Bessie Brown - "Song From A Cotton Field" (with lyrics & comments)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post showcases the 1929 Bessie Brown recording "Song From A Cotton Field". This post also includes information about thee song's composer Porter Grainger as well as information about the vocalist Bessie Brown.

The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, folkloric and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to composer Porter Grainger and singer for their musical legacy. Thanks also to the band that recording this song and much respect to all those this song honors. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post, and thanks to the publisher of this video on YouTube.

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INFORMATION AND COMMENTS ABOUT THIS SONG'S COMPOSER AND VOCALIST
Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porter_Grainger for information about African American pianist, composer, playwright, and music publisher Porter Grainger ((October 22, 1891 − c. 1955?)

Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bessie_Brown for information about African American Blues, Jazz, and Cabaret singer Bessie Brown (1890 – 1955).

Comment from https://www.youtube.com/all_comments?v=Zxmbie8dfkI&lc=00vbuC2GreqrgRm6ldJPsXjHGCpbUJmBEOqx8VAuAn4

Great Pianists, Jan 25, 2014
"I am dumbfounded and amazed by the remarkable discussion on this video's page.

I cannot add anything to it except to say that although Ms. Brown's does give a great performance of this song, she did not compose it nor write (most) of the lyrics.

It was written and composed by Mr. Porter Grainger, a (once) well-known African-American songwriter originally from Bowling Green, Kentucky, who later moved to New York where he made over a hundred recordings, mostly as a (very good) piano accompanist to many "classic blues" and pop singers, and also copyrighted something like 400 songs (I THINK; I'll have to do an inventory in the US Catalog of Copyright entries to confirm this number which I read in a book years ago).

A good many of Mr. Grainger's songs were published as sheet music (most of them?) and recorded and made on piano rolls as well. Some of his most popular songs include: "Tain't Nobody's Biz-ness if I Do" (co-written with Oklahoma/Chicago/Milwaukee pianist and composer Mr. Everett Robbins) and also "Triflin' Blues (Daddy, Don't You Trifle) co-written with pianist and composer Mr. Bob Ricketts. What Mr. Grainger did in his later years (after a stint writing Broadway shows in the 1930s and 1940s) is unknown, as is any information on his actual death (to date), however it is rumored (and so far, unconfirmed) that he moved back to Bowling Green and retired.

Although many of Mr. Grainger's songs belong near the "pop" side of the multifaceted blues spectrum (for example, the typical early pop blues tunes about somebody cheating on someone else), I feel that he really meant a lot more by this song in particular, since it seems to have a very deep and heartfelt theme in both the music and the lyrics.

Mr. Grainger recorded this song himself, singing and playing the piano, on a very rare Okeh record (# 8516) which to my knowledge, has never been reissued on CD, despite it being one of the only solo recordings he ever made. This record can currently be downloaded from a very good blog on the internet (found via Google), and I think Mr. Grainger sings a quiet, personal and compelling version of the tune.

("version" is not a good word to use here, since he is the composer, so I would imagine he sings it the way he wanted it sung... maybe "authoritative"?)

I personally prefer it to Ms. Brown's version, but she did do some other wonderful recordings which I think are classics (for example, "Someone Else May Be There When I'm Gone")."
-snip-
With regard to this commenter's initial sentence, this video's discussion thread includes wide ranging comments about race and racism in the United States and elsewhere. Only a few of those comments are about the song or this recording of that song. Several commenters noted the catchy tune, and two of those commenters indicated that this was the Fletcher Henderson band.

I don't know which blog the commenter referred to.

WARNING: Some comments include what is now known as the n word, profanity, sexually explicit language, and racist arguments.

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SHOWCASE VIDEO (Soundfile with vintage photographs)

Song from a Cotton Field - Bessie Brown



corderoi, Uploaded on May 13, 2007

This is a splendid 1920s recording by the "Original" Bessie Brown (1895 - 1955).
Some classic vintage images.
Please spread the message of artistic defiance

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LYRICS- SONG FROM A COTTON FIELD
(Porter Grainger)

Written by Porter Grainger
As recorded by Bessie Brown on Brunswick 4409, 1929.*

[Part A] Hey, hee, hi, ho, pickin' cotton all day.
Hey, hee, hi, ho, just a-pickin' away.
White folks knows I'm workin'.
They knows gon' be no shirkin'.
Hee, hi, ho, I knows I'll get my pay.

[Part B] Ain't no use kickin' 'cause I'll be pickin'
Till all my children is grown,
Then I'll shuffle and skip and scuffle
To have a field of my own.
All my life, I've been makin' it.
All my life, white folks takin' it.
This old heart, they's just breakin' it.
Ain't got a thing to show for what I done done.
But things get brighter; loads get lighter.
I'll keep a-pluggin' [or "pluckin'"?] away.
Sing my song like I'm happy and gay,
All day.
Just tell the world for me: My soul's done set me free.
That's the song I'll sing till they put me under the clay.

[Part C] Oh, chil'en, stop your grumblin'.
Oh, that's a block for stumblin'.
Just keep on workin' and praisin'.
You'll see that you'll conquer someday.

[Instrumental break]

[Repeat part B.]

- - -
* This recording appears on 3 albums:
"Music of the Lost Generation 1910's – 1930's"
"(Original) Bessie Brown (1925-1929) & Liza Brown (1929)" Document Records DOCD-5456.
"Old Country Songs from Down on the Farm, Vol. 1"
-snip-
The video begins with the words [writing only] “Bessie Brown sings of the woes and hopes of the cotton pickers."

Thanks to Jim Dixon for this transcription of that recording and that information http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=153967

The video contains on screen lyrics which I copied prior to finding that Mudcat thread (Jim Dixon's comment is the only one on that thread to date.) I agree with Jim Dixon's corrections of the transcription given on-screen in the video. I added the word "Part" to Dixon's designation of "A", "B", and "C" sections of this song.

