Negro Prison Songs /"Early in the mornin' & Prettiest Train"

[@LenOx601]

Im doing asphalt and concrete in Mississippi summers all my life, i played this for my concrete crew today and something about it made em work harder. This is special music.

[@oldgreg2914]

I've worked crappy jobs before and i sing this while i work. It actually helps make the job less shitty lol.

[@Heightsomethinghuman]

This music has some real punch. You can feel it!

[@westinnewman3572]

It’s deep rooted

[@damienthomas6404]

The rhythmic accuracy is astonishing-no tecnology nothing but SOUL!;0)

[@Hibbs4Prez]

Actually if you knew anything about ANYTHING, you would have learned that in Jim Crow south, to keep some form of slave labor alive, the majority of the black men placed in those prisons were those who committed petty offenses if any at all. And once in prison they would be used for the sole purpose of labor under the most harsh conditions imaginable. But then again I'm probably talking to some Keyboard Warrior who thinks he's funny when in reality you're a racist simp whose contributions to the world will far fall short of the prisoners of this song who at least managed to create something beautiful.

[@Hibbs4Prez]

Why have her do that? Just give her a link to one of your uploaded home videos.

[@mjadrnak]

This is why I preferred running cadence in the military due to the soul our black servicemembers brought to the table.

[@nmagain24]

And sorrow. Culture is the new cotton

[@harrypool71]

You can see where Elvis stole his style from. Smdh

[@kuglepen64]

It exists on CD. It's titled: "Negro Prison Blues And Songs Recorded live at the Mississippi and Louisiana State Penitentiaries by Alan Lomax".

[@UnapologeticallyTCB]

Listening to this in 2019 to embody my ancestors pain & work ethics rhythmically to cry out to the Lord and use it to continue the work they started. Judah Stand up!!!!!

[@MrJUSTJONES205]

2022

[@joshualee5382]

Rise up Judah✊🏿

[@justforever96]

Early in the Mornin' - lyrics Well, it's early in the mor-in the mornin' Baby, when I rise, Lordy mama, Well, it's early every mor-in the mornin' A-baby when I rise well-a. Well-a, when I rise, well-a, Well-a it's early in the morn-in the mornin' Baby, when I rise, Lordy baby, You have-it's I have a misery, Berta, Wa-, in my right side, well-a, R-in-a my right side, Lordy baby, R-in-a my right side, Lordy sugar. Well it's I have a misery, Berta, R-in a my right side, well-a. (Chorus) Well-a, it's-a, Lordy, Ro-Lordy-Berta, Well, it's Lord (you keep a-talkin'), babe, Well, it's Lord, Ro-Lordy-Rosie, Well, it's, o Lord, Gal, well-a. Well-a, whosonever told it, that he told a- He told a dirty lie, babe. Well-a, whosonever told it, that he told a- He told a dirty lie, well-a. Well-a, whosonever told it, that he told a- He told a dirty lie, babe. Well the eagle on the dollar-quarter, He gonna rise and fly, well-a. He gonna rise and fly, sugar. He gonna rise and fly, well-a. Well the eagle on the dollar-quarter, He gonna rise and fly, well-a. (Chorus) Well-a, it's-a, Lordy, Ro-Lordy-Berta, Well, it's Lord (you keep a-talkin'), babe, Well, it's Lord, Ro-Lordy-Rosie, Well, it's, o Lord, Gal, well-a. Well, rocks 'n gravel make-a, Make a solid road, sugar. Well-a, it takes-a rocks-a, gravel make-a-- To make a solid road, well-a. It takes-a rocks-a, gravel make a-- To make a solid road, well-a. It takes a good-lookin' woman to make-a-- To make a good-lookin' whore, well-a, It takes a good-lookin' woman, Lord, Baby, To make a good-lookin' whore, Lord, sugar, It takes a good lookin' woman to make-a, To make a good lookin' whore, well-a. (Chorus) Well-a, it's-a, Lordy, Ro-Lordy-Berta, Well, it's Lord (you keep a-talkin'), babe, Well, it's Lord, Ro-Lordy-Rosie, Well, it's, o Lord, Gal, well-a. Boys, the peckerwood a-peckin' on the-- On the schoolhouse door, sugar. Well, the peckerwood a-peckin' on the-- R-on the schoolhouse door, well-a. Well, the peckerwood a-peckin' on the-- On the schoolhouse door, sugar. Well he pecks so hard, Lordy, baby, Until his pecker got sore, well-a, Until his pecker got sore, Lordy, baby, Until his pecker got sore, Lord, sugar. Well he pecks so hard, Lord, mama, Until his pecker got sure, well-a. (Chorus) Well-a, it's-a, Lordy, Ro-Lordy-Berta,Well, it's Lord (you keep a-talkin'), babe,Well, it's Lord, Ro-Lordy-Rosie,Well, it's, o Lord, Gal, well-a. Well, hain't been to Georgia, boys, but,Well, it's I been told, sugar.Well, hain't been to Georgia, Georgia.But, it's I been told, well-a. Well, haint been to Georgia, Georgia.But, it's I been told, Lord, mama

