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Encyclopedia > Coon song
Sheet music to "Coon Coon Coon," which bills itself as "The Most Successful Song Hit of 1901."

Coon songs were a genre of music popular in the United States from 1880[1] to 1910[2] that (often negatively) stereotyped African Americans. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A slur can be anything from an insinuation or critical remark to an insult. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... This article discusses stereotypes of blacks of African descent present in American culture. ... African Americans, also known as Afro-Americans or black Americans, are an ethnic group in the United States of America whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Sub-Saharan and West Africa. ...

Contents

Rise and fall from popularity

The first coon song was "The Dandy Coon's Parade" by J.P. Skelley, published in 1880.[1] Other notable early coon songs included "The Coons are on Parade," "New Coon in Town" (by J.S. Putnam, 1883), "Coon Salvation Army" (by Sam Lucas, 1884), "Coon Schottische" (by William Dressler, 1884)[1] Sam Lucas (1850 — 5 January 1916) was an African American actor, comedian, singer, and songwriter. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...


By the mid-1880s, coon songs were a national craze; over 600 such songs were published in the 1890s.[3][4] The most successful songs sold millions of copies.[3] To take advantage of the fad, composers "add[ed] words typical of coon songs to previously published songs and rags."[5] Herd behaviour is the term used to describe situations in which the individuals of any particular group react coherently. ...


After the turn of the century, coon songs began to receive criticism for their racist content.[2] In 1905, Bob Cole, an African-American composer who had gained fame largely by writing coon songs, made somewhat unprecedented remarks about the genre.[2] When asked in an interview about the name of his earlier comedy A Trip to Coontown, he replied, "That day has passed with the softly flowing tide of revelations."[2] Cole's comments may have been influential, and (following further criticism) the use of "coon" in song titles greatly decreased after 1910.[2] Robert Bob Cole (July 11, 1861–August 2, 1911), American composer, actor, playwright, and stage producer and director. ...


Composers

Sheet music to Ernest Hogan's "All Coons Look Alike to Me."
Sheet music to "Ma Honey Gal." Coon songs suggested that the most common living arrangement for blacks was a "honey" relationship (unmarried cohabitation), rather than marriage.

At the height of coon songs' popularity, "just about every songwriter in the country" was writing coon songs "to fill the seemingly insatiable demand."[5] Writers of coon songs included some of the most important Tin Pan Alley composers, including Gus Edwards, Fred Fisher (who wrote the 1905 "If the Man in the Moon Were a Coon," which sold three million copies),[6] and Irving Berlin.[7] Even one of John Philip Sousa's assistants, Arthur Prior, composed coon songs.[5] (This was meant to ensure a steady supply to the Sousa's band, which performed the songs and popularized several coon song melodies.[5]) Image File history File links Size of this preview: 464 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (557 × 720 pixel, file size: 102 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Ernest Hogan Coon song User:Calliopejen1... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 464 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (557 × 720 pixel, file size: 102 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Ernest Hogan Coon song User:Calliopejen1... Ernest Hogan Ernest Hogan (born Ernest Reuben Crowders, 1868? to 1909) was the first African American entertainer to produce and star in a Broadway show (The Oyster Man in 1907) and helped create the musical genre of ragtime. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... “Living in sin” redirects here. ... Tin Pan Alley was the name given to the collection of New York City-centered music publishers and songwriters who dominated the popular music of the United States in the late 19th century and early 20th century. ... Gus Edwards (August 18, 1879 - November 7, 1945) was a songwriter and vaudevillian. ... Fred Fisher (September 30, 1875 - January 14, 1942) was a United States songwriter. ... Irving Berlin (May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was an American composer and lyricist, one of the most prodigious and famous American songwriters in history. ... Portrait of John Philip Sousa taken in 1900 John Philip Sousa (November 6, 1854 – March 6, 1932) was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic era known particularly for American military marches. ...


Most coon songs were written by whites, but some were written by blacks.[4] Important African-American composers of coon songs include Ernest Hogan (who wrote "All Coons Look Alike to Me," the most famous coon song)[8][9], Sam Lucas (who wrote the most racist early coon songs by modern standards),[1] Sidney Perrin, Bob Cole (who wrote dozens of songs, including "I Wonder What The Coon's Game Is?" and "No Coons Allowed"), and Bert Williams and George Walker.[10] Ernest Hogan Ernest Hogan (born Ernest Reuben Crowders, 1868? to 1909) was the first African American entertainer to produce and star in a Broadway show (The Oyster Man in 1907) and helped create the musical genre of ragtime. ... Sam Lucas (1850 — 5 January 1916) was an African American actor, comedian, singer, and songwriter. ... Robert Bob Cole (July 11, 1861–August 2, 1911), American composer, actor, playwright, and stage producer and director. ... Bert Williams (November 12, 1874 – March 4, 1922) was the pre-eminent African American entertainer of his era. ...