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MY COMMENTS ABOUT THE LYRICS
I think that the lyrics "I'll keep pluggin away" is probably the correct transcription and not "keep pluckin away [meaning keep picking cotton] "Keep pluggin"[away] is a folk saying which means "work doggedly or persistently" http://www.thefreedictionary.com/plug+away

"Sing my song like I'm happy and gay all day = acting as if (pretending to be happy and gay"; as described in Paul Laurence Dunbar's poem "We Wear The Mask" [Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/08/paul-lawrence-dunbar-we-wear-mask-poem.html for a pancocojams post about that poem.]

"Gay" here means "joyful and carefree"

"Just tell the world for me: My soul's done set me free" =
Her belief in Jesus sets her soul free. (This is a common Christian saying.)

"Just keep on workin' and praisin'" = Keep praising God.

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Comments About Cultural Appropriation From A Booker White YouTube Video Discussion Thread

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post presents a compilation of comments about cultural appropriation that were posted to a YouTube discussion thread of Delta Bluesmen Booker White's* performance of his song "Poor Boy Long Way From Home". That video, a link to a transcription of that song's lyrics, and a link to information about Booker White are all included in this post.

*Booker White is widely but mistaken known as "Bukka White", a name which he hated.

The content of this post is provided for folkloric, historical, cultural, and aesthetic purposes.

While I usually don't read YouTube comments about race, racism, and cultural appropriation, I started reading the comments on this discussion thread, and found many of them to be interesting and worthy of archiving.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Booker White for his musical legacy. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publisher of this video.

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SHOWCASE VIDEO: Booker White - Poor Boy Long Way from Home



NaOH123Uploaded on Mar 20, 2006

Booker getting down lapstyle on the ol' National
-snip-
Note that Booker White sung different versions of this song. John Lomax recorded Booker White performing this song in 1939. (Source: comments from http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=2438.0 comment "Re: Booker White")

The lyrics to this song (a merger of several commenters' transcriptions) can be found at http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=2438.90 Re: Booker White Lyrics (Johnm, Reply #97 on: February 27, 2011, 07:59:27 AM).

Click http://www.allmusic.com/artist/bukka-white-mn0000527379/biography for information about Booker White.

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SELECTED COMMENTS ABOUT CULTURAL APPROPRIATION
Note: These comments are presented in relative chronological order with response/s to comments given after that comment. These comments aren’t always in consecutive as there are some comments that are found in between those given. Some of those comments that I didn't include in this transcription are on [this] topic and some are off-topic. The comments in this transcription are numbered for referencing purposes.

Read my note in the comment section about the difficulties of archiving comments from YouTube comment threads.

From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0jRX69mxcE

2008? [given as 5 years ago]
1. vansheen
in reply to BERLIN ROCKABILLY
"dude do your homework... There was no fame to be had. This music wasn't popular in America untill those whiteboys sold it back to us. THEN guys like clapton brought these old guys out of retirement and got them more dough then they had seen."

2. fuxgood
in reply to vansheen
"Clapton, The Who, the Stones, all did old blues tunes they "stole" from the original artists but what really brought these original blues guys to the spotlight was the folk revival in the early 60's and then Newport in '65 was the icing on the cake."

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3. JosephNScott
in reply to vansheen
"This music wasn't popular in America untill" "Black" country blues records were very popular with "black" Americans from about 1926 on.

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4. John Clark
"the stones got howlin wolf on TV and paid royalties while Dylan claimed to have written Jack of Diamonds, recorded by Blind Lemon Jefferson. We white middle class kids just loved the music in the 60's, far from identifying with the black musicians we were in awe of them, we had Matt Monroe and America had Son House ! its like the difference between Cheddar gorge and the Grand Canyon"

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5. John Clark
"thank the young white kid who in the early 60's tracked him down in Aberdeen. Then he was filmed and honoured and not just on a few 30's and 40's 78s. Bukka White and Son House set the standard."

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2009? [given as 4 years ago]

6. taurtue
in reply to tallmunchkin
"Why are poeple outraged when white copy black songs, and not when black copy black songs? Cause you know, most of the blues standard that poeple attach to robert johnson or son house were written by older blues man who have not experienced the era of the recording. and none's ashamed about it. but when some white man copy those old blues song, poeple blame them. Every bluesman has started out his carreer by copying blues standard, that's the spirit of blues."
-snip-
Editor: I can't find the comment posted by tallmunchkin.

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7. samansun
in reply to tallmunchkin
"Quote B.B. King : "Black teenagers were ashamed of hearing us play peasant music in the 50's and 60's". If the blues is still around with many followers, 60's British bands deserve the biggest credit, no matter if they copied or reworked their idols' style, which is the case for most folk songs anywhere in the world."

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8. 747t
in reply to taurtue
"The problem is this: A black musician who learns black music is learning and preserving his own culture. A white musician who learns black music is distorting and diverting black culture, attempting to assimilate it."

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9. blishypoos
in reply to 747t
"I don't want to get into an argument or anything, but I'm just curious-- are you saying that that is the problem, or that that point of view is the problem?"

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10. 747t4 years ago
in reply to blishypoos
"White people want to ignore race now and embrace all cultures to prove that they are not racist. The truth is, that that is a passive and ignorant way of trying to become a "world citizen". To be a true promoter of equality one must first recognize the inequities that exist, and work to reverse them, not capitalize on them. White artists taking from other cultures is just another way for them to capitalize on their social advantages for economic gain, whether that is the intention or not"

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11. taurtue
in reply to 747t
"White musicians have just respect for black's culture and music, so they cover. I don't see anything wrong with that. Maybe everyone should just stay at home and not meet our neighbours, but I don't agree with that. I believe fusion and cultures mixes can be very very interesting, especially in music. Just watch what jazz/rock fusion allowed poeple to do in the 70's. It was an incredible step in the music history."

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12. 747t
"I do not say this to degrade interracial communication, but to enhance it. As long as white people continue to ignore their advantages there will be tension, and outright hostility in some cases. The playing field is not even. Telling a white person they have privilege is like telling a fish it's in water - they can't wrap their heads around it, because they've never known life without it. Meritocracy is great in theory, but it is far from the reality around us."

