1. |
Elysium
01:54
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Elysium
(James Weldon Johnson)
Your lips to mine,
My heart’s desire,
Let my soul thrill
To their passionate fire;
The world melts away
In the glow of your kiss
And leaves just you and me
This perfect hour of bliss.
Your lips again
Press them to mine,
One more full draught
Of their nectarous wine:
In the folds of your arms
Lull me softly until
There comes the wondrous calm
Of love, so deep and still
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2. |
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Ethiopia Saluting the Colors
(Walt Whitman)
Who are you dusky woman, so ancient hardly human,
With your woolly-white and turban’d head, and bare bony feet?
Why rising by the roadside here, do you the colors greet?
(’Tis while our army lines Carolina’s sands and pines,
Forth from thy hovel door thou Ethiopia come’st to me,
As under doughty Sherman I march toward the sea.)
Me, master, years a hundred since from my parents sunder’d,
A little child, they caught me as the savage beast is caught,
Then hither me across the sea the cruel slaver brought.
No further does she say, but lingering all the day,
Her high-borne turban’d head she wags, and rolls her darkling eye,
And courtesies to the regiments, the guidons moving by.
What is it fateful woman, so blear, hardly human?
Why wag your head with turban bound, yellow, red, and green?
Are the things so strange and marvelous you see or have seen?
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3. |
Li’l Gal
03:32
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Li’l Gal
(Paul Laurence Dunbar)
Oh, de weathah it is balmy an’ de breeze is sighin’ low.
Li’l’ gal,
An’ de mockin’ bird is singin’ in de locus’ by de do’,
Li’l’ gal;
Dere’s a hummin’ an’ a bummin’ in de lan’ f'om eas’ to wes’,
I’s a-sighin’ fu’ you, honey, an’ I nevah know no res’.
Fu’ dey’s lots o’ trouble brewin’ an’ a-stewin’ in my breas’,
Li’l’ gal.
Whut’s de mattah wid de weathah, whut’s de mattah wid de breeze,
Li’l’ gal?
Whut’s de mattah wid de locus’ dat’s a-singin’ in de trees,
Li’l’ gal?
W’y dey knows dey ladies love ’em, an’ dey knows dey love ’em true,
An’ dey love ’em back, I reckon, des’ lak I’s a-lovin’ you;
Dat’s de reason dey’s a-weavin’ an’ a-sighin’, thoo an’ thoo,
Li’l’ gal.
Don’t you let no da’ky fool you ’cause de clo’es he waihs is fine,
Li’l’ gal.
Dey’s a hones’ hea’t a-beatin’ unnerneaf dese rags o’ mine,
Li’l’ gal.
Cose dey ain’ no use in mockin’ whut de birds an’ weathah do,
But I’s so’y I cain’t ’spress it w’en I knows I loves you true,
Dat’s de reason I’s a-sighin’ an’ a-singin now fu’ you,
Li’l’ gal.
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4. |
Song to the Dark Virgin
02:01
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Songs to the Dark Virgin
(Langston Hughes)
I.
Would
That I were a jewel,
A shattered jewel,
That all my shining brilliants
Might fall at thy feet,
Thou dark one.
II.
Would
That I were a garment,
A shimmering, silken garment,
That all my folds
Might wrap about thy body,
Absorb thy body,
Hold and hide thy body,
Thou dark one.
III.
Would
That I were a flame,
But one sharp, leaping flame
To annihilate thy body,
Thou dark one.
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5. |
On the Dusty Road
04:00
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6. |
Lit’l Girl
00:57
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Lit’l Girl
(Traditional)
Lit’l Girl! Lit’l Girl!
“Yes, Ma’am”
Did you go to the spring?
“Yes, Ma’am”
Did you water my cows?
“Yes, Ma’am”
Did you count my lambs?
“Yes, Ma’am”
Did you feed my sheep?
“Yes, Ma’am”
Lit’l Girl! Lit’l Girl!
“Yes, Ma’am”
Did you feed my ducks?
“Yes, Ma’am”
Did you give ’em some corn?
“Yes, Ma’am”
Did the ducks lay eggs?”
“Yes, Ma’am”
Did you take ’em to the house?
“Yes, Ma’am”
Did you give to the cook?
“Yes, Ma’am”
Did she fix some bread?
“Yes, Ma’am”
Did she give you any?
“Yes, Ma’am”
Did the bread taste good?
“Yes, Ma’am!”
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7. |
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The Negro Speaks of Rivers
(Langston Hughes)
I’ve known rivers:
I’ve known rivers ancient as the world and older than the flow of human blood in
human veins.
My soul has grown deep like the rivers.
I bathed in the Euphrates when dawns were young.
I built my hut near the Congo and it lulled me to sleep.
I looked upon the Nile and raised the pyramids above it.
I heard the singing of the Mississippi when Abe Lincoln went down to New Orleans,
and I’ve seen its muddy bosom turn all golden in the sunset.
