{"id":72,"date":"2015-08-25T03:46:27","date_gmt":"2015-08-25T03:46:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/teaching.lfhanley.net\/eng528f15\/?page_id=72"},"modified":"2015-08-25T03:46:27","modified_gmt":"2015-08-25T03:46:27","slug":"sterling-brown","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/teaching.lfhanley.net\/eng528fa16\/texts\/sterling-brown\/","title":{"rendered":"Sterling Brown"},"content":{"rendered":"

“Ma Rainey” (1932)<\/strong><\/p>\n

I<\/p>\n

When Ma Rainey
\nComes to town,
\nFolks from anyplace
\nMiles aroun\u2019,
\nFrom Cape Girardeau,
\nPoplar Bluff,
\nFlocks in to hear
\nMa do her stuff;
\nComes flivverin\u2019 in,
\nOr ridin\u2019 mules,
\nOr packed in trains,
\nPicknickin\u2019 fools. . . .
\nThat\u2019s what it\u2019s like,
\nFo\u2019 miles on down,
\nTo New Orleans delta
\nAn\u2019 Mobile town,
\nWhen Ma hits
\nAnywheres aroun\u2019.
\nII<\/p>\n

Dey comes to hear Ma Rainey from de little river settlements,
\nFrom blackbottorn cornrows and from lumber camps;
\nDey stumble in de hall, jes a-laughin\u2019 an\u2019 a-cacklin\u2019,
\nCheerin\u2019 lak roarin\u2019 water, lak wind in river swamps.<\/p>\n

An\u2019 some jokers keeps deir laughs a-goin\u2019 in de crowded aisles,
\nAn\u2019 some folks sits dere waitin\u2019 wid deir aches an\u2019 miseries,
\nTill Ma comes out before dem, a-smilin\u2019 gold-toofed smiles
\nAn\u2019 Long Boy ripples minors on de black an\u2019 yellow keys.
\nIII<\/p>\n

O Ma Rainey,
\nSing yo\u2019 song;
\nNow you\u2019s back
\nWhah you belong,
\nGit way inside us,
\nKeep us strong. . . .
\nO Ma Rainey,
\nLi\u2019l an\u2019 low;
\nSing us \u2019bout de hard luck
\nRoun\u2019 our do\u2019;
\nSing us \u2019bout de lonesome road
\nWe mus\u2019 go. . . .
\nIV<\/p>\n

I talked to a fellow, an\u2019 the fellow say,
\n\u201cShe jes\u2019 catch hold of us, somekindaway.
\nShe sang Backwater Blues one day:<\/p>\n

\u2018It rained fo\u2019 days an\u2019 de skies was dark as night,
\nTrouble taken place in de lowlands at night.<\/p>\n

\u2018Thundered an\u2019 lightened an\u2019 the storm begin to roll
\nThousan\u2019s of people ain\u2019t got no place to go.<\/p>\n

\u2018Den I went an\u2019 stood upon some high ol\u2019 lonesome hill,
\nAn\u2019 looked down on the place where I used to live.\u2019<\/p>\n

An\u2019 den de folks, dey natchally bowed dey heads an\u2019 cried,
\nBowed dey heavy heads, shet dey moufs up tight an\u2019 cried,
\nAn\u2019 Ma lef\u2019 de stage, an\u2019 followed some de folks outside.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dere wasn\u2019t much more de fellow say:
\nShe jes\u2019 gits hold of us dataway.<\/p>\n

“Strong Men” (1931)<\/strong><\/p>\n

The young men keep coming on
\nThe strong men keep coming on
\nSANDBURG<\/p>\n

They dragged you from homeland,
\nThey chained you in coffles,
\nThey huddled you spoon-fashion in filthy hatches,
\nThey sold you to give a few gentlemen ease.<\/p>\n

They broke you in like oxen,
\nThey scourged you,
\nThey branded you,
\nThey made your women breeders,
\nThey swelled your numbers with bastards. . . .
\nThey taught you the religion they disgraced.<\/p>\n

You sang:
\nKeep a-inchin\u2019 along
\nLak a po\u2019 inch worm. . . .<\/p>\n

You sang:
\nBye and bye
\nI\u2019m gonna lay down dis heaby load . . .<\/p>\n

You sang:
\nWalk togedder, chillen,
\nDontcha git weary. . . .
\nThe strong men keep a-comin\u2019 on
\nThe strong men git stronger.<\/p>\n

They point with pride to the roads you built for them
\nThey ride in comfort over the rails you laid for them
\nThey put hammers in your hands
\nAnd said\u2014Drive so much before sundown.<\/p>\n

You sang:
\nAin\u2019t no hammah
\nIn dis lan\u2019,
\nStrikes lak mine, bebby,
\nStrikes lak mine.<\/p>\n

They cooped you in their kitchens,
\nThey penned you in their factories,
\nThey gave you the jobs that they were too good for,
\nThey tried to guarantee happiness to themselves
\nBy shunting dirt and misery to you.<\/p>\n

You sang:
\nMe an\u2019 muh baby gonna shine, shine
\nMe an\u2019 muh baby gonna shine.
\nThe strong men keep a-comin\u2019 on
\nThe strong men git stronger. . . .<\/p>\n

They bought off some of your leaders
\nYou stumbled, as blind men will. . . .
\nThey coaxed you, unwontedly soft-voiced. . . .
\nYou followed a way.
\nThen laughed as usual.<\/p>\n