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13. 747t
in reply to blishypoos
"If a white artist can produce something half the quality of a black artist, he will have ten times the success, because he has the social privleges, and the marketable image that the majority population identifies with. Oliver Stone is a film director whose work it is expected anyone can identify with. Spike Lee is a black film director whose work it is expected black people can identify with. I agree with you on one thing. Let's not argue. I have a great article you can read though."

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14. slideharp1
"Love just about everything I've ever heard by B.W. Unfortunately, if you go down the list of comments you find it quickly deteriorates into another forum for black college kids, who've just discovered this music, and decided to take collective credit for the work of a Great Artist. None of these kids are even Southerners and know nothing of it's culture. Bukka ain't a great artist 'cos he's black, he's a great artist 'cos he's a Great Artist. Are you a great artist, 747t? or just black?"

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15. 747t
in reply to slideharp1
"I'm going to respond to your (Love just about everything) comment slideharp1. I did not "just discover" this music, nor can I take credit for what someone in the past has done. This is, however my culture, not yours, Mr. U.K. I learned the guitar from my uncle, and do not read music to this day. I have known this music since birth, and it is not foreign to me, as it is TO YOU."

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16. slideharp1
in reply to 747t
"@747t.YOU are angry and illogical. YOU are reacting in a knee-jerk fashion to a truth you don't want to hear. Are you suggesting that all black people make music?. No, of course you're not. Only an Idiot would say anything that dumb. 'Black' music is made by black Artists. Individuals. Not collectively created by a 'Black Beehive'. You Shit on these Artists by talkin that Trash. The Blues is American music and didn't come "Straight from Africa". Take pride but don't have the gall to take Credit"

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17. 747t
in reply to slideharp1
"No, of course all black people don't make music in America. In Africa though (traditionally), you either make music, or dance. In many African languages there is no word for "music" as an abstract form. Rhythm makes life and work easier. The community - the culture - is what produces a musician, who speaks for that community. To separate the artist from his culture is to misrepresent him. To appropriate someone elses culture without due respect and citation is the same as robbery."

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18. 747t
in reply to slideharp1
"I am not taking credit for a damn thing. I'm claiming what is my legacy, which you want to co-opt and appropriate for your own use. Virtually no music in the western hemisphere except that of the natives was made was made without African influence. There is European influence in blues, but can you point it out? Lets make it a musicological argument since you claim its so "American". I'll tell you the African influences and you tell me the European ones....you game?"

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19. screwgoogleformakingmechangemahname
in reply to 747t
"our (western) numeric system is of arabic origin. are we distortian arabian culture by assimilating it? did jimi hendrix distort rock n roll by playing it? did stevie ray vaughan distort the blues by plaing it? get real, mate."

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20. 747t
in reply to screwgoogleformakingmechangemahname
"Actually, our numeric system is Indian in origin. The arabs adopted and spread it. Rock n Roll is based on Rhythm and Blues, so no. Stevie Ray Vaughan is as popular as he is because he's white. There are many black blues artists better than him, but white people want black music - without black people in it if they can help it"

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21. jkuebler89
in reply to 747t
"white people want black music without black people in it? thats the most ignorant shit ive heard. the ol black blues was raw and full of emotion. stevie ray was technical and also full of emotion. he derived the spirit of the ol black blues and interpretted it as his own. people dont like him just because hes white. a comment like that makes you just as ignorant as the dumb racist bigots. shut up and enjoy the music for what it is."

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22. 747t
in reply to jkuebler89
"You are angry and illogical...and are reacting in a knee-jerk fashion to an idea you don't quite understand. There is not one colorblind person in this world. You need to drop that idea, because its false. My statement is based on what history has shown: that white "artists" make more money off of black music than black people do. Black music does not just "happen" to be made by black people. It comes straight from Africa, and it is our pride.. Therefore, we take notice."

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23. screwgoogleformakingmechangemahname
in reply to 747t
"arabic or indian, my argument is still the same: its now used by diferent people (or are you indian? or dont you use numbers?)"

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24. screwgoogleformakingmechangemahname
in reply to 747t
"however, i think influences in art (or music if you prefer) cannot be limited or explained by these facts. true, a white musician will be more sucessful and make more money- but what about his music? is it dimished because of the money that comes attached to it? perhaps so, perhaps not. i dont know. i just dont think we can use monetary success to judge the artistic proficiency of a musician."

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25. 747t
in reply to screwgoogleformakingmechangemahname
"All im saying is that when you can't go anywhere without seeing white people's influence, it's nice to have something to call your own and express your collective viewpoint. A white man can play the blues, but his reasons are different from a black man's."

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26. 747t
in reply to screwgoogleformakingmechangemahname
"Colorblindness is NOT a way of combating racism, as you seem to think - discrimination is natural, and has been proven to exist among children in environments where discussion of race is taboo. If we want to overcome it we must talk about our differences and our feelings, openly, and honestly. Why do you think there are so many hostile black people? You ignore our point of view. You try to assimilate us, when we want to be recognized as unique and beautiful in our own right."

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27. 747t
The tendency toward individualism is the same as colorblindness, and leads people to miss that art is a collective construct which expresses a people as much as a person."

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28. screwgoogleformakingmechangemahname
in reply to 747t
"either ways, rethorical questions. what i was trying to say is that its pointless to try and degrade interacial minglings. i know this because i am brazilian (whence i write) and proud of my threefold racial heritage (portuguese, african and amerindian). theres shitty music everywhere, as there is good music everywhere. independent of color. i understand the USA has a much more segregated relationship between ethnic groups, but you gotta keep the hate out of it, man. peace."

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29. 747t
in reply to screwgoogleformakingmechangemahname
"Theres no hate envolved, and the perception that to talk about the imbalances makes us racist is why there is no discussion. The difference in Latin America is that theres a gradual mingling of peoples, so that there are all shades in-between. The peoples are more proud of their national heritage in general and claim not to pay attention to race. This is how they have escaped addressing the inequalities in Latin American societies. The fact is though, whiter skin means success even in those."

