Talk:That's Why Darkies Were Born/Archive 1

Archive 1

Performances

I remember LOl Coxhill and David Bedford singing this song, with its unforgettable lyrics, on John Peel's radio show in the early 70's, but I have no idea when, exactly. Lol was a regular at the time. David Bedford is not even creditted as doing a session. AlanParkerFrance (talk) 17:29, 12 January 2013 (UTC)

Satire

What definitive evidence is there that this song was written as satire? Footnote #4 doesn't provide it. Elsewhere the song is described as "controversial" in a report mentioning Kate Smith's performance of it.

Surely Robeson must have considered it such—or was he trying to turn it into such?

If there is no extant interview or written commentary on it by the song's writers, then surely there's reason to be suspicious (for wouldn't one at some point explain such lyrics when they were controversial?).

I hope someone can provide more information than what we have here. ChicagoLarry (talk) 06:10, 20 August 2013 (UTC)

The Apollo

Wow, this page is extremely incomplete without a recounting of when this song was sung by a white man at the Apollo Theater. I will paste in the following in the hope that someone will explore it and add it to this page to whatever extent appropriate. Also, shouldn't the lyrics be on the page? I'll include them here, with the notes about the Apollo experience following. . .

A history of the song follows these lyrics.

That's Why Darkies Were Born as sung by Kate Smith

[not in public domain]

About the song, "That's Why Darkies Were Born"

Amateur night at the Apollo Theater in Harlem was a popular cultural event for many years. African Americans and a few whites crowded the theater to enjoy--and mock--amateur musicians.

In this account from American Life Histories, 1936-1940, Federal Writer Dorothy West describes an event that happened at amateur night in November 1938.

(See this account at the Library of Congress… It’s on images 5, 7 & 8 at this link: https://loc.gov/resource/wpalh2.25061308/?st=gallery)

The second balcony is packed. The friendly, familiar usher who scowls all the time without meaning it, flatfoots up and down the stairs trying to find seats for the sweethearts. Through his tireless manipulation, separated couples are reunited, and his pride is pardonable.

The crowd has come early, for it is amateur night. The Apollo Theater is full to overflowing. Amateur night is an institution. Every Wednesday, from eleven until midnight, the hopeful aspirants come to the mike, lift up their voices and sing, and retire to the wings for the roll call, when a fluttering piece of paper dangled above their heads comes to rest--determined by the volume of applause--to indicate to whom the prizes shall go. . . .

It is eleven now. The house lights go up. The audience is restless and expectant. . . .

The emcee comes out of the wings. The audience knows him. He is Negro to his toes, but even Hitler would classify him as Aryan at first glance. He begins a steady patter of jive. When the audience is ready and mellow, he calls the first amateur out of the wings. . .

Willie sings "I surrender Dear" in a pure Georgia accent. "I can' mak' mah way," he moans. The audience hears him out and claps kindly. . . .

Vanessa appears. . . . She is the kind of singer who makes faces and regards a mike as an enemy to be wrestled with. The orchestra sobs out her song. "I cried for you, now it's your turn to cry over me." Vanessa . . . wails and moans deep blue notes. The audience give her their highest form of approval. They clap their hands in time with the music. . . .

Coretta steps to the mike. . . . The audience lets her sing the first bar, then bursts into cat-calls and derisive whistling. . . .

(West describes the appearances of several other performers.)

A white man comes out of the wings, but nobody minds. They have got accustomed to occasional white performers at the Apollo. There was a dancing act in the regular stage show which received deserved applause. The emcee announces the song, "That's Why -----" he omits the next word "Were Born." He is a Negro emcee. He will not use the word "darky" in announcing a song a white man is to sing.

The white man begins to sing, "Someone had to plough the cotton, Someone had to plant the corn, Someone had to work while the white folks played, That's why darkies were born." The Negroes hiss and boo. Instantly the audience is partisan. The whites applaud vigorously. But the greater volume of hisses and boos drown out the applause. The singer halts. The emcee steps to the house mike and raises his hand for quiet. He does not know what to say, and says ineffectually that the song was written to be sung and urges that the singer be allowed to continue. The man begins again, and on the instant is booed down. The emcee does not know what to do. They are on a sectional hook-up-the announcer have welcomed Boston and Philadelphia to the program during the station break. The studio officials, the listening audience, largely white, has heard a Negro audience booing a white man. It is obvious that in his confusion the emcee has forgotten what the song connotes. The Negroes are not booing the white man as such. They are booing him for his categorization of them. The song is not new. A few seasons ago they listened to it in silent resentment. Now they have learned to vocalize their bitterness. They cannot bear that a white man, as poor as themselves, should so separate himself from their common fate and sing paternally for a price of their predestined lot to serve.

For the third time the man begins, and now all the fun that has gone before is forgotten. There is resentment in every heart. The white man will not save the situation by leaving the stage, and the emcee steps again to the house mike with an impassioned plea. The Negroes know this emcee. He is as white as any white man. Now it is ironic that he should be so fair, for the difference between him and the amateur is too undefined. The emcee spreads out his arms and begins, "My people ----."

He says without explanation that "his people" should be proud of the song. He begs "his people" to let the song be sung to show that they are ladies and gentlemen. He winds up with a last appeal to "his people" for fair-play. He looks for all the world like the plantation owner's yellow boy acting as buffer between the black and the big house.

The whole house breaks into applause, and this time the scattered hisses are drowned out. The amateur begins and ends in triumph. He is the last contestant, and in the line-up immediately following, he is overwhelmingly voted first prize. More of the black man's blood money goes out of Harlem.

The show is over. The orchestra strikes up, "I think you're wonderful, I think you're grand." The audience files out. They are quiet and confused and sad. It is twelve on the dot. Six hours of sleep and then back to the Bronx or up and down an elevator shaft. Yessir, Mr. White Man, I work all day while you-all play. It's only fair. That's why darkies were born.

Read the entire account of amateur night at the Apollo from American Life Histories, 1936-1940 at the Library of Congress, link above. — ChicagoLarry (talk • contribs) 20:41, 2 February 2019 (UTC)

Rufus Jones for President: "Schwartzes"

The article should note that regarding the name "Schwartzes" used in the song in the movie Rufus Jones for President, that "schwartz" is the German word for the color black, so the name is effectively another way to refer to blacks. There is also some manner that the German word is actually used, in general application, to refer to blacks (which is analogous to "Negro", which originated as simply the Spanish word for the color black), and although I don't know the specific details, I had an impression there was an uncomplimentary connotation with it — it's possible that this occurred with a "corrupted" form of the word, just as "Negro" has been notoriously corrupted as an insult. But at the very least, the article should note that "schwartz" is German for black, even if nothing else is elaborated. 2601:545:8201:6290:6182:6A81:DA70:6F85 (talk) 18:34, 26 December 2020 (UTC)