I’ve known rivers:
Ancient, dusky rivers.
My soul has grown deep like the rivers.
My soul has grown deep like the rivers.
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8. |
Pierrot
02:51
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Pierrot
(Langston Hughes)
I work all day,
Said Simple John,
Myself a house to buy.
I work all day,
Said Simple John,
But Pierrot wondered why.
For Pierrot loved the long white road,
And Pierrot loved the moon,
And Pierrot loved a star-filled sky,
And the breath of a rose in June.
I have one wife,
Said Simple John,
And, faith, I love her yet.
I have one wife,
Said Simple John,
But Pierrot left Pierrette.
For Pierrot saw a world of girls,
And Pierrot loved each one,
And Pierrot thought all maidens fair
As flowers in the sun.
Oh, I am good,
Said Simple John,
The Lord will take me in.
Yes, I am good,
Said Simple John,
But Pierrot’s steeped in sin.
For Pierrot played on a slim guitar,
And Pierrot loved the moon,
And Pierrot ran down the long white road
With the burgher’s wife one June.
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9. |
Night Song
01:51
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Night Song
(Langston Hughes)
In the dark before the tall Moon came,
Little short Dusk was walking along.
In the dark before the tall Moon came,
Little short Dusk was singing a song.
In the dark before the tall Moon came,
A lady named Day fainted away in the
Dark;
Before the tall Moon came.
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10. |
A Death Song
02:56
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A Death Song
(Paul Laurence Dunbar)
Lay me down beneaf de willers in de grass,
Whah de branch’ll go a-singin’ as it pass.
An’ w’en I’s a-layin’ low,
I kin hyeah it as it go
Singin’, “Sleep, my honey, tek yo’ res’ at las’.”
Lay me nigh to whah hit meks a little pool.
An’ de watah stan’s so quiet lak an’ cool,
Whah de little birds in spring,
Ust to come an’ drink an’ sing,
An’ de chillen waded on dey way to school.
Let me settle w’en my shouldahs draps
dey load
Nigh enough to hyeah de noises in de road;
Fu’ I t’ink de las’ long res’
Gwine to soothe my sperrit bes’
If I’s layin’ ’mong de t’ings I’s allus knowed.
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11. |
Harlem Sweeties
03:33
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Harlem Sweeties
(Langston Hughes)
Have you dug the spill
Of Sugar Hill?
Cast your gims
On this sepia thrill:
Brown sugar lassie,
Caramel treat,
Honey-gold baby
Sweet enough to eat.
Peach-skinned girlie,
Coffee and cream,
Chocolate darling
Out of a dream.
Walnut tinted
Or cocoa brown,
Pomegranate-lipped
Pride of the town.
Rich cream-colored
To plum-tinted black,
Feminine sweetness
In Harlem’s no lack.
Glow of the quince
To blush of the rose.
Persimmon bronze
To cinnamon toes.
Blackberry cordial,
Virginia Dare wine—
All those sweet colors
Flavor Harlem of mine!
Walnut or cocoa,
Let me repeat:
Caramel, brown sugar,
A chocolate treat.
Molasses taffy,
Coffee and cream,
Licorice, clove, cinnamon
To a honey-brown dream.
Ginger, wine-gold,
Persimmon, blackberry,
All through the spectrum
Harlem girls vary—
So if you want to know beauty’s
Rainbow-sweet thrill,
Stroll down luscious,
Delicious, fine Sugar Hill.
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12. |
Harlem Blues
05:12
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Harlem Blues
(W. C. Handy)
You never can tell what’s in a woman’s mind
And if she’s from Harlem, there’s no use o’ tryin’
Just like the tide her mind comes and goes, like March weather,
When she will change, nobody knows,
The woman I love, she just turned me down,
She’s a Harlem Brown
Oft’-times I wish that I were in the ground,
Six feet underground,
She idolized me as no other could, then surprised me
Leaving a note that she was gone for good.
And since my sweetie left me Harlem ain’t the same old place,
Though a thousand flappers smile right in my face,
I think I’ll mooch some home-made hooch and go out for a lark,
Just to drive off these mean Harlem Blues.
Ah there’s one sweet spot in Harlem,
It’s known as striver’s row,
Dicty folks some call ’em
Live there and you should know,
That I have a friend who lives there
I know he won’t refuse
To put some music to my troubles
And call ’em Harlem Blues.
Now, you can have your Broadway, give me Lenox Avenue,
Angels from the skies stroll Seventh and for that thanks are due,
To Madam Walker’s Beauty shops and Poro system too,
That made them Angels without any doubt.
There are some spots in Harlem where I’m told it’s sudden death,
To let a body see you stop to catch your breath,
Yet if you’ve never lived in Harlem, so the old saw saith,
“you have really been camping out.”
