Big Bill Broonzy: Black, Brown and White

[mmdawg2]

If you was white, Your alright, If you brown stick around, but if you black oh brother get back get back get back. I love it the sad thing is that this is what still happens today

[paradisoperdutouno1]

Mr Webster Our Music Teacher Used To Bring All His Old Blues And Jazz 78 rpm Records To School In 1959, This Nr And St James Infirmary turned me on to the blues in those days.. Brilliant

brian

[joshm435]

Classic

[ColinStachowski]

For everyone willing to know what the chords are! It's F#, and in chorus there is B and changing between B and F#7M (243222). Have fun!

[monadasmoinas]

@ColinStachowski - Thanks for that .

[Bwah66]

This song is beautiful

[brennmusic1]

talk show last nite radio 885 there send you one GREAT IT WAS

[MinecraftMunkys]

i know the meaning of this song does anyone else know what its about?

[cwcwful]

@MinecraftMunkys Most would know the meaning of this song, I hope.

[kotokid31]

@MinecraftMunkys u want a cookie?

[IIMaRVII]

wow damn i just found out about him from legends of country blues guitar and i gotta say one of the best blues musicians ive heard in a while... what a genious!

[allthingsblues]

bring out the ''old jim crow'' , git' back, git' back...al

great lyrics...

[AcePilot101]

Truth has no race or gender.

[Rory99M]

anyone know the chord for this?

[cutemango101]

my favorite history teacher showed me this song! idk how old you are you have to love it! -hint, 16 years old (;

[ukyo1977]

great song!



[grifzor]

1 person's a KKK supporter >_>

[wheniwasinvietnam]

@grifzor 1 person is entitled to their opinion. that comment was funny by the way. -_-

[wheniwasinvietnam]

@grifzor sorry i meant that comment WASNT funny.

[RelentlezZSPARKY]

My history books brought me here! :p

[j0th]

Who would dislike this song?!?!?... I bet you it was satan... Nawww, not even he's THAT evil.

[Kikoo27]

There is no hate in these lyrics. Just the facts!! I heard it once. I got hooked on it.

[PaulishMH]

If it was in standard tuning, I could figure out the chord progression.................



[nicatiblahblahx3]

i hurd this song in a video i watched in english class about roasa parks. xD i liked it so i looked it up.

[Divisiblites702]

this song was made around when there was segregation

[CombatArmsReviews199]

They Made A remix on Legacy of Rosa Parks Movie where can i listen to that.

[ana2881]

There is another version which skewered the colorism of some early 20thC black American communities.

If you're white you're all right

if you're yellow stay mellow

if you're brown stick around

if you're black get back

all referring to different shades of African Americans

variations have been applied to racism and complexion prejudices since the 19th C

[ana2881]

I'm not sure why people assume Rev Lowery somehow stole or forget to credit Broonzy. The saying is old and widespread, I doubt anyone knows its exact origins. Its like a lot of old folk, spiritual and... blues songs where the origins are murky, various individuals and musical styles mold it, verses are adapted and changed by various artists for different audiences and musicians play around with the music, and a lot of on the spot improvisation happens.

[carlito6111]

Sum real shit right here

[glenneveaux]

Love Big Bill Broonzy and the song (even though it's about an extremely sad and still, sadly, very serious problem. However, I don't think that whites were, are, or ever have been more accepting of "browns" than blacks. In fact, I know that today, the reverse is true.I"m happy for the blacks, but the browns are the "new" blacks. Fact.

[dchris1990]

@glenneveaux youre completely wrong actally. Blacks are still the most feared group During the nineteenth century, racists liked to portray themselves as 'scientific.' Brown signified that a race was closer to white than pure blacks were. As a result, mulattos were given better jobs then pure blacks. NOt just in the USA, but in Brazil, Peru, Cuba.... similar things happened in Vietnam, Nigeria, and Rwanda (see the movie).

[motelcalifornia]

Stop e-mailing this record to the White House!!!

LOL

[Vindevaude]

BBB was just fabulous !!!

[Trooper9292]

Love it.

[hallcross]

Never heard this song before until it was chosen by Tom Jones on Desert Island Discs in the UK a week or so back.. Absolutely fantastic lyrics and music. So catchy too. Has it been covered by any bands etc?

[imperiumdiaboli]

One thumb down?  I didn't realize the president of the KKK had a YouTube account.

