Category Archives: Musical

Bathtime Song

Nationality: American
Age: 22
Occupation: student
Residence: San Diego, California
Primary Language: English

Text: “When I was little my grandma used to sing this song when we would get out of the bathtub ‘Jump down turn around, pick a bale of cotton, now jump down turn around, pick a bale of hay’ and she would do it while she would wrap us in a towel… it’s one of my core memories with her.’”

Context: The tune that C sings to is simple and easy to remember. C first heard the song from her grandmother, who spent the majority of her life in San Francisco, but recently passed away in San Diego, California at the age of 87

Analysis: Although C doesn’t recognize the song outside of the context of her grandmother, the following website: http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-real-history-of-song-pick-bale-of.html walks through the history of the song. The original lyrics are much longer and include a chorus that rotates from person to person, beginning with ‘me and my buddy pick a bale of cotton,’ to ‘me and my papa pick a bale of cotton.’ Originally recorded as an African American work song the earliest records of the song is from 1933. The song continued to be passed down with several different versions throughout the 1930s, and eventually recordings in 1945 by Lead Belly:(https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=pd5ViH_5598&embeds_euri=http%3A%2F%2Fpancocojams.blogspot.com%2F&source_ve_path=MjM4NTE&feature=emb_title). and in 1956 by Harry Belafonte https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQc2hgdAqGU&t=7s are also available. The 1956 version is more similar to the tune which C sings to, and potentially how C’s grandmother first heard the song. Although it uses the words “spin around” rather than C’s “turn around” in its lyrics. C’s grandmother likely sung her the song because the lyric “spin around” relates to twirling her grandchildren in the towel after their baths. It’s interesting how a song’s context and meaning for each person can change over time.

Swedish-American Happy Birthday

Text: 

This tradition involves bringing in a Swedish apple cake with candles on it to the birthday person and waking them up with first the American Happy Birthday song:

Happy birthday to you

Happy birthday to you

Happy birthday dear  [the name of the person]

Happy birthday to you

Followed by the Swedish Happy birthday song:

Swedish:

Ja må hon leva! 

Ja, må hon leva! 

Ja, må han leva! 

Ja, må hon leva uti hundrade år! 

Javisst ska hon leva! 

Javisst ska hon leva! 

Javisst ska hon leva uti hundrade år! 

Ett fyrfaldigt leve för [the name of the person], hon leve, 

hurra, hurra, hurra, hurra!

Transliterate/translation: 

Yes, may he (she) live!

Yes, may he (she) live!

Yes, may he (she) live for a hundred years!

Of course, he (she) will live,

Of course, he (she) will live,

Of course, he (she) will live for a hundred years!

Hooray, hooray, hooray, hooray!

If any of the candles are not blown out that is the number of new partners that person will have in the next year of their life.

Context:

The informant is the daughter of a Swedish immigrant who came to the US for college and ended up staying here and marrying an American. This tradition is done at every birthday by all people present.

Analysis: 

For me, this indicates the merging of cultures, Swedish and American. As neither one wants to let their culture go the traditions are combined to form a new one. The Swedish song is very common throughout Sweden and is not unique to the family, however, combining the two songs is something only done by the half Swedish half American side of the family. In addition, the Swedish apple cake with candles on it was part of the Swedish tradition as well as the idea of the number of remaining lit candles correlated with the new partners. The reason for the keeping of these traditions is to preserve a sense of identity and culture. All of the grandchildren participate very strongly in all of the traditions and are proud of their Swedish heritage. Even when new people like significant others join the family it is very important to keep these traditions, although the addition of the American Birthday song may also be there to soften the entry.

Campfire Bear Song

Text:

[The whole song is sung as a call and response. A line will be sung by the leader and then repeated by all present. After four unique lines, those lines will be repeated together by everyone to a different melody. To streamline reading I’ve not written the whole of the song like this. For the first ‘verse’ I’ve bolded the lines the leader sings alone and italicized the repeated section sung together. The rest of the song is written without this formatting, but when sung it is repeated in this way]

“The other day

The other day

I saw a bear

I saw a bear

A great big bear

A great big bear

Oh way up there

Oh way up there

The other day

I saw a bear

A great big bear

Oh way up there“

“He looked at me

I looked at him

He sized up me

I sized up him

He said to me

Why don’t you run

I see you aint

Got any gun

I said to him

That’s a good idea

So come on feet

Lets up and flee

And so I ran

Away from there

And right behind

Me was that bear

Now up ahead

There was a tree

A great big tree

Oh glory be

The lowest branch

Was ten feet up

I had to jump

And trust my luck

And so I jumped

Into the air

But I missed that branch

Oh way up there

Now don’t you fret

And don’t you frown

CauseI caught that branch

On the way back down

That’s all there is 

There ain’t no more

Unless I meet 

That bear once more

The end the end

The end the end

The end the end

The end the end

ME: where did you learn this song

P: I learned it growing up camping in Illinois

A: I learned it from my dad

F: I learned it from my dad too, in our backyard when we sat around a campfire and sang songs. 