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30. screwgoogleformakingmechangemahname
in reply to 747t
"undoubtfully true, about whites having an advantage. even here in brazil, where there are people "all shades in between" (not so much because of gradual mingling, but of different colonization procesess- but thats another matter alltogether) whites tend to have better jobs, better salary and better education. the poorest are, indeed, the direct descendand of african slaves or amerindian tribes. so yah, you're right."

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31. slideharp1
"I love BW along with most all the other Southern bluesmen. It's Southern music that was ignored by black people outside of the South. It was only after white people had it pushed at them by Chess etc. and realised they Loved It To Bits, that black people who didn't care about it decided that it was 'their' music. It's well known that Northern blacks didn't wanna know. The blues evolved in fits and starts into what whites know as rock n roll. Hip-hop didn't come from the blues! It came from J.B."

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32. 747t
in reply to slideharp1
"What the hell is J.B.? And you really DONT know what youre talking about. Have you ever been to a Black church in the north? We play the same music as down south, except we sing less spirituals now and do more R&B. Back in the 50's when my dad came to Seattle from Louisiana, we sang more spirituals, the root of blues. Black people have been in migration ever since "leaving" the South, and there is no way to escape the influence of the south on our language, food, religion, and music."

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33. slideharp1
in reply to 747t
"@747t. I have the deepest respect for the cultural bonds that keep you connected to your ancestry - there's no substitute for Knowing who we are - and your knowledge of traditional african music(s) is clearly apperent. Regarding African rhythms being difficult, I've never found any rhythms difficult. Prob'ly why I took up Bass. Difficult to write on a graffitti wall but I've heard many more African styles than American/African. Finish this sect. in answere to a query from you; J.B.= James Brown!"

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34. 747t
in reply to slideharp1
"Our rhythms are not European rhythms, though we play in meter now, which is European. I am baffled at how people call African rhythms "difficult". They're not the same as mine, but they seem so familiar, and natural."

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35. redlizzardpoker
in reply to 747t
"no one suffers like the poor no matter what your ethnicity"

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36. 747t
in reply to redlizzardpoker
"@redlizzardpoker ...I agree with that statement alone, but some suffer less and have better chances than others, specifically due to ethnicity and privelege. Theres a fantastic article entitled "My Race Din't Trump My Class" by Robin DiAngelo. It's hard to get a hold of without paying or using a college database, but it's well worth the effort to find."

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37. 747t
in reply to 747t
"@747t Correction... "My Class Didn't Trump My Race" is the title of the article. Sorry about that. :)"

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38. 747t
in reply to slideharp1
"I just looked at what I've been typing and realized that I have been completely wrong in my tone, and I am sorry. However, if you would like to have an honest conversation about African American music I would be more than willing to provide you with the the resources and insight that have led me to my conclusions."

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39. slideharp1
in reply to 747t
"@747t. I appreciate your graciousness in mellowing out a little. Regardless of what may appear to you from what I wrote, I'm just a musician which means I've spent my life playing with other musicians. A couple of points; I played in NYC from 1980 to 1993. I played with Top, Influential Bluesmen. If you want a VERY SHORT list of them there are some listed on my site (fly jugband - bio). That was electric mainly, tho' not exclusively. I then spent 5 years in New Orleans......."

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40. 747t
"Well I respect your opinion much more. However, still in my eyes, my music connects my people to our homeland. It is what has kept our souls free and culture intact since our bodies were taken into bondage. The pentatonic scale we sing in and the licks we play on the guitar are the same that we sang back in Africa and played on the Banjo, and before that on the Akonting, the Xalam, Banjar, Kora, Bolon, Ngoni..."

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Bioshock 2 & Bessie Smith's "Nobody Loves You When You're Down And Out"

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post presents a sample of comments that mention Bioshock 2 that were posted to the discussion thread of a video of Bessie Smith's 1929 rendition of a Blues song. That song, "Nobody Loves You When You're Down And Out", was included in the Bioshock 2 video game.

This video is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes. These comments are presented for cultural and sociological purposes. Read more about my reasons for showcasing these comments in the section below.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Bessie Smith for this powerful song. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks also to the publisher of this video on YouTube.

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SHOWCASE VIDEO: Bessie Smith (Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out, 1929) Jazz Legend



RagtimeDorianHenry, Uploaded on Jun 4, 2009

Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out (1929)
-snip-
Click http://www.pbs.org/jazz/biography/artist_id_smith_bessie.htm for information about Bessie Smith (1894-1937)

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GENERAL OVERVIEW ABOUT YOUTUBE COMMENT THREADS AND YOUTUBE COMMENTS
It's my position that certain YouTube video viewer comments can be considered cultural artifacts that can provide information about a particular subject or subjects and/or reveal societal attitudes about people, places, or things. Presenting a sample of YouTube comments from the same viewer comment thread can give a sense of some of the ways that interactions occur on YouTube comment threads. YouTube viewer comments also demonstrate the ways that language is used -including the use of slang and text talk - and the customs that people use in self-selecting internet user names. Because I take a folkloric approach in editing pancocojams, a number of pancocojams blog posts include selected examples of YouTube comments about its featured videos. In addition, a few pancocojams posts focus on particular categories of user names that YouTube commenters give themselves.

However, the way that YouTube comments are presented makes responses to comments and conversations between commenters difficult to follow. In large part this is because comments are usually posted in descending order with the newest comments posted first. As a result, when reading the comment thread from top to bottom which is the usual way that threads are read, comments written in response to a particular comment are often found before that comment. One way that a response to a comment is identified is when the responder begins his or her comment with "@ ____ [the name of the person who wrote the comment which is being responded to]. However, some responders don't use that format. Adding to the possibility for confusion in reading YouTube video comments is the fact that some commenter’s names have changed because of YouTube’s promotion of people using their real names instead of screen names. Consequently, some responses to comments refer to the original commenter's screen name instead of the person's "real name". It also appears that some commenters have exchanged one "made up" user name for another "made up" user name. Furthermore, YouTube has changed their viewer comment format, deleting the "like" and "dislike" options (around the end of 2013), but those options are still mentioned in older comments.