Mama, listen to those Harlem Blues
o’er the radio phone
Oh, those times recall ’em,
remember Happy Rhone
And the Clef Club dances led by
Jim Europe’s jazzy band,
Sweet memories,
Change your mind once more and
Come to your Harlem man.
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13. |
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The Way We Dance in Harlem
(Langston Hughes, from Tropics After Dark)
Ain’t you heard about the music Chicago style
The kind of music that drives you wild
Ain’t you heard about the way we dance it out
Then lemme tell you what it’s all about
First, you grab your gal like a her-cat, Jack
And jitterbug her lightly then you throw her back
Let your hips swing loose when you’re moving
Swing most anyway long’s you groovin’
You take it slow while she gets way down,
You’re feelin’ acrobatic then you throw her round,
Then you separate and take a solo
That’s the way we dance in Chicago!
Jump back and boogie!
Aw, boogie woogie!
Pack a little
Truck a little
Now if anyone here is still in doubt
As to what this jitterbuggin’s all about
I’ll expostulate all that I know
’bout the way we dance in Chicago!
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14. |
O Le’ Me Shine
02:06
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O Le’ Me Shine
(Traditional)
O le’ me shine!
Shine, le’ me shine.
Shine like a morning star.
As Moses shine, O le’ me shine,
Shine!
As Moses shine, O le’ me shine
Shine like a morning star.
As David shine, O le’ me shine,
Shine!
As David shine, O le’ me shine
Shine like a morning star.
If you can shine, le’ me shine!
As I went down to the valley to pray,
Shine,
I met old Satan on my way
Shine like a morning star
O what do you reckon old Satan said to me?
“Go back old man, you’re too old to pray!”
Shine like a morning star.
“You’re too old to pray, but you’re too young to die.”
Shine.
“You’re too old to pray, but you’re too young to die.”
Shine like a morning star.
Oh, get out the way an’ a-let me shine!
Oh, get out the way an ’a-let me shine!
As Jesus shine, O le’ me shine,
As Jesus shine, O le’ me shine,
Shine like a morning star.
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15. |
To a Brown Girl Dead
01:37
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To a brown girl dead
(Countee Cullen)
With two white roses on her breasts,
White candles at head and feet,
Dark Madonna of the grave she rests;
Lord Death has found her sweet.
Her mother pawned her wedding ring
To lay her out in white;
She’d be so proud she’d dance and sing
to see herself tonight
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16. |
Grief
02:33
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17. |
David
03:42
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18. |
Bells
05:30
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19. |
Prayer
02:26
|
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Prayer
(Langston Hughes)
I ask you this:
Which way to go?
I ask you this:
Which sin to bear?
Which crown to put
Upon my hair?
I do not know,
Lord God,
I do not know.
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20. |
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The Lynching
(Claude McKay)
His spirit in smoke ascended to high heaven.
His father, by the cruelest way of pain,
Had bidden him to his bosom once again;
The awful sin remained still unforgiven.
All night a bright and solitary star
(Perchance the one that ever guided him,
Yet gave him up at last to Fate’s wild whim)
Hung pitifully o’er the swinging char.
Day dawned, and soon the mixed crowds
came to view
The ghastly body swaying in the sun:
The women thronged to look, but never a
one
Showed sorrow in her eyes of steely blue;
And little lads, lynchers that were to be,
Danced round the dreadful thing in
fiendish glee.
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21. |
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If We Must Die
(Claude McKay)
If we must die—let it not be like hogs
Hunted and penned in an inglorious spot,
While round us bark the mad and hungry
dogs,
Making their mock at our accursed lot.
If we must die—oh, let us nobly die,
So that our precious blood may not be shed
In vain; then even the monsters we defy
Shall be constrained to honor us though
dead!
Oh, Kinsmen! We must meet the common
foe;
Though far outnumbered, let us still be
brave,
And for their thousand blows deal one
death-blow!
What though before us lies the open grave?
Like men we’ll face the murderous,
cowardly pack,
Pressed to the wall, dying, but—fighting
back!
And for their thousand blows deal one
death-blow!
What though before us lies the open grave?
Like men we’ll face the murderous,
cowardly pack,
Pressed to the wall, dying, but—fighting
back!
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22. |
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Think you I am not fiend and savage too?
Think you I could not arm me with a gun
And shoot down ten of you for every one
Of my black brothers murdered, burnt by
you?
Be not deceived, for every deed you do
I could match—out-match: am I not Africa’s
son,
Black of that black land where black deeds
are done?
But the Almighty from the darkness drew
My soul and said: Even thou shall be a light
Awhile to burn on the benighted earth,
Thy dusky face I set among the white
For thee to prove thyself of highest worth;
Before the world is swallowed up in night,
To show thy little lamp: go forth, go forth!
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New World Records Brooklyn, New York
Anthology of Recorded Music, Inc., which records under the label New World Records, was founded in 1975.
We are dedicated to the documentation of American music that is largely ignored by the commercial recording companies.
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