477. White Gal, Yaller Gal, Black Gal

477
White Gal, Yaller Gal, Black Gal

 

From David T. House, Jr., Durham, Decemher 5, 1919, with recording,
as sung by Miss Eura Mangum, Durham. As published by White
ANFS 316-21 (without music).

White gal rides on an automobile.
Yellow gal rides on a train.
Black gal rides on a bull and cart,
But she rides just the same,

 

BLACKFACE MINSTREL, N E c; K SONGS 545

6

From H. O. Walz. Durham, December 5, 1919, with recording, as sung
by Miss Eura Mangum, Durliam. As published by White ANFS 316-21
(without music).

1 White gal rides in aut()in(jl)ile.
Yellow gal does the same.
Black gal rides in an old ox-cart,
But gets there just the same.

2 The white gal uses good cold-cream.
The yellow gal does the same.

But the black gal uses pure hog-lard,
But she gets there just the same.

3 The white gal uses perfume soap.
The yellow gal does the same.

But the black gal uses no soap at all,
But she smells just the same.

c
From Harvey Harward. Durham, December 5, 1919, with recording, as
sung by JNliss Eura Mangum, Durham. As pubhshed by White ANFS
316-21 (without music).

1 A white gal sleeps in a folding bed,
A brown skin does the same.

A black gal makes a pallet.
But she's sleeping just the same.

2 A white gal rides in an automobile.
A brown skin rides on the train.

A black gal rides in an ox -cart,
But she's riding just the same.

3 A white girl wear a hobble skirt,
A brown skin wears a plain.

A black girl wears a guano sack,
But she's hobbling just the same,

D

From Edwin P. Gibson, Durham, December 5, 191 9, with recording, as
sung by Miss Eura Mangum, Durham. As pubhshed in White ANFS
316-21 (without music).

The white gal smells like sweet smellin' soap.

The yaller gal smells the same.

The black gal smells like a billy goat,

But she's smellin" just the same.

E

From Miss Zilpah Rebecca Frisl)ie, Marion, McDowell county, 1923. Cf.
White ANFS 316-21. The fourth stanza is from No. 256, above.

 

546 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE

1 A white-skin gal. she rides in an automobile.
A brown-skin gal. she do de same.

A black-skin gal ride in a oxen cart,
But she gits there jes' a same.

2 A white-skin gal, she wears a hobble skirt.
A brown-skin gal, she do de same.

A l)lack-skin gal wears a Mary Jane,
But she hobbles jes' a same.

3 A white-skin gal, she smell like a sweet perfume.
A brown-skin gal. she do de same.

A black-skin gal, smell like a billy goat.
But she gotta scent jes' a same.

4 O, go 'round the mountain, charming Betsy,
O, go 'round the mountain, Cora Lee,

And if I never do see you no more,
O, do, gal, remember me.

F

From George C. Little, early address Marines. Onslow county. 1914.
Intrusive fourth stanza as in E.

1 Oh, yaller gal rides in an automobile.
Brown skin gal, she does the same.
Black gal, she rides in an old ox-cart,
But she gets there just the same.

2 Oh, yaller gal, she drinks her champagne wine.
Brown skin gal, she does the same.

Black gal, she drinks N. C. corn.
But she gets drunk just the same.

3 Oh, a yaller gal, she wears a hobble skirt.
Brown skin gal, she does the same.
Black gal wears an old Mary Jane,

But it's a hobble just the same.

4 O coming round the mountain, charming Betsy,
Coming round the mountain, Cora Lee.

If I die before I wake.
Do, gals, remember me.

G

From H. A. Cherry, Lilesville, Anscn county; c. 1024. Tlie chorus is
from No. 256, above.

I The white girl rides in an automobile.
The brown skin do de same.
The black gal rides in an ol' ox cart.
But she's ridin' just the same.

 

I! 1. A C K F A C K M INST k K I, , N K c; K O SONGS 547

Chorus:

Let's go 'mund the iiiountain. charming I'etsy;
Let's go 'round tlie mountain, Cora Lee.
I f I never more see \'ou.
Take mv ring and follow me.

