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Whé me lover dé? Seemya, seemya. Me lover gone a sea? Seemya, seemya. Me no see me lover ya. Seemya, seemya. Him gone a Colon bay. Seemya, seemya. Go fin' you lover now. Seemya, seemya. No make no 'tupid dé. Seemya, seemya. Fool dem let dem go. Seemya, seemya. Me lover come back. Seemya, seemya. Go take you lover now. Seemya, seemya. Wheel him make me see. Seemya, seemya. Throw a kiss to him. Seemya, seemya. Wheel him let him go. Seemya, seemya.[52] |
A ring is formed, and a girl is put in the middle. She asks:—"Where is my lover?" and the ring answers in chorus:—"See him here." "Has my lover gone to sea?" and the answer comes again:—"See him here." The gal goes on:—"I do not see my lover; has he gone to Colon bay?" and then, as though speaking to herself:—"Go, find your lover now. There! don't pretend to be stupid." At this point she takes the hand of a boy in the ring as if she were going to dance with him, but immediately pushes him back, and says, still speaking to herself:—"Fool them, let them go." Then simulating contrition and breaking the hitherto even rhythm:—"My lover, come back!" At "Go take your lover now" she goes again to the same boy, takes him out of the ring-circle and dances with him. They wheel at the words "Wheel him make me see," which mean, "Let me see you wheel him." Finally at "Wheel him let him go" they part hands.
Frequent references will be found to Colon. Jamaica labourers used to go there in large numbers to work on the Panama canal.
XCII.
To the same class belongs:—
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Ring a diamond, ring a diamond, Why oh ring a diamond. Get in the ring you'll find one Sambo boy. Why oh ring a diamond. Me look me da look me no find one Sambo boy. Why oh ring a diamond. Me find me diamond, me find me diamond. Why oh ring a diamond. Wheel you diamond, wheel you diamond. Why oh ring a diamond. Let go diamond, let go diamond. Why oh ring a diamond. |
This tune has a beautiful swing. In many bars it is almost impossible to distinguish whether the tune is triple or duple. Much license may be allowed in the direction of the latter to a good timist, but the general impression of triple time must be kept. The "Sambo boy" bar must be sung very smoothly. It is neither quite as it is written the first time nor quite as it occurs in the second, but just between the two. Three even crotchets with judicious tempo rubato would give it. It will be understood that these tunes are sung antiphonally. In this one the leaders, who know the tune and words well, sing the first four bars and the next four belong to the chorus, after which the leaders take it up again, and so on.