Notice that later performances and recordings of this great song. Darkie was changed to "A Man". Sammy Davis Junior was a cherished friend of Sinatra's so it's unlikely Frank was a racist.
This is with Tommy Dorsey when Sinatra was just "vocal accompaniment" - recorded 20th January 1941 - Dorsey forced Sinatra into singing in a higher key than he wanted to, which is why his voice sounds different - his voice on All Or Nothing At all, rec in 1939 sonds deeper.
one must never apply the mores of a society to ones own
. The world we lived in in the 30s was entirely different to today and "darkie" was not a slur then.
Sinatra's valet for many many years was black -he (the valet)wrote a book about their excellent relationship (which I enjoyed) sorry I don't remember the title.
Sinatra may have been many things but racist he was not
@mzbikes "Darkie" was even more of a slur then, especially if you were dark skin. "Darkie" was a slur, no matter who used it. Please don't think otherwise. Add to that "he's no good, no how" without a song to make himself happy, and I suppose to help him forget that he's a darkie. But I don't think that Mr. Sinatra was a racist, just ignorant, maybe. The words commonly used for years now are "a man is born", although I don't think people sing this song any more.
Ay well you may be right and I know I should not be anecdotal but I live in glasgow and I well remember as a teenager ( then in the 40s), a girl in our group saying of a local beauty "oh she's going out with a lovely wee darkie fellow"
The consensus among the lads was -"oh I wish I was a wee darkie fellah"
When the GI' s subsquently came here and the white soldiers used " nigger" as a term of disparagement
@mzbikes Thanks. "Darkie" means something different here. And although "Negro" means black in Spanish, "nigger" does not carry that meaning. "Nigger" was and is a word used to put Black people down, although eventually many Black people turned it into a term of endearment when used by them (in the late '60s and '70s) . Now many young kids of every color in the United States use the term "nigger" as a means of showing friendship. Most Blacks still find the word offensive, however.
@VantisDoroHall I go along with all that -I was trying to say that english speakers in different parts of the world have entirely meanings to convey by a word and we in scotland were made to feel( by the PC) we had been slurring people when that was never intended nor recieved. Mind you "it aint what you say it's the way that you say it" to paraphrase another old song
My old aunt still calls her thread nigger brown and old soul wouldn't offend anyone
@mzbikes Thanks again for your comments. I agree with you 100% that words carry a lot of weight. Most of us in the United States do not use these two words in referring to other people.
@mzbikes A darkies born without a song he aint no good at all -A black SOUTHERN sweat labourer will only be able to endure the drudge of his life with a song.
The lyrics are great and the word darkie conveys it all -"black peasant field worker" would have blown these lyrics out of the water. Using his inimitable method gentle first 1/2 punchy 2nd 1/2 line his use of the word is gentle and sympathetic.
You dont' use these words now because they were "abused" to convey hate
@mzbikes "Darkie" was never a good word to use as far as Black people are concerned. Black people have always considered it offensive to be called "Darkie". They were highly offended by its use in this song. However, the Civil Rights Movement helped to change the acceptability of the use of such words. And, that movement changed things for other minorities, and women, as well. This kind of change in our culture is what makes the Untied States a world leader. We are proud of this.
I just heard Bing Crosby use the "darky" lyrics and was offended. I had never heard this song done this way. I learned a lesson tonight,.but as much as I enjoy Bing and Frank, this upsets me,......... going to try to finmd the original lyrics,... given the signs of the times, I'm not surprised! sad commentary, isn't it?
Get over it rjoteach - the song is a product of its time and a part of history. You can not change that! But we are in a different time now, and you should be offended at the racial slur. Back then, it was not a slur, but a song sung from the viewpoint of a field worker. Its still a beautiful song, even without lyrics!
@improvguru He had his flaws, but snubbing Black performers certainly wasn't one of them. He performed with them throughout his career. That's how the song was originally written and even Sinatra who is recording it later than Bing uses "darkie" here.
@improvguru you realize both bing and frank were very close to black performers right? bing to louie and frank to sammy. frank has even refused to play/stay at venues that wouldn't let sammy in.
This is a young Sinatra with the early "darky" lyrics.I haven't heard Tibbett's recording of it but Perry Como's which is on youtube is quite good; in fact, about as good as any Como recording I have heard.
Frank was a great champion of civil rights and whould have never done a song that preached otherwise. If you listen to the lyrics of the song they really serve as a social commentary of the injustice that permeated the lives of blacks in rural America.
This was recorded on 20th January 1941 with The Tommy Dorsey orchestra
Jamesmac30 4 months ago 2
Notice that later performances and recordings of this great song. Darkie was changed to "A Man". Sammy Davis Junior was a cherished friend of Sinatra's so it's unlikely Frank was a racist.
RideHanna 6 months ago
This is with Tommy Dorsey when Sinatra was just "vocal accompaniment" - recorded 20th January 1941 - Dorsey forced Sinatra into singing in a higher key than he wanted to, which is why his voice sounds different - his voice on All Or Nothing At all, rec in 1939 sonds deeper.
Jamesmac30 10 months ago
Strange arrangement, the intro is soooooo long we are already done with the melody before Mr Sinatra even opens his mouth.
richardhanna0 1 year ago
one must never apply the mores of a society to ones own
. The world we lived in in the 30s was entirely different to today and "darkie" was not a slur then.
Sinatra's valet for many many years was black -he (the valet)wrote a book about their excellent relationship (which I enjoyed) sorry I don't remember the title.