[@karlmarx652]

Thanks for the lyrics!

[@thesplendor8654]

+William Walker If you deduced the lyrics by listening to this song many a time, I salute you. I like writing down the lyrics to songs, but Early In the Mornin' seemed like the Street Fighter III Gill of em all: Impossible. Thank you.

[@porichee1804]

Thank you.

[@kdarling28]

Pretty close. There's parts where I feel like it's sayin "rollin" instead of "ro-lordy"

[@da_real_natburn]

Yeah man thank you 🙏🏾 for these lyrics

[@Zoootex]

If the music wasn't already incredible enough to listen to (you can hear the soul of these men coming through) just thinking about where this was being recorded, the mental state of the men singing/recording it, the circumstances that led to this point in their lives, just everything about listening to this is fascinating, i really reallllly thank you for putting this on youtube, I bet you're a great music lover too!

[@pinklion26]

It’s beautiful and heart wrenching at the same time

[@cocnutpower]

Unreal you can hear the pain of their lives through the voices.

[@DessyDess97]

You can hear the pain and passion in their voices

[@Criticalthinking1609]

This is what pain and Hope sounds like.God Bless us because slavery never ended it only looks different now.

[@goyatley]

This brings tears to my eyes.

[@baldheadfresh]

Peter Ponjaert same here

[@Fizzyskull]

This is beautiful. Lets hope this remains preserved for future generations to revel in and enjoy.

[@fraves9372]

This goes harder than whats popular.

[@ohitsthem7601]

Frr

[@AllLove215]

Yes it does 2022

[@kelcey6734]

Hard as hell some people just don't know

[@PhucDat37]

what's popular is never hard

[@ThemanlyTor]

I have never heard voices with so much passion! They knew what a ruff life was.

[@3vegemite]

You can really hear the pain and grief in their voices man. It's really catching music. Full of real emotions. That really music. Not the shit that they come up with all the time on the radio, like all these newcomer teenage girls and boys.

[@JandritoBlues]

The sound humbles me. Humanity.

[@kstarBAM]

Where do you get all this?! my God I'm amazed by these prison songs! I can't even put into words how crazy good they are. I mean I'm 16 nd this music.. it's dyin out, I show my friends this nd they look at me like an alien, but I can't help it. this is beautiful. That break in his voice, mm mm mmm. sooo good. This music will be with me so much as I can help it.

[@Heylilvelvet]

🙌

[@whatfruit]

It blows my mind the quality and power of these guys voices. just makes me stop in my tracks.

[@vanilla45]

makes me wanna cry....

[@Iearnman9]

It’s unimaginable the monster america made

[@pinklion26]

Does anyone know when this song was recorded? And who the men singing are? Are they actual prisoners singing while working that happened to be recorded by someone? The sound is so clear and uninterrupted by anything else so I’m curious to know the back story is. I feel like we can hear the pain in these men’s voices. Sad but mesmerizing song.

[@Oshasat]

@Jarochi - I own the Rounder Records CD (go to Amazon and look up "Prison Songs [Historical Recordings From Parchman Farm 1947-48], Vol. 1: Murderous Home"). There are two volumes, and I have both those and most of the Alan Lomax collection on CD, also from Rounder (a 13-volume set of CDs). I just typed the lyrics up from the liner notes, but there are also books by Alan Lomax (the guy who recorded this song) I have them scanned too -- both CDs come with pretty thick liner note booklets.

