Eastern Illinois University The Keep Masters Theses Student Theses & Publications 1976 A Selective Study of Negro Worksongs in the United States Margaret E. Hilton Eastern Illinois University This research is a product of the graduate program in Music at Eastern Illinois University. Find out more about the program. Recommended Citation Hilton, Margaret E., "A Selective Study of Negro Worksongs in the United States" (1976). Masters Theses. 3429. https://thekeep.eiu.edu/theses/3429 This is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Theses & Publications at The Keep. It has been accepted for inclusion in Masters Theses by an authorized administrator of The Keep. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A SELECTIVE STUDY OF NEGRO WORKSONGS IN THE UNITED STATES (TITLE) BY MARGARET E. HILTON THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENlS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN THE GRADUATE SCHOOL, EASTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY CHARLESTON, ILLINOIS 1976 YEAR I HEREBY RECOMMEND THIS THESIS BE ACCEPTED AS FULFILLING THIS PART OF THE GRADUATE DEGREE CITED ABOVE 5'/t.. g�,.i� 1 ADVISER �t9/t '"(' •err 8'4r: DEPARTMENT HEAD I PAPER CERTIFICATE #2 TO: Graduate Degree Candidates who have written formal theses. SUBJECT: Permission to reproduce theses. ' The University Library is receiving a number of requests from other institutions asking permission to reproduce dissertations for inclusion in their library holding s . Although no copyright laws are involved, we feel that professional courtesy demands that permission be obtained from the author before we allow theses to be copied. Please sign one of the following statements: Booth Library of Eastern Illinois University has my permission to lend my thesis to a. reputable college or univer s ity for the purpose of copying it for inclusion in that institution's library or research holdings. Date Author I respectfully request Booth Library of .Ea stern Illinois University not allow my thesis be reproduced because {!_b../i�.;_ /nr.d,l� --Wd/a,;, .az;yj� � j2W7tu@{.OY<- <?/:do �J-(j 4<< ;> �«!Zff;n_/ r UAuthor pdm TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE • • • • • • iii T • • • • • • • • • CHAPTER . �. FOLKSONGS 1 CHAPTER II. INDIVIDUAL TRADITIONS OF NEGRO FOLKSONGS 5 12 CHAPTER III. MUSICAL ASPECTS OF NEGRO FOLKSONGS • • BI BLI OG RAPHY • • • • • • * • • • • • • • • 46 .� .. ;;�,, DISCOC,�APHY • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 48 ii PREFACE When visiting an Amish home in Arthur, Illinois I observed a blacksmith at work. I discovered that his horse shoeing was done to a specific rhythmic pattern. This prompted my interest in learning more about the musical concepts used in various oc­ cupations. The original intent of my research was to survey the work­ songs found in the United States. It was immediately apparent that this was an enormous project which would require years of research. A ter some preliminary research I decided that a study of Ne gro worksongs would expose me to many different classifications of worksongs, while providing a set of boundaries within which to work. I owe a great deal of thanks to the University of Illinois Music Library for the use of their recordings and also for access to their Graduate Library. I would also like to give a special thank you to my graduate committee, Dr. James Robertson, Dr. Alan Aulabaugh, Mr. Donald Tracy and Dr. Robert Weidner, for their continuous support, encouragement, and constructive criticism. iii CHAPT:E:R I FOLKSONGS Folksongs consist of words and mu sic that circulate orally in traditi onal var iants among members of a particular group . Like other kinds of oral traditions , folksong s have come from vari ous sources , hav e app eared in various media, and have some- times been lifted out of folk circulation for various professional or artistic uses. But all of th ose whi ch qualify as true folk­ songs haire variant s found in oral tran smi ssion. Since folksongs consist of ora l-traditional words and music , it is possib le to imagine examples in which one element is stronger than the other , or even exi.sts alone. This vo cal music without text , whi ch is called wordless folksong , is found in American folklore in such tradition s as "chin music ," or is som e- times called "diddling ," wh en the voice imitates the sound of danc e mus ic played on a fiddle. In "near songs" the melody is we ak and the words are domi­ nant . The peddlers' chants are sometimes delivered in a sing­ song chan t . Children's play and gam e rhymes fall into this same area betw een verse and song , as do Negro field hollers . The group of true songs with both traditional word s and music are those which closely match the rhythm of some sp ecial activity , and thus have been called "functional songs ." Inc lud ed here are lullabie s that are smoothly rhythmical , peaceful, or 1 2 �epetitious so that they will induce sleep. Work songs belong in this category if they are associated