Sinatra may have been many things but racist he was not
phil
mzbikes 1 year ago
@mzbikes "Darkie" was even more of a slur then, especially if you were dark skin. "Darkie" was a slur, no matter who used it. Please don't think otherwise. Add to that "he's no good, no how" without a song to make himself happy, and I suppose to help him forget that he's a darkie. But I don't think that Mr. Sinatra was a racist, just ignorant, maybe. The words commonly used for years now are "a man is born", although I don't think people sing this song any more.
VantisDoroHall 6 months ago
@VantisDoroHall
Ay well you may be right and I know I should not be anecdotal but I live in glasgow and I well remember as a teenager ( then in the 40s), a girl in our group saying of a local beauty "oh she's going out with a lovely wee darkie fellow"
The consensus among the lads was -"oh I wish I was a wee darkie fellah"
When the GI' s subsquently came here and the white soldiers used " nigger" as a term of disparagement
with malice we were bemused -nigger was a colour
Otre pays -otre temps?
mzbikes 6 months ago
@mzbikes Thanks. "Darkie" means something different here. And although "Negro" means black in Spanish, "nigger" does not carry that meaning. "Nigger" was and is a word used to put Black people down, although eventually many Black people turned it into a term of endearment when used by them (in the late '60s and '70s) . Now many young kids of every color in the United States use the term "nigger" as a means of showing friendship. Most Blacks still find the word offensive, however.
VantisDoroHall 6 months ago
@VantisDoroHall I go along with all that -I was trying to say that english speakers in different parts of the world have entirely meanings to convey by a word and we in scotland were made to feel( by the PC) we had been slurring people when that was never intended nor recieved. Mind you "it aint what you say it's the way that you say it" to paraphrase another old song
My old aunt still calls her thread nigger brown and old soul wouldn't offend anyone
mzbikes 6 months ago
@mzbikes Thanks again for your comments. I agree with you 100% that words carry a lot of weight. Most of us in the United States do not use these two words in referring to other people.
VantisDoroHall 6 months ago
@VantisDoroHall
mzbikes 6 months ago
@mzbikes A darkies born without a song he aint no good at all -A black SOUTHERN sweat labourer will only be able to endure the drudge of his life with a song.
The lyrics are great and the word darkie conveys it all -"black peasant field worker" would have blown these lyrics out of the water. Using his inimitable method gentle first 1/2 punchy 2nd 1/2 line his use of the word is gentle and sympathetic.
You dont' use these words now because they were "abused" to convey hate
Viva Frank
mzbikes 6 months ago
@mzbikes "Darkie" was never a good word to use as far as Black people are concerned. Black people have always considered it offensive to be called "Darkie". They were highly offended by its use in this song. However, the Civil Rights Movement helped to change the acceptability of the use of such words. And, that movement changed things for other minorities, and women, as well. This kind of change in our culture is what makes the Untied States a world leader. We are proud of this.
VantisDoroHall 6 months ago
@VantisDoroHall
finis
mzbikes 6 months ago
@mzbikes Yep.
VantisDoroHall 6 months ago
@zincali, thank you for sharing, I dearly love classics of this nature. Classics are a number one to me!
MsDucess 1 year ago
Lovely song.
raymondwunna 1 year ago
Love the music and love the lyrics and the song too.
raymondwunna 1 year ago
In 1961 Sinatra recorded it "a man is born!!!" Favorite version on "I Remember Tommy."
saintcruzin 1 year ago
i heard some much worser than this hahaa
ArgonDiscoverer 1 year ago
I just heard Bing Crosby use the "darky" lyrics and was offended. I had never heard this song done this way. I learned a lesson tonight,.but as much as I enjoy Bing and Frank, this upsets me,......... going to try to finmd the original lyrics,... given the signs of the times, I'm not surprised! sad commentary, isn't it?
rjoteach 1 year ago
Get over it rjoteach - the song is a product of its time and a part of history. You can not change that! But we are in a different time now, and you should be offended at the racial slur. Back then, it was not a slur, but a song sung from the viewpoint of a field worker. Its still a beautiful song, even without lyrics!
nextgenii 1 year ago
@rjoteach Bing Crosby was not a nice person. Quite the opposite, in fact, so doesn't surprise me at all that he would use that term.
improvguru 1 year ago
@improvguru He had his flaws, but snubbing Black performers certainly wasn't one of them. He performed with them throughout his career. That's how the song was originally written and even Sinatra who is recording it later than Bing uses "darkie" here.
larrydonguy 1 year ago
@improvguru you realize both bing and frank were very close to black performers right? bing to louie and frank to sammy. frank has even refused to play/stay at venues that wouldn't let sammy in.
aldomilo 1 year ago
@aldomilo Frank certainly was buddies with Sammy and yes, I know that he was no rascist.
improvguru 1 year ago
This is a young Sinatra with the early "darky" lyrics.I haven't heard Tibbett's recording of it but Perry Como's which is on youtube is quite good; in fact, about as good as any Como recording I have heard.
larrydonguy 2 years ago
This is okay but the Lawrence Tibbett recording is a lot better than okay. I'm surprised nobody has posted it.
ramqen951 3 years ago
Frank was a great champion of civil rights and whould have never done a song that preached otherwise. If you listen to the lyrics of the song they really serve as a social commentary of the injustice that permeated the lives of blacks in rural America.
bobthemagical 3 years ago
The lyrics were later changed to "A Man is Born", i.e, Diana Ross's version.
victron6 3 years ago
A darky's born!
TLAGT 3 years ago
yeap, great song and singer.
mettanc 3 years ago