[@monQsurlaKomod]

hello.. i've already told it: i found an old wax record on a market and made a cd from it.. simple!!! most seek for new stuff...i think there's more to find in unknown oldies..

[@waynebarbery5192]

Me gusta mucho escuchar estos negro Spirituals

[@memphisgrownman]

this song make me feel so good and its get me up in the mornin

[@johnnydigs3002]

February 27 2024 I got goosebumps.

[@Alonso5307]

Feb 28 !

[@MortenBoHansen]

man, i must have heard this 15 times in a row! There's so much soul in this!!!

[@Malachi-k1v]

Speechless . Now focus , for within, the rythmatic soul vibrations, healing of mind, body and soul, takes place. 2:11

[@chiefonesok4812]

I like to listen to this at work cause that's what I think of my job as slavery..

[@Oshasat]

@cdietz24 - A great idea. This is (of course) what Moby did on his CD "Play" (the song "Porcelain" and others use samples from Alan Lomax's recordings). It's a great idea and there's no shame in using these recordings in modern music again and again. In fact, this is what maintains Moby's reputation for retaining a dollop of "soul" while making 'electonic' dance music.

[@DaWestsideKing93]

@kstarBAM, Im also 16 and i have the same experiences that you do when i show my friends videos like this,but this is like wonderful.How such great singers were never credited for their talents!

[@monQsurlaKomod]

thank you so much for the time you take to write the lyrics....MERCI

[@Bawsackable]

Prettiest train I ever saw was Thomas the Tank Engine He was nice shiney n blue with a wonderful smile.

[@AnimatedKadenMusicAndCartoons]

Hahahaha you take the cake for this one

[@whatfruit]

@kstarBAM On Itunes they have rerealesed alot of these songs as part of the Alan Lomax collection

[@mc_sidneysp]

BRASIL AQUI! desbloqueia as músicas

[@RussellMiller-z2l]

Maybe what it sounded like walking out of Egypt?

[@KaloosaKennels]

Imagine all the songs that WERE NOT captured 😢

[@BoHawka]

@kstarBAM I agree, i'm in second year university and i still get looked at like wtf? This music stands out i think because its actual people, in jail... for a long time.. its like blues with real emotion, real feeling. and it sounds amazing. Real blues

[@haroldcampos9661]

Prettiest train that I ever seen, man. Prettiest train, my Lawd, I ever seen, Prettiest train, Lawd, ever seen, I ‘clare, she run down to Jackson, back to New Orleans, New Orleans, a-New Orleans. I swear she ran down to Jackson, Back to New Orleans. Mattie, when you marry, marry a railroad man, (3) I declare, no ev’y day Sunday, dollar in your hand, In your hand, in your hand! I declare, no ev’y Sunday, dollar in your hand! Mattie, when you marry, don’t marry no convict man, (2) I declare now, ev’y day Monday, hoe handle in your hand, In your hand, in your hand! Prettiest woman that I ever seen, (3) I declare now, Rampart Street-a, down in New Orleans, New Orleans, a-New Orleans, I declare now, Rampart Street, Down in New Orleans! You go to Jackson just to show your clothes, (3) I go to Jackson play them dicin’ holes, Dicin’ holes, dicin’ holes, I declare now, I go to Jackson, play them dicin’ holes. You go to Memphis, don’t you hang around, (3) I swear now, polic’ll catch and you’re workhouse bound,’ Workhouse bound, workhouse bound, I swear now, police’ll catch and you’re workhouse bound.

[@JohnSmith-jb8rb]

Sounds like Military cadence running.

[@monQsurlaKomod]

many FANX for comment&support.. ..I'm glad it gave you that kind of feeling.. PEACE 2 U

[@devoradamaris]

🕊🌐🕊🕊sharing

[@monsterjazzlicks]

Very good time keeping.

[@nmagain24]

I'm actually salty listening to this

[@scottwalker2003]

It's a pure shame what they done to those people, but the music is brilliant.alot of meaning in the songs.

