Rosenbaum, Art

Description

Part two of a two-part recording. Art Rosenbaum records Doc Barnes on guitar and vocals and Lucy Barnes on vocals in Athens, Georgia. Barnes continues explaining the slavery-era lyrics to "Raise a Ruckus Tonight". The song includes lyrics about the slave owner giving his slaves bones with meat on them. Barnes explains that when that happened, the slaves would build a fire, cook the meat, and have a party. It was rare to receive meat from their master, however. Their typical rations would include fat back, whipple wheel peas (speckled peas), and cornmeal. To receive 25 pounds of flour a month would be considered generous. Some slave owners would give more rations, and some would give less. Sometimes the lyrics describe receiving "a bone and a thigh" from the master, which means that the slaves would have to divide the shank up among themselves. Barnes' father was born after slavery, and his grandmother and great-grandmother were born into slavery. His great-grandmother lived to be 121 years old. Songs and interview segments are as follows: Interview continued on Raise a Ruckus, Just a Closer Walk With Thee, Lord I Know You Been so Good.

Record Contributed By

Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection

Record Harvested From

Digital Library of Georgia