Sam Cooke, Otis Redding - Chain Gang (Lyrics, Sound Files, & Comments)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post showcases a rendition of the song "Chain Gang" by Sam Cooke and a rendition of that same song by Otis Redding. Lyrics to those versions are also included in this post.

This post also includes information about chain gangs.

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

WHAT ARE CHAIN GANGS?
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chain_gang
"A chain gang is a group of prisoners chained together to perform menial or physically challenging work, such as mining or timber collecting, as a form of punishment. Such punishment might include building roads, digging ditches or chipping stone. This system existed primarily in the southern parts of the United States, and by 1955 had been phased out nationwide, with Georgia the last state to abandon the practice.[1] Chain gangs were reintroduced by a few states during the "get tough on crime" 1990s, with Alabama being the first state to revive them in 1995. The experiment ended after about one year in all states except Arizona,[2] where in Maricopa County inmates can still volunteer for a chain gang to earn credit toward a high school diploma or avoid disciplinary lockdowns for rule infractions.[3]

FEATURED SONG EXAMPLES

Example #1: Sam Cooke "Chain Gang"



jijbentlilik,Uploaded on Apr 9, 2008

Video ripped from www.chaingangpictures.com so visit their website and give them the credits
-snip-

LYRICS: CHAIN GANG
(Sam Cooke and Charles Cooke)

I hear somethin' sayin'


(Hooh! aah!) (hooh! aah!)
(Hooh! aah!) (hooh! aah!)


(Well, don't you know)
That's the sound of the men working on the chain ga-a-ang
That's the sound of the men working on the chain gang


All day long they're singin'
(Hooh! aah!) (hooh! aah!)
(Hooh! aah!) (hooh! aah!)


(Well, don't you know)
That's the sound of the men working on the chain ga-a-ang
That's the sound of the men working on the chain gang


All day long they work so hard
Till the sun is goin' down
Working on the highways and byways
And wearing, wearing a frown
You hear them moanin' their lives away
Then you hear somebody sa-ay


That's the sound of the men working on the chain ga-a-ang
That's the sound of the men working on the chain gang


Can't ya hear them singin'
Mm, I'm goin' home one of these days
I'm goin' home see my woman
Whom I love so dear
But meanwhile I got to work right he-ere


(Well, don't you know)
That's the sound of the men working on the chain ga-a-ang
That's the sound of the men working on the chain gang


All day long they're singin', mm
My, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my work is so hard
Give me water, I'm thirsty
My work is so hard

http://www.oldielyrics.com/lyrics/sam_cooke/chain_gang.html

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Otis Redding - Chain Gang



Tribalsanne1984, Uploaded on Mar 29, 2010
-snip-
LYRICS: CHAIN GANG
(Sam Cooke, as sung by Otis Redding)

That's the sound of the men
They are working on the chain gang, huh
That's the sound of the men
They're working on the chain gang
That's the sound of the men
When they're working on the chain gang

All day long you hear them, ooh!
I'm going home, just one of these ole days
Man, i'm going home to see my woman
For my love's so dear
But meanwhile I gotta work right here now, huh

And that's the sound of the men
They're just working on the chain gang
That's the sound of the men
They're working on the highways and the biways
That's the sound of the men
Working on the highway and biway
All day long they're going, ooh

Man, i'm going home to see that woman
who I love so dear
I gotta see the woman
Who I love so well
But than meanwhile I gotta work right here now, huh

Now that's the sound of us mens
When we're working on the chain gang
Oh, it's alright now, well out there

That's the sound of the men
When they're working on the chain gang, ha
That's the sound of the men
When they're working on the chain gang
All day long you hear them, ooh
Man, i'm going home one of these ole days
Man i'm going home
I got to see the woman
Whom I love so dear
But meanwhile I've gotta sit right here now, ha

Now that's the sounds of the mens
Working on the chain gang

Working, we're working
Ah, we're working man
Got to be working
Oh, every day we work a little bit stronger
Every night, man, a few bit longer
Got to be working, man
The time is going up
We got to be working, man

-snip-
Transcription by Azizi Powell from the sound file. Additions & corrections are welcome.