2 The white girl wears a twenty-live dollar wig.
The brown skin do de same.

The black gal aint got no hair a-tall.
But she gets there just the same.

3 The white girl wears a fifty-dollar dress.
The brown skin do de same.

The black gal buys her a cheap Mary-Jane.
Rut she's sporting just the same.

4 The white girl sleeps in a nice feather bed.
The brown skin do de same.

The black gal makes a pallet on de flo',
But she's snoozing just the same.

5 The white girl lives in a nice brick house.
The brown skin do de same.

The black gal got all in jail.

But it's a brick house just the same.

6 The white girl's smellin' like a sweet cake o' soap.
The brown skin do de same.

The black gal's smellin' like an ol' billy goat.
But she's smellin' just the same.

H

'The Rich Girl Wears the Ten Dollar Shoes.' This fragment exists
in two copies in the Collection, one of which, from R. B. Edwards of
Durham, has already been published (ANFS 321). The other (the
texts are identical ) comes from Lucille Cheek of Chatham county. A
bit with a like contrast though not identical with ours is reported from
the singing of Negro convicts in South Carolina (JAFL xliv 433).

The rich girl wears the ten-dollar shoes,
The brown-skin gal does the same.
The poor black gal ain't got no shoes at all
But she gets there just the same.
-----------------------


477
White Gal, Yaller Gal, Black Gal

 

'White Gal, Yaller Gal, Black Gal.' Sung by Miss Zilpah Frisbie of Marion,
McDowell county. Recorded at Durham, July 24, 1923. Version E of this
song attributed in III 545 to the above singer has an entirely different text.
In our recording the singer used the text of version C. For text variant cf.
TNFS 278.

F-439

 


A white gal sleeps in a folding bed,


 

 

brown skin — does the same.


 


A black gal makes a


 


pal - let, But she's sleep - ing just the same.

Scale: Mode III, plagal. Tonal Center: e-flat. Structure: aa^ab (2,2,2,2) =
aai (4,4).

 

'White Gal, Yaller Gal, Black Gal.' Sung by E. C. Lovell, Trinity College,
Durham, 1919. Another title given: 'Brown Gal.' This version uses as
chorus a variant of the fourth stanza of version E. It is possible that "John
and Betsy" as given in the ms score, are a misunderstood "Charming Betsy.'


 

 

F-440

 

Brown gal, she

 

pret - ty queen, Yal - ler


 


de same. Old black gal's a pic - ture of


 

But that's look - in' jus' de same. Goin'

 

o'er de moun-tain,

 

 

 


John and Bet - sy,

 

Goin' o'er de moun-tain Co - ra Lee.

 

 

If you get dar- be -fore I do, Do, Lord,'mem-ber me.

Scale: Irrational (2,4), plagal. Tonal Center: g. Structure: aaia2baaia2b
(2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2) = aaia2ai (4,4,4,4).

 

'The Bed-Bug.' Sung by C. G. Knox, Durham, 1922-24. This text, exclud-
ing the refrain, is almost identical with the fifth stanza of O. Kuykendall's 'Old
Rattler' F-166. Cf. also III 206-8 and 544-7, No. 477B, G, and H. The
refrain line can be found III 214, No. 170, and III 245, No. 214A, third
stanza. Cf. here ASb 252-3, third and tenth stanzas; and ANFS 316-9,
No. 19 and footnotes. The melodic ending of our tune reminds of that of
'Frankie and Johnnie' : "He Done Her Wrong."

F-441

 
The June-bug has the gold -en wings, The light -ning bug the


flame. The bed - bug has no wings at all. But he gets there
just the same. AU night long, — Oh it's all night long. —

For melodic relationship cf. **ABFS 112, measures 1-2 and 8-12.

Scale: Hexatonic (2). Tonal Center: c. Structure: abc (4,4.4)- The tonal
center is the lowest tone.