go and Rejoice. She received two Black Gospel Song of the Year Awards for "He's Working It Out for You" and "Hold My Mule". She has performed with Patti LaBelle, Whitney Houston, Dorothy Norwood, Faith Evans, Dottie Peoples, Arnold Houston, Kim Burrell, John P. Kee, Kirk Franklin, Tonex, and Tye Tribbett, among others.
Caesar is also an actress. She acted in movies, such as Why
Do Fools Fall in Love (1998) with Larenz Tate and Little Richard, Fighting
Temptations (2003) with Beyoncé and Cuba Gooding Jr., and The Unseen (2005)
with Steve Harris. She acted in an episode of The Good News in 1998 as Aunt
Shirley.[8] Caesar appeared on The Parkers in 2004."...
-snip-
Shirley Caesar is also known as Pastor Shirley Caesar.
INFORMATION ABOUT DJ SUEDE
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DJ_Suede_the_Remix_God
"Keenan Maurice Webb (born November 14, 1990), also known as DJ Suede the Remix God (or simply Remix God Suede), is an American hip hop record producer and songwriter.[1]
Early life and career
Keenan Maurice Webb was born on November 14, 1990, in
Douglas, Georgia, where he also was raised. He kickstarted his interest in
production at the age of 12, working on beats and remixes in his spare time.
After graduating college, he gained attention on Vine, achieving a viral post
with his remix of an iPhone 6 ringtone, which was shared across numerous social
media platforms.[2] Since the first viral remix, Webb has consistently released
remix-after-remix, sampling familiar sounds or pop culture references.[1]
Career
Suede peaked at fame in late-2016 and early-2017 when he
earned himself three charting Billboard songs, with "You Name
It!,"[3] a Thanksgiving theme song which sampled vocals from the
"Hold My Mule" sermon sung by Pastor Shirley Caesar,[4] and received
heavy promotion from Chris Brown to be turned into the #UNameIt challenge."...
PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE ABOUT DJ SUEDE'S TRAP SOUND RECORDING OF "BEANS, GREENS , POTATOES, TOMATOES...U NAME IT"
"Beans, Greens, Potatoes, Tomatoes...You Name It" (also known as "Hold My Mule") is a remix recording that DJ Suede made in 2016 from a portion of an introduction that noted Gospel singer (Pastor) Shirley Caesar gave to the vintage Gospel song "Hold My Mule". DJ Suede added a trap beat to that brief portion of that Gospel song.
"Greens" is a colloquial African American term for Collard Greens and/or Kale.
****
(from the sermon/introduction to a rendition of the Gospel song "Hold My Mule" -also known as "Shouting John" by Shirley Caesar)
[Produced by DJ Suede]
[Shirley Caesar]:
Look!
I got beans, greens, potatoes, tomatoes
Lamb, rams, hog maw
Beans, greens, potatoes, tomatoes
Chicken, turkeys, rabbit (You name it)
Beans, greens, potatoes, tomatoes
Lamb, rams, hogs, dogs
Beans, greens, potatoes, tomatoes
Chicken, turkeys, chicken, turkeys
Beans, greens, potatoes, tomatoes
Lamb, rams, hog maw
Beans, greens, potatoes, tomatoes
Chicken, turkeys, rabbit
You name it!
Beans, greens, potatoes, tomatoes
Beans, greens, potatoes, tomatoes
Beans, greens
Beans, greens
Beans, beans, beans, beans
Beans, greens, potatoes, tomatoes
Chicken, turkeys, chicken, turkeys
Beans, greens, potatoes, tomatoes
Chicken, turkeys, chicken, turkeys
You name it
You name it
You name it
You name it
I got beans, greens, potatoes, tomatoes
Lamb, rams, hog maw
Beans, greens, potatoes, tomatoes
Chicken, turkeys, rabbit (You name it)
Beans, greens, potatoes, tomatoes
Lamb, rams, hog maw
Beans, greens, potatoes, tomatoes
Chicken, turkeys, chicken, turkeys
Beans, greens, potatoes, tomatoes
Lamb, rams, hog maw
Beans, greens, potatoes, tomatoes
Chicken, turkeys, rabbit
You name it!
Beans, greens, potatoes, tomatoes
Beans, greens, potatoes, tomatoes
Beans, greens
Beans, greens
Beans, beans, beans, beans
Beans, greens, potatoes, tomatoes
Chicken, turkeys, chicken, turkeys
Beans, greens, potatoes, tomatoes
Chicken, turkeys, chicken, turkeys
You name it
You name it
You name it
You name it
Source: http://genius.com/Dj-suede-unameitchallenge-thanksgiving-church-remix-lyrics
"You name it" is a shortened way of saying "I've got whatever you might name (list) in one or more given categories."
"Hold My Mule" is a 1980 black gospel song by Shirley Caesar.
Telling the story of an old man named Shoutin' John who boisterously praises God for his numerous blessings to the dismay of more conservative, "spiritually dead" clergy, the song earned newfound popularity in 2016 after DJ Suede the Remix God remixed the song into the Thanksgiving anthem "You Name It!"
