Jamaican Song and Story Part 63

CIV.

Very popular is the next one:--

[Music:

Mother Freeman, a wh me Gungo d?

Not a one can sow me Gungo; Fe me Gungo, da precious Gungo, Not a one can sow me Gungo; All the gal them a go dead 'way 'pon me, Not a one can sow me Gungo.

All the boy a go dead 'way 'pon me, Not a one can sow me Gungo.]

Mother Freeman, where is my Gungo (a kind of pea)?

No one will sow my Gungo, or perhaps rather:--Will no one sow my Gungo? For my Gungo is precious Gungo.

As they sing and dance, the boys pretend to faint, and fall into the arms of the girls. When the words change, the girls fall into the arms of the boys, who catch them. "Dead 'way 'pon me," besides meaning to faint, has a slang interpretation equivalent to: "All the girls are death upon me."

CV.

The following is perhaps a sly allusion to some dull-witted boy:--

[Music:

Me have me goosey a me yard, Me no call Barny clever.

Go bring me goosey a me yard, Me no call Barny clever.

Wheel me goosey make me see oh!

Me no call Barny clever.]

Thick sour milk allowed to stand and curdle is called "barnyclebber"

[Irish word, F.Y.P.].

CVI.

Here we have a reference to the too common practice of stealing, which is treated more as a joke than a crime:--

[Music:

Drill him, Constab, drill him; Drill him, Constab, drill him; She tief her mother s.h.i.+lling fe go buy Sapadilla.

Buy Sapadilla, buy Sapadilla; You go an' tief the s.h.i.+lling fe go buy Sapadilla.

Wheel him, Constab, wheel him; Wheel him, Constab, wheel him; Him tief him mother s.h.i.+lling fe go buy Sapadilla.]

A girl is the delinquent and the "Constab" (constable, p.r.o.nounce _con_ as in _constant_) is inside the ring with her, lightly beating her with a twig or pocket-handkerchief. When one has been marched round and wheeled, he "sends her out" and takes another.

Sapadilla is really a fruit something like a medlar, but the name is given to all sorts of fruit, notably Granadilla.

CVII.

Another "flogging" tune, but without any dancing, is:--

[Music:

If you make him come out I will kill you to-night ya, Why do, me Nana, do!]

A girl is in the ring and a boy is flogging her with a whip. The boy says to the holders of the ring:--"If you let her come out I will kill you to-night, do you hear?" The girl is going round, begging to be released, with the appeal to each one:--"Oh do, my Nana!" that is, "Do let me out."

CVIII.

The most laughable antics, "mechanic" as they call it, are indulged in in the next:--

[Music:

Oh me Toad oh!

Come along, Toad-eye; Oh me Toad oh!

Come along, me Toady boy; Come along, Toad-eye; Come along, me Toady boy; Oh me Toad oh!

Come along, Toad-eye.]

Each girl has a "Toad" in front of her to protect her. The Toads jump about, and the one who can get past the other and capture his girl, wins. Jamaican toads, or at least the small kind, hop like the frogs of cooler countries.

CIX.

The first half of the tune which follows occurs in the story of Annancy and Screech-owl (No. XIX.):--

[Music:

There's a black boy in a ring, tra la la la la, There's a black boy in a ring, tra la la la la, There's a black boy in a ring, tra la la la la, He like sugar an' I like plum.

Wheel an' take you pardner, jump shamador!

Wheel an' take you pardner, jump shamador!