499
Raise a Ruckus Tonight
This is a rather puzzling item — especially the A version. "Mona" one supposes is a corruption of "mourner," and so one expects it to be followed by "you shall be free," as it is (with the spelling "Moana" for "Mona") in Perrow's report of a son.i;- by Mississippi Negroes (JAFL xxviii 135) ; but there is no "you shall be free" in
our North Carolina texts. Nor have they anything to do with the
"moanish lady" of a South Carolina Negro text (JAh'L x.wi
157-8), which is a corruption of "Romish lady." Perhaps the
identifying thread is to be found in tlic refrain line "going to raise
a ruckus tonight" (for which see ANFS 180, 245-6; it occurs also
in a Negro song from Texas, ABFS 253-4, in NWS 173-4, 'i"^^ 'n
Talley 90-1 ). White's informant ventures the suggestion that his
text (our 1:5) is "a holiday song and expressed the joyous feelings
of a Negro on a holiday." This accords well enough with texts B,
C, and D. But A is a tragic ballad. Or is it a travesty of such
a story? The boat in all four texts seems to show that they derive
from a common orisfinal.
'Fair Mona.' One of Mrs. Sutton's contril)utions, Init she does not say
where nr wlien she found it.
1 Til make me a boat and I'll down the river float;
Goin' to raise a rnckus tonight.
I'll see Mona, fair Mona. pretty Mona I'll see.'
2 Then he made him a boat out of his coat
And he tied up his shirt for a sail,
^Vent to see iNIona, fair Mona, pretty Mona to see.
3 Before he ever kissed her lips or touched her little hand.
Her brothers four broke in the door with all their jolly
band.
Oh, he saw Mona, fair !Mona, pretty Mona he saw.
4 Two of them grabbed him from behind and two grabbed
him before.
They bore him from their sister's room; she followed by
the door.
Oh, she cried. Mona, fair Mona, prettv Mona, she cried.
5 They pitched him into the salt, salt sea with a dagger in
his heart.
And pretty Mona ftdhnved him ; these lovers did not part.
Oh, he saw Mona, fair Mona, pretty Mona he saw.
B
'Raise a Rucus Tonight.' Obtained from Charles F. Jordan, student at
Trinity College, in December 1019. Already printed in ANFS 180.
]\I\- ole banjo liangin' on de wall
Ain't been tuned since away last fall.
Goin' to raise up a rucus tonight.
Come along, my children, come along!
560 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
Come while der moon am shinin' bright.
Take a boat, an' we'll go down de ribber afloat.
\\'e're gwine to raise up a rucus tonight !
c
'Come on, Chillun, Won't You Come Along?' Communicated as "chorus
of an old slave song" by S. M. Davis of White Hall, Wayne county,
on the Neuse River.
Come on, children, won't you come along,
While the moon am shining bright?
Come on board and down the river flow,
We gwine to raise a rucus^ tonight.
D
'Raise a Rukus Tonight.' From the John Burch Blaylock Collection.
1 Old hen sitting on a fodder stack,
Raise a rukus tonight.
Hawk came along and struck her in the back.
Raise a rukus tonight.
Chorus:
Come along, chillun, come along,
\Miile the moon shines bright tonight ;
Get on board and down the river float,
Gonna raise the rukus tonight.
2 Old hen flew and the biddies too,
Raise a rukus tonight.
What in the world is the rooster gonna do?
Raise a rukus tonight.
3 If I could I surely would
Raise a rukus tonight ;
Stand on the rock where Moses stood.
Raise a rukus tonight.
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499
Raise a Ruckus Tonight
'Raise a Ruckus Tonight.' Sung by Charles E. Jordan, Trinity College,
Durham, December 1919. Although the printed text in III 559-60 gives a
total of seven lines to the stanza, the music seems to indicate a chorus which
would begin at "Come along." The ending of this refrain reminds of 'There'll
Be a Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight.' For another version cf FSUSA
90.
F-452
tuned since a - way last fall. Gon - na raise up a ru -
cus to
night. Come a -long, my chil-dren, come a - long! Come while de
moon am shin -in' bright,-
Take a boat, an' we'll go down de
rib-ber a - float. We're gwine a raise up a ru-cus to - night !-
For melodic relationship cf. **Bowman, 136, first four measures.
Scale: Hexatonic (4), plagal. Tonal Center: g. Structure: aaibcdcbi
(2,2,2,4,4,4,4) ; bi is the same as b, but 'per augmentationem.' The over-all
form IS : nrnm^ (6,8,8) = inverted barform, of which the epode in itself is also
m barform.