RELATED LINK
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/10/gandy-dancers-linin-track-sound-files.html Gandy Dancers & Linin' Track Sound Files & Videos

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND THANKS
This post acknowledges all the men who worked on the chain gang. You are not forgotten.

Thanks to the musical legacy of Sam Cooke and Otis Redding. Thanks also to the uploaders of this featured video and this featured song file.

Thanks for visiting pancocoojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Read More

The Duckworth Chant (Sound Off!) - Information & Examples

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post provides information about and examples of the military cadence known as "The Duckworth Chant", "Sound Off!", and "Cadence Count".

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

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT MILITARY CADENCES & THE DUCKWORTH CHANT
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_cadence [hereafter given as wikipedia:Military cadences]
"In the armed services, a military cadence or cadence call is a traditional call-and-response work song sung by military personnel while running or marching. In the United States, these cadences are sometimes called jody calls or jodies, after Jody, a recurring character who figures in some traditional cadences.

As a sort of work song, military cadences take their rhythms from the work being done (compare sea shanty). Many cadences have a call and response structure of which one soldier initiates a line, and the remaining soldiers complete it, thus instilling teamwork and camaraderie for completion. The cadence calls move to the beat and rhythm of the normal speed (quick time) march or running-in-formation (double time) march. This serves the purpose of keeping soldiers "dressed", moving in step as a unit and in formation, while maintaining the correct beat or cadence...

The Duckworth Chant (or Sound Off!)
A V-Disc issued in 1944 credits the origin of Sound Off (The Duckworth Chant) to Private Willie Duckworth, an African American soldier serving in the then segregated US Army.

...as a company ... was returning from a long tedious march through swamps and rough country, a chant broke the stillness of the night. Upon investigation, it was found that an African American soldier by the name of Willie Duckworth, on detached service with the Provisional Training Center, was chanting to build up the spirits of his comrades.

It was not long before the infectious rhythm was spreading throughout the ranks. Footweary soldiers started to pick up their step in cadence with the growing chorus of hearty male voices. Instead of a down trodden, fatigued company, here marched 200 soldiers with heads up, a spring to their step, and happy smiles on their faces. This transformation occurred with the beginning of the Duckworth Chant.

Upon returning to Fort Slocum, Pvt. Duckworth, with the aid of Provisional Training Center instructors, composed a series of verses and choruses to be used with the marching cadence. Since that eventful evening the Duckworth Chant was made a part of the drill at Fort Slocum as it proved to be not only a tremendous morale factor while marching, but also coordinated the movements of close order drill with troop precision.

This original cadence was recorded as "Sound Off:"
Sound-off; 1 - 2; Sound-off; 3 - 4; Cadence count; 1 - 2 - 3 - 4; 1 - 2 — 3 - 4.

This cadence, known as the "Duckworth Chant," still exists with variations in the different branches of the U.S. military. Duckworth's simple chant was elaborated on by Army drill sergeants and their trainees, and the practice of creating elaborate marching chants spread to the Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy..

-snip-
From http://home.earthlink.net/~michaelacavanaugh/id3.htmlThe Duckworth Chant, Sound Off, and the Jody Call by Michael & Elizabeth Cavanaugh:

...The first recorded versions [of what is now known as The Duckworth Chant] appeared on an unnumbered V-Disc (undated, but recorded at the Slocum auditorium, Raymond Hall, sometime in 1945). The V-Disc consists of three different versions of the Duckworth Chant, plus an introductory track by T. Sgt Henry C. “Jack” Felice (1914-2001)"...

..."the phrase “Sound Off” predates 1944 (as the title of a collection of Army songs edited by Edward Arthur Dolph in 1924, reissued in 1942; and even appears as the legend on a WWI-era postcard from Fort Slocum itself)...