It should also be said that a major problem with many YouTube viewer comment threads (including this showcased video's comment threads) is that a number of the comments include profanity. Readers of many YouTube viewer comment threads should also be advised that those threads may contain racist language, homophobic language, sexual explicit content and other objectionable content.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR COMPILATION
The viewer comment thread for the video "Bessie Smith (Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out, 1929) Jazz Legend" is found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MzU8xM99Uo

As of 11:50 AM. Feb 28, 2014 there were 985 comments. At least ½ of the comments refer to Bioshock 2, Bioshock, some other specific videogame, or videogames in general.

These selected comments are grouped by the year that they were posted on YouTube, with the oldest comments presented first (along with any comments that are or appear to be posted in response to that comment). However, with the exception of that sub-group, these comments aren't presented in any consecutive order. In some cases, responding comments are given without the comment that they respond to.

The only examples of profanity that I include in the comments in this compilation is what I consider to be the mild profanity "damn", "ass", and "hell". Other examples of profanity within these comments are represented by the phrase in brackets "profanity deleted"].

These comments are numbered for references purposes only and are given as is without any editorial comments.

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SELECTED COMMENTS
2009
1. anthonyvvs
lol I heard of her from Bioshock 2 as well... Funny how a good video game can make someone so much more popular and bring their works back to the current times (more than it already is, of course)

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2. fiury5i
people who havent played the first bioshock loves bioshock 2, however people who played first one dont find the sequal at the same level as the first one

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3. fiury5i
people who havent played the first bioshock loves bioshock 2, however people who played first one dont find the sequal at the same level as the first one

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4. Raphael Stoker
Oh Bioshock 2 brought me here, but Bessie Smith kept me here. People need to realise that some 'games', such as bioshock and L.A Noire, should be held in as high regard as some films. It's art. Sorry to change the subject, this song really is lovely.

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2010
5. jackram2h2
in reply to Shelly Wilkinson
@shellybelly2895 Bioshock is a an extremely good first person shooter.It takes place in the under sea city called rapture.Thats another story....But the reason why people are commenting about Bioshock is because it takes place in The 50's and 60's and on each loading before the level begins the play these types of songs.This one specifically.They also have old record players lying around playing this music.It's games like Bioshock that got me to like this music :)

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6. Fernando Blake
Thanks bioshock thanks 4 show me this amazing music :D

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7. Craziness714
Thanks Bioshock and Fallout, for introducing to some amazing music I wouldn't have listened to otherwise. =)

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8. Nunya DirtySanchez
Youre a DAM FOOL if Bioshock brought your young ass here and you should be ashamed..now that youve learned.. go teach your friends :D

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9. Justin Huffman
Warning: if you actually purchase the Bioschock 2 Sountrack, this song IS NOT there... i don't get it. They do include the second best song: the trouble with me is you, though. I downloaded it just for this song and it's not there... [profanity deleted]??

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10. sagat4
It is possible that game developers are trying to rekindle interest in these great lost songs. I play games occasionally and have never heard good music like this. I know my stuff but life is a learning experience:)

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11. samtheposter
in reply to WEJIRC
@WEJIRC Hi there, the music was used as a loading screen for Bioshock 2. The game itself is excellent and the way the music compliments the theme of the game is superb. In many ways it has brought back quite a few older songs into todays lifestyle and a lot of gamers will never forget the music now. I myself have searched youtube for all of the songs from the game and have stumbled on some real legends :-)

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12. Emma Pinkney
this song makes me want to play bioshock 2 all day!!

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13. Phazonin
Her voice is incredible. So powerful... thank you Bioshock 2 loading screen.

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14. thecatman00
in reply to Phazonin
@Phazonin It's incredible the way you can cultivate good art to help make other good art, I am especially impressed by said connection between blues and videogames

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15. thedogisoflove
I love this dang stupid song. I of course first heard it on Bioshock 2. For a minute, I was like: "Is that Billy Holiday?" Then I thought, "Nooooooo! That's definately not her." Now I know who it is! I love it if you let Grace live, and you go back down to the last floor to gather Adam, you can hear Grace singing this song over the PA too.

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16. Justin Huffman
this is Grace Holloway not Bessie Smith

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17. tjovaughn
in reply to Justin Huffman
@aspacelot ....grace holloway is a VIDEO GAME CHARACTER. Bessie Smith is REAL. got it? eh? not so hard to figure out smart-[profanity deleted]. gawd.

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18. TGCVugi
iwe heard this song @ my friend, his kid played bioshock 2,, and i will tell you something, it's so damn true, this song touches me in the heart!

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19. F14ace
6 people have no musical taste whatsoever. This song is great for BioShock because it basically describes the story of Rapture. Well, except for the genetically spliced nutjobs running around everywhere. There is also a good lesson to be learned from this song.

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20. jackram2h2
in reply to Shelly Wilkinson
@shellybelly2895 Bioshock is a an extremely good first person shooter.It takes place in the under sea city called rapture.Thats another story....But the reason why people are commenting about Bioshock is because it takes place in The 50's and 60's and on each loading before the level begins the play these types of songs.This one specifically.They also have old record players lying around playing this music.It's games like Bioshock that got me to like this music :)

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2011
James Last
in reply to khal eesi
@jujabyummy bioshock is a game based in the 20's-30's i think. its not to bad kinda intence at points though

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21. Bonbeck100
Thumbs up if you're here not because of bisoshock, just because you love Bessie Smith

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22. 420Cannabis
why are you guys so proud of needing a video game to discover good music?

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23. Dee Lazarus
Personally, I have no idea what 'Bioshock' is, nor do I care to discover. I think it's great that peoples end up here listening to this, regardless of the source of their original interest, but I would query why these same folks have this burning need to proclaim "The Simpsons brought me here!!!" and then say nothing of the singer and song. Come on guys and gals - can and should do better. Best wishes for the future, PP. x

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24. alen mathew
thumbs up if [profanity deleted] bioshock DIDNT bring you here..and you have REAL taste in music..