They heard the laugh and wondered;
\nUncomfortable;
\nUnadmitting a deeper terror. . . .
\nThe strong men keep a-comin\u2019 on
\nGittin\u2019 stronger. . . .<\/p>\n

What, from the slums
\nWhere they have hemmed you
\nWhat, from the tiny huts
\nThey could not keep from you\u2014
\nWhat reaches them
\nMaking them ill at ease, fearful?
\nToday they shout prohibition at you
\n\u201cThou shalt not this.\u201d
\n\u201cThou shalt not that.\u201d
\n\u201cReserved for whites only\u201d
\nYou laugh.<\/p>\n

One thing they cannot prohibit \u2014
\nThe strong men . . . coming on
\nThe strong men gittin\u2019 stronger.
\nStrong men. . . .
\nStronger. . . .<\/p>\n

“Slim [Greer] in Hell” (1933)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Slim Greer went to heaven;
\nSt. Peter said, “Slim,
\nYou been a right good boy.”
\nAn’ he winked at him.<\/p>\n

“You been travelin’ rascal
\nIn yo’day.
\nYou kin roam once mo’;
\nDen you come to stay.<\/p>\n

“Put dese wings on yo’ shoulders,
\nAn’ save yo’ feet.”
\nSlim grin, and he speak up,
\n“Thankye, Pete.”<\/p>\n

Den Peter say, “Go
\nTo Hell an’ see,
\nAll dat is doing, and
\nReport to me.<\/p>\n

“Be sure to remember
\nHow everything go.”
\nSlim say, “I be seein’ yuh
\nOn de late watch, bo.”<\/p>\n

Slim got to cavortin’
\nSwell as you choose,
\nLike Lindy in de Spirit
\nOf St. Louis Blues.<\/p>\n

He flew an’ he flew,
\nTill at last he hit
\nA hangar wid de sign readin’
\nDIS IS IT.<\/p>\n

Den he parked his wings,
\nAn’ strolled aroun’,
\nGittin’ used to his feet
\nOn de solid ground.
\nII<\/p>\n

Big bloodhound came aroarin’
\nLike Niagry Falls,
\nSicked on by white devils
\nIn overhalls.<\/p>\n

Now Slim warn’t scared
\nCross my heart, it’s a fac’,
\nAn de dog went on a bayin’
\nSome po’ devil’s track.<\/p>\n

Den Slim saw a mansion
\nAn’ walked right in;
\nDe Devil looked up
\nWid a sickly grin.<\/p>\n

“Suttingly didn’t look
\nFo’ you, Mr. Greer,
\nHow it happens you comes
\nTo visit here?”<\/p>\n

Slim say—“Oh, jes’ thought
\nI’d drop by a spell.”
\n“Feel at home, seh, an’ here’s
\nDe keys to hell.”<\/p>\n

Den he took Slim around
\nAn’ showed him people
\nRasin’ hell as high as
\nDe first Church Steeple.<\/p>\n

Lots of folks fightin’
\nAt de roulette wheel,
\nLike old Rampart Street,
\nOr leastwise Beale.<\/p>\n

Showed him bawdy houses
\nAn’ cabarets,
\nSlim thought of New Orleans
\nAn’ Memphis days.<\/p>\n

Each devil was busy
\nWid a devlish broad,
\nAn’ Slim cried, “Lawdy,
\nLawd, Lawd, Lawd.”<\/p>\n

Took him in a room
\nWhere Slim see
\nDe preacher wid a brownskin
\nOn each knee.<\/p>\n

Showed him giant stills,
\nGoing everywhere,
\nWid a passel of devils
\nStretched dead drunk there.<\/p>\n

Den he took him to de furnace
\nDat some devils was firing,
\nHot as Hell, an’ Slim start
\nA mean presspirin’.<\/p>\n

White devils with pitchforks
\nThrew black devils on,
\nSlim thought he’d better
\nBe gittin’ along.<\/p>\n

An’ he says—“Dis makes
\nMe think of home—
\nVicksburg, Little Rock, Jackson,
\nWaco and Rome.”<\/p>\n

Den de devil gave Slim
\nDe big Ha-Ha;
\nAn’ turned into a cracker,
\nWid a sheriff’s star.<\/p>\n

Slim ran fo’ his wings,
\nLit out from de groun’
\nHauled it back to St. Peter,
\nSafety boun’.
\nIII<\/p>\n

St. Peter said, “Well,
\nYou got back quick.
\nHow’s de devil? An’ what’s
\nHis latest trick?”<\/p>\n

An’ Slim Say, “Peter,
\nI really cain’t tell,
\nThe place was Dixie
\nThat I took for hell.”<\/p>\n

Then Peter say, “you must
\nBe crazy, I vow,
\nWhere’n hell dja think Hell was,
\nAnyhow?<\/p>\n

“Git on back to de yearth,
\nCause I got de fear,
\nYou’se a leetle too dumb,
\nFo’ to stay up here. . .”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“Ma Rainey” (1932) I When Ma Rainey Comes to town, Folks from anyplace Miles aroun\u2019, From Cape Girardeau, Poplar Bluff, Flocks in to hear Ma do her stuff; Comes flivverin\u2019 in, Or ridin\u2019 mules, Or packed in trains, Picknickin\u2019 fools. . . . That\u2019s what it\u2019s like, Fo\u2019 miles on down, To New Orleans delta<\/p>\n