Category Archives: Musical

Song

Nationality: German, Scottish, English
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: Wayne, PA
Performance Date: April 14, 2007
Primary Language: English

Notes:

“Like ship on the harbor, / like a mother and child, like a light in the darkness, / I’ll hold you a while.

We’ll rock on the water, / I’ll cradle you near, /And hold you while / Angels rock you to sleep.”

The subject’s mother would sing her this lullabye every night before the subject would go to sleep. Her mother sang the lullabye every night until the subject was nine years old. The song was a source of comfort to the subject. It is important to note that while the subject had difficulty reciting the songs lyrics and looked online to find the lyrics where she found that the song’s origins are….

The song has inherent mother/ daughter imagery and draws upon comforting images like angles and water.

Upon further investigation I found that the song is actually of Irish origins and that the subjects mother could have acquired the song while on vacation in Ireland years before the subject was born.

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.

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

Rugby Song: I Used to Work Chicago

Nationality: American
Age: 22
Occupation: USC Rugby
Residence: Philadelphia, PA
Performance Date: 23 April 2011
Primary Language: English
Language: Italian, Arabic

Italian-American

University of Southern California

USC Rugby

International Relations

Italian, Arabic, English

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

23 April 2011

Rugby song “I used to work Chicago”

Transcription (because it would not be the same if not sung in context)

Everyone: “I used to work Chicago, I used to work the store, I used to work Chicago, I don’t work there anymore.”

First person: “A woman came into the store looking for an abortion.”

Everyone: “An abortion from the store?”

First person: “An abortion she wanted, a kick down the stairs she got!”

Everyone: “I used to work Chicago, I used to work the store, I used to work Chicago, I don’t work there anymore.”

Second person: “A woman came into the store looking for a necklace”

Everyone: “A necklace from the store?”

Second person: “A necklace she wanted, a pearl necklace she got!” (cue masturbation hand motion)

Everyone: “I used to work Chicago, I used to work the store, I used to work Chicago, I don’t work there anymore.”

Etc.

CG explains that the Rugby song, and songs like it, is a definite part of the rugby experience and rugby traditions at USC. He mentions that he doesn’t think that that it particular to just USC rugby, and he believes that he once heard another rugby player from another school mention it. CG explains that the context to the performance of this song is very important. The songs are generally only sung when there is a large gathering of rugby players and there are copious amounts of alcohol. The purpose of the event, in his words, is to have a good time while getting really drunk. CG mentions that the majority of the rugby songs are raunchy, sexist, and offensive. He explains that it is all in good fun and in no way should be taken seriously.  He explains that the culture of rugby is defined by a duality: one offensive and dirty, the other “gentlemanly.” To explain this, CG stated, “You know how soccer is described as a gentleman’s sport played by hooligans? Well, rugby is a hooligan’s sport played by gentlemen.”

Looking at the song, and having witnessed the context that it was performed; I find that the significance behind it as reported by CG is logical. The song, without a doubt is offensive, and borders on inappropriate. However, I believe this is the reason that the rugby team sings it. In a way, the team is looking to push/test the boundaries of what is appropriate in society. It is supposed to be shocking, as participants will often comment on just how bad it is. I also agree with the statement that it is not inherently meant to be offensive. I have personally seen it performed with women present, and none of them seem offended. The purpose of the song is to be purposefully offensive, and specifically sexual. The fun comes from the fact that the participants are shouting things that are considered taboo. And in some sense, the women present find this attractive. CG told me, “the girls love it. We’d be singing some of the other songs and girls would request us to sing this one.” The second purpose of the song is to test members on rugby “lore.” After one person completes a line, another person is picked out to recite another line. If the person fails or stumbles, everybody dips there hands into their beer and throws it at the individual yelling, “Redeem thyself” until they can think of a new line. The song is a way for the team to include younger individuals and make them feel apart of a larger group.

The hyperlink below is an example of some of the verses to the song.

http://youtu.be/WPyKJxSJ2TY