with the repeated pulses of activities such as chopping , ha mm ering , marching , or the pulling ·:Jf ropes . These three broad divisions--wordless folk songs , near-songs , ?nd fun ctiona l folksongs constitute clear ly di fferentiated groups �ith easily recognizable content s. However , the folksongs that fit into them include only a small fraction of the whole. The last two rlivisi ons , lyrical folksongs and narrat ive fo lksongs, are �uch more complicated groups. For the purpose of this pap er it is �nough to say that a narrative folksong tells a story. The many �ypes of bal lads fall under this category of nar rative folksong. Some lyrical folksongs are true folk lyrics, that is, tra­ ditional songs devoted to expressing a mood or feeling wi thout tellin� any conne cted story. Many are expressions of despa ir for a lost or ho peless love and are sometimes deve loped a s a series of impossible desires. Other folk lyrics have the thread of a story imp lied in them , whi le others simply take the form of warn­ ings to lovers ab out the wiles of the opposite s ex. Apart from the joys and sorrows of love , some folk lyrics refer to death, hom esickness , and general di scont ent. Spirituals and other traditional religious songs sometimes allude to a Bib lical story or religious legend . Their narrative content is subordinat e to their expression of strong feeling and they may be considered lyrical folksongs except for the relative ly few that are "religious ballads ." There are "white spirituals" as well as Negro one s, and the controversy over origins and pre­ cedence. has filled several books . J In the same spirit as religious songs are the homiletic songs that dispense advice. Many are songs of gamblers, drinkers, ramblers, and prisoners. In these the singer often glorifies or sometimes recommends the dissolute life. Folksongs cf courtship and marriage form a distinct group. These include songs that describe a courtship, those that repre ­ sent a courting dialogue, a few that ex.press a desire for marriage, and many more that celebrate the single life. The logical sequel to songs of courting and marriage is the group of nursery and children's songs, many of which derive their appeal and are easy to remember because of the use of a simple repeated pattern. Also included are songs, that involve imitations of animal sounds, dramatic dialogues, gestures, and jump or scare endings. Three bodies of modern folksongs of child­ hood and adolescence that have not been collected or studied sys­ tematic ally are the summer camp songs� high school songs, and college ::: ongs. Although many folksongs are humorous, there are at least three kinds of funny songs that might be separately noted. First are dialect songs which derive their humor from an exaggeration of racial of national speech characteristics. Second are non­ sense songs which take their comedy from a stream of meaningless verbiage, often delivered at a rapid-fire pace. Third are the parody songs which are seldom collected and are rarely studied. Regional and occupational folksongs are numerous in this country and offer insights into the history of labor and of set­ tlement that few other sources give. Cowboy songs are now well­ known, thanks largely to the early collecting efforts of 4 N, �oward Thorp and John A. Lomax, who first started to collect ind p�blish them after 1908. There are also songs of loggers, �ailroaders, sailors, miners, military men, and other workers, �nd such hobby groups as mountain climbers, skiers, and surfers. American folksongs have been collected and published with �uch �ore energy than has been devoted to their classification and study. They have hardly been analyzed at all. The few cat­ egories for folksongs suggested in this introduction have exam­ ples i� almost every published collection, but the specific songs placed under them vary widely. One man's regional song may be another's comical song and a third's satirical song. Entirely "!ifferent terms, including "historical songs, " "jingles, " "mar­ :ial a�d political songs, " and "dance songs, " appear in some �ollections and every system has its "miscellaneous'' under which lsually appear what is sometimes referred to as ballad-like ;:iieces. CHAPTER II INDIVIDUAL TRADITIONS OF NEGRO FOLKSONGS Harold Courlander states that "different settings, differ­ ent local histories, and different social juxtapositions in the United States produced different kinds of 'Negro' music. "l Courlander notes the interplay of traditions and the perpetuation of West African elements in both vocal and instrumental music. "Negro music" and "Negro folk music" in his text are "intended to refer not to a phenomenon of race, but to a complex musical de­ velopment- which took place, and is taking place, within the Negro communities of the United States."2 Cultural conditions of slavery and segregation allowed for a limited sharing of musical heritage because Negro musicians and composers faced prodigious odds outside of the realm of folk music.