[@Clarkaraoke]

The soundtrack to my life

[@mryouben]

Could somebody please write down the lyrics!!!

[@Oshasat]

Bienvenue mon chum!

[@ZoSo5885]

@kstarBAM You can also find it on amazon.com on CD :)

[@itsdianepitts836]

this IS HISTORY 🎻! YOU MUST TRY IT##😁

[@metyuewb]

yes, the Lomax album has all the lyrics printed.

[@hubbthepoet612]

Prettiest Train so 🔥

[@oldoldoldoldold]

Who are House and Leadbelly? Are they part of the chain gang singing here? Where did you find out about their story?

[@bloopityboop]

Omg this is beautiful

[@Oshasat]

Compared to the CD, there is added echo -- probably intentional. It sounds more 'alive' than the cleaner, leaner, drier CD version. I'm sure echo was added to almost everything in the 40s.

[@ce3824]

I cried when i heard this .... the pAin !!the. Injustice of being innocent and just being guilty of being alive tortured my soul. ImAgine being guilty of anything that needed a mediator. My god ! Where’s the

[@ce3824]

Justice in the land of the free bondage for the dumb deaf and blind.

[@Oshasat]

@FutureRae - I posted them awhile ago. Check back at the older comments and you'll see them. Since they're posted backwards (sorry, I didn't think ahead on how KZbin allows comments to be posted), you're better off opening your word processor, and copying and pasting them into it in the right order.

[@j45syounennba]

Great! A soul is physicality.

[@tonycook7457]

amen.

[@Oshasat]

Well, it's early in the mor--in the mornin' Baby, when I rise, Lordy mama, Well, it's early every mor--in the mornin' A-baby when I rise well-a. Well-a, when I rise, well-a, Well-a it's early in th emor-in the mornin' Baby, when I rise, Lordy baby, You have-it's I have a misery, Berta, Wa-, in my right side, well-a, R-in-a my right side, Lordy baby, R-in-a my right side, Lordy sugar. Well it's I have a misery, Berta, R-in a my right side, well-a.

[@Bill-hk9yh]

Good.

[@MortenBoHansen]

where is the.."he gonna rise in fire" vers??

[@Oshasat]

CHORUS: Well-a, it's-a, Lordy, Ro-Lordy-Berta, Well, it's Lord (you keep a-talkin'), babe, Well, it's Lord, Ro-Lordy-Rosie, Well, it's, o Lord, Gal, well-a. END CHORUS

[@JustaRandomGirl19]

Kodak black

[@harleyspringer1]

awesome!

[@Oshasat]

Well, hain't been to Georgia, boys, but, Well, it's I been told, sugar. Well, hain't been to Georgia, Georgia. But, it's I been told, well-a. Well, haint been to Georgia, Georgia. But, it's I been told, Lord, mama.

[@28ghz]

THAT OLD MISSISSIPPI BLUES

[@MrGerbal23]

@DaWestsideKing93 : Not everything is about credit, wealth and fame, you do clearly have a good ear. Some of the best music is not famous, keep looking and listening and hopefully you will realise sometimes things should be left. Im not getting at you, rather guiding you, I'd rather see the music industry crash and burn than filter in a bit of quality soul to revive it every now and again. Peace!

[@sleepx2]

You can download a program to rip songs off of youtube.

[@Oshasat]

I've posted the lyrics from the CD's liner notes. But you'll have to read them from the bottom up! I should have posted these backwards. According to the notes, the reference to "peckerwood" in the 4th and last verse, is a pun, signifying both woodpecker and poor white. This in particular makes "Early in the Mornin'" a biting example of social commentary and is a wonderful example of how traditional southern blues uses "code" to satirize or critique (or both) the working & living conditions.

[@danbhakta]

Wow.

[@blktiger92]

OO me too please. This song is so cool. Email it in a regular ebay message. Can't you please? I really want to know what they're saying. Its soo cool the beautiful music people can make without any "real" instruments ya know?

[@MarvelousBlaze]

So is there any way I can get this song from ya?

[@monQsurlaKomod]

mine is an italian version, and doesn't have any lyrics printed on it....

