140. In Come Murray.
William Forbes, Dry River, Cock-pit country.
It was said when you go you see a man going to play dat Nansi story. Get anodder wid a pint a water, den him gwine to turn a drunkard, begin to totter, say, “Tiger, tiger, lie down”—
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♩ = 84
Zin come Murray. I take drink, lay down, Zin come Murray.
Murray, ah, lay down, Zin come Murray. I take drink lay down,
Zin come Murray. Oh, poor Murray. Zin come Murray.
I take drink, lay down, Zin come Murray.
141. Tacoomah makes a Dance. [[Note]]
William Forbes, Dry River, Cock-pit country.
Tacoomah make a dance, get Anansi for de fiddler, an’ Grass-quit was coming as a fiddler too. Robin Redbreast was to play de music, Monkey was to blow de bugle. Well, after de night de dance commence. Anansi gwine to play,
“Queena bunna, ring-ki-ting,
You sen’ fe great Grass-quit,
You don’ sen’ fe me!
Anansi draw bow so sweet, ring-ki-ting,
Anansi draw bow so sweet, ring-ki-ting.”
Tacoomah say,
“You ya, you ya, so ya, me ya,
Wid a fort tumba like a tenky bunna,
Wid a jump, wid a jump, like a tenky bunna.”[1]
[[171]]
Robin Redbreast say,
“Jock, Jock, when you coming home?”
Jock said,
“Tomorrow evening.”
“What in your right?”
“Boot an’ spur.”
“What in your left?”
“Bow an’ arrow.[2]”
Jock[3] said,
“Robin redbreast
Was pretty well dressed,
And he was into his nest,
And a puppy went into his nest
And broke his neck t’ru distress.”
Well, den, Turtle an’ Duck goin’ in de river fe go an’ swim, an’ dem is to run to a hill-side in de river. An’ Cock is de judge. Den Cock went to sing fe dem—
“Co co re co.”
Duck an’ Turtle swim—
“Shekey, shekey, shee-e-e.”
[1] The tune is that of the Devil in the Cock and Corn story, number 85. [↑]
[2] The dialogue is taken from a popular game. [↑]
[3] I asked, “Who is Jock?”—“Jock man dora.” [↑]
142. Anansi makes a Dance. [[Note]]
William Forbes, Dry River, Cock-pit country.
Again, Anansi make a dance. Him playing de fiddle,
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♩ = 84
Kelly bam bom ba, Kelly bam ya Morree! Kelly bam bom ba, Kelly
bam ya Morree! Kelly bam bom ba, Kelly bam ya Morree!
Dem dat kyan’ run, dey no hearie! etc.[1]
Kelly bam bom ba, Kelly bam ya Morree! Kelly bam bom ba, Kelly
bam bom ba, Kelly bam bom ba, Kelly bam ya Morree! Kelly[[172]]
bam bom ba, Kelly bam bom ba, Kelly bam ya Morree! Kelly
bam bom ba, Kelly bam bom ba, Kelly bam bom ba, Kelly
bam ya Morree! — — — — — — — — — —
Goat dere a dance, say,
“Me kyan’ run, but me cunnie do!”
Dog begin to sing,
“Na way you lie, Samedy,
Pussy no dead at all!”
Den Puss an’ Rat begin to dance an’ say,
“Massa Puss an’ Massa Rat a jump shandelay,[2]
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♩ = 160
Oh, jump shandelay, jump shandelay, den a jump shandelay.
Oh, oh, jump shandelay—Missa Rat a jump den a jump shandelay!
Oh, oh, jump shandelay. Jump shandelay, will you jump shandelay!
Oh, oh, jump shandelay, oh, Missa Rat a jump, will you jump, shandelay!
Den she went an’ jump it, den she went an’ jump it, den she went an’ jump it,
den she went an’ jump it, den she went an’ jump it, den she went an’ jump it.
Well, Anansi boy was blowing de fife,
“Ti-li-harry-ham, handsome ben-in-ben!”
[[173]]
Den de bull was coming along, hear dem, say,
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♩ = 63
Oh who dey ca’ me Timmo Limmo? Timmo Limmo, oh?
Zin kuma Ya ya ya, oh, Zin kuma.
♩ = 69
Timmo Limmo, oh, Timmo Limmo oh, Zin kuma.
Ya, ya, ya, oh, Zin kuma. Ah, who dey ca’ me Timmo Limmo?
Ah, who dey ca’ me Timmo Limmo, oh, Zin kuma. Ya, ya, ya oh,
Zin kuma Timmo Limmo, oh, Zin kuma. Ah who dey ca’ me
Timmo Limmo? Ah, who dey ca’ me, Timmo Limmo,
Timmo Limmo, oh, Zin kuma. Ya, ya, ya, oh, Zin kuma.
[1] The record was faulty. [↑]
[2] Part of the first of the song is missing; phonograph needle was put down too late. [↑]
143. Red Yam. [[Note]]
Mary Jane Roden, Brownstown, St. Ann.
Anansi and Tacoomah have two little boy. So Anansi go to him ground, he have a yam name of ‘red yam’. So when he carry home de yam, if de two little boy don’ tell him de name of de yam, don’ give ’em no dinner. So one night de little boy say, (dance to the fiddle and drum),
“Poor me bwoy, papa no gi’ me no dinner!
If I don’ know de yam name, papa no gi’ me no dinner!
Poor me bwoy, me go fe dead fe hungry, da la!”
[[174]]
Another day papa go to ground. So the little boy follow him go right outside a bush, go set for him. When him coming back he fall down, say, “Now me little red yam mash up!” So when him come home an’ said to the little boy, “Come, me pickney, pupa come an’ if you tell me de name of dis yam to-night, I goin’ to give you a good supper,” the little boy say,
“T’ank God, me know him name,
T’ank God, me know him name,
T’ank God, me know him name!”
“Come, now, tell me!”
“Ai! red yam, t’ank God a red yam!”
(dance and play the fiddle and drum).
When the papa boil the dinner, give him a big dinner fe him call the name. When he eat the big dinner the papa gi’ him the night, boy sing,
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♩ = 72
1st Verse.
Pupa, de yam name red e yam? Yes, ma bwa, name red e yam.
Chorus.
Belly full to-night wid me red yam. Eat, ma bwa, eat, ma bwa,
Eat, ma bwa, de yam name red e yam Sing, ma bwa, Sing, ma bwa,
Sing, ma bwa, de yam name red e yam. Laugh, ma bwa, laugh, ma bwa,
2nd Verse.
laugh, ma bwa, de yam name red e yam. Pupa ma belly full
wid de red yam, Pupa ma belly full wid red yam. Laugh, ma bwa,[[175]]
laugh, ma bwa, laugh, ma bwa, yo’ belly full wid de red yam.
Sing, ma bwa, sing, ma bwa, sing, ma bwa, yo’ belly full wid de red yam.[1]
[1] The narrator continued with the following which, she insisted, belongs with the song:
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Tom drunk, but Tom no fool, Tom drunk, but Tom no fool, Trala-la-la-la-la-la.
This last measure may be repeated at will, or the whole three about Tom. The oftener it is sung, the sweeter the song, in Mother Roden’s opinion and in that of many others.
This singer was most uncertain; in intonation, repetitions, etc. she varied exceedingly and agreed that any way the song was repeated to her by the transcriber was correct, no matter how it was sung. The transcriber, therefore, will not vouch for these three tunes. The old woman is a cripple and can neither read nor write. H. R. [↑]