Full Description
Collected primarily in metropolitan New York and Philadelphia during the classic era of black "street poetry" (i.e., during the late 1960s and early 1970s) these raps, signifyings, toasts, boasts, jokes and children's rhymes will delight general readers as well as scholars. Ranging from the simple rhymes that accompany children's games to verbally inventive insults and the epic exploits of traditional characters like Shine and Stagger Lee, these texts sound the deep rivers of culture, echoing two continents. Onwuchekwa Jemie's introductory essay situates them in a globally pan-African context and relates them to more recent forms of oral culture such as rap and spoken word. Author note: Onwuchekwa Jemie teaches African American and African Literature at Howard University. He is the author of Langston Hughes: An Introduction to the Poetry and co-author of Toward the Decolonization of African Literature.
Contents
PrefaceAcknowledgmentsA Note on the TextIntroductionNotesWorks CitedPart Playmate2. Kissing in the Hall3. I Saw You with Your Boyfriend4. I Wish I Had a Nickel5. Oh You Can't Get t o Heaven6. Miss Sue7. Your Mother's Got the Chicken Pox8. Somebody's Calling My Name9. From City to City10. Tic Tac11. I Received an Invitation12. Just Plant a Watermelon13. I Eat the Peanut Butter14. Beans15. Sardines and Pork and Beans16. Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep17. Winston Tastes Good18. I Want My Money Back19. Old King Cole20. Hi-Ho Silver21. My Little Monkey22. Silent Night23. Slap Me Five24. Sambo25. Run, Nigger, Run26. Nigger, Nigger27. Grandma28. I Hate Bosco29. Old Abe Lincoln30. Old Man Tucker31. John Brown's Baby32. Old Jim Crow33. See My Heart34. See My Pinky35. Father Shot the Kangaroo36. Your Eyes May Water37. A Monkey Found a Dime38. Look Up, Look Down39. Do Your Ears Hang Low?40. McDonald's41. The Roaches and the Bedbugs42. Popeye the Sailor Man43. It Ain't Gonna Rain No More44. Cry, Baby45. Kindergarten Baby46. Tattle Tale47. Red, Red48. Now She's Gone49. Glory, Glory, Hallelujah50. April Fool51. Booty Shine52. Old Lady Had a Rooster53. Stop54. I Know Your Hair Is NappyMARCHING SONGS AND THREATS1. I'm Little but I'm Loud2. I'm a Cool Cool Girl3. I Like Coffee4. Soul Sister, Soul Brother5. Your Left, Your Left6. I Am Blind7. Black Is Beautiful8. Who Are the Pros?9. Who Can Do the Freakin'?10. Whitey Don't Excite Me11. White Cracker, White Cracker12. Take Off Your Shoes13. Choo-Choo, Bang-Bang14. We Are the Rough15. If You Don't Like It16. Campers' Beans17. The SoldierCHOOSING SIDES1. Engine, Engine Number Nine2. Out Goes the Rat3. Odds, Evens4. My Mother and Your Mother5. Doggie, Doggie6. Ukie Dookie7. One Potato, Two PotatoHAND CLAP1. Criss-cross, Applesauce2. Rubba Dolly3. Down, Down Baby4. A Sailor Went to Sea, Sea, Sea5. Cookie Jar6. I Won't Go to Macy's Anymore7. Miss Mary Mack8. Have You Ever, Ever, Ever9. My Boyfriend's Name Is Tony10. Eenie Meenie Gypso Leenie11. Miss Lucy Had a BabyJUMP ROPE1. Teddy Bear2. Cinderella3. First Comes Love4. Fire, Fire5. Does He Love Me?6. Strawberry Shortcake7. Gypsy8. Hot Pepper9. Old Man Daisy10. Be On Time11. Do the Wicky Wacky12. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang13. Vote, Vote, Vote14. Anna Banana15. Sew, Sew, Sew Your Draws16. Stampede17. Taxi Cab, Taxi Cab18. Help, Murder, Police19. Hey Girl20. Amos 'n Andy21. Up the Ladder22. All in Together, Girls23. George Washington24. Up and Back25. On the Mountain26. Down the Mississippi27. Mother Dear's in the Kitchen28. I Lost My Handkerchief29. Fudge OlyoleeBALL GAMES1. Ball Bouncing2. One Over One3. Hello Bill4. Bouncy Ball5. Oliver TwistRUN A N D CHASE GAMES1. Devil and the Pitchfork2. Ole Mother witchCIRCLE GAMES1. Head and Shoulders2. Punchenella3. Shake, Shake My Playmate4. I'm Going to Kentucky5. Dinah's Dead6. The Green Apple Tree7. Sally Waters (Sally Walker)8. Yes Ma'am9. Grandmama Hippie-Hoppa10. Let's Get the RhythmWINE RHYMES1. What's the Word?2. 