438. Everybody's Gal Is My Gal
From Julian P. Boyd, who obtained it from jiamutte Tin^lf, a pupil
in the school at Alliance, Pamlico county.
1 l{vcrvl)()dy's gal is my gal.
•My partner's gal is my gal loo.
If you ain't mighty keerful.
I'll take 'er right away from voti.
2 If you got a good gal.
You better pin 'er to your side,
'Cause if she flags my train,
I'm gonna let 'er ride.
3 Everyl)()dy's gal is my gal.
Aiy i)artner's gal is my gal too.
----------------------
438
Everybody's Gal Is My Gal
'Everybody's Gal Is My Gal.' Sung by Claude James, Alliance, Pamlico
county, 1927. In its hybrid formation, this song is a typical minstrel creation.
It is evidently a composite of three distinct parts, the first of nineteen measures
ending with the last phrase "Just because I do love you." With the next part
of eighteen measures the song quoted in III 523, No. 438, begins. The text
given there would have to be put on the bed of Procrustes to make it fit. The
third part which follows, likewise of eighteen measures, seems to have nothing
to do with the two preceding parts. Thus, the whole assumes a character of
what in m.usicological terms would be called through-composed. Here, it
should be mentioned, however, that the last four measures of the second section
are heavily indebted to the last four of the first part. But two features, of
the first part especially, seem to distinguish it from true folksong, the un-
warranted interruption by the shouted 'Whoa' and the continuation of the
tune in changed meter and tempo. A peculiar psychological reaction to this
shout mentioned above should be noted. It functions like a deceptive cadence.
The character of these last four measures which conclude the first part does
not seem to fit readily into the concept of what is generally meant by folk.
To be sure, in a number of folksongs we find a different meter as well as tempo,
either at the beginning of the chorus or the stanza, whichever follows the
other in the particular case. But a sudden change, and only for the duration
of the last four measures, does not readily come to mind.
In all three parts b-flat is the tonal center, but the scalic material of one
differs; I Hexatonic (4), plagal; II Hexachordal, plagal; III Hexatonic (4),
plagal. The first part, in addition, brings a c-sharp, which does not occur in
the others. In spite of all this, however, it should be said that there are some
folk-like qualities to be found.
F-407
My gal has gone and left me, my ba - by, She
left me all a - lone. — She prom-ised to be mar-ried
that ba - by, The day that she left home.
She
too.— I'U
Shouted
give her an -y- thing in this wide, wide world. — Whoa!
Just be - cause I do love you, love you, Just be -
cause
I do love you. Now ev - 'ry - bod - y's gal
my gal
If you got a
good gal, you bet - ter pin 'er to your side, 'Cause if
she flags my train, I'm gon - na let her ride.
Ev - 'ry - bod - y's gal is my
my gal too, I say,
my gal too.
head out the win - dow 'n see a
Uh!-
Uh!-
Scale : Hexachordal, plagal. Tonal Center: b-flat. Structure: [aba^cddi]
fed2] [eeffi] [ed^d^] [ghhig] i (4,4,4,3,2,2) (2,2) (2,2,2,2) (2,2,2) (4,2,2,4)
(6). To give an over-all form of such a conglomerate is not w^ell possible.
Discounting all interrelations of the minute parts of each possible individual
form, one might say: mm^n (8,7,4) = bar plus ab (2,2) = strophe, plus oop
(2,2,4) = bar, plus rss^ (2,2,2) = inverted bar, plus cdc (4,4,4) = strophe,
plus coda (6).
In the tonal scales, No. 407 represents all the tonal material found in these
three.