CHAPTER IX
WOMAN'S SONG OF MAN
Woman's song of man is in most respects parallel
to man's song of woman. Her themes are about
the same. She sings of her "man" or "daddy," of
her disappointments and failures in love, of her unfaith-
ful lover, and of her own secret amours.
It will be noticed that woman's song conforms
quite closely to the blues type as it is popularly known
today. In Chapter I examples of the "mama" blues
titles were given and in Chapter II it was pointed out
that the majority of the formal blues of today deal with
the sex theme. Furthermore, most of these blues
are sung from the point of view of woman. Con-
sequently, as songs that may be remembered and sung
from day to day, they appear more acceptable to
woman than to man. Perhaps this explains why
the influence of the formal blues is encountered so
frequently in the kind of songs with which this chapter
is concerned. At any rate, it is becoming increasingly
difficult to find a song of woman on the man theme
which does not show the influence of the popular
blues. 1
Woman's song of man frequently concerns itself
with "the other woman," the rival in the case. The
first two songs given here are only indirectly con-
cerned with man, but they are of interest because they
1 After consulting dozens of popular pieces, in both sheet music and
phonograph record form, we have been able to trace some of these songs to
them, but we feel sure that the influence of the formal blues is present in many
other songs in this and other chapters, even though we have failed so far to
locate the direct evidence. We have omitted many songs that were clearly
of formal origin, although the singers insisted that they were entirely original.
Woman's Song of Man 153
touch upon the "conflict of color" within the Negro
community. They are only samples of a voluminous
literature of "chocolate" versus "yellow," or "black"
versus "brown," which is to be found in the songs of
the Negro.
De Mulatto Gal
De mulatto gal got yaller skin, yaller skin,
De mulatto gal got yaller skin, yaller skin,
De mulatto gal got yaller skin, yaller skin,
De mulatto gal got yaller skin,
Den she got a devilish grin, daddy.
De mulatto gal got kinky hair, kinky hair,
De mulatto gal got kinky hair, kinky hair,
De mulatto gal got kinky hair, kinky hair,
De mulatto gal got kinky hair,
Always wears her big laigs bare, daddy.
De mulatto gal got white-gray eyes, gray eyes,
De mulatto gal got white-gray eyes, gray eyes,
De mulatto gal got white-gray eyes, gray eyes,
De mulatto gal got white-gray eyes,
An' dat's a gal dat never lies, daddy.
De mulatto gal got great big laigs, big laigs,
De mulatto gal got great big laigs, big laigs,
De mulatto gal got great big laigs, big laigs,
De mulatto gal got great big laigs,
She's de gal makes de men beg, daddy.
De mulatto gal got great big hips, big hips,
De mulatto gal got great big hips, big hips,
De mulatto gal got great big hips, big hips,
De mulatto gal got great big hips,
She's de gal got kissin' lips, daddy.
De Chocolate Gal
De chocolate gal got greasy hair, greasy hair,
De chocolate gal got greasy hair, greasy hair,
De chocolate gal got greasy hair, greasy hair,
She is de.gal can cuss an' rare, daddy.
154 Negro Workaday Songs
De chocolate gal got col' black eye, black eye,
De chocolate gal got col' black eye, black eye,
De chocolate gal got col' black eye, black eye,
She am de gal what steals an' lies, daddy.
De chocolate gal got thick black skin, black skin,
De chocolate gal got thick black skin, black skin,
De chocolate gal got thick black skin, black skin,
She de kin' of gal what go to de pen, daddy.
De chocolate gal she got big laigs, big laigs,
De chocolate gal she got big laigs, big laigs,
De chocolate gal she got big laigs, big laigs,
She am de gal what cries an' begs, daddy.
De chocolate gal got heavy hips, heavy hips,
De chocolate gal got heavy hips, heavy hips,
De chocolate gal got heavy hips, heavy hips,
She's de gal got lyin' lips, daddy.
Songs like those just given are varied to suit the
color of the singer. If the black girl has an off-color
rival, she sings that it is the yellow girl who "steals
an' lies," who "cries an' begs," who "can cuss an'
rare," and so on.
In the next few songs woman sings of her "man."
Her appellations, "my man," "my daddy," "sweet
papa," "chocolate drop," "Black Jack," and others,
are an interesting study in themselves. Fs Dreamin
of You has simplicity and a note of tenderness which
approaches the better type of love song. The other
songs are quite crude, but it should be remembered
that they are characteristic only of the Negro woman
of the lower class.
