Two Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. Songs & Chants (Lyrics, Comments, Videos)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post showcases two examples of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc songs and chants. The compositions that are showcased in this post are the song "We Are The Brothers Of Que Psi Phi" and the chant "We Are The Brothers Que" and its variant title "We Are The Dawgs".

Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. is a Black Greek lettered fraternity and is a member of the National Pan-Hellenic Council,a collaborative organization of nine historically African American, international Greek lettered fraternities and sororities that is known as "The Divine Nine".

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

I consider fraternity & sorority chants to be cultural artifacts which deserve to be collected, preserved, and studied. However, I also believe that fraternity & sorority songs and chants should only be recited and/or performed by those who are members or pledges of the specific organization that is affiliated with that particular chant.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

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WE ARE THE BROTHERS OF QUE PSI PHI
Synopsis of this song:
Members of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. praise the organization & its founders and profess their love & loyalty to that organization. Members of that organization also recall how they felt during their pledge experiences, recall how others felt about them pledging, and indicate what they have learned as a result of pledging that fraternity.

[Corrections to my synopsis of this song's theme are welcome and can be added as a comment to this post or can be sent to cocojams17@yahoo.com]

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WE ARE THE BROTHERS OF QUE PSI PHI (Example #1)
[1995 Probates {pledges}, Howard University]

Refrain leader: Oh Oh Oh!
All: Oh Oh Oh!
Leader: Oh Oh Oh Oh!
All: Oh Oh Oh!

Leader: We are the brothers of Que Psi Phi
All: We are the brothers of Que Psi Phi
Leader: The Mother Pearl and that's no lie.
All: The Mother Pearl and that's no lie.
Leader: We're gonna live, we're gonna die
All: We're gonna live, we're gonna die
Leader: In the name of Que Psi Phi.
All: In the name of Que Psi Phi.
Leader: We've come from near we've come from far
Leader: first by lamp and then by star
All: first by lamp and then by star.

Refrain

Leader: In this place of pain and tears,
All: In this place of pain and tears,
Leader: I have learned to persevere.
All: I have learned to persevere.
Leader: Manhood and scholarship,
All: Manhood and scholarship,
Leader: and the meaning of uplift.
Leader: Cooper, Coleman, Love, and Just (varied rhythm)*
All: Cooper, Coleman, Love, and Just,
Leader: They are watching over us.
All: They are watching over us.

Refrain

Leader: I may not see my home again,
All: I'll wave good-bye to all my friends,
Leader: I'll tell my Mama not to cry,
All: I am pledging Que Psi Phi.

Refrain.

Leader: She said "Son along the way,
All: She said "Son along the way,
Leader: watch those cloudy skies of gray.
All: watch those cloudy skies of gray.
Leader: The sun is shining on the other side (ritardando)
All: The sun is shining on the other side
Leader; shining brightly Que Psi Phi"
All: shining brightly Que Psi Phi" (crescendo)

Refrain (resume previously tempo)

*These are the last names of the four founders of the fraternity
-Elizabeth Fine, Soulstepping-African American Step Shows (University of Illinois Press; 2003) pg. 48-49

Editor:
Here's a quote about that chant from Soulstepping-African American Step Shows
"With shaven heads and gold paint glistening on their faces, the 1995 probates of Omega Psi Phi at Howard University stand at rigid attention, holding across their chest shields decorated with the fraternity insignia. In combat boots, tan trousers, blue sweat shirts, sunglasses, the young men stand with their chins and lower lips thrust out, a ritual facial expression known as the grit."

In her landmark book on Black fraternity and sorority steppin,Soulstepping-African American Step Shows Elizabeth Fine described this song as being performed by "probates", meaning "new members of a fraternity or a sorority".

According to http://dos.cornell.edu/greek/about_our_office/definitions.cfm "Probate [is] A show used to introduce new members of the organization".

"Lamp” is a symbol for Que pledges; “Star” is a symbol for men who have passed the pledge process and become official members of the fraternity.

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WE ARE THE MEN OF Q PSI PHI (Example #2)
We are the men of Q Psi Phi
Mighty Mighty Q Psi Phi
We come from near we come from far
First by lamp and then by star

Whoa oo Whoa oo
Whoa oo oo oo oh

I kiss my girl and made her cry
Cause I was pledgin Q Psi Phi.
I kissed my girl and made her cry
Cause I was pledgin Q Psi Phi

Whoa oo Whoa oo
Whoa oo oo oo oh
-posted by Azizi, 12/05 (source: step shows that I've attended in the 1990s in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
-snip-
Text Analysis:
I believe that the implication of the lines "I kissed my girl and made her cry/cause I was pledgin Q Psi Phi" was that the girl cried because she knew that she'd have less time with her man now that he was pledging Q Psi Phi.

The line "I kissed my girl and made her cry" is lifted from the Mother Goose rhyme: "Georgie Porgy; Puddin Pie/ kiss the girls and made them cry". However, since Ques are known as real buff, macho men, the next lines for the Georgie Porgie rhyme "When the boys came out to play/ Georgie Porgie ran away" wouldn't fit the image of the Q's at all.