[motelcalifornia]

@imperiumdiaboli Also owns a wood shop

[imperiumdiaboli]

@motelcalifornia Hmm, I suppose he wouldn't make crosses, would he?

[motelcalifornia]

@imperiumdiaboli Too complex. 

[wtim69]

hi all,

im from little ole newfoundland,Canada and im only 31 years old but I canjust hear so much this song means. I love this song and think its great! those time must have been rough! I love ya my black brothers!

white man from Canada

TW

[haraldthune]

Great stuff!



[codeblue25]

Surprised I never heard this. Such a well written, important song that illustrates the time period.

[Douglasss1000]

one of my fav songs does any one know how to play it

[PacMan343]

im so against rasisim. But i herd this in ss and its so catchy.

[polyesterpoontang]

So much truth in Broonzy.

[potatoepeter1]

Big Bill, das machen "die" bei uns genau so, ABER Big Bill das wird sich ändern!!

[potatoepeter1]

i am blue .... äh i have nothing sayed ;-)

[HarryW1234]

A missing verse :oP I helped build this country, And I fought for it too, Now I guess that you can see, What a black man has to do They said: "If you was white, You's alright, If you was brown, stick around, But as you's black, whoa brother, Get back, get back, get back." Written 1939 [Spoken intro, Trouble in Mind, Smithsonian Folkways] "...drafted into the Army in 1917. Broonzy served two years in Europe during the first world war..." [Wikipedia]

[dittotl]

this is how i'd sum up Richmond Virgina!

[mrmopar7273ty3]

love this rediculously so much thank my music teacher mr anthony for turning me on to big bill

[09holly09]

its the blues lol

i love this song

[alex573573]

BANGING tune with a message... tick and a gold star : )

[rievans57]

Ever notice how the music of the past is loaded with irony (especially blues) and most of the music of today has very little. I guess that's a price you pay for prosperity.

[BGPUNSHER]

nice

[eloddu31]

il manque des paroles dans la description

dommage

[sweetheart408411205]

this is REAL music

[lastchaos57]

this isn't racist it's a song about showing how racisism isn't fair

[JumpingTomato]

Thanks for posting this! I love this song!

[pulameanushaltuser]

racism

fuck racism!

[Namaya2]

@pulameanushaltuser O my god this isn't racism at all, are you stupid? This is about how unfair racism is. You don't understand it.

[velvetunderpants44]

I assume @pulameanushaltuser was talking about the reason for singing the song and not the song itself.

[cyreander]

I know this song since I was 16, so almost 26 years. I liked it from the very moment, because I like the atitude and I hate injustice.

[zebras2014]

this is my favorite song! we watched a movie on rosa parks in 8th grade english and this was on it. i fell in love with it :)

[samuelb35]

same here

[billystrayhornsghost]

The Greatest of all....that's BBB.

[swiper6677]

ghandi!!

[annee69leo]

on l'a chante en musique =) elle est vraiment geniale "get back, get back, get back" et vraiment intelligente et realiste "c'est mieux que les colchiques dans les prééés

[CrackedNutShellx2]

does ANYONE have the chords to this song? I cant seem to find them anywhere

[matmormm]

@CrackedNutShellx2

Hey, that's really F#, B, C#(C#7) for verses.

Chorus goes like this

B, F#, C#, F#. Switch F# and C#7 after 'get back' phrases.

O man, I love those good ol' 3 blues chords!

Best kind of music and playing!

[matmormm]

Of course, I mean ONLY F# for verses. My misstake!

[CrackedNutShellx2]

holy crap thanks so much man

[matmormm]

No problem, it wasn't too hard. I just love making out such a songs. My pleasure you liked that. Now keep on playin' these blues!

[JO911B]

also there's C# - C7 - C#7 going on.

[cakeisc00l]

my teacher is making us dance to this song =S

[JuniixForever]

Well that's good. This man is one of those who progressed blues. Without blues, you wouldn't have bands who came out of the British Invasion, like Led Zeppelin. Life would be a drag without them. :)

[09holly09]

hi im called becca n im 13

i love this song x x x

[FaustyFob]

thats cool to see younger people enjoy this style of music... keep listening and keep it alive!!! :)

[DannyRana]

amazing

[karinablacktie]

I was sorry that Rev Lowery didn't credit Big Bill Broonzy in his inauguration benediction, whose ending was obviously a paraphrasing of this song.

[HaloedG]

@karinablacktie

I know...I knew when he said that, I figured they weren't genuinely Lowery's own words.