I's Dreamin' of You
I's dreamin' of you,
I's dreamin' of you,
I's dreamin' of you
Every night.
Woman's Song of Man 155
I's thinkin' of you,
I's thinkin' of you
I's thinkin' of you
All right.
I's wantin' of you,
I's wantin' of you,
I's wantin' of you
Day an' night.
On de Road Somewhere
On de road somewhere,
I got a long, tall chocolate-drop
On de road somewhere.
Don't you leave me here,
Don't you leave me here,
If you will leave me here,
Leave me dime fer beer.
On de road somewhere,
On de road somewhere,
I got a long, tall chocolate-drop
On de road somewhere.
My Black Jack
When I gits to heaven I don't wanta stay
Widout my Black Jack live out dat way.
Black Jack's a rounder, but I don't kere,
All us need to be happy is a bed an' a cheer.
Daddy Mine
Over de fiel' an' 'cross de line,
I got a daddy dat I call mine.
Daddy mine, daddy mine,
Keep me cryin' all de time.
Ain't got no heart, ain't got no mon,
But, God, I loves dat daddy lak fun.
Daddy mine, daddy mine,
I got a daddy dat I calls mine,
Daddy mine, daddy mine.
156 Negro Workaday Songs
My Man Am a Slap-stick Man
My man am a slap-stick man,
My man dance wid de band.
His head am nappy,
His feetsies is long;
None o' dese things
Make my man wrong.
My man's a slap-stick man.
My man am a slap-stick man,
My man dance wid dat yaller gal.
Her head am nappy,
Her feet am long;
All o' dese things
Make dat gal dead wrong.
My man's de slap-stick man.
Don't You Two-time Me
If you gonna be my honey
Don't you two-time me.
If you gonna be my papa,
Better have one man 'stead of three.
Don't you two-time,
Try to two-time me.
Can Any One Take Sweet Mama's Place? 1
Can any one take sweet mama's place?
I ain't good lookin',
Ain't got no curly hair,
But my mama give me somethin'
Take me each an' everywhere.
Come here, sweet papa,
Look me in de face,
Is dere anybody can take yo' mama's place?
De Mississippi River
Is so deep and wide,
Can't see my good brown
From de other side.
1 Cf. phonograph record, Can Anybody Take Sweet Mama's Place?
Woman's Song of Man 157
But the chief theme in woman's song, as in man's,
is trouble. Sometimes the dominant note is dis-
appointment:
Dat nigger o' mine don't love me no mo',
Dat ungrateful feller don't love me no mo'.
Sometimes it is regret:
I wish I was single again,
Oh, I wish I was single again.
Again the key-note is one of despondency:
Done sol' my soul to de devil,
An' my heart done turned to stone.
And it is usually the "other woman" who is at the
bottom of the trouble.
He don't send me no hearin' —
I knows another gal's dere an' I's fearin'.
Dat sly, 'ceitful, lyin' gal,
Yes, Lawd, she stole my man away.
These "hard luck" songs of woman are presented in
the next group. It is here that one finds the closest
relation between folk songs and the formal blues.
When I Wore My Ap'on Low
When I wore my ap'on low,
When I wore my ap'on low,
When I wore my ap'on low,
Boys would pass by my do'.
Now I'm wearin' it to my chin,
Now I'm wearin' it to my chin,
Now I'm wearin' it to my chin,
Boys all pass and dey won't come in.
158 Negro Workaday Songs
I Done Sol' My Soul to de Devil r
I done sol' my soul,
Done sol' it to de devil,
An' my heart done turned to stone.
I got a lot o' gol',
Got it from de devil,
Because he won't let me alone.
He says he can make me happy
An' give me back my man
If you follow me in sin,
An' I wus so blue he took me in.
Look what a fool I am.
Done sol' my soul,
Done sol' it to the devil,
An' my heart done turned to stone.
I live down in de valley
By a hornet's nest,
Where de lions, bears, and tigers
Come to take deir rest.
I Got a Letter From My Man 2
I got a letter from my man,
My man's dyin', Lawd, Lawd.
I'm goin' down track, never look back,
Goin' where my man fell dead.
I'm gonna follow my man,
Lawd, gonna follow him to the buryin' groun'.