3-6-93. Hambone4. Newberry Wine5. Whiskey Song6. Up on the Roof7. What's Your Name?8. Marcy Chaplins9. This Ole Heart of Mine10. Mary, Mary11. You Missed Me12. Last CallVULGAR RHYMES1. Listen My Children2. Your Ma3. Stranded4. Fat and Skinny5. Fuck the Duck6. A Gal from Kansas City7. Batman and Robin8. Your Mama Don't Wear No Draws9. Kiss My Ass!10. The Food Chant11. The Woodpecker12. Put Your Foot on the Rock13. When You Get to Be a Man14. Mary Had a Steamboat15. A Geea, My Geea16. Batman17. Down by the River18. Tra-la-la Boom-de-ay19. Her Belly Began to Rise20. Bang Bang Lulu21. Sing the Old Tunes22. Baseball Bat23. A Man Named Brockett24. I've Been Told25. I Was Walking Through the Jungle26. The Titty ShoutPart II: Rapping, Signifying, Boasts and Threats1. Briefs2. Claim to Fame3. There Is No Double4. Plumber5. A Declaration of Friendship6. Crying Blues7. My Family8. Mean9. I Farts Freely10. My Name, My Game11. Joe Taylor12. I'm a Cool Cool Nigger13. My Legend Has Come to Pass14. Don't Mess With Me15. I'm a Lover16. If You Don't Like My Apples17. When I Die18. Ninety-Four Whores19. Twenty Women20. Three Wine-Ole Bitches21. Fathers and Sons22. DimePart III: DozensGENERAL: "THE CONDITION YOUR DEAR FAMILY'S IN"POVERTY1. Poor2. House3. Food4. Rats and Roaches5. ClothingUGLINESS1. Ugly2. Funky3. Age4. Size5. Height6. Hair7. Head8. Teeth9. Titties10. Dick11. Pussy12. Ass13. Legs14. Feet15. Hands16. Work17. Role Reversal18. Low Down19. Negative on BlackSTUPIDITYPROMISCUITYPart IV: ToastsTHE SIGNIFYING MONKEY1. The Signifying Monkey2. The Signifying Monkey3. The Signifying Monkey4. The Signifying Monkey5. The Signifying Monkey6. The Signifying Monkey7. The Signifying Monkey8. The Signifying and Pool-Shooting MonkeySTAGGER LEE1. Stag-a-Lee2. Stagolee3. Stagger Lee4. Stagolee5. Stackalee6. Stackolee7. Bad, Bad Stack-o-Lee8. Stagger Lee and the James BrothersTHE TITANIC1. ...And Shine Swam On2. The Titanic3. The Titanic4. The Tee-Ti-Tank5. The Tenth of May6. The King, the Queen and the Whore7. Shine, the Devil and His Brother Sammy8. The Three Women9. Son of ShineDOLEMITEDEATH ROWDORIELLA DUFONTAINEHONKY-TONK BUD1. This Is Your FBI2. The Hip-Cat StudTHE FREE SNORTERPETE REVERE1. Pete Revere2. Big PeteBIG DICK WILLIEBLACK JACK TUCKERPart V: Invective1. Put-Downs2. Pimpin' Sam3. On the CornerPart VI: Preacher Tales and Parodies1. Preacher Man2. A Prayer3. Telephone to Glory4. The New Priest5. The Visiting White Preacher6. The Baptism7. Ghosts8. Smart Preacher9. Last Will and Testament10. Fresh Air11. The Preacher and the Ducks12. G.Y.B.A.P.C.13. I Want to Testify14. Make a Joyful Noise!15. Mock Sermon16. Jonah and the WhalePart VII: Jokes1. Welcome to Muleshoe, Mississippi2. Suicide!3. Southern Hospitality4. Oink!5. Help!6. The Nigger Announcer7. The Nigger Ape8. Who Is the King of the Jungle?9. Reno's Comin'!10. You Ain't Shit11. Nooks and Authors12. The Faggot and the Truck Driver13. Lucky Strike14. You Want the Indians to Hate Us?I5. Bowels16. Cold Turkey17. Back to Africa18. Ungawa!19. The Russian and the Whore20. Englishman, Black Man21. Chinese Man, Black Man, Jew Man and God22. White Man, Colored Man, Chinese Man in a Storm23. White Man, Black Man, Jew Man and a Can of Beans24. Colored Man, White Man, Chinese Man and Skunk25. Black Man, Chinese Man, White Man in a Whorehouse26. Chinese Man, Colored Man, White Man and the Chimes27. Jew Man, White Man, Black Man and the Judge28. Black Man, White Man, Chinese Man in Jail29. Two White Men, Black Man, Devil30. Black Man, Southerner, Northerner in Hell31. Black Man, White Man, Jew Man in Hell32. Jew Man, Chinaman, Black Man in Heaven33. Riddles34. What an Old Man SaidPart VIII: Jokes on Children1. What's Wrong, Seymour?2. Correct English3. Bad Manners4. Check Her Reaction5 . Grits and Wonder6. Belly Button7. Coming and Going8. Felt9. I Was Walking Through the Park10. The Pocket Book11. Close Your Legs!12. A Nickel!13. How to Kill an Eel in One Easy LessonPart IX: Miscellaneous1. Sulky Sailor2. Old Country Jail3. Stephen Change4. Little Black Bird5. Belgrave6. Legs in Style7. Humpty Dumpty8. Upside Down...9. ...Inside Out10. When You're Up...11. ...When You're Down12. Son13. Look into My Eyes14. They Say15. Snippets16. Flashes17. A Lady!18. FreedomCONTRIBUTORS