Despite parallels or precursors, the fact remains that the Jody is not just any chant, work song, or the like. And the related phrases cited above also do not amount to the Duckworth chant. There is no record of the original chant as developed by Duckworth in mid-1944. As noted in the received narrative cited above, upon returning to post it was quickly embellished and added to; even early on there were significant variations in the verses, and this sort of innovation continues still. But think of the “Duckworth Chant” as like a jazz ballad: there is a basic core, around which the performers can still weave significant improvisations...

FEATURED EXAMPLES OF THE DUCKWORTH CADENCE & OTHER MILITARY CADENCES THAT INCLUDE SIMILAR WORDS AS THE DUCKWORTH CHANT

WARNING: Websites that contain examples of military cadences often include examples that may be inappropriate for children.

Example #1: THE DUCKWORTH CHANT
Sound-off; 1 – 2
Sound-off; 3 – 4
Cadence count
1 - 2 - 3 - 4; 1 - 2 — 3 - 4.
-composed by Private Willie Duckworth, United States Army, 1944, quoted in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_cadence

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Example #2: SOUND OFF!
Hib-hub, hib-hub, hib-hub, hib-hub
The heads are up
The chests are out
The arms are swinging
And cadence count
Sound off (sound off)
Sound off (sound off)
Cadence count
1-2-3-4 (1-2, 3-4)

Enie, Meanie, Minie, Moe
Let's go back and count some more

Sound off (sound off)
Sound off (sound off)
Cadence count
1-2-3-4 (1-2, 3-4)

I had a good home, but I left (you're right)
I had a good home, but I left (you're right)
Jody was there*, when I left (you're right)
Jody was there, when I left (you're right)

Sound off (1-2)
Sound off (3-4)
Cadence count
1-2-3-4 (1-2, 3-4)

I left gal away out west
I thought this army life was best
Now she's someone elses wife
And I'll be marchin' the rest of my life

Sound off (1-2)
Sound off (3-4)
1-2, 3-4
1-2, (2-3-4)
1-2-3-4, (1-2, 3-4)

The captain rides in a jeep
The sargent rides in a truck
The general rides in a limosine
But we're just out of luck

Sound off
Sound off
Cadence count
1-2-3-4 (1-2, 3-4)

Hib-hub, hib-hub, hib-hub, hib-hub
The heads are up
The chests are out
The arms are swinging
And cadence count
Sound off (sound off)
Sound off (sound off)
Cadence count
1-2-3-4 (1-2, 3-4)

Enie, Meanie, Minnie, Moe
And let's go back and count some more

Sound off
Sound off
Cadence count
1-2-3-4 (1-2, 3-4)

1-2, 3-4)
(1-2, 3-4)
(1-2, 3-4)
Company halt
(1-2, 3-4)
Source: http://www.lyricstime.com/vaughn-monroe-sound-off-lyrics.html

-snip-
Here's more information about this version of "Sound Off!" from wikipedia:Military cadences:
"A musical version of the chant was recorded by Vaughn Monroe and His Orchestra (Voc.: Vaughn Monroe & Chorus in New York City) on March 7, 1951. It was released by RCA Victor Records as catalog number 20-4113A (in USA)and by EMI on the His Master's Voice label as catalog number B 10086."

*"Jody" is
"Joe de Grinder" ("Joe The Grinder"), an African American folk character who steals other men's women. Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/08/three-songs-about-joe-grinder.html for a Pancocojams post on "Joe The Grinder".