The "Whoa oo Whoa oo" part of this song sounds like the refrain used in the military cadence "Ain't No Use In Lookin Down"*

"Leader-Woh oh oh oh
Others-(repeat above)/ Leader-Woh oh ohohohoh"

*The words to that military cadence can be found at http://cocojams.com/content/military-cadences-other-cadences

This is not to suggest that these that military cadence and that fraternity song have anything else in common or that one is derived from the other. It should be mentioned that those two examples have nothing else in common.
-snip-
Requests For Assistance Regarding Documentation Of This Song:
I've not been able to find any YouTube video of "We Are The Brothers Of Que Psi Phi". If you know of any such video/s, please send a link or links to cocojams17@yahoo.com or post that link or links in the comment section below.

Notice that the words of Example #1 are written in a call & response format and the words of Example #2 are not. I seem to recall this song being sung by one member of the step team who had an exceptional voice. The other members of the step team were divided into three sub-groups. One group at a time started a step move, and then continued that move while the second and then the third group joined in with those groups' own move.

I'd appreciate it if people would share their experiences and/or recollections of how "We Are The Men Of Que Psi Phi" is (or was) performed.

Thanks in advance for the assistance with both of these requests..

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COMMENTS ON GRITTIN
I offer these comments about "grittin" for the folkloric record. Corrections and clarifications of these comments are very welcome.

I've never heard the term "the grit" before reading it in Elizabeth Fine's landmark book Elizabeth Fine, Soulstepping-African American Step Shows. However, I have heard of "grittin".

In my opinion, the term "grittin" comes from the word "gritty" and refers to a harsh "stone faced" expression. "Grittin" is a term that is used to describe the exaggerated, bulldog like angry expression that is a signature facial expression for members & pledges of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. (meaning it is usually not done by other fraternities). I think that Ques put on this facial expression to show how tough & in control they are.

In everyday interactions - outside of the performance of "steppin" or its related fraternity/sorority movement "strollin" - a person who sees someone with this expression looking at him* might confront that person and say "Why you grittin on me?" The person with that grittin expression then has to make some choices. He could change that facial expression and deny that he was "grittin" (on that other person). Or he could keep that same expression or make his facial expression even sterner and say something that would escalate the confrontation. In other words, "grittin" is no joke.

I would advise people not to put on these facial expressions if they don't want to start some trouble that they may not be able to finish.

*Although the male pronoun is used in this comment, females also have been know to "grit on" other people.

Click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymKLymvwD2U "Willow Smith -Whip My Hair" for an example of grittin (The image facial expression that Willow Smith does at about 1:06 is a good example of that facial expression.

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WE ARE THE BROTHERS QUE (WE ARE THE DAWGS)
Synopsis of this chant:
"We Are The Brother Ques" and its variant title "We Are The Dawgs" have the theme of celebrating the men's membership in Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc and praising the way that brothers of that organization do step moves.

[Corrections to my synopsis of this song's theme are welcome.]
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Comments:
It appears that "We Are The Brother Ques" ("We Are The Dawgs") is chanted while all of the times I have heard "We Are The Brothers Of Que Psi Phi" (in person and on video), it has been sung. My guess is that "We Are The Brother Ques" ("We Are The Dawgs") are of much more recent origin than "We Are The Brothers Of Que Psi Phi".

These videos shows some of the signature step moves that are performed by members (brothers) of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. These video also shows the Ques' signature grittin facial expression and their signature tongue out "dog" gesture.

I'm able to decipher some of what is being said in these videos but I think it's not enough to post a transcription. For the folkloric and historical record, I'd appreciate it someone would send the words to this chant to cocojams17@yahoo.com or post them as a comment below. Also, for the folkloric and historical record, I'd also and share information about when this chant was first performed. Thanks in advance!

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Example #1: We Are The Brother Ques



Uploaded by Xay90 on Dec 12, 2010

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Example #2: Beta Eta Chapter of Omega Psi Phi - We Are The Brother Ques



Published on May 14, 2012 by Xay90

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Example #3: Omega Psi Phi - Chi Tau Chapter - We Are The Dawgs



Uploaded by MrDSheppard on May 19, 2011

Da Bruz setting owt We Are The Dawgs at my LB's Wedding!
-snip-
The uploader's statement is written in what I call Hip Hop contemporary African American English. That same sentence in Standard American English is "The brothers are setting out [performing; steppin] "We Are The Dogs" at my line brother's wedding.

A "line brother" is a man who was in the same pledge group [line] as you were.

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RELATED LINKS
http://cocojams.com/content/fraternity-and-sorority-chants

This pancocojams post is reposted on my cocojams.com website.

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http://cocojams.com/content/fraternity-and-sorority-chants

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Pan-Hellenic_Council

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND THANKS
Thanks to those who composed the featured chants. Thanks also to the members of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. who are featured in these videos and thanks to the uploaders of those videos.

Finally, thank you for visiting pancocojams.

Viewer comments are welcome.