Anglo & African-American Ballads

Murder, battle, and suicide are common, as are other forms of violence. Thought flames into deed, and death strikes suddenly, almost without

warning. Love, with its attendant complications is a favorite theme, as is treachery...Ghosts walk in the ballads and magic transformations occur.

Ships are sunk, houses are burned, men and women are pierced through with swords and pen knives.

- G Malcolm Laws Jr. -

Ballads in America● British Ballads● Anglo-American Ballads● African-American Ballads

● At some point circulated as oral tradition ● Single ‘ballad’ can vary textually, thematically, musically (melodically)

with each performer● Stories, morals change with whomever is singing them● Enduring ballads capture collective cultural anxiety, or serve as sites

of debate: a forum

British Ballads● Often retain arcane references

○ Knights, Royalty○ Silver, Gold, Magic○ Sailing across the sea

● Often more generalized characters● Many intersected with Broadside

publishing industry○ single pages of poetry/balladry

published in Britain, America 16th-19th centuries

○ ‘Broadside opening’ begins with singer/speaker imploring audience’s attention

Johnny Faa, the Gypsy Laddy

● Printed in Scotland 1740○ probably existed earlier

● High-class woman lured away from family and wealth by gypsies

● Gypsies hypnotize with singing● All but one gypsy killed by the

husband

● Expressive of widespread xenophobia in Scotland

● Romani’s (‘Gypsies’) banned from Scotland 1609

Black Jack Davy● Gypsy/foreigner identity

dropped from American tales● American versions shift

sympathies● Woman’s character is expanded● Speaker/singer sometimes

makes woman sympathetic

The Carter Family sings Black Jack Davy in 1940

With whom do we sympathize?

A husband that has provided for his wife?

Husband: ‘O haven't you got gold in store

And haven't you got treasures three

Haven't you got all you want

And a bonnie bonnie boy to amaze you with.’

Davy, who cannot provide material comfort to his love’?

Woman: Once I had a house and land,

A feather bed and money,

But now I'm come to an old straw pad

With nothing but Black Jack David

The woman in her unhappiness

Woman: I never loved you in my life,

I never loved my baby;

I never loved my own wedded lord

As I love the Gypsy Davy.

Can we trust ‘true love’ and it is ever wise to leave a

stable (though perhaps unfulfilling) relationship for it?

Narrator: Just what befell this lady now

I think it worth relating

Her gypsy found another lass,

And left her heart a-breaking

Noble Outlaw Ballads● Resembling hero/outlaw ballads of

corrido tradition● ‘True life’ men turned into ‘Robin Hood’ ● The Ballad of Jesse James● James & Young gang lead bank & train

robbing spree in 19th century across US● No evidence to suggest he gave his money

to poor● Killed by gang member Robert Ford

Harry McClintock sings ‘The Ballad of Jesse James’

Recorded in Oakland, CA 1928

The Ballad of John Henry● Described/understood as black

○ “John Henry was a little colored man”● Works building railroads

○ “John Henry went to that Big Bend Tunnel”

● Competes against steam-powered technology ○ “The captain said to John Henry, “Gonna

bring my steam drill ‘round”● Wins competition, but dies

○ “He swung so hard that....he laid down his hammer and he died”

● Story often describes in mythological terms ○ “John Henry was a little baby boy....said

‘That hammer’ll be the death of me’”

The Ballad of John HenryAs performed by Doc Watson

John Henry was a steel drivin’ manDrove steel over the landand he said ‘for I let that steam drill beat my downI’m gonna die with that hammer in my hand, Lord Lord.I’m gonna die with my hammer in my hand

Now the man that played that old steam drillHe thought it might fineBut John Henry bored down 14 feetwhile that steam drill only made it 9, Lord Lordwhile that steam drill only made it 9

...