Characteristics

Coon songs almost always aimed to be funny and incorporated the syncopated rhythms of ragtime music.[3][11] Coon songs' defining characteristic, however, was their caricature of African Americans. In keeping with the older minstrel image of blacks, coon songs often featured "watermelon- and chicken-loving rural buffoon[s]."[12] However, "blacks began to appear as not only ignorant and indolent, but also devoid of honesty or personal honor, given to drunkenness and gambling, utterly without ambition, sensuous, libidinous, even lascivious."[12] Blacks were portrayed as making money through gambling, theft, and hustling, rather than working to earn a living.[12] In music, syncopation is the stressing of a normally unstressed beat in a bar or the failure to sound a tone on an accented beat. ... This article discusses stereotypes of blacks of African descent present in American culture. ... Detail from cover of The Celebrated Negro Melodies, as Sung by the Virginia Minstrels, 1843 The minstrel show, or minstrelsy, was an American entertainment consisting of comic skits, variety acts, dancing, and music, performed by white people in blackface or, especially after the American Civil War, African Americans in blackface. ... The term gambling has had many different meanings depending on the cultural and historical context in which it is used. ... Everyday instance of theft: the bike which fits on this wheel has disappeared. ... Hustling is the deceptive act of disguising ones skill in a sport or game with the intent of luring someone of probably lesser skill into gambling (or gambling for higher than current stakes) with the hustler, as a form of confidence trick. ...


Coon songs also portrayed blacks as "hot," in this context meaning promiscuous and libidinous. They suggested that the most common living arrangement was a "honey" relationship (unmarried cohabitation), rather than marriage.[13] “Living in sin” redirects here. ...


Blacks also were portrayed as inclined toward acts of provocative violence. Razors were often featured in the songs and came to symbolize blacks' wanton character.[12] However, violence in the songs was uniformly directed at blacks instead of whites (perhaps to discharge the threatening notion of Black violence amongst the coon songs' predominately white consumers). Hence, the specter of black-on-white violence remained but an allusion.[14] The street-patrolling "bully coon" was often used as a stock character in coon songs.[15] Collection of Modern Safety Razors - Gillette Fusion Power, Gillette M3Power, Mach3 Turbo Champion, Schick Quattro Chrome, Schick Quattro Power, Gillette Mach3, Gillette Sensor, Schick Xtreme3, Schick Xtreme SubZero, and Schick Xtreme3 Disposables A razor is an edge tool primarily used in shaving. ... It has been suggested that Workplace bullying be merged into this article or section. ...


The songs also showed the social threats posed by blacks. Passing was a common theme,[16] and blacks were portrayed as seeking the status of whites, through education and money.[17] However, blacks rarely, except during dream sequences, actually succeeded at appearing white; they only aspired to do so.[18] The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... A dream sequence is a technique used in storytelling, particularly in television and film, to set apart a brief interlude from the main story. ...


Use in theater

Coon songs were popular in Vaudeville theater, where they were delivered by "coon shouters," who (oddly) were typically white females.[5] Notable coon shouters included Artie Hall,[19] Sophie Tucker, and May Irwin.[5] This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Sophie Tucker, 1917 Sophie Tucker (January 13, 1884 - February 9, 1966) was a singer and comedian, one of the most popular United States entertainers of the first third of the 20th century. ... May Irwin born June 27, 1862 in Whitby, Ontario, Canada – died October 22, 1938 in New York City, United States, was an actress, singer and major star of vaudeville. ...


As with minstrel shows earlier, a whole genre of skits and shows grew up around coon songs, and often coon songs were featured in legitimate theater productions.[5]


Effects on African American music

Coon songs, ironically, contributed to the development and acceptance of authentic African American music.[20] Elements from coon songs were incorporated into turn-of-the-century African American folk songs, as was revealed by Howard W. Odum's 1906-1908 ethnomusicology fieldwork.[21] Similarly, coon songs lyrics influenced the vocabulary of the blues, culminating with Bessie Smith's singing in the 1920s.[20] African American music (also called black music, formerly known as race music) is an umbrella term given to a range of musical genres emerging from or influenced by the culture of African Americans, who have long constituted a large ethnic minority of the population of the United States. ... Howard Washington Odum (born May 24, 1884 near Bethlehem, Georgia; died November 8, 1954 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina) was an American sociologist. ... Ethnomusicology (from the Greek ethnos = nation and mousike = music), formerly comparative musicology, is the study of music in its cultural context, cultural musicology. ... A vocabulary is a set of words known to a person or other entity, or that are part of a specific language. ... Blues is a vocal and instrumental form of music based on the use of the blue notes and a repetitive pattern that typically follows a twelve-bar structure. ... This article includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ...


Black songwriters and performers who participated in the creation of coon songs profited commercially, enabling them to go on to develop a new type of African American musical theater based at least in part on African American traditions.[20] Coon songs also contributed to the mainstream acceptance of ragtime music, paving the way for the acceptance of other African American music.[20] Ernest Hogan, when discussing his "All Coons Look Alike to Me" shortly before his death, commented: This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... Second edition cover of Maple Leaf Rag, perhaps the most famous rag of all Ragtime is an American musical genre enjoying its peak popularity between 1899 and 1918. ... Ernest Hogan Ernest Hogan (born Ernest Reuben Crowders, 1868? to 1909) was the first African American entertainer to produce and star in a Broadway show (The Oyster Man in 1907) and helped create the musical genre of ragtime. ...