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25. Skirlasvoud
in reply to alen mathew
@amathew711 Oi! How's real taste in music defined by the way it came to you? :P Maybe the makers of Bioshock had enough taste to select this particular piece for their game, making it a real tasteful game? Let's reach a middleground after I bought a CD with this stuff, THANKS to Bioshock: We BOTH love this music and at least we're nog listening to Carla Bruni.

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26. 0m
in reply to alen mathew
@amathew711 who cares whether or not bioshock turned people onto this music or not? (a) that's beside the point, because the music's still lovely, and (b) if a modern classic sci-fi/horror story can instill interest in this music for new generations, where's the harm in that? you ever played the bioshock games? because not only are they super fun to play, the plots are unbelievably genius. it's genuine storytelling up there with huxley, bradbury and their ilk. don't hate. bioshock rules. :-P

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27. Cleaver Mama
in reply to alen mathew
@amathew711 Why does Bioshock bringing someone here mean that they don't have a 'real' taste in music? Shouldn't you be happy that they know about the song at all, and are giving a talented artist the recognition she deserves, rather than worrying about how they found the song?

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28. Cyconik
Music like this needs to be spread. If its being spread to youth by a video game, so be it. I actually just happened across this song. I didn't know it was in Bioshock, but I've played it before too. Come on people, as long as its being spread, its being spread!

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29. Raphael Stoker
Oh Bioshock 2 brought me here, but Bessie Smith kept me here. People need to realise that some 'games', such as bioshock and L.A Noire, should be held in as high regard as some films. It's art. Sorry to change the subject, this song really is lovely.

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30. Stephenthecupcake101
in reply to Raphael Stoker
@AstinTheDawg same here, that was my favorite level in bioshock2. Loved the idea of a gehto in Rapture, now I love this music, gotta get some of her stuff. Back when music had meaning in the words.

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31. Stephenthecupcake101
in reply to khal eesi
@jujabyummy Best game of 2007. But this is from the sequal. The game was about an underwater city that was supposed to be absent in government, but went to hell. One hell of a good story, I highly recomend it.

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32. sonicscreamingblue
What the [profanity deleted] is Bioshock and why do people keep alluding to it on a blues video?

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33. HERBLANDZ
in reply to sonicscreamingblue
@sonicscreamingblue a video game that plays that palys 20 and 30s music while u kill people underwater or some [profanity deleted] i never liked that game but its pretty huge in sales

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34. ReptilianWhisperer
I played Bioshock and it did not bring me here, but I still ended up here. I guess I just got lucky. Legendary voice...Miss Bessie Smith

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35. Ray De La Peña
it shouldn't matter where people get their music source, as long as they listen and like it at some point in time.. i think.

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36. drivenedge007
but you have to admit,younger folks would not get any exposure to "real" music if it weren't for those video games......good music at any means necessary...

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37. kwilli93
Thumbs up if you're happy Bioshock educated thousands of gamers to Bessie Smiths greatness.

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38. Wafflehaus
I don't care if it took a video game to bring you here.. if you enjoy the song that's good enough in my book. Hopefully the song can spark an interest in blues/jazz history.

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39. Reverb Twang
idk what bioshock is but welcome to the world of Bessie Smith !!!!!

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40. PunkRockFreak09
in reply to Reverb Twang
@moondog50002000 It's a video game that takes place in about 1960's and plays this kind of music. In fact Bioshock notorious for using music like Bessie's. I'll say Bioshock did not bring me here, which is odd because I played it before I discovered Bessie, but it is a good game to find good music. Hell I wouldn't never even thought of this music before it.

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41. Riitzni
lol'ing at people looking down their nose at games. For those of you oblivious to society, some games introduce songs like this to people that would otherwise never hear them. That's more than most of you sitting on your computers whining about it can say. I understand though that having a person or radio bring you this song is a far better way to hear about it. Oh wait, it's the same. Idiots.

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42. cwcwful
in reply to Nathan Sanchez [posted in 2012]
@thesickdancer I am not asking to be a jerk, but what is Bioshock? Just curious. For what it's worth, I promise not to get involved in the debate.

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43. Dattebayo04 [posted in 2012]
in reply to cwcwful
Bioshock is a popular steampunk video game

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44. Nozomi
I'm sad that this song wasn't on the Bioshock 2 official soundtrack. It took me a while to find it.

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2012
45. Shishio Makoto
Merci Bioshock pour m'avoir fait découvrir cette artiste! Un jeu magnifique pour une chanteuse magnifique!

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FunkyTownGhost
46. I was listened this song on Bioshock 2. It's "Pauper's Drop's" theme music. These words, this voice... I'm really, really love that angel voice- women...

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47. 63toes
I don't care where you from, what brought you here, or where you going. Let's just enjoy this sweet sad music

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48. buttercupfirefly
hearing this song or any other song does from a video game or tv show does not make you any less "with it" cool or intelligent then someone who was brought up listening to it. Everyones music taste is due to outside influence- media, family or seeking it out yourself. I just think that people who say "i knew this before Bioshock" really need to get a life

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49. jasonvoorhees12345
If I lived in rapture. I would have gone down to just hear her sing everyday

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2013
50. gun1987gunn
It doesn't matter if people heard this on Bioshock and love it. Let them appreciate a great song. Game developers introducing the younger generation to old classics is a good thing. Stop you moaning and let everyone enjoy the song.

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51. gnarles trevor
I didn't realize that I absolutely love listening to music like this until I played Bioshock haha

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52. TearShatter
Bioshock <3 Introduced me to so much great older music.

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53. Zé Maconha
in reply to TearShatter
When this song played, I used to wait and stare at the loading screen until the end of the song

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2014
54. Juan Vazquez
Thank you bioshock 2 for introducing me to this amazing voice

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55. mondenkindqueen
Me too. I know some folks will get on to you for that, but people shouldn't care how a fellow fan is introduced to a great artist. If it weren't for Bioshock 2, I'd be missing out on this blues legend.

