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24 Responses to “Southern Prison Blues – “Rosie” Chain Gang Blues”
@SWAGGswagg9 here they are…close anyway…
be my woman gal ill be your man
be my woman gal ill be your man
be my woman gal ill be your man
everydays sunday dollar in your hand
everydays sunday dollar in your hand
stick to the promise gal you made me(3x)
wasnt gonna marry me till i go free
i go free lordy i go free
wasnt gonna marry me till i go free
woah rosie woah rosie
when she walks she reels and rocks behind(2x)
aint that enough to worry convicts mind(2x)
repeat 1st verse and chorus
@Doctorhamfat thanx for the kind words…good luck …and i hope as an educator you will show the future generations…the beauty and importance of this form of expression…while still remaining respectful to the music they love nowadays…after all it came from the blues
“Bring me little water when I gets thirsty, bring me little whiskey, if I gets dry – My little brother, down in Angola, still doin’ nineteen to ninety-five…”
Earlier I stated that the chain gangs were gone; I said this based on the end of state prison gangs in response to US Supreme Court findings that basic civil rights were abrogated by the system. However, apparently under the conservative deregulation of federal prisons during the Reagan administration, the laws reverted to local jurisdiction. Chain gangs are again alive and well.
@arkee71 Chain gang music is gone because chain gangs are gone. Of course, as a rock n’ roll musician I know; Muddy told me (when I played with him in the 70’s,) “The Blues had a baby, and they named it Rock n’ Roll.” I’m glad you see the connection between the Blues form and the Rock one, though hollers and gang-work songs had more to do with forming Blues than Jazz, Swing, or Rock. As a professional stage and teaching musician (Blues In Schools), I’m glad you’re learning the roots.
@bluzzz2u Thanks for the correction. I had posted recordings from both mississippi and louisiana penitentiaries. Looks like I just mis-labled this one. Thanks again.
Hi Bluesrecluse-I am glad that you have your heart in the right place and have taken the time to post “Rosie”. But if I am not mistaken this was NOT recorded at the Mississippi State Penitentiary, PARCHMAN up in Sunflower Country, Mississippi. This seems to be from a session of recordings made at ANGOLA, the LOUISIANA State Penitentiary, where John Lomax ran across Lead Belly. Thanks again.
@SWAGGswagg9 Be my woman, gal, I be your man (3 times) Every day is Sunday’s dollar in your hand. In your hand, Lordy, in your hand. Every day is Sunday’s dollar in your hand. Stick to the promise, gal, that you made me, (3 times) Wasn’t gonna marry till-a I go free, I go free, Lordy, I go free, Wasn’t gonna marry till-a I go free. Chorus: Wo — Rosie, o Lord, gal, Wo — Rosie, o Lord, gal.
every thing was segregated even prisons during jim crow life did a good job showing this fake ass white people with their propaganda trying to put the white chain gang worker from somewhere in the 50 states
FYI – The last prison chain gangs were abolished in Alabama and Texas (hardly forerunners of prison reform), in the 1960’s. The b&w photos of stripe workers are archival photos from the turn of the century through the teens and twenties. The color shots are from a documentary about the origins of work songs in the blues tradition, and were made using a group of one-time gang-workers, primarily railroad gandy dancers, who were sought out to lend historical credence to this vanished music form.
@temparknight well to my mind, the death penalty is state murder. If an individual’s no allowed to do it, why should the state be allowed to? Personally I’d say serial killers, paedos & rapists should be kept in solitary confinement for the rest of their lives. I think people who commit petty crimes should go through rehabilitation (try to teach them some skills, get them ready for having a legal job). If they re-offend twice, then that’s it – they’re staying in prison & no more rehab for them.
@hero56ace I’ll agree with you on that one. In america I keep hearing people(mostly polititians)say, That we are a nation of laws. Well, let me just say…we sure do have some stupid laws, and our politians keep coming up with more and more of them every day. Feals like America the free is becoming less and less free everyday. On the other hand let me also say. Even though we have the freedom to do certain things, doesnt mean we should do them. We just need to be wise in our decisions
@bluesrecluse Strange none of the Kennedy’s were on a chain gang and they have done plenty wrong. Many dead women in their wake…gee no Kennedy’s on the chain gang. I wonder why?
@p4ttum2 You’re right, back in the day race was a big issue, and the chain gangs were predominately black. This was the sign of the times. Society, and people have changed since then. There are still racists and bigots, but it goes both ways, and that’s just the ignorence of people. These days, our prisons are still filled with people who have made the wrong decisions in life, but very rarely is it because of the color of a persons skin.
@bluesrecluse Try and look up the history of chain gangs. Why are they predominantly black? Selective enforcement of the law, double standards? If you even take a quick peak at history you’ll see that chain gang labor was effectively a continuation of slavery in the south. You speak of decisions, but that’s kind of besides the point when you have a lopsided enforcement of the law. Wait, its still happening today? Oh, I think that’s well documented as well.
@robsargent4 I would rather the states have them working rather than sitting in a cell waisting all our tax payers money. You have to remember too. They Did the crime so they have to do the time. Might seem unfair, but we all have decisions in life. This is what happens when you make the wrong ones.
this is so hauntingly awesome that it feels wrong to comment on it…so ill just shut up now.