“ (That) song caused a lot of trouble in and out of show business, but it was also good for show business because at the time money was short in all walks of life. With the publication of that song, a new musical rhythm was given to the people. Its popularity grew and it sold like wildfire... That one song opened the way for a lot of colored and white songwriters. Finding the rhythm so great, they stuck to it ... and now you get hit songs without the word 'coon.' ... [Ragtime music] would have been lost to the world if I had not put it on paper."[11] ”

Explaining coon songs' popularity

A black man at a "colored" water fountain. James Dormon has suggested that coon songs were used to justify racial segregation in the United States.

It is possible that the popularity of coon songs may be explained in part by their historical timing: coon songs arose precisely as the popular music business exploded in Tin Pan Alley.[3] Colored drinking fountain from mid-20th century with colored man drinking This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Colored drinking fountain from mid-20th century with colored man drinking This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Racial segregation in the United States is the history of racial segregation, of facilities, services, and opportunities such as housing, education, employment, and transportation—along racial lines. ... Popular music is music belonging to any of a number of musical styles that are accessible to the general public and are disseminated by one or more of the mass media. ... The music industry is the industry that creates, performs, promotes, and preserves music. ... Tin Pan Alley was the name given to the collection of New York City-centered music publishers and songwriters who dominated the popular music of the United States in the late 19th century and early 20th century. ...


However, James Dormon, a former professor of history and American studies at the University of Southwestern Louisiana, has also suggested that coon songs can be seen as "a necessary sociopsychological mechanism for justifying segregation and subordination."[22] The songs conveyed that blacks posed a threat to the American social order, and implicitly that they had to be controlled.[22] American studies or American civilization is an interdisciplinary field dealing with the study of the United States. ... University of Louisiana at Lafayette is also known as UL Lafayette. ... Racial segregation in the United States is the history of racial segregation, of facilities, services, and opportunities such as housing, education, employment, and transportation—along racial lines. ...


References

  1. ^ a b c d Dormon, 452.
  2. ^ a b c d e Abbott, 35.
  3. ^ a b c d Dormon, 453.
  4. ^ a b Lemons, 106.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Reublin.
  6. ^ Lemons, 108.
  7. ^ Hamm, 145-146.
  8. ^ Dormon, 459.
  9. ^ Lemons, 105
  10. ^ Lemons, 107.
  11. ^ a b Peress, 39.
  12. ^ a b c d Dormon, 455.
  13. ^ Dormon, 458.
  14. ^ Dormon, 460.
  15. ^ Dormon, 460-461.
  16. ^ Dormon, 461.
  17. ^ Dormon, 462.
  18. ^ Dormon, 463.
  19. ^ Abbott, 17.
  20. ^ a b c d Dormon, 467.
  21. ^ Abbott 25-26
  22. ^ a b Dormon, 466.

Works cited

  • Abbott, Lynn and Doug Seroff. Ragged But Right: Black Traveling Shows, Coon Songs, and the Dark Pathway to Blues and Jazz. University Press of Mississippi (2007). ISBN 1578069017.
  • Dormon, James M. "Shaping the Popular Image of Post-Reconstruction American Blacks: The 'Coon Song' Phenomenon of the Gilded Age." American Quarterly 40: 450-471 (1988).
  • Hamm, Charles. "Genre, Performance and Ideology in the Early Songs of Irving Berlin." Popular Music 13: 143-150 (1994).
  • Lemons, J. Stanley. "Black Stereotypes as Reflected in Popular Culture, 1880-1920." American Quarterly 29: 102-116 (1977).
  • Peress, Maurice. Dvorak to Duke Ellington: A Conductor Explores America's Music and Its African American Roots Oxford University Press, 2003.
  • Reublin, Richard A. and Robert L. Maine. "Question of the Month: What Were Coon Songs?" Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia website, Ferris State University (May 2005).

American Quarterly (sometimes abbreviated AQ), is an academic journal and the official publication of the American Studies Association. ... American Quarterly (sometimes abbreviated AQ), is an academic journal and the official publication of the American Studies Association. ... Ferris State University is an institute of higher learning whose main campus is located in Big Rapids, Michigan, in Mecosta County, with a secondary campus in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and smaller programs located throughout the region. ...

See also


  Results from FactBites:
 
On "Coon Song" (1338 words)
The "silt," which that reader wallows in, is now not the fantastic escape of the coon from death but the escape of the hounds from death into "immortality," which the poet suggests is equally unreal.
Moreover, because he has become analogous to the coon and because of the colloquial racist connotations of the word "coon," his self-liberation resonates with the civil rights movement already under way when this poem was first published.
In the process, the reader's point of view is repeatedly altered and finally brought to the awareness that he or she is not the reader whom the poet addresses, is in no way accommodated by the poem, and is therefore as free as the poet.
  More results at FactBites »


 
 

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