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. -
24
Embed
- G Malcolm Laws Jr. - American Balladsclintonrossdavis.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/1-27-Ballads-in...Anglo & African-American Ballads Murder, battle, and suicide are common, as
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
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
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’