Alan Lomax,Negro Prison & Blues Songs Black Woman

[Lu3Zak]

chains on their feet, yet their song brakes my chains, too...

it makes my white skin turn black, it is the soul, yes it is...

[jabezdavis]

where can i buy this cd

[nickiz1]

"Sugar"..."in my coffee" nice.....

[KiteitRight]

just discovered Lomax.. this is amazing

[bannyloren100]

@KiteitRight me too

[MyMoppet52]

I graduated high school in 70. I always loved to visit my friends church. I loved the singing. This sounds a lot like her church...not the lyrics...I miss this. I think this type of music should be played in all classrooms starting from K up...and not in Feb. All year round. The small kids could just be told that some 'bad things' happened, and as the kids got older the awareness of horrors of slavery could be told to them. This is probably as close to slave music as we will hear. Thank you.

[otacon451]

@MyMoppet52 This would give young children nightmares. I'm in my mid 20s and since the middle school grades were when most kids started acting up bad, maybe then to really give the a serious perspective on life, strength, and adversity. I'm starting to think american society itself will become a sort of prison if we keep raising such bad kids, they need to realize their problems are nothing compared to the hell that people such as these prisoners faced and that they have got no excuses.

[MyMoppet52]

@otacon451 thank you for your reply. You do have a point. I was asking my 4th grade grandson some questions about the USA the other night and was shocked to hear he knew nothing about the Civil War. He didn't even know we had had a Civil War. My daughter told me he is learning about the state of Ohio first. By that time I knew many of the General's names, about Harper's Ferry, & I had to always be the 'Johnny Reb's' when I played with boys. Boys got to be the Yankees. I agree w your comments,

[MyMoppet52]

@otacon451 ... agree with your comments, but there has to be a middle ground. I was embarrassed that a child of that age, growing up in this country had NO idea of our history. Teaching our county & state history isn't as important as learning at least something about our country's history even if it has to be watered down to their age level. I finally asked if he had heard about Abraham Lincoln & was relieved to hear that he was a President like Washington. That's it. That's sad. Thanks again

[otacon451]

@MyMoppet52 i saw a headline yesterday, 38% of american citizens can't pass the citizenship test. :/

[wick2107]

@otacon451 Usually when normal people would think life sucks...I just say...I have seen 127 Hours...I know life can get much much much worse.

[fffoundryandforge]

would anyone consider this a call and response? it's kind of difficult to judge since there is a leader but at the same time the others are chiming in a bit later, not necessarily responding to the leader's "call"

[Tripp9]

@fffoundryandforge this is line singing

[MrBrianlowdown]

i am a whie 41 year old grew up on clasic rock also 60,s guarage the seeds love ect then got into punk age 12 this is where rockabilly rocknroll punk all came from ive played music 4 25 yrs or so i give props to this ....wow great recordings fucking wow

[StuballScramble]

What is "bald headed woman" a reference to?

[revnasteewaters57]

most of these people were inprison for no reason except that they were black. The weak bone whiteman could not handle such work. Negroes was said to be lazy and shiftless but they did all the work while the weak bone whiteman sat in the shade. Now who was lazy and shiftless?

[Vanodi]

@revnasteewaters57 Well now you're just as rasist for calling the whites "weak bone whiteman". Retard.

[revnasteewaters57]

@Vanodi That's not racist! It's a truth. The retard is in your mirror just look in it. But no need to get hostile about things it's just how America is. You should know better than I do.

[Vanodi]

@revnasteewaters57 Okay and how did that post, in any manner, support your idea of that whites are weak boned? You're just an ignorant asshole.

[revnasteewaters57]

@Vanodi What you getting uptight about? Did I lie or something?

[Vanodi]

@revnasteewaters57 no you're just postng stupid bullshit comments, that's all.

[laserspatula]

@Vanodi @revnasteewaters57 I'd like to interject with some interesting factoids I stumbled across one day when trying to figure if there was a reason black people were generally better athletes than white people, fair question... and found out that during slavery black slaves were actually bred selectively to produce a stronger, faster worker which they could then sell for more, i know crazy shit but its a crazy world we live in...