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Eight Examples of the Jump Blues Song "Caldonia"

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post showcases 8 videos of the 1945 Jazz song "Caldonia" (pronounced cal-DOHN-yah). Information about this song and lyrics for this song are also included in this post. Information about "Jump Blues" and "soundies" are also included in this post.

The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the composer of this song, and to Louis Jordan and the other featured artists for their musical legacies. Thanks also to the publishers of these videos, and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SONG "CALDONIA"
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caldonia
"Caldonia" is a jump blues song, first recorded in 1945 by Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five. A version by Erskine Hawkins, also in 1945, was described by Billboard magazine as "rock and roll", the first time that phrase was used in print to describe any style of music.

In 1942, Jordan had started on an unparalleled run of success on the Billboard Harlem Hit Parade (forerunner of the R&B chart), which by 1945 had included four number-one hits, and eventually made Jordan by far the most successful R&B chart act of the 1940s. "Caldonia" became his fifth number one on what was at that point called the "Race Records" chart. It debuted on the chart in May 1945 and reached number one in June, where it stayed for seven weeks. On the pop chart, the song peaked at number six under the title "Caldonia Boogie".

The writing of the song is credited to Jordan's wife of the time, Fleecie Moore. However, in all probability it was actually written by Jordan, who used his wife's name to enable him to work with an additional music publisher....

The song is best remembered for its punchline, "Caldonia! Caldonia! What makes your big head so hard?"...

Jordan also filmed a "soundie" of the song, shown in movie theatres at the time.
-snip-
"Jump blues is an up-tempo blues usually played by small groups and featuring horns. It was very popular in the 1940s, and the movement was a precursor to the arrival of rhythm and blues and rock and roll.[1] More recently, there was renewed interest in jump blues in the 1990s as part of the swing revival." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jump_blues

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"Soundies were three-minute musical films, produced in New York City, Chicago, and Hollywood, between 1940 and 1946, often including short dance sequences, similar to later music videos. The completed Soundies were generally released within a few months of their filming; the last group was released in March 1947. The films were displayed on the Panoram, a coin-operated film jukebox or machine music, in nightclubs, bars, restaurants, factory lounges, and amusement centers"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soundie

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LYRICS: CALDONIA
(Louis Jordan)

Walking with my baby, she got great big feet
Long, lean and cranky and ain't had nothing to eat
But she's my baby, I love her just the same
I'm crazy about my baby 'cause Caldonia is her name

Caldonia, Caldonia
What makes your big head so hard?
I love you, I love you just the same
I'm crazy about you, baby, 'cause Caldonia is your name

You know my mother told me to leave Caldonia alone
No kidding, that what she said
She said, "Son, the woman ain't no good, leave her alone"
But mama didn't know what Caldonia had been putting down
So I'm going down to Caldonia's house and ask her just one more time

Caldonia, Caldonia
What makes your big head so hard?
I love you, love you just the same
I'm crazy about you, baby, 'cause Caldonia is your name

Source: http://www.mojohand.com/blueslyrics/caledonia.htm
[Reformatted for this post]
-snip-
Editor's Comments:
"Caldonia" is a form of the female name "Caledonia".
**
"She's long" means "she's tall".
**
In African American vernacular English "having a big head" means being conceited arrogant and having a "hard head" means being very stubborn.

**
Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Jordan for information about Louis Jordan (July 8, 1908 – February 4, 1975), this song's composer and original performer.

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FEATURED EXAMPLES
These videos are presented in chronological order based on their posting dates with the oldest videos given first.

Multiple versions of a song are presented not to rank which one is best, but to showcase some of the different interpretations artists have given of this song.

Example #1: Frank "Sugar chile" Robinson - Caldonia



Rockin Birdie, Uploaded on Aug 26, 2006

From movie "No Leave No Love" 1946

Frank "Sugarchile" Robinson
SUGAR CHILE ROBINSON (By Dave Penny)
Born Frank Robinson, 1940, Detroit, Michigan
Click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rcq93txBdtM for the complete summary statement that includes more information about "Sugar chile" Robinson.

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Example #2: Caldonia / Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five.



Elwood Yodogawa, Uploaded on Aug 28, 2008
...They are one of the origins of rock n roll, and an excellent piece of music of boogie-woogie...

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Example #3: Caldonia by Erskine Hawkins 1945



cdbpdx, Uploaded on Jul 30, 2009

Caldonia recorded in 1945 by Erskine Hawkins with vocal by Ace Harris. Pretty cool version of this popular tune. Enjoy!

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Example #4: Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown - Caldonia Live 2000



furmamala, Uploaded on Oct 7, 2009
Live at Montreux Jazz Festival 2000

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Example #5: BB King - Caldonia



christian6021Uploaded on Oct 15, 2009

Live At Montreux

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Example #6: Caledonia - Memphis Slim



brenduchiful, Published on Jun 15, 2012

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Example #7: James Brown- Caledonia



Vince Kilroy Published on Oct 4, 2013

1964 SOUL.

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Example #8: Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five - Caldonia (Live)



LOUISJORDANVEVO, Published on Jan 17, 2014

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The Treniers - "Rag Mop" (information, video, and lyrics)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post showcases a 1949 jump Blues recording of the song "Rag Mop" by The Treniers.

Information about The Treniers, information about the "Rag Mop" song, and the lyrics to that song are also included in this post. A video of "Rag Mopp" by the first group to record that song, Johnnie Lee Wills & All His Boys, and a link to the 1950 recording by The Ames Brothers which popularized that song are also included in this post.

The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to The Treniers for their musical legacy. Thanks also to the publisher of this video on YouTube, and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE TRENIERS
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Treniers
"The Treniers were an American R&B and jump blues musical group,[1] led by identical twins Cliff and Claude Trenier with the Gene Gilbeaux Orchestra which included Don Hill on saxophone, Shifty Henry and later James (Jimmy) Johnson on bass, Henry (Tucker) Green on drums and Gene Gilbeaux on piano, along with the Treniers Twins and later, additional Treniers brothers Milt, Buddy and nephew Skip joining the group on vocals. The group's name was shortened to "The Treniers", and there were many other session musician and line up changes over the years including Herman Washington and Mickey Baker on guitar.