In 2016, DJ Suede the Remix God released a remix, consisting of a portion of the story where Shoutin' John lists the items that grow on his farm*:
Look! I got beans, greens, potatoes, tomatoes, lamb, ram, hogs, dogs, chickens, turkeys, rabbits—you name it!
Under the title "You Name It!," the song went viral,[1] (initially on Vine and Musical.ly) as part of DJ Suede's effort to create a Thanksgiving-themed Internet challenge to dance to the remix,[2] with the help of Chris Brown. It proved to be DJ Suede's breakthrough hit, peaking at number 15 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100. In the wake of DJ Suede's remix, the original recording shot to the top of the Hot Gospel Songs chart, peaking at number one on December 10, 2016.[3] Billboard noted that despite the uptick in interest in the song, it did not receive a corresponding rise in airplay on radio stations, in part because Caesar was focusing her efforts on more recent singles.[4] The song has since been reused in November 2020 and November 2021 on TikTok's Thanksgiving-themed dance and challenge videos."
-snip-
As a correction to this Wikipedia page: Shouting John lists various things that are found on his farm, but not grown on farms. (Notice he also lists "dog". which people don't eat but which are often found on farms .)
The "Beans, Greens, Potatoes, Tomatoes U Name It" meme reflects and reinforces the custom in the United States of cooking and eating excessive amounts of food and desserts during the Thanksgiving dinner. The inclusion of "greens" especially speaks to one essential part of most African Americans' Thanksgiving menu: kale or collard greens (or a mix of both of these greens).
One of the viral memes has a child asking her grandma what she is cooking for Thanksgiving and the grandmother answers with the words from this viral clip: "Beans, greens, potatoes, tomatoes, You name It!"
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/11/shirley-caesar-shouting-john-hold-my.html
for a 2014 pancocojams post of a rendition of Shirley Caesar & choir singing "I'm Going To Praise The Lord While I Have A Chance".
This internet page http://www.thelyricarchive.com/song/1005551-133923/While-I-Have-a-Chance provides lyrics for another version of this song and credits African American Gospel composer, vocalist, and choir director James Bignon as its composer. However, the book that James Bignon authored* which contains a list of his compositions doesn't include "Praise The Lord While I Have A Chance".
*Google Books (Table of Content) for Timeless Gospel Music Collection : Songs written and arranged by James Bignon
****
Shirley Caesar first recorded "Praise God While You Have A Chance" in 1988. However, I don't know if that rendition included the story about Shouting John. I also don't know if Shirley Caesar was the person who made up that story about Shouting John.
A 2016 article about the "U Name It" internet meme http://www.blackenterprise.com/news/hot-topics/shirley-caesars-big-social-media-payout/. indicates that
"In the original song, Caesar tells the story of an 86-year-old man named Shouting John, who joined a church that didn’t believe in dancing and speaking in tongues. John was kicked put [sic] out of the church for shouting too loudly during the sermon.
He countered his ouster with a testimony that God had blessed him as a farmer.”Look!” he shouted. “I got beans, greens, potatoes, tomatoes, lambs, rams, hogs, dogs, chickens, turkeys, rabbits … you name it!” (See the 5:45 mark in the YouTube video [given in this pancocojams post as Example #1]. That line became the foundation for Suede’s “You Name It! ” remix."
-snip-
'"The word "original" in that article's quote probably refers to Shirley Caesar's rendition at that church service before Dj Suede's remix.
According to a Shirley Caesar interview https://abc11.com/gospel-icon-shirley-caesar-beans-greens-tomatoes/1623066/ , that program occurred in 2008 at Shirley Caesar's church in 2008.
When the church deacons (church officials) went to John's farm to tell him that he was being ousted as a member of that church because he believed in "shouting", John said "Hold my mule" to one of the deacons so that he could praise God by dancing and shouting right then and there.
**
"Dancing" here refers to people doing "the Holy dance" (also known as "getting happy", "cutting a step" etc.) during a church service because they feel the Holy Spirit and want to praise God that way.
Here's more information about that "Shouting John" clip:
From http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/7587981/gospel-legend-shirley-caesar-soars-thanks-to-remix-memes-of-hold
"Gospel icon Shirley Caesar's remix* of "Hold My Mule," featuring Albertina Walker and Milton Brunson, kicks onto Billboard's Hot Gospel Songs chart (dated Dec. 3) at No. 2, propelled by its No. 1 debut on Gospel Streaming Songs, as it surges by 7,510 percent to 821,000 U.S. streams in the week ending Nov. 17, [2016] according to Nielsen Music. The 79-year-old vocalist and pastor originally recorded the track in 1988. (Caesar first reached a Billboard chart in 1975.)
Why the sudden surge in the song's popularity? In the tradition of recent social media memes (like the Mannequin Challenge) comes the #UNameIt Challenge, which started when DJ Suede The Remix God created an update of "Mule," with special focus on the line, "beans, greens, potatoes, tomatoes" among other food shout-outs, obviously timely just ahead of Thanksgiving."...
-snip-
It's important to emphasize that Shirley Caesar's introductory remarks/sermon and her renditions of "Shouting John" ("Hold My Mule") song had nothing whatsoever to do with the Thanksgiving holiday or with food.
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