[Vanodi]

@laserspatula Well that is complete nonsense, the blacks aren't gentically better fit for atheletics, they do tend to be better in 100 m. and long distance running but besides that there are a fairly mixed amount of whites and blacks in the top of the sports.

[laserspatula]

@Vanodi Okay It might be a little bit nonsense! but not complete, I'm certainly not the first one to suggest it. There's lots of what seem like well informed opinions on various forums. Selective breeding did take place, there is no question of that, if a genetic pool still remains, well I don't think its been researched much.

[Vanodi]

Yeah but you have to remember that you are talking about the slaves who now have their genes in american or european black guys. But in the athletics you almost always see people from africa or jamaica being in the top. those are people whose great-great-grandfather didn't become slaves and wasn't exposed to selective breedng as only the blacks that were transfered to the USA and europe might have been. Get my point?

[laserspatula]

@Vanodi Thats actually a very good point. fair enough, my (i say my, its certainly not mine) wacky theory is probably just based on some sort of myth and really very loose theory.

P.S look youtube a polite dialogue!!

[Vanodi]

@laserspatula this is the way the internet should be used. discussions and thoughts exchanged, in good manners, between people from all over the world. :)

[JandritoBlues]

@Vanodi Jamaica was a colony full of slaves.

[IndependentGeorge76]

@laserspatula that's interesting theory, but pretty dubious in practice. one of the reasons why so many world class athletes from afro-american stock is that the atlantic crossings were so harsh and the subsequent lives of the slaves in the early plantations were so brutal, that a form of darwinism occured genetically. the weak died out and did not pass on their genes to later generations

[rachelsanders2]

@IndependentGeorge76 There is absolutely ZERO evidence for this. Did you just make this up right now? I mean, first off, the period of slavery in the US was not nearly long enough for that kind of selection to happen in humans. Secondly, even if it was long enough, there is no evolutionary advantage for slaves to be sprinters. It certainly wouldn't help them escape, as the very reason the US used Africans as slaves was so that they would be easily identifiable if they escaped.

[IndependentGeorge76]

@rachelsanders2 it was a theory that was discussed on a BBC documentary a few years back. of course it is just a theory. it is not suggesting natural selection, just that the hardships of life for slaves and the initial crossing meant it was tough to survive and pass on your genes.

again, this is just a theory that was put forward on a documentary about sport - i wouldnt stand or fall on it!

[DonBardamu]

@rachelsanders2 Black people in the Americas have a higher risk of heart descease. This is most likely caused because the people who survived on the slave ships were better at retaining salts. Maybe the people who survived the deportation also were in better fysical condition.

[terryfookwitt]

@DonBardamu

Or they eat a lot of fatty food ?

[MyMoppet52]

@revnasteewaters57 You have a very good point. It is still the same. The figures blacks in prison is so out of line with their ratios in population is outrageous. 2 black women got life for stealing $11 since their boyfriends pulled a knife. Here in last 2 weeks a white man got 2 years w/ time off for already served for killing his baby under age of 18 months old. I think baby was around 6 months. It made me sick. This is fair??? It is still about the same as in the past. BTW, I am a WASP.

[wick2107]

@MyMoppet52 Yes, well this country has really bad laws for protecting babies so young. That man probably tried to sell it off as an abortion

[xsguitar77]

@MyMoppet52

They kill babies in the womb and call it "choice"

[MyMoppet52]

@xsguitar77 huh?

[Spacewolf78]

This might not be about the video, but I'm amazed how smart the Youtube comments are on smart videos like this rather than on other ones. Correct grammar and everything.

[MrReb1861]

If the prison system still worked gangs , prison would be less full. Nothing wrong with working idle hands

[TheSanityInspector]

@MrReb1861 Google Prison Blues, if you want to see what kind of work prisoners do these days.

[seekntruth50]

This is where (in prison) I saw the true nature of the white man. He's the most low down creature on earth. He is the true Devil.

