[Dixielandjazz] Singing Original Lyrics

[Steve Barbone]

"Tom Belmessieri" <tbelmo at hotmail.com>

> Thanks for the history on a couple of old standards.  I'm curious about
> others, if you have them.  However, I wonder if any of us jazz musicians
> today would perform these songs singing the original lyrics.  I've had this
> discussion with several people at various jazz clubs and events, both
> musicians and non-musicians.  There are mixed opinions but the popular one
> is that the words should not be sung anymore since they are disrespectful.
> There is a lot of good music out there with lyrics that would be considered
> questionable in today's politically correct society.  "Mississippi Mud" is
> another one that comes to mind.  What do you list-mates think about singing
> original lyrics?

We now do "Shine" with the original lyrics including the verse. However, I
preface the tune with an explanation about it's origin and meaning based on
the following:

"Parody and Double Consciousness In The Language Of Early Black Musical
Theater": (excerpted from the website below)

------
"In "That's Why They Call Me Shine,"(11) a tune Walker created for S. H.
Dudley's production of His Honor the Barber,(12) double consciousness and
parody surface again:"

"Not only do the lyrics echo themes in Paul Laurence Dunbar's 1895 poem "We
Wear the Mask," the text signifies what Du Bois calls living a "double life,
with double thoughts, double duties, and double social classes . . ."
(346)." 

"The lyrics of "Shine" draw our attention to the double consciousness of
racial identity, and parody racism through inverting the position of the
signifier. The signifier (Walker) inverts the signified (racial
identification; i.e., names), subverting racist signification. "Shine,"
Richard Newman writes, "is almost a song of social protest in its
antiracism" (479)":
------

For more complete information about the black viewpoint of songs such as
these from the period in which they were written visit:

http://www.highbeam.com/library/docFree.asp?DOCID=1G1:17534807

Verse:

When I was born they christened me plain Samuel Johnson Brown,
I hadn't grown so very big 'fore some folks in the town
Had changed it 'round to Sambo, I was Rastus to a few
Then Choc'late drop was added by some others that I knew
And then to cap the climax, I was strolling down the line
When someone shouted, "Fellas, hey! Come on and pipe the shine!"
But I don't care a bit. Here's how I figure it:

or these last 3 lines as a substitute for last 3 above:

So when these clever people call me shine, or coon, or smoke,
I simply smile, then smile some more, and vote them all a joke,
I'm thinking just the same, what is there in a name.


Chorus:

Well, just because my hair is curly,
And just because my teeth are pearly;
Just because I always wear a smile,
Likes to dress up in the latest style. *
Just because I'm glad I'm livin',
Takes trouble smilin', never whine.
Just because my color's shady, slightly different maybe
That is why they call me shine.