Jamaican Song and Story Part 70

CXLIII.

Every district has its rival churches and the various ministers have to humour their congregations, and not preach too hard things to them, so as to keep them from deserting to the enemy.

[Music: _2nd Figure._

Father, I goin' to join the confirmation.

No, me son, you must have a little patien', Why I tell you to have a little patien', You must go an' read the Revelation.

I heard from my old generation That they never go an' join the confirmation, For they didn' have that great occasion To leave an' go an' join the confirmation.]

It will have been observed that rhyming is the last thing sought after. Here, however, we have a genius who has set his mind upon it with some success. Patience, as p.r.o.nounced by the Jamaican without the final letters, is a good and new rhyme to the rest. In the old days of slavery, says the father, they did not have the occasion (_i.e._ opportunity) to leave their work to go and be confirmed.

The Black man is such an accomplished actor that he can a.s.sume any character. In these sings he throws off the stage trappings and shows his real att.i.tude towards religion, his indifference and levity. He does not take it as a serious matter at all, and it has no effect upon his daily life. To go to church is a mark of respectability. To obtain that mark is one of his reasons for going. The other reason is to show his clothes and his boots. He will talk like a saint for the mere pleasure of rolling out words, and the ministers have to pretend to believe something of what he says. They are not, however, really deceived, and will tell you in private with a sigh that Christianity makes no progress; it is profession without practice. Of the Negro's real religion, which is bound up with Obeah, we get hardly a hint in the sings. This is what we should expect. Some things lie too deep for words and a man's religion is one of them. One general reference I have been able to find, and one particular one, and that is all. Here is the first:--

CXLIV.

[Music: _5th Figure._

Obeah down d why oh! Obeah down d, Obeah down d why oh! Obeah down d.

Giberaltar is a well fine place but Obeah down d, Giberaltar is a well fine place but Obeah down d.]

CXLV.

And here the second:--

[Music: _5th Figure._

The other day me waistcoat cut, The other day me waistcoat cut, The other day me waistcoat cut, What a pain an' grief to me.

I spend me money but the beggar don't dead, I spend me money but the beggar don't dead, I spend me money but the beggar don't dead, What a pain an' grief to me.

All me money gone like b.u.t.ter 'gainst sun, All me money gone like b.u.t.ter 'gainst sun, All me money gone like b.u.t.ter 'gainst sun, What a pain an' grief to me!

Sake of the man me live 'pon tree, Sake of the man me live 'pon tree, Sake of the man me live 'pon tree, What a pain an' grief to me!]

Obeah (p.r.o.nounced in two syllables, Ob-ya, with short Italian vowels) is the dark blot upon this fair island of Jamaica. In every district there is an Obeah-man, or Bush-doctor, as he is often called, from his supposed knowledge of herb simples. He is by no means the innocent person which this latter designation would seem to imply. He deals in magic and sorcery of all descriptions, and there is not a Black man who does not believe in his powers. They consult him on every conceivable business and he gets heavy fees. He will secure a man the favour of his master so that he shall not lose his place, or help him to revenge a wrong, real or fancied. And herein lies the danger. The puerilities of inefficacious charms and mysterious ceremonies with which he deludes his clients are not all. He keeps poison in his bag, and for sufficient reward a.r.s.enic has been obtained to put in the liqueur, or ground gla.s.s for the coffee. The Government attempts in vain to stamp out the evil.

The story of the last sing is briefly this. A has a friend who is an Obeah-man. From him he gets Obeah to injure an enemy B. The enemy does not suffer. So A says his waistcoat is torn, a figurative way of expressing the fact that he is beaten, B's Obeah turning out to be stronger than A's and able to repel it. Having indiscreetly talked about what he meant to do to B, B reports him to the police, and he has to abscond and seek shelter in the bush till the matter blows over.

CXLVI.

It is a pleasure to be able to leave the hypocrisy of Negro Christianity, and the lurid atmosphere of Obeah and to return to everyday amus.e.m.e.nts.

[Music: _5th Figure._

All them gal a ride merry-go-round, Me no see no gal like a dem ya.

Ride him, ride him, ride him, ride him, Ride him round the town, Ride him, ride him, ride him, ride him, Ride him round the town.]

The merry-go-round is popular. "I never saw such girls," says an admiring bystander. Literally, "I have not seen any girls like those (here) girls." A neighbour of mine used to be made very angry when he first came to Jamaica because when he asked "Have you seen so-and-so?"

the answer always was "I don't see him." This is good negro English for "I haven't seen him." It does not mean, as he thought, "I don't see him now," and the poor boy could not understand why his master got so "crahss."

CXLVII.

[Music: _5th Figure._

Merry-go-round a go fall down, fall down, fall down, Merry-go-round a go fall down, Sake a de worthless rider.

Rider, rider, try to sit down good; Rider, rider, try to sit down good; Rider, rider, try to sit down good, Merry-go-round a go fall down.]

Grammar nowhere as usual. It was not the Merry-go-round that was going to fall down, but the worthless (_i.e._ bad) rider who was going to fall off. "Try to sit down good" is an exhortation to hold on well.

This curious use of "try" is found again in:--

CXLVIII.

[Music: _Mazurka._

Try, dear, don't tell a lie, Try, dear, don't tell a lie, Try, dear, don't tell a lie, For I will never marry you.

Try an' 'peak the truth me dear, Try an' 'peak the truth me dear, Try an' 'peak the truth me dear, An' you shall get the ring me dear.]

CXLIX.

Here are two more references to the colour question:

[Music: _1st Figure._