[anchower]

@HaloedG Are you sure Broonzy came up with these words himself? There was a lot of sharing and borrowing among black artists in his time, so the lyrics may not necessarily be original with him. In other words, the lyrics may be "traditional" to some extent, so Lowery wouldn't be entirely remiss in not crediting Broonzy. On the other hand, Broonzy's is, as far as I know, the most well-known rendition.

[sigmund5]

@HaloedG

Very weird that you would think Rev. Lowery's words weren't his own. "I know...I knew" Which is it? You knew then or you know know. Very interesting wording. It sounds like you are saying a contemporary black minister tied to Obama is a charlatan who couldn't come up with a thoughtful statement or he just steals. I know you are prolly a good white liberal and all.

[sigmund5]

@karinablacktie

@HaloedG

Very weird that you would think Rev. Lowery's words weren't his own. "I know...I knew" Which is it? You knew then or you know now?-Very interesting wording. It sounds like you are saying a contemporary black minister tied to Obama is a charlatan who couldn't come up with a thoughtful statement or he just steals. I know you are prolly a good white or black liberal and all. The Blues, politics, business and religion or culture is about stealing stuff 

[HaloedG]

@sigmund5

I'm saying, "I know what you mean" to karinablacktie. I also knew they weren't Lowery's own words.

What do you mean "it sounds like" Did I say those words you accused me of? You're reaching. Try digging into someone else's business...buzz off with the antagonizing.

[emanuelburke]

@sigmund5 i assure you the reverend did not research it... he's probably repeating something he heard another older preacher say or some older person in his family, maybe his mom or uncle. But researching the lineage and history of the phrase itself? No sir... lol

[HaloedG]

@sigmund5

You're reading too much into what I said, like a clown. The phrase is one older Black people who lived through the Civil Rights have said for as long as I have lived...as shocking as it may sound, there is a commentary on race relations in this country that excludes the mainstream opinions.

Here's an idea...if you want to know what I think, just ask. Thinking it sounds weird is YOUR confusion, not mine.

[rainydays1301]

by the way, im trying to get this song, do u have it? sorry to bother u but i really need it!!! or just tell me where did u find it!!

[HaloedG]

I can send it to you...send me your email by message.

[praxis1966]

@rainydays1301 You probably can't find it because HaloedG is a doofus who doesn't know the name of the song is really 'Get Back.'

[praxis1966]

@rainydays1301 @rainydays1301 You probably can't find it because HaloedG is a doofus who doesn't know the name of the song is really 'Get Back.'

[praxis1966]

@rainydays1301 @rainydays1301 You probably can't find it because HaloedG is a doofus who doesn't know the name of the song is really 'Get Back.'

[rainydays1301]

wooow.. this is amazing. Im looking for songs about discrimination for my Pre-AP summer reading =(...And i found this song, oh my gosh!! it has a nice beat, LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT!!

[TushTushTush]

@rainydays1301 Simple words, simple song, simple facts..

You probably won't find a better song about discrimination.

(and to the rest of BBB, you won't be disapointed)

[TheUniqueShow1992]

Love this song! Listen to it all the time, it never gets old <3

[deeflorez]

this was in my reading

[charlesphj]

beautiful and sad blue true.

[rievans57]

The song is a classic example of what the blues is. The blues is the truth laced with irony!

[WoodyWeedPecker]

Seriously one of the best contribution on youtube I've seen so far..

[BigQueeQueg88]

we watched it in class today too and i'm having the same thing happen to me

[turtledogg]

lol we watched this video in school about Civil Rights, and this was playing in the beginning, now i can't stop singing it!

[ChromeDrome]

me too,most was b & w

[fm97girl]

oh my goodness i watched this move in school about civil rights and it played this song, and i cant stop singing it either! wow weird haha such a CATCHY tune!

[turtledogg]

I'm thinking about making a drum cover to this song......I'll let you all know how that works out :)

[AshleyRox14]

I listened to this song in school too. LoL, it's so sad =[

I havent heard it in 2 years, and something someone said reminded me of this song, so I had to listen to it again.

[beckybloom01]

TUNNNNEEE

[HaloedG]

It would take a crow's murder to hold me back from spittin' on the grave of Jim or however Christian name given to the son of The Crows.

[7SonsofFeanor]

I've been thinking of this song ever since the Inauguration :)

[gansta4lyfe20707]

lol same here

[SangoChama]

I've had this song stuck in my head ever since it was played on a video we watched in school.