[SpeedyNeutrino43]

@seekntruth50.. Read up on the exploits of the Ashanti tribe in Africa..they raided other villages and took slaves to use and to trade to the Portuguese, the Spanish, the British and other slave ship operators. Black slavery still exists in remote parts of Africa. Slaves held by other black tribes. This was going on LONG before the white man ever showed up on Africa. Take this with an open mind and you might modify your thinking. I agree....prisons aren't exactly luxury hotels.

[Spiritree41]

They telling truth....

[SpeedyNeutrino43]

I've heard this very song sung by chain gangs in and around Graceville, FL , about 12 miles from the Alabama State Line. They were working on the rails in the train yard and used long steel pry bars to clank on the rails to keep the rhythm....There were two deputys there with shotguns....the memory reminds me of "Cool Hand Luke" except these were all black men. A long time ago.

[TheSanityInspector]

@SpeedyNeutrino43 That's a striking image, thanks, a real bittersweet piece of Americana.

[SpeedyNeutrino43]

@TheSanityInspector ...Glad I could shed light on the subject. Thanks

[ANGELSVEN]

thanks to bravehartmman for the lyrics to this wonderful song.

[bravehartmman]

When he barks, he roar like thunder. Up in the clouds, Lawd, up in the clouds. When he barks, he roar like thunder. Up in the clouds, Lawd, up in the clouds. When you meet my long-haired woman, Just bow your head, Lawd, just bow your head. When you meet my long-haired woman, Just bow your head, Lawd, just bow your head. I don't want no bald-headed woman, O she's too mean, Lawd, Lawd, she's too mean. I don't want no bald-headed woman, O she's too mean, Lawd, Lawd, she's too mean.

[bravehartmman]

I don't want no jet-black woman, O she's too mean, Lawd, Lawd, she's too mean, I don't want no jet-black woman, O she's too mean, Lawd, Lawd, she's too mean. I don't want no sugar in my coffee, It makes me, Lawd, Lawd, it makes me mean. I don't want no sugar in my coffee, It makes me, Lawd, Lawd, it makes me mean. I got a bulldog he weighs five hundred, In my backyard, Lawd, Lawd, in my backyard. I got a bulldog he weighs five hundred, In my backyard, Lawd, Lawd,

[bigwillhenk]

very nice

[mrallcz]

fascinating and powerful

[TabeKat12]

lets never forget this

[baldemar03]

1066 the great schism??? lol, but "hgjeand" said it right, this isn't america its the internet...

[baldemar03]

American does NOT equal English...try ENGLAND?

USA is a melting pot of immigrant cultures - think about it ...

if you're white and speak english: thats also a description for European... if you speak Hopi or Navajo or the like, okay now that is truly American, if having to pin down language to the land... IF, though...

[guitarslim56]

@baldemar03 England is also a melting pit of cultures.  Remember 1066!

[Radumo]

So powerful. It goes straight to the soul. Thank you.

[Anjis]

Outstanding!!! oh my goodness, this is the power of soul!

[PerditaLupo]

hard hard hard tortuous work ... we have no idea today, we are very spoiled.

[familiareal]

FUCK!!!!!

[dontdodrugzz1]

THATS WUT IM SAYIN

[UnivocalTrash]

wut r u sayin?

[dontdodrugzz1]

the dude said FUCK!!!!!!!! and I said that's what im sayin. im sayin that this song is tight

[cousiwa09]

this is exceptional...they sing from their souls ...love love love it.

cheers mate! xxxx

[DonGregario]

Un mundo que necesita de prisiones y policia necesita cambiar el poder por libertad.

A world that needs prisons and police needs to change the power to freedom.

[dontdodrugzz1]

THIS IS AMERICA WE SPEAK ENGLISH

[DonGregario]

Yanky estupido, en america se habla portugues, español, ingle, frances e inumerables lenguas nativas como mapusungun, quechua, guarani, hopi, etc....

[hgjeand]

@dontdodrugzz1 This isn't America, this is the internet!

[irapoannfilho]

Amazing.

[goyatley]

That first hit broke my spine!

[shediedlarfing]

Wow =]

[TabeKat12]

respect

[JuneJune1950]

@TabeKat12 Maximum respect.

[chato711]

lo mejor :)

[CameToGiveLove]

Power over Pain