But I'm so sorry, Lawd,
But I just can't take your place.
Well, captain, told you abqut my man,
Say, I'm goin' away, can't stay behind.
1 Very similar to phonograph piece, Done Sold My Soul to the Devil.
2 This song represents the lament of a construction-camp woman. The
sentiment of the first four stanzas is found, in a very different form, in the
phonograph piece, Death Letter Blues.
Woman's Song of Man 159
Say, I'm goin' away, captain,
Lawd, I done lef this town.
Say, I'm goin' home, captain, an', captain,
I won't be here so long.
Say, I'm goin' away, Lawd, Lawd,
Say, I'm on my way home.
O Lawd, captain, tell me what's matter now,
Nothin' matter, jus' leavin' the town.
Captain, captain, I'm goin' away so long,
You make me think o' my man.
Say, captain, captain, don't be so hard on me,
O Lawd, I don't do nothin' but wash an' iron all day.
Say, captain, captain, I can't work so hard,
Lawd, I can't wash an' iron so hard.
Say, captain, when you call my name,
You make me think, Lawd o' my man.
Say, captain, I ain't got no husban',
Lawd, captain, you got my man.
I Ain't No Stranger
1 ain't no stranger,
I ain't no stranger,
I jes' blow into your town.
I didn't come here,
I didn't come here.
To be dawged around.
Look-a here, daddy,
Look-a here, daddy,
See what you done done.
Done made me love you,
Den tryin' to throw me away.
See dem crazy fellows, daddy?
Go to jail about 'em,
But I wont go in —
160 Negro Workaday Songs
What Can the Matter Be? 1
What can the matter be, O dear, what can the matter be?
What can the matter be, O dear, Johnnie is so long jat
the fair.
He promised to bring me a ring an' a locket
An' all the nice things you wear in your pocket.
He promised to bring me a bunch of blue ribbon
To wear on my pretty brown hair. ■
He said if I'd love him he never would leave me,
But now I have chased him I hope he won't grieve me,
I love him so dearly I hope he won't leave me,
But Johnnie is so long at the fair.
dear, what can the matter be?
Johnnie is so long at the fair.
Worried Anyhow 2
When de man dat I love says
He didn't want me no mo',
1 thought it was de hardest word
I ever heard befo'.
When de blues overtake you,
I's can't beat a deal,
If it wusn't fer my mother
An' de man I loves.
I give myself to de sick
An' my soul to de God above.
If you quit me, daddy,
It won't worry me now,
Because when we are together
I am worried anyhow.
1 This song, which is probably of white origin, has a wide distribution.
The present version is from North Carolina. The song is mentioned in
Pound's syllabus, Folk Song of Nebraska and the Central West. Perrow
gives a version in Journal of American Folk-Lore, vol. 28, p. 169.
2 Cf. phonograph record, Worried Anyhow Blues.
Woman's Song of Man 161
Dere's Misery in Dis Lan'
I got a man an' a sweetheart, too,
I got a man an' a sweetheart, too,
I got a man an' a sweetheart, too,
Dere's misery in dis lan', dis lan'.
Can't please my man an' my sweetheart, too,
Can't please my man an' my sweetheart, too,
Can't please my man an' my sweetheart, too,
Dere's misery in dis lan', dis lan'.
My man makes money an' my sweetheart makes none,
My man makes money an' my sweetheart makes none,
My man makes money an' my sweetheart makes none,
Dere's misery in dis lan', dis lan'.
My sweetheart makes love an' my man makes none,
My sweetheart makes love an' my man makes none,
My sweetheart makes love an' my man makes none,
Dere's misery in dis lan', dis lan'.
Dat Chocolate Man
I ain't never goin' to be satisfied,
All day an' night I cried.
Dat big Bill o' mine he hide
From me, yes, from me.
My ol' haid it's weary,
My ol' heart it's dreary
For dat chocolate man.
I wonder where dat slim Bill's gone,
I can't do nothin' but set an' mo'n.
Dat big Bill stray from me,
Yes, he stray from me.
My bed it's lonesome an' col',
I can't sleep to save my soul.
Dat big Bill o' mine,
He's got dat yaller gal.
My ol' haid it's achin',
My ol' heart it's breakin'
For dat chocolate man.
