[78-L] Stephen Foster

[Chris Zwarg]

At 21:25 23.01.2009, you wrote:
>Gee, it's written in dialect, a common practice.  The guy didn't have much
>and bet the horses.  I'm not sure if going home with a pocket full of tin
>meant that he won a little or a lot.  I'd have to see what tin meant at the
>time.
>
>Ron L
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: 78-l-bounces at klickitat.78online.com
>[mailto:78-l-bounces at klickitat.78online.com] On Behalf Of Tom
>Sent: Friday, January 23, 2009 3:10 PM
>To: 78-L Mail List
>Subject: Re: [78-L] Stephen Foster
>
>Alrighty, well since you asked for it, here it is. And I'd like an answer to
>my previous question which you'll find at the end of this quoted section:

Here you are:

First of all, there is NOT ONE WORD in the whole lyrics that says anything about the ethnicity of either the singer nor the ladies, nor about the moral or mental qualities of either, least of all in contrast to White people (who, like Blacks, are not mentioned at all, nor is there any hint of a "judgment" pro or contra any of the characters excepting one horse that wins and others that lose). The lyrics describe a race (like in "running" not in "racism") of HORSES (not humans) of various colours and characteristics, and the main character is a lucky fellow who has won at that race and now recounts the experience. The spelling seems to intend some kind of thick accent that the author probably intends to be done in an exaggerated fashion for comic effect on stage (like Pepe the Pew's "French" or Chico Marx' "Italian" accents - are these racist and denigrating too in your opinion?). At no point, anything but the winner's joy about the victory of the "bob-tail nag" (on which the singer had bet his money) after overcoming several bizarre and comic obstacles is described.

No matter how I try to contort my imagination, I find nothing ugly or dislikeable about the characters or the events recounted in this song, nor anything that would induce any negative or aggressive emotion; if you are a radical Calvinist who thinks betting on horses for money a mortal sin you might think differently about that, but then this is a "sin" indulged in by people of many nations and ethnic backgrounds. The "hero" is neither stupid (after all he picked the right horse and won more money than he can carry in his pockets) nor dishonest (the horse won honestly against all odds) nor "inferior" (to whom? the horses? the ladies who "sing the song" and don't take any further part in the proceedings described? There is no other character mentioned who might be superior to the lucky winner!). 

The only criticism one might well level at the song is that it is banal, but that's an argument against the writer (who we agree was a White man so this cannot show Black inferiority either), and even this banality might well be intentional in what is obviously a folksong imitation, down to the incongruous beginning with the eponymous Ladies that are never mentioned again (in a fashion often find in very old traditionals whose words were already half-forgotten when they were first written down), and the repeated "doo-dah" chorus evoking the typical collective replies in a shanty or work-song.

A "genre" song? Yes! A "racist" song? Except for the excruciatingly bad pun on "horse-racing" you night have intended to fool me - no!

Chris Zwarg



> 
>-------------------------------------------------
> 
>De Camptown Races, by Stephen Foster (aka Gwine To Run All Night)
> 
>De Camptown ladies sing dis song, Doo-dah! doo-dah!
>De Camptown race-track five miles long, Oh, doo-dah day!
>I come down dah wid my hat caved in, Doo-dah! doo-dah!
>I go back home wid a pocket full of tin, Oh, doo-dah day!
> 
>Gwine to run all night!
>Gwine to run all day!
>I'll bet my money on de bob-tail nag,
>Somebody bet on de bay.
> 
>De long tail filly and de big black hoss, Doo-dah! doo-dah!
>Dey fly de track and dey both cut across, Oh, doo-dah-day!
>De blind hoss sticken in a big mud hole, Doo-dah! doo-dah!
>Can't touch bottom wid a ten foot pole, Oh, doo-dah-day!
> 
>Chorus
> 
>Old muley cow come on to de track, Doo-dah! doo-dah!
>De bob-tail fling her ober his back, Oh, doo-dah-day!
>Den fly along like a rail-road car, Doo-dah! doo-dah!
>Runnin' a race wid a shootin' star, Oh, doo-dah-day!
> 
>Chorus
> 
>See dem flyin' on a ten mile heat, Doo-dah doo-dah!
>Round de race track, den repeat, Oh, doo-dah-day!
>I win my money on de bob-tail nag, Doo-dah! doo-dah!
>I keep my money in an old tow-bag, Oh, doo-dah-day!
> 
>Chorus
> 
>-------------------------------------------------
> 
>So, again, here's the question:
> 
>What is it, exactly, about American art forms that depict African-Americans
>in the most demeaning, pejorative, and degrading light possible that you
>guys find redeeming and worthwhile?
>
>TIA
>
>
>--- On Fri, 1/23/09, Chris Zwarg <doctordisc at truesoundtransfers.de> wrote:
>
>From: Chris Zwarg <doctordisc at truesoundtransfers.de>
>Subject: Re: [78-L] Stephen Foster
>To: "78-L Mail List" <78-l at klickitat.78online.com>
>Date: Friday, January 23, 2009, 2:46 PM
>
>At 20:17 23.01.2009, you wrote:
>>Tom wrote:
>>
>>Stephen Foster) who made a career of sorts, by depicting African-Americans
>as wide-eyed, lustful, disorganized, ignorant and inferior to whites.
>>
>>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>
>>Maybe you  know different Foster songs than I do but I can't think of
>one Foster lyric which is guilty of this observation.  In my experience,
>Foster
>always depicted blacks as hard working, God fearing, family devoted, honest,
>fun-loving people.
>
>I have already asked Tom in an earlier posting to quote actual examples that
>prove his extravagant claim. Let's see what he comes up with - no answer
>will be just as illuminating than any other in this case! I'd venture a bet
>he not only will not be able and willing to quote any such Foster (or for
>that
>matter "coon song") lyric, but he has never actually listened closely
>to any such songs, which by Oscar Wilde's definition naturally makes him the
>ideal person to talk about the subject...!
>
>Chris Zwarg
>
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