Author Archives: Ashley Lax

Song

Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: 2003

When I was in camp many years ago, all of the girls would sing “Miss Suzy had a steamboat”, and do the hand motions along with it.  However, this clapping gave was not just done at camps, it was everywhere.  Girls would do it while standing in line, or in the car on the way to school.

Miss Suzy had a steamboat, the steamboat had a bell (ding ding)
Miss Suzy went to heaven, the steamboat went to
Hello operator, please give me number nine
If you disconnect me, I’ll cut off your
Behind the ‘frigerator, there was a piece of glass
Miss Suzy fell upon it and it cut her in the
Ask me no more questions and tell me no more lies
The boys are in the bathroom zipping up their
Flies are in the meadow, bees are in the park
Miss Suzy and her boyfriend were kissing in the
D. A. R. K. D. A. R. K. Dark. Dark
Darker than the ocean,
Darker than the sea,
Darker than the underwear
My mommy puts on me!
I know you know my mommy,
I know you know my pa,
I know you know my sister
With the 42 inch bra!

Upon first hearing the song and watching the young girls play the game; the song does not seem bad at all.  However, when you listen closer, there are many “bad” words that young girls should not be using.  However, the girls are not actually using the bad words because the words are cleverly disguised in the phrasing of the song.  For instance, in “the steamboat went to Hello operator”, the word hell is disguised.  However, the word hell is the obvious word that was meant to be placed there.  Other phrases about boys zipping up their flies, or 42inch bras, are all taboo for these young children.  The children are not allowed to use these words in their everyday speech so they have found a clever release through the song.

Freud would say that this song is representative of the young children’s repressed sexuality.  Their sexuality is not allowed to show through in everyday society, but this song allows them a safe outlet to express and experiment with it. Another interesting point is that girls are the main singers of this song.  This could be for many reasons.  First, in our society boys are not “suppose” to sing.  Singing is a female gendered activity according to the gender roles of today’s society.  Also Boys are often allowed to be “bad”, it is expected of them to break the rules and go against the grain.  However, girls are supposed to be refined and appropriate at all times.  This song allows the girls to release their developing sexual energy without being inappropriate.

Legend

Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: March 18, 2007

My roommate, Samantha, my freshman year in college had the same background as I.  We are both Italian Catholics.  We would share funny stories about our crazy Italian relatives and one day she told me of a very unique story that is always told in her family.

Every Easter and Christmas her entire family gets together to celebrate the Catholic Holiday.  Every year the same stories are told at the table, but every year they seem so change slightly.

Samantha’s grandmother, Rita Grosso, was born in Italy and moved to the United States when she was very young.   When her family moved to the United States they first went through Ellis Island and then separated between New Jersey and Philadelphia.  Her Grandmother’s Uncle, Vincent Grosso, came with the family to the new country.  He was supposedly in the Italian mob.  However, when they made the move to the United States he decided to be “good”.  All the knowledge that he acquired in the mob, he decided to put to a better use, the FBI.  Vincent began working with the FBI.  However, when the Italian mob found out one of their own was working with the government they were extremely upset.  The story goes that the mob masters found Vincent Grosso, gave him cement shoes, and dropped him into the ocean.

However, Samantha recalls that the story has changed over the years.  She remembers when she was a child that, Vincent got cement shoes and was never seen again.  There was nothing about being dropped into the ocean.  So in reality, no one in the whole family besides Grandma Rita knows the truth about Uncle Vincent, and whether he was even in the mob at all.  Moreover, every year there is usually a new member of the Grosso family so Samantha’s grandma feels the need to worn the “new Italian” about the dangers of the mob

Song/Contemporary Legend – Cleveland, Ohio

Age: 50
Residence: Malibu, CA

My mother was born and raised in Cleveland Ohio.  She remembers very well when the Cuyahogo River “caught on fire”.  It was the day of June 23, 1969.  The river was very dirty, and contaminated.  There had been a lot of waste dumped into the river form the surrounding industrial companies.  However, the day that the river was on fire, the fire is said to have been up to five stories high.