Here's a video of version of "Sound Off!":

Vaughn Monroe - Sound Off!



janschro | April 18, 2008

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Example #3: YOU HAD A GOOD HOME AND YOU LEFT
You had a good home and you left...YOU'RE RIGHT
You want to go home but you can't.....YOU'RE RIGHT
JODY was there when you left.....YOU'RE RIGHT
JODY was there when you left.....YOU'RE RIGHT
Aint no sense in goin' home, JODY's got you're gal and gone
Hip oh hop oh wring out the mop
Oh left oh right oh left.
-Cranky Yankee, Military Jodies?, http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=2915 , May 21, 2001 [remembrance of basic training at Lackland AFB, San Antonio, Tex in the winter of 1947-48]

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Example #4: GI BEANS AND GI GRAVY
GI Beans and GI Gravy,
Gee I wish I'd joined the Navy...
Sound Off....Sound Off....
Sound off 1-2...3-4,
ain't no use in lookin' down,
ain't no discharge on the ground...
Count Cadance, Count Cadence Count Cadence count!
-Tucker, http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=10803 Cadence or Marching Songs, May 9, 1999

****
Example #5: SOUND OFF (If You Like Your Pork Fried Rice)
if you like your pork fried rice
stomp with your left and drag your right.
** stomp drag stomp drag**
sound off"1,2"
sound off"3,4"
"1,2,3,4"

let me here the sound of your left,*stomp*
the sound of your right*stomp*
the sound of em both*stomp stomp*
one more time*stomp stomp*
bring it all down *stomp stomp stomp stomp*
LEFT, YOUR LEFT, YOUR LEFT RIGHT, (SHOUT YOUR COMPANY) FOXTROT!!
-Guest, kara from nyma; Marching song; http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=8473&messages=45 ; May 6, 2008

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Example #6: PARTY HARDY (Version #1)
(Army Marching Cadence)
We are ____ platoon
and we like to party
party hardy
party hardy all night long

Your left, your left, your left, right, get on down
Your left, your left, your left, right, get on down
Now drop, and beat your face
___ platoon's gonna rock this place
Boom, check it out, check it out
Boom, check it out, check it out

My rifle, my rucksack, my bayonet, now get on down
My rifle, my rucksack, my bayonet, now get on down
Say one, twwwoooo,
three, four,
Eleven Bravo, hey
Eleven Bravo, hey
- http://www.army-cadence.com/Army-Marching-Cadences.php

****
Example #7: PARTY HARDY (Version #2)
(Air Force Marching Cadence)

We don't like the army
Army don't party,
party hardy
party hardy all night long

We don't like the Navy,
Navy don't party,
party hardy
party hardy all night long

We don't like marines,
Marines don't party
party hardy
party hardy all night long

We don't like the Coast Guard,
Coast Guard don't party
party hardy
party hardy all night long

We like the Air Force,
Air Force can party,
party hardy
party hardy all night long

** Your left, your left, your left, right, get on down
Your left, your left, your left, right, get on down

Now drop, and beat your face
___ flight's gonna rock this place

We said it, we meant it, and now we're here to represent it!
- http://army-cadence.com/Air-Force-Marching-Cadences.php

-snip-
The phrases "party hardy" (meaning "to really party hard"), "Boom, check it out", "gonna rock this place", and "we said it, we meant it, and we're here to represent it are lifted from African American R&B records and other African American cultural sources. For instance, the phrase "check it out", is found in a number of African American girls' foot stomping cheers. Click http://cocojams.com/content/foot-stomping-cheers-0 for "Ah Boom Boom Check" and other examples of those cheers.

****
RELATED LINK
Click http://cocojams.com/content/military-cadences-other-cadences

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND THANKS
Thanks to Willie Duckworth and others for the contributions to America’s folkloric repertoire. Thanks also to the uploaders of the video featured in this post.

Thanks for visiting Pancocojams.

Viewer comments are welcome.

Read More

Three Songs About Joe The Grinder

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post provides information "Joe The Grinder" and also showcases three examples of recorded songs about that African American folk character. The songs that are showcased in this post are Slim Harpo's "Jody Man", Johnny Taylor's "Jody Got Your Girl And Gone", and Bobby Newsome's "Jody, Come Back And Get Your Shoes".

