Jamaican Song and Story Part 75

Yellow fever is now happily rare in Jamaica. "It has come and caught me," says the patient, "and broken my arms and legs so that I really can't walk."

"Again" has a curious use here, which is perhaps better shown by the following ill.u.s.tration. A man was reported to be dead. Next day came the intelligence:--"He don't dead again," he is not dead after all, he is not really dead. Compare No. LXII.

CLXXVI.

[Music: _Schottische._

Jimmy Rampy a come oh, Sal oh!

Jimmy Rampy a come oh, Sal oh!

Some a wash him foot, some a comb him hair, Some a put him to bed, put him to bed oh, Sal oh!

Jimmy Rampy a come oh! Sal oh!

Jimmy Rampy a come oh, Sal oh!

Some a wash him foot, some a comb him hair, Some a put him to bed, put him to bed oh, Sal oh!]

"Sal oh!" is perhaps a corruption of _Salut_. Tradition a.s.sociates a curtsey with the word.

CLXXVII.

The next calls to mind the Ring tune (No. XCIX.), "Rosybel oh, why oh!"

[Music: _5th Figure._

Susan very well, why oh!

Susan very well, why oh!

Susan chop bolow with tumbler, Susan chop bolow with tumbler, Susan go chop bolow with tumbler, Susan go chop bolow with tumbler.]

A case of a.s.sault with a broken piece of gla.s.s. Here is something more serious:--

CLXXVIII.

[Music: _1st Figure._

Bahss, Bahss, you married you wife; Bahss, Bahss, you married you wife; Bahss, Bahss, you married you wife, You married you wife an' kill him again.

You take up you wife an' carry him to church, You take up you wife an' carry him to church, You take up you wife an' carry him to church, An' afterward you kill her again.[60]]

[Footnote 60: _Bahss_, Boss. "Carry him" is in two syllables, sounding like _ca-yim_.]

CLXXIX.

The next is a pretty lullaby, which they call a Nursing sing:--

[Music:

Blackbird a eat puppa corn, oh!

Blackbird a eat puppa corn, oh!

Come go da mountain, go drive them, Blackbird a eat puppa corn, oh!

Blackbird a eat puppa corn.]

CLx.x.x.

[Music: _Schottische._

Me da Coolie sleep on piazza with me wrapper round me shoulder, Me da Coolie sleep on piazza with me wrapper round me shoulder.]

"Me da," literally, "I is," I am.

The piazza, which is not p.r.o.nounced in the Italian way but nearly rhymes with razor, is the long narrow entrance-room of Jamaican houses. A wrapper is a large piece of linen which serves all sorts of purposes. It is used as an article of clothing both by day and night, and also makes a convenient bag for rice.

Many of the East Indian Coolies, originally brought over to work on plantations, have now settled in Jamaica.

CLx.x.xI.

[Music: _Schottische._

Notty Shaw, you better go home; Notty Shaw, you better go home; Notty, run in the garden an' pick a bunch of flowers; Notty Shaw, you better go home; Notty Shaw, you mother want you service; Notty Shaw, you mother want you service; Notty, go in the garden you see a bunch of rose; Notty Shaw, you better go home.]

"Notty" is short for Nathaniel.

"Rose" means any kind of flowers. When they want to indicate what we call roses they say "sweet-rose."

CLx.x.xII.