John Henry hammered in the mountainsidetill his hammer caught on fireand the last words that poor John Henry waid‘gimme a cool drink of water ‘fore I die, Lord Lordcool drink of water ‘fore I die’

They took John Henry to the graveyard, 6 feet under the sandand everytime a freight train would come rollin byThy’d say ‘Yonder lies a steel drivin’ man, Lord LordYonder lies a steel drivin’ man’

Reconstruction and Railroads● Radical Reconstruction in the South

○ Southern states rebuild infrastructure following Civil War

○ South transitions from agrarian to industrial economy

● Expansion of modern railroad system through Appalachian mountain ranges.○ Chesapeake and Ohio, C&O most

relevant to John Henry ballad○ Connected Virginia to coal fields,

midwest via Allegheny MountainsThe modern C&O system

Convict Lease● Common in antebellum South● Prisoners leased as property to

contractors for dangerous manual labor

● Extension of slave condition

● Regulated black life post- emancipation

● ‘Vagrancy’ as punishable crime● Supplied workforce to prisons

‘Black Codes’

The Real John (William) Henry?John William Henry c[olored] (#497)

When received: 1866 Nov. 16

Where sentenced: Prince George

Crime: Housebreak and larceny

Term: 10 years

Nativity: US

State or Province: New Jersey

County Dist or city: Elizabeth City

Height: 5ft 1 1/14

Age: 19

Complexion: Black

Col of Hair: Black

Col of eyes: Black

Marks or other peculiar descriptions: a small scar on left arm above elbow. A small one on right arm above wrist.

Gandydancers and Trackliners

Convicts of Mississippi State Penitentiary (Parchman Farm) sing John Henry in 1948

How to understand John Henry?● Functional: coordinating labor, boosting morale● Cautionary

“The hammer that John Henry swungit weighed over nine pounds. He broke a rib in his left hand side,and his entrails fell on the ground.”

“This is the hammer that killed John HenryAin’t gonna kill meAin’t gonna kill me”

● Fantasy“Take this hammer, give it to the captain. tell him I’m gone.tell him I’m gone.”

Modern Interpretations

● Technophobia ● Narrative of American

greatness● Often neglect racial

dimensions of story

African-American Badman● ‘Badness’ as

○ transcending authority○ bravado or recklessness○ unbridled (male) ego

● Depicted as○ murderous○ feared○ seductive○ possessing supernatural power

● Badman Ballads stress mood/character over narrative

Railroad Bill● Morris Slater, African

American man who robbed trains and evaded law enforcement 1893-1896

● Became media sensation and terror to population of southern Alabama.

● Murdered white sheriff Ed McMillan

● Body paraded around south after exploits generated media sensation

Collected Verses from ‘Railroad Bill’Railroad BIll’s a mighty bad man

Shot that lantern right out of the brakeman’s hand....

Standin’ on the corner didn’t mean no harmPoliceman grab me by the arm,

Was lookin’ for Railroad Bill....

Railroad Bill a-comin’ home soonKilled McMillan by the light of the moon

...Ed McMillan was the boss of the town

Handcuffing negroes and hauling them around.I’m gonna be like Railroad Bill

Railroad Bill, so mean and so badHe whupped his Mammy, shot a round at his DadOne morning, just before day

Railroad Bill, he's standing on a hillA-rolling cigars out of a ten-dollar billOh, ride, ride, ride

Railroad Bill, so mean and so badHe whupped his Mammy, shot a round at his DadOne morning, just before day

February, one morning, the showers and rainAround the curve come a timely trainOh, ride, ride, ride

If the bums going to bend the railAin't nobody for to tell the taleOh, ride, ride, ride

Railroad Bill is standing on the hillHe'll never work, or he never willOh, ride, ride, ride

(Im)morality of ‘Badness’● Symbolically rejecting

dominant society.○ Badman as antithesis of Policeman

● Cathartic response to oppression.

● Fantasy/play of masculine power

Ed McMillan was the boss of the town

Handcuffing negroes and hauling them around.

I’m gonna be like Railroad Bill

Railroad Bill, he's standing on a hill

A-rolling cigars out of a ten-dollar bill

Gonna buy me a shotgun just as long as my arm

Gonna shoot everybody that done me wrong

I’m gonna ride, my Railroad Bill

Disaster Ballads of America

● Sensational event-based stories taken from newspapers

● Presidential Assassination○ ‘Booth Killed Lincoln’

● Natural Disaster○ ‘Cyclone of Rye Cove’

● Man-made Disaster○ ‘The F.F.V.’ / ‘Engine 143’

● Murder Ballads○ ‘Poor Ellen Smith’