[@metal1ism]

I'm going to sing these songs at a local bar to try and get people to wake up their souls.

[@MrGerbal23]

@kstarBAM : You have to be very careful with your words there, these songs cannot be put into a beautiful category, what you are listening to is soul music, truth in essence without intervention of anything else, it was sung to blot out the pain and monotony of the hardship that was endured daily and nightly (hardly beautiful). The trouble is theres too much intervention from the media to make songs like this or hardship delta blues/gospel into exploitation for money, appreciate it and let it be

[@goyatley]

How do we get in contact?

[@mrallcz]

Powerful.

[@georgearmerding]

why a picture of flamingos at 4:06 though lol

[@monQsurlaKomod]

and why not?... ;-)

[@memphisgrownman]

this just gave me the holy ghost!

[@wtfhellas]

@monQsurlaKomod you have a piece of human suffering and history, it must be amazing to have such a piece.

[@28ghz]

PARCHMEN PRISONERS BLUES TO BE EXACT

[@Carleita]

Do u have the lyrics to this song?

[@karlmarx652]

Listen hard, hit space bar, transcribe, repeat.

[@hadassah179]

genuine question: were there women chain gangs? The voices in this sound like it could be women in the first one and just want to clarify.

[@KaloosaKennels]

Yes women were part of the chain gang unfortunately. Black women were not classified as women but by race. Some endured the chain gang but most had to serve the families of white authority figures and government officials….. this topic/piece of history is not as documented and the rest of history smh

[@MrFermium100]

@Sheamusj Prettiest Train

[@CoolinSwiftMusic]

2 chainz wait for you to die sampled thid

[@sford2044]

Later on done the line

[@boxingin]

This sounds like Elvis Presley or I guess the other way around...

[@sazji]

@BoHawka It's also from people who grew up in a time when "folk" music (in the broadest sense of the term) was still a product of the folk, instead of something that is "consumed." They're singing something that's truly their own.

[@monQsurlaKomod]

i don't....!!!

[@guccianthony4499]

Prettiest train shook my soul I can imagine Whitey hearing this and it shaking his so powerfully beautiful something about being black feels so good

[@gioj3]

Aye its good music for d spirit but dese boys were locked in ih jail for a reason

[@justforever96]

I notice with the first song, it has this real authentic note in that the singers sound breathless, because they're actually swinging hammers as they sing. You don't get that in modern recordings where they just have someone beating out the time; these guys were actually working while they sang, with the microphone set up to record them. May be that they _couldn't_ work without swinging the hammer or hoe, since they were so accustomed to doing it to keep the time. LOL, "free labor", seriously? They made them work, but it was most often just busy work, or growing food to feed the prison inmates or to get firewood. Hardly exploitation of labor. If you ask me, the modern prison system would work a lot better if they approached it like this; why sped billions in taxpayers money housing a feeding inmates who sit on their ases and die of boredom? That food is grown by paid labor. Make the inmates work to feed themselves, heat themselves. Keep them busy, and maybe they'll learn something in the mean time. Work generally isn't going to kill you.

[@Idoitfortheratchets]

This system of labor was by no means ethical and is in now way better than the current prison systems. Read Toni Morrison's Beloved and you'll get a proper glimpse into the type of trauma these man faced in chain gangs. They were raped, sexually assaulted and more to emasculate them. They were treated as less than human, be careful of what you believe is better.

[@Wipa4]

Monique Kamara afaik, prison population is emasculated exactly the same. They were raped and done all the other bad things because wardens let them doo it.

[@justforever96]

@@Idoitfortheratchets that has nothing to do with prisoners working. You can put prisoners to work on projects without also abusing them. I was talking to to people who seemed to think the mere act of having prisoners labor constitutes abuse and slavery. I would much rather spend my time in prison working with a group of people, accomplishing something, getting to leave the prison block, getting out into the world, than sitting for ten years in my cell, walking endlessly around the yard and wasting my effort working out on weights in the gym. I don't take back anything I said.

[@Theozzie11]

sick nasty...cant understand a word but god damn

[@monQsurlaKomod]

none....sorry

[@oldoldoldoldold]

They were locked in jail for being black... and who doesn't like free labor?