Active since the 1940s, they played a cross between swing and early rock and roll. Though their sound is more swing influenced, the Treniers incorporated a thumping backbeat and copious songs that included the words "rock" and "roll" - "Rocking on Sunday Night" and "It Rocks! It Rolls! It Swings!", for example, and in the 1940s were already playing "Rockin' Is Our Bizness," which was inspired by Jimmie Lunceford's "Rhythm Is Our Business" of the 1930s (the Trenier twins got their start playing in Lunceford's band). They were also known for the humorous content of many of their songs, and their on stage acrobatics were seen as precursors to the wild antics of many later rock and roll groups. Their lively stage presentation influenced Bill Haley and Comets, The Shadows in the UK in 1959, Paul Revere and Raiders, and beyond."...

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From http://www.metafilter.com/114299/The-Treniers
"The Treniers
March 28, 2012 2:53 AM posted by flapjax
Do you know The Treniers? Back in the 40s and 50s, they straddled the lines between jump blues, swing, early rock'n'roll, jazz dance, hep jive and comedy. They were a whole hella fun, and they happened to be the backing band for what must be the best dance performance Jerry Lewis ever gave the world. That particular clip, BTW, from a Dean Martin/Jerry Lewis "Colgate Comedy Hour" in 1954, is purported to be the first rock'n'roll performance on national television, and it may well have been."

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE "RAG MOP" SONG
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rag_Mop
"Rag Mop" was a popular American song of the late 1940s-early 1950s.

The song, a 12-bar blues, was written by Johnnie Lee Wills and Deacon Anderson* and published in 1949. Considered a novelty song, the lyrics consisted mostly of spelling out the title of the song; because of the spelling used in the song, it is sometimes referred to as "Ragg Mopp."

The most popular version of this song was recorded by The Ames Brothers, and released by Coral Records as catalog number 60140...The 1950 recording is considered an example of proto-rock and roll as it contained elements that would later go into the defining of the genre.

On the Beany and Cecil cartoon show, Cecil the sea-sick sea serpent would frequently sing the song."
-snip-
*The Western Swing group Johnnie Lee Willis & His Boys are documented as the first group to record "Rag Mop". However, as a result of a law suit, it was determined that "Rag Mop" was plagiarized from a 1946 song entitled "Get The Mop" by jazz trumpeter Henry Allen.

The Treneirs' recording of that song precedes that of The Ames Brothers.

Click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISf_OJKYChY for a video of Cecil the sea-sick serpent singing "Rag Mop".

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SHOWCASE VIDEO: RAGGMOPP (Ragmop) - The Treniers



clotho98, Uploaded on Sep 6, 2008

This song has been stuck in my head since the early 1960s, when I first heard it on "The Beany and Cecil Show" (episode "DJ the DJ"). It wasn't until just recently that I saw this original performance by The Treniers. WOW! Can those guys ever dance!

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LYRICS: RAG MOP
(Deacon Anderson - Johnnie Lee Wills)
JOHNNIE LEE WILLS & HIS BOYS (BULLET 696, 1949)

M, I say M-O, M-O-P, M-O-P-P
Mop, M-O-P-P, Mop-Mop-Mop-Mop
R, I say R-A, R-A-G, R-A-G-G
Rag, R-A-G-G, M-O-P-P
Rag Mop, doodle-ee-dah, dah-doo-dee
Rag Mop, doodle-ee-dah, dah-doo-dee
Rag Mop, doodle-ee-dah, dah-doo-dee
Rag Mop, doodle-ee-dah, dah-doo-dee
Rag Mop, doodle-ee-dah, dah-doo-dee
R-A-G-G, M-O-P-P, Rag Mop

A, I say A-B, A-B-C, A-B-C-D
A-B-C-D-E, A-B-C-D-E-F-G-H-I
I say M-O, M-O-P, M-O-P-P
Mop, M-O-P-P, Mop-Mop-Mop-Mop
R, I say R-A, R-A-G, R-A-G-G
Rag, R-A-G-G, M-O-P-P
Rag Mop, doodle-ee-dah, dah-doo-dee
Rag Mop, doodle-ee-dah, dah-doo-dee
Rag Mop, doodle-ee-dah, dah-doo-dee
Rag Mop, doodle-ee-dah, dah-doo-dee
Rag Mop, doodle-ee-dah, dah-doo-dee
R-A-G-G, M-O-P-P, Rag Mop
Mop-Mop

The author of the song was actually Henry 'Red' Allen. When it became a hit for Johnnie Lee, he was sued by the publisher of Red Allen's 'Get The Mop'. Bluebird insert notes say: "Although listed as co-composer, Wills acknowledged that he hadn't written a note of it but insisted that his steel guitarist Deacon Anderson had written all. Wills & Anderson lost and Red Allen's record provides the reason, it's the same song."

Also recorded by The Ames Brothers (CORAL 60140, 1950)"

Source
http://www.rockabilly.nl/lyrics3/r0189.htm
-snip-
Click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jn1zY1Kh_Ec for a sound file of Johnnie Lee Wills & All His Boys - Rag Mop

Here's a comment from that sound file's viewer comment thread:
Joseph Scott, 2014
"Written by Johnnie Lee Wills and Deacon Anderson and published in 1949. it is sometimes referred to as 'Ragg Mopp.'" It was actually written by the jazz trumpeter Henry Allen and first recorded by him in 1946 as "Get The Mop." Johnny Lee Wills apparently thought Deacon Anderson had really written it (not realizing he had plagiarized it from Allen), and muscled in on some credit as so many did. Allen reportedly sued and won."
-snip-
For the historical record, Johnnie Lee Willis & His Boys are an Anglo-American Western Swing musical group.

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RELATED VIDEO: RAGG MOPP Johnny Lee Wills & His Boys



MissIvy Uploaded on Jan 13, 2011

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RELATED LINK
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGnuYtvOpQA

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