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

INFORMATION ABOUT JOE THE GRINDER
From http://blog.wfmu.org/freeform/2008/02/who-is-he-and-w.html
"wordorigins.org
The military use of jody was introduced to the U.S. Army by African-American soldiers. Jody is a clipping of the name of Joe the Grinder, a slightly older character in jazz and blues mythology.
Joe the Grinder is the name of mythical ladies man in blues tunes who seduces the wives and sweethearts of prisoners and soldiers. He’s also known as Joe De Grinder and Joe D. Grinder. The term dates to at least 1939. Grinder is from an old slang verb, to grind, meaning to copulate."
-snip-
Reading this excerpt reminds me of a slow couple’s dance called "The Grind". That dance was done by African Americans (and probably other people) in Atlantic City, New Jersey and I'm sure elsewhere from at least the 1960s. Couples grinded to slow songs, the male holding the female very close and "dancing" to the beat of the song while basically standing in place. My sisters and I and our girlfriends weren't allowed to "grind" because it was considered "nasty".

FEATURED SONG FILES, VIDEO, AND LYRICS
(These examples are presented in chronological order.)

Example #1: Slim Harpo - Jody Man



Uploaded by sugarmamaaa on Nov 14, 2011
Information about Slim Harpo is provided in the sound file from http://www.bluesharp.ca/legends/sharpo.html

LYRICS: JODY MAN
(Slim Harpo)

Jody man,
You betta leave my baby alone.
Jody man.
You betta leave my baby alone.
You gonna find yourself wasted.
Leave my door.
You’s just keep steppin on.*

I can purry like a chicken.
And I can roar like a lion.
But when you mess with my baby
You know you ain’t on my time.

Jody man,
You betta leave my baby alone.
Jody man,
You betta leave my baby alone.
You gonna find yourself wasted.
Leave my door.
You’s just keep steppin on.*

[Instrumental]

Well I can purr like a chicken.
And I can roar like a lion.
But when you mess with my baby
You know you ain’t on my time.

Jody man,
You betta leave my baby alone.
Jody man,
You betta leave my baby alone.
You gonna find yourself wasted.
Leave my door.
You’s just keep steppin on.*

[Spoken]: Ah let’s play the blues a while
[instrumental]

-snip-
Slim Harpo is the stage name for James Moore (1924-1970). "Jody Man" was recorded in the mid 1960s.

This transcription is by Azizi Powell, 8/19/2012.
*I believe that the words "You's just keep" are slurred together, but I'm unsure about that. Corrections to this transcription and the actual date of the recorded are very welcome.

****
Example #2: Johnnie Taylor - Jody's Got Your Girl and Gone (1972)



Uploaded by seezurefall on Oct 22, 2010
-snip-
This song was actually recorded in 1971. The video shown above was filmed in 1972 as part of the music documentary "Wattstax".

LYRICS: JODY'S GOT YOUR GIRL AND GONE
(Songwriters: James Wilson, Kent Barker, Don Davis)

Every guy I know
Trying to get ahead
Working two jobs
Til you're almost dead
(You tell em)

Work your fingers
Right down to the bone
There's a cat named Jody
Sneaking around in your home

There's a cat named Jody
In every town
Spending lots of cash
And just riding around

Ride on, Jody
Ride on, ride on
With your bad self
Jody

The ashes in your ashtray
Footprints on your carpet
While you work all day
He even got the nerve
To sleep in your bed
Sit down at the table
Eat your bread

When you get home
After working hard all day
Jody's got your girl
And he don't play

I said
Ain't no sense in going home
Jody's got your girl and gone

(It ain't no sense in going home)
(You gotta get home but
You work too hard)
(It ain't no sense in going home)
(You gotta get home but
You work too hard)

Ain't no sense in going home
Jody's got your girl and gone)
I tell you, Jody's got
Your girl and gone
(Ain't no sense in going home)