However, according to my mother this event was blown completely out of proportion. Songs, tails and even pictures developed from this event.  This song about the river began to be sung all around the town.

There’s an oil barge winding

Down the Cuyahogo River

Rolling into Cleveland to the lake

Cleveland city of light city of magic

Cleveland city of light you’re calling me

Cleveland, even now I can remember

‘Cause the Cuyahoga River

Goes smokin’ through my dreams

Burn on, big river, burn on

Burn on, big river, burn on

Now the Lord can make you tumble

And the Lord can make you turn

And the Lord can make you overflow

But the Lord can’t make you burn

Everyone knew the song, both the children and the adults.  The song did two things.  First, it scared people away from Cleveland.  My mom remembers kids from her school moving to different cities and outsiders no longer wanted to come to Cleveland.  Second, the song brought forth the real reason why the fire started; people were dumping trash into the river.  This is evident in the lines about the Lord.  The Lord can make the river, tumble, turn and overflow but the Lord can’t make it burn.  Only the people can make the river burn, by dumping their trash into it.

This event, over the years developed into a “haunted story” Cleveland became the town that nobody wanted to live in; it was dirty and contaminated.  Pictures were even found of enormous flames that claimed to be of the Cuyahoga River but in fact were developed to scare the people.

http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=1642

March 2007

Proverb

Age: 50
Residence: Malibu, CA
Performance Date: February 27, 2007

My mother told me of this proverb that she heard while at a funeral.

“An inch of time is an inch of gold, but you can’t buy that inch of time with an inch of gold.”

She heard this proverb when she was attending the funeral of her high school friend’s son.  The boy’s name was Jason.  She died of a drug overdose at the age of 22.  My mother told me that this was the saddest funeral she had ever attended.  Most funerals are for the elderly, who died from old age.  This funeral was extremely unfortunate because Jason was so young and his life had barely begun.  His family did not even know that he had a drug problem.  In a speech given by one of Jason’s teachers this proverb was mentioned.  The teacher talked about how wonderful Jason was and how much potential he had.  All he needed was more time, to hopefully recover from his addiction and begin his life, on a path to success.

In essence this proverb is stating that time is so precious, as precious as gold.  However, you can not earn more time like you can earn more gold.  Therefore, in reality time is more precious then gold.  Things are more valuable the rarer they are.  Gold, something tangible is highly desired because it is rare, therefore everyone wants some.  However, other things like time or love, things that are not tangible are also very rare, but are harder then gold to acquire.

Festival – India

Nationality: Indian
Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: Chicago, IL
Performance Date: March 1, 2007

My elementary school friend, Ridhi, is Hindu.  Her parents were born and raised in India.  Despite that Ridhi, was born in America she still is very involved in the Hindu culture, participating in all the festivals and traditions.  One of these traditions is Holi.  Holi, or the festival of colors, celebrates the coming of spring.

I actually remember her celebrating this holiday.  I remember because the next day Ridhi would come to school with paint all over her.  The night of the festival they first start a big fire that everyone gathers around.  Then all the friends and family get together and throw powdered color over themselves and each other.  They all wear white so they all end up full of color.

The throwing of the powder is supposed to represent play between the gods, Krishna and Radha.  This festival was popularized because Lord Krishna was famous for playing pranks on Radha.  Since Holi is the celebration of the coming of spring, it is the celebration of rebirth and starting over with a fresh start.  This is represented by first the buring of the old with the fire.  The fire essentially gets rid of all the old, and leaves behind ash, which will help new things grow.  Then they throw color all everywhere.  This throwing of the color could represent the throwing of seeds for planting.  They throw the seeds to make new things grow.  Lastly, the fact that the powder is brightly colored is important.  The bright color represents the fresh new things that will grow.