A: yes indeed

ME: any personal analysis or thought on it?

P: it’s a campfire song for sure

A: It’s about a bear

F: and running away from said bear

P: and getting everybody to sing along around a campfire cause that’s good times

A: and questioning why he missed the branch and then didn’t miss the branch 

F: yeah he’s a good jumper 

A: yeah, he’s a really good jumper

P: Did ya ever think he was gonna get eaten by the bear?

A: I don’t know, I just remember knowing the song

F: as a kid: yeah

A: I just remember knowin’ it

F: what?

A: that’s it

ME: okay I’m gonna end the recording”

The following link leads to a recording of this performance: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1p7GPZLqfs9hA5d5ZCgvwC448XQJtGZr-/view?usp=sharing

Context:

The informants are my father (P) and sisters (A and F). All of us have gone camping together many times. All of us have gone camping during our childhoods. We all grew up in Illinois. Campfire stories and songs are common in the midwestern United States. Growing up my family would frequently sing them around fires in our backyard and when camping away from home.

P learned this piece while “growing up camping in Illinois.” A and F learned this song from P.

The song/tale is usually performed around a campfire, outside. It is also usually sung alongside other campfire songs and stories.

This performance took place in our living room, because I asked for it for my class collection project.

Analysis:

This song while maybe not obvious, is also a tale. the story is told from a first-person perspective, but it is not believed to be a true story. Additionally, the tree and woods this takes place in/near are not said to be any real location.

This tale references a bear attack; bears do not live wild in Illinois. This discrepancy would indicate that this story originated elsewhere, or that the trope of bear attacks while camping is very very common in this culture.

This tale also indicates a common fear of bears. And, the common ways of dealing with bears: guns/shoot them or run.

As P said this song is also popular because it is good at “getting everybody to sing along around a campfire cause that’s good times.” The call-and-response style of telling makes this tale easy to participate in and engage with. This would make it popular in an intimate setting like around a campfire.

Working Mother Ballad

Context:

N is a college student at the University of Southern California, she told me about a bedtime story her mother used to tell her when she was little. She tells me this story is sung as a ballad, but she no longer remembers how the ballad was recited, so she narrated the story instead. According to N, the melody of the ballad is very sad, therefore the story is better when preformed accurately. N and her mother are Korean but moved to America when N was a baby.

Text:

“The story is about a mom and her baby, who live on an island at sea. The mom had to leave her baby son home alone to go to work, where she collects limpets every day. The baby son would stay at home and miss his mom but couldn’t do anything other than sit by the sea and listen to the waves crashing, which would put him to sleep. The mom was working but would become worried over her son, so she would rush home with her basket half full and find her little son sleeping.

Analysis:

Some time ago, many mothers had to leave their children alone so they could go work because no one else could take care of them. It is believed that that is how this song originated. This ballad might be related to the war times, explaining the absence of a father in this story. It is evident that the quality and replication of folklore are better when performed by an active bearer; perhaps hearing the story from the informant’s mother might have been more insightful. It is often hard to collect folklore from a generation that does not actively bear their culture’s traditional folklore.

PARAI – FOLK MUSICAL INSTRUMENT

Nationality: Indian
Age: 55
Occupation: Chief Information Officer
Residence: Nevada USA
Performance Date: 02/19/2023
Primary Language: English
Language: Tamil

Informant Info

Nationality: Indian

Age: 55

Occupation: Chief Information Officer

Residence: Las Vegas, Nevada

Date of Performance/Collection: 2023

Primary Language: English

Other Language(s): Tamil

Relationship: Father

Referred to as JS.  JS was born in India and moved to the United States when he was 22. 

Text

The parai is a traditional percussion instrument commonly used in South India, particularly in Tamil Nadu.  Predominantly, this instrument is played at funerals.  It is also played at many events, including weddings and religious festivals.

Context

While growing up, JS heard this from his parents and relatives.  He has witnessed this instrument being played at funerals and some religious festivals.  He also saw this during his father’s funeral.

The music is often played by professional parai players who are skilled in the art of traditional drumming.  The rhythm of the Parai is believed to have a robust and mournful quality, which is supposed to help mourners express their grief and sadness.  The playing of the Parai is often accompanied by singing, and the songs and stories sung during death rituals are believed to help the deceased journey to the afterlife.  In addition, at funerals, the parai is often used to provide musical accompaniment during the procession and to announce the dead’s arrival.

Interpretation

The interpretation of parai music at funerals is tied to its cultural and historical context. In Tamil Nadu, music and dance have long been an essential part of funeral customs, and the parai at funerals is seen as a way to preserve this tradition and pay tribute to the dead.  In traditional rural communities, the parai music at funerals is also seen as a way to respect the deceased and remember their life and legacy.   In addition to its cultural and historical significance, parai music at funerals is also seen as a way to comfort and support those grieving. The powerful sound of the drum is believed to bring a sense of closure and peace to the mourning process.

Overall, the Parai is an essential and profoundly symbolic instrument in Tamil Nadu, and its use during death rituals is a testament to the region’s rich cultural heritage and traditions.