11
162 Negro Workaday Songs
Dem Longin', Wantin' Blues
I loves dat bully, he sho' looks good to me,
I always do what he wants me to.
Den he don't seem satisfied.
I got de blues,
Yes, Saro, I's got dem wantin' blues,
Dem longin', wantin' blues.
He don't send me no hearin',
I know another gal's dere an' I's fearin'.
He don't seem satisfied.
Now I got de blues,
Yes, Lawd, I got dem wantin' blues,
Dem longin', wantin' blues.
Dat Nigger o' Mine Don't Love Me No Mo'.
Up an' down de street, ain't got no show,
Dat nigger o' mine don't love me no mo'.
No mo', no mo', no show, no show,
'Cause dat ungrateful feller don't love me no mo'.
Stroll to de corner, cop in sight,
Gonna kill dat man, he ain't treat me right.
No mo', no mo', no show, no show,
'Cause dat ungrateful feller don't love me no mo'.
I Don't Love Him No Mo'.
If I don't come back,
If I don't come back,
Put de cop on dat
Black man's track.
He's a rough-neck black,
Keep de p'liceman on his track,
Put 'im in de jail house,
Keep 'im dere.
I don't love him no mo',
So I don't care.
Woman's Song of Man 163
I Wish I Was Single Again l
When I was single I was livin' at my ease,
Now I am married a drunker to please.
I wish I was single again,
I wish I was single again.
When I was single, fine shoes I wo',
Now I am married, my feet on the flo'.
I wish I was single again,
I wish I was single again.
The water is to bring, the flo' to sweep,
The children are cryin' and nothin' to eat.
I wish I was single again,
I wish I was single again.
Wash their little faces, tuck them in their bed,
In comes that drunken man — I wish he was dead.
I wish I was single again,
I wish I was single again.
Dere's a Lizzie After My Man
Dere's a Lizzie after my man,
Dere's a Lizzie after my man;
She git 'im if she can,
'Cause I kotch her holdin' his han',
Dis-a mawnin', dis evenin' more 'n late.
Her face am powdered white,
Her face am powdered white;
Her hair am greasy an' slick,
On my man she try to work 'er trick,
Dis-a mawnin', dis evenin' more 'n soon.
She corned 'roun' to my do',
She corned 'roun' to my do';
Den I ripped offen her skirt,
Den I tore offen his shirt,
Dis-a mawnin', dis evenin', more 'n soon.
1 Cf. Campbell & Sharp, English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalach-
ians, p. 256; also phonograph record version, / Wish I Was a Single Girl.
164 Negro Workaday Songs
Dat Sly Gal
Dat sly gal,
Oh, dat sly, 'ceitful, lyin' gal,
She leads dat long tearful prayer
Wid her head propped on my chair.
She stole my man away,
Yes, Lawd, she stole my man away.
I Don't Feel Welcome Here
I's goin' down de road
Where I can get better care.
I believe I'll go
'Cause I don't feel welcome here.
I's goin' to ketch dat train,
Dont' kere where it's from,
'Cause I ain't gonna stay here
An' be made no stumblin' block.
I landed here one night
When de clock wus strikin' nine,
Lookin' fer dat woman
Dat had stole dat man o' mine.
I hunts dat woman high,
I hunts dat woman low,
I's gonna rip dat woman
From her mouf clean down befo'.
Occupied
Coon, coon, coon, great big yaller coon,
He sets all night jis' outern my do'.
He says, "Please lemme res' dere jis' once mo'
But, Lawd, it's occupied,
But, Lawd, it's occupied.
Dat coon'd be hot if he knowed de troof,
Dat a chocolate-drop lef over de roof.
But he wanta come in once mo'
An' be occupied,
An' be occupied.
Woman's Song of Man 165
I'm Gonna Get Me Another Man
My man ain't treatin' me right,
He haven't been home this week.
I'm goin' get me another man
An' let that black kinky-headed bastard go.
He don't love me an' he don't mean me no good.
I'm a brown-skin woman an' tailor-made,
I believe I can get me a man in anybody's town.
The man I love an' am wild about,
He is brown-skin,
Got curled hair an' tailor-made hisself.
I Got Another Daddy
Leavin' here, I sho' don't wanta go.
Goin' up de country,
Brown-skin, I can't carry you.
Don't write me no letters,
Dont' sen' me no word,
I got another daddy
To take your place.