When you discover
Your gross neglect
It'll be too late to
Give your woman respect

You'll hunt down Jody
Dead or alive
Ten thousand dollar reward
For Jody's hide

Ain't no sense in going home
Jody's got your girl and gone

http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/j/johnnie_taylor/jodys_got_your_girl_and_gone.html

****
Example #3: Bobby Newsome "Jody, Come Back And Get Your Shoes" [1972]



Uploaded by sirc73 on Oct 23, 2011

LYRICS*: JODY, COME BACK AND GET YOUR SHOES
(composer/s ??)

Everybody talkin bout Jody
Had himself a real good time.
He stole the wife of my next door neighbor
And the cat done lost his mind.

????
????
He’s gone down there walkin talkin to himself
with a 38 in his hand

Talkin about Jody
Come back and get your shoes, Jody.
You left your shoes under my bed.
I’m talkin bout Jody.
Come back and get your shoes, Jody.
You left your shoes under my bed.

????
????
gone for a month or so
Jody got everything that he wanted.
And he won’t be back no more.

????
????
Only thing less than life
Is my next door neighbor’s wife.

Talkin about Jody.
Come back and get your shoes, Jody.
You left your shoes under my bed.
Jody, Jody, Jody, Jody.
Jody, come back and get your shoes, Jody.
You left your shoes under my bed.

[instrumental]

Sound off
1,2
Sound off
3,4
Sound off
1,2
1,2
1,2,3,4

Well men let this be a lesson
In this world we live
You gotta keep your eye on everyone
‘Cause you never know who Jody is

Now Jody could be the milkman
And he could be the mailman too.
And Jody could even be your very best friend
Just makin a fool of you.

Now I’d ask you to come to see me
When the state ??
walkin around in a padded room
How did that happen [they know]?

Talkin bout Jody
Come back and get your shoes, Jody
Jody Jody Jody Jody
You left your shoes under my bed.
Jody, come back and get your shoes, Jody
You left your shoes under my bed.

Jody!
Keep your eye on your neighbor...
??? [song fades out]

-snip-
*This is a partial transcription made from the sound file. The question marks and the words in brackets followed by a question mark signify that I'm unsure about what words are being sung. Corrections and additions are very welcome. Identification of the composer is also very welcome.

-snip-
Here's some information about "Jody, Come Back and Get Your Shoes" and the preceding featured song "Jody's Got Your Girl And Gone" from http://stepfatherofsoul.blogspot.com/2006_06_01_archive.html:
"[Johnny] Taylor had the biggest hits of all the "Jody" songs with "Jody's Got Your Girl and Gone" and "Standing In for Jody." The former song made it all the way to #1 on the R&B charts in 1971, one of several chart toppers Stax Records would have that year (if I recall correctly, Rufus Thomas' "(Do The) Push and Pull" had been #1 the week before). Bobby Newsome's "Jody, Come Back and Get Your Shoes" was an answer record to the Taylor hit and features a stomping, stripped down funk groove and military-chant background vocals (a nod to "Jody's Got Your Girl and Gone"). It's my favorite "Jody" record."

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RELATED LINKS
In the United States, another term for military cadences is "Jodies". Click http://cocojams.com/content/military-cadences-other-cadences to find the Military Cadences page of my Cocojams website for examples that mention "Jody". One example on that page is ‘Till I Get Back Home". An excerpt of that cadence is:
"Ain't no use in going back
Jody's got your Cadillac
Ain't no use in calling home
Jody's got your girl and gone
Ain't no use in feeling blue
Jody's got your sister too."

**
Also, Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/03/jodys-got-your-girl-and-gone-why.html for a pancocojams' post about military cadences (also known as "jodies").

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND THANKS
My thanks to the composers, singers, and musicians on these featured sound files and this video. Thanks also to the uploaders of these sound files and this video.

Thanks for visiting Pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Read More