George Johnson Sep 1941 LOC (Interview Mound Bayou MS) on Blues MUSIC

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• published: 31 Dec 2011
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Charles S. Johnson: Well ah, di,di,did you all have any ah, did, did, did, did,did you remember any of the Negroes singing in the fields? Any s- songs out there? Any songs they liked to sing when they were out in the fields?Mr. George Johnson: In the fields? [steam engine snorts] I hear them, I used hear them singing Old Black Joe, in the fieldsMost things I hear them, I hear at down pretty far from where I lived, you understand. Right around here, they didn't sing no tough songs, you understand, around, near the house. You understand. Dr. Charles S. Johnson: Well, did you ah, did the, who, when'd you first hear the blues?Mr. George Johnson: After I come up here.Dr. Charles S. Johnson: After you came up here to Mound Bayou?Mr. George Johnson: Yes. Yes, sir. Yes, sir.Dr. Charles S. Johnson: Well, what do you think about the blues? Do you think they're good music, eh?Mr. George Johnson: Well, I don't, I don't like it.r. Charles S. Johnson: You don't like the blues?Mr. George Johnson: Don't like the blues. It's too wild for me. I'm scard of it.Dr. Charles S. Johnson: It's too wild?Mr. George Johnson: Too wild. Hear it when come up here. Yes, sir. Yes, sir.[steam engine whistles]Dr. Charles S. Johnson: Well, in the song, in the ah, in the dances that that you all had up here, you all didn't play any of that kind of music for your dances?Mr. George Johnson: No, sir. No, sir. No sir. Dr. Charles S. Johnson: Well ah, you didn't like these songs like ah, Joe Turner: Make Me A Pallet On the Floor? Mr. George Johnson: No, sir. I didn't like those kind things. No, sir. No, sir. I hear a guy that come up here. Yes, sir.Dr. Charles S. Johnson: Ah what year was that? Ah wha, wha, what year did you first hear there? About what time was it--r. George Johnson: Oh, been about fifty-years ago. Dr. Charles S. Johnson: Mhmm. Mr. George Johnson: Since I been here.r. Charles S. Johnson: Mhmm. Mr. George Johnson: I been here fifty-four years, going on fifty-five. Dr. Charles S. Johnson: Mhmm. Mr. George Johnson: I didn't know [anything (?)] about it since I come up here. Dr. Charles S. Johnson: Mhmm. . George Johnson: Yes, sir. ??? . They got the lake stuff, come up out of the lake Negro, you understand, see. And he wild. He just say anything. Dr. Charles S. Johnson: [laugh] Say anything. Mr. George Johnson: Say anything. He wild. Don't have any culture. Hard to educate, educate him in a way, but in a way he ain't educated. But what he got to do is learn to get his self culture, he won't think he's a little [stuups (?)]. Dr. Charles S. Johnson: Mhmm. Mr. George Johnson: Sure he'll do it. Get his self culture. He won't get him a little [schooling (?)]. He won't do it. Some fellows say, "Well, he'll do so and so," but he ain't used to doing that. Christ said, 'Lift me up.' Say, 'If I am lifted it's all men.' Lift them up. That's all men can lift himself up. [taps walking stick] That' he got do. This man don't want to do his self like he ain't much. He going be just down there all, down there all the time. He don't care to being raggedy no, no other men. ??? . Dr. Charles S. Johnson: Ah, ah you started to tell me about the instruments that were in this string band, string band used to play for the dances at the Cotton Picking celebrations. Mr. George Johnson: Yeah, well ah, had the bass violin, and guitar, two guitars; and bass violin, and solo bass violin, and second, first and second lead violin. And boy had a fife. Dr. Charles S. Johnson: A fife? Mr. George Johnson: Yes, sir. Had a fife. And they played those things too. In their way. They played them. Dr. Charles S. Johnson: Ah, ah, di, ah you can't think of any things they played can you? Mr. George Johnson: No, sir. No, sir. But they, they played those things. Really played them. Really played them. Dr. Charles S. Johnson: Ah, ah how did they learn to play the, to play those instruments? Mr. George Johnson: Well, they had an old fellow there named, Old Man Campbell. Old Man Campbell learned them boys how to do that stuff. Old railroad carpenter. Dr. Charles S. Johnson: Old railroad carpenter? Mr. George Johnson: No he was a carpenter. Dr. Charles S. Johnson: Oh. Mr. George Johnson: Carpenter down on our home place there named, Campbell. Dr. Charles S. Johnson: Hmm. Mr. George Johnson: He learned his two boys, and two more other boys, had that string band, understand. You see. Little boys, you hear them play all through the night. Wake up at night and they be practicing and playing. We'd be going home in bed, understand, but these boys be playing at his house. You know, by Campbell's house. Dr. Charles S. Johnson: Hmm. Mr. George Johnson: And e-e-everybody enjoyed, you understand; but when they ever get ready to have a big something, why, they'd ride on the place there, why they, sent for them come over there play for them.