@SWAGGswagg9 here they are…close anyway…
be my woman gal ill be your man
be my woman gal ill be your man
be my woman gal ill be your man
everydays sunday dollar in your hand
everydays sunday dollar in your hand
stick to the promise gal you made me(3x)
wasnt gonna marry me till i go free
i go free lordy i go free
wasnt gonna marry me till i go free
woah rosie woah rosie
when she walks she reels and rocks behind(2x)
aint that enough to worry convicts mind(2x)
repeat 1st verse and chorus
@Doctorhamfat thanx for the kind words…good luck …and i hope as an educator you will show the future generations…the beauty and importance of this form of expression…while still remaining respectful to the music they love nowadays…after all it came from the blues
“Bring me little water when I gets thirsty, bring me little whiskey, if I gets dry – My little brother, down in Angola, still doin’ nineteen to ninety-five…”
Earlier I stated that the chain gangs were gone; I said this based on the end of state prison gangs in response to US Supreme Court findings that basic civil rights were abrogated by the system. However, apparently under the conservative deregulation of federal prisons during the Reagan administration, the laws reverted to local jurisdiction. Chain gangs are again alive and well.
@arkee71 Chain gang music is gone because chain gangs are gone. Of course, as a rock n’ roll musician I know; Muddy told me (when I played with him in the 70’s,) “The Blues had a baby, and they named it Rock n’ Roll.” I’m glad you see the connection between the Blues form and the Rock one, though hollers and gang-work songs had more to do with forming Blues than Jazz, Swing, or Rock. As a professional stage and teaching musician (Blues In Schools), I’m glad you’re learning the roots.
@Doctorhamfat this music did not vanish..it transformed into something you may have heard of….rock n roll
@bluesrecluse thanks for the shout back. I sure hope that you will continue the posting and good work. All the best from here!
@bluzzz2u Thanks for the correction. I had posted recordings from both mississippi and louisiana penitentiaries. Looks like I just mis-labled this one. Thanks again.
Hi Bluesrecluse-I am glad that you have your heart in the right place and have taken the time to post “Rosie”. But if I am not mistaken this was NOT recorded at the Mississippi State Penitentiary, PARCHMAN up in Sunflower Country, Mississippi. This seems to be from a session of recordings made at ANGOLA, the LOUISIANA State Penitentiary, where John Lomax ran across Lead Belly. Thanks again.
@SWAGGswagg9 Be my woman, gal, I be your man (3 times) Every day is Sunday’s dollar in your hand. In your hand, Lordy, in your hand. Every day is Sunday’s dollar in your hand. Stick to the promise, gal, that you made me, (3 times) Wasn’t gonna marry till-a I go free, I go free, Lordy, I go free, Wasn’t gonna marry till-a I go free. Chorus: Wo — Rosie, o Lord, gal, Wo — Rosie, o Lord, gal.
Just being a child of post slavery and black the blues resonate in our everyday life…
every thing was segregated even prisons during jim crow life did a good job showing this fake ass white people with their propaganda trying to put the white chain gang worker from somewhere in the 50 states
FYI – The last prison chain gangs were abolished in Alabama and Texas (hardly forerunners of prison reform), in the 1960’s. The b&w photos of stripe workers are archival photos from the turn of the century through the teens and twenties. The color shots are from a documentary about the origins of work songs in the blues tradition, and were made using a group of one-time gang-workers, primarily railroad gandy dancers, who were sought out to lend historical credence to this vanished music form.
can some 1 please tell me the words??
@temparknight well to my mind, the death penalty is state murder. If an individual’s no allowed to do it, why should the state be allowed to? Personally I’d say serial killers, paedos & rapists should be kept in solitary confinement for the rest of their lives. I think people who commit petty crimes should go through rehabilitation (try to teach them some skills, get them ready for having a legal job). If they re-offend twice, then that’s it – they’re staying in prison & no more rehab for them.
@robsargent4 Hahahha hell we still have the death penalty
@hero56ace I’ll agree with you on that one. In america I keep hearing people(mostly polititians)say, That we are a nation of laws. Well, let me just say…we sure do have some stupid laws, and our politians keep coming up with more and more of them every day. Feals like America the free is becoming less and less free everyday. On the other hand let me also say. Even though we have the freedom to do certain things, doesnt mean we should do them. We just need to be wise in our decisions
@bluesrecluse sometime the crime don’t equal the time !
@bluesrecluse Most people on these chain gangs back in the day were there because they were guilty of being black.
@bluesrecluse Strange none of the Kennedy’s were on a chain gang and they have done plenty wrong. Many dead women in their wake…gee no Kennedy’s on the chain gang. I wonder why?
@p4ttum2 You’re right, back in the day race was a big issue, and the chain gangs were predominately black. This was the sign of the times. Society, and people have changed since then. There are still racists and bigots, but it goes both ways, and that’s just the ignorence of people. These days, our prisons are still filled with people who have made the wrong decisions in life, but very rarely is it because of the color of a persons skin.
@bluesrecluse Try and look up the history of chain gangs. Why are they predominantly black? Selective enforcement of the law, double standards? If you even take a quick peak at history you’ll see that chain gang labor was effectively a continuation of slavery in the south. You speak of decisions, but that’s kind of besides the point when you have a lopsided enforcement of the law. Wait, its still happening today? Oh, I think that’s well documented as well.
@robsargent4 I would rather the states have them working rather than sitting in a cell waisting all our tax payers money. You have to remember too. They Did the crime so they have to do the time. Might seem unfair, but we all have decisions in life. This is what happens when you make the wrong ones.