|
|
||||
|
|
||||
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
The poetry crew, F351, 2008
Folklore Materials * * * * *
Shannon’s rugby songs from the archives:
Lyrics to the three main IU rugby songs (1982).
Text 1: “Daisy”
Daisy, Daisy, Give me your answer do, I’m half crazy Six inches into you— It won’t be a stylish entry I can’t afford a frenchie, But you’ll look sweet Between the sheets When I’m six inches into you.
Text 2: “Haka”
Ka mate Ka mate It is death It is death
Ka ora Ka ora It is life It is life
Ka mate Ka mate It is death It is death
Ka ora Ka ora It is life It is life
Tenei Te Tangata Puhuruhuru This is the hairy man
Nana I tiki mai whakawhiti te ra Who caused the sun to shine again for me
Upane Upane Up the ladder Up the ladder
Upane Kaupane Up to the top
Whiti te ra The sun shines!
Text 3: “California Bear”
The California bear Is losing all his hair His teeth are gone out, he’s got the gout He don’t know what it’s all about
His eyes are made of glass He’s falling on his ass The mighty California bear Is losing all his class!
Collection 1 2 3
Collection 2 4 5
Collection 3 6 7 8
Collection 4
Item 1: “Draft Beer Not Students” Collector’s name: John Conner Collector’s location: Marion County Library, Bloomington Indiana Date collected: 1975 Genre/ subgenre : Political Graffiti
Item 2: “Stop the War I Want To Get Off” Collector’s name: Elaine Bussard Collector’s location: Back of Nick’s English Hut in Bloomington Indiana Date collected: 1967 Genre/ subgenre : Political Graffiti
Item 3: “Fxck Censorship” Collector’s name: Oliver Evans Collector’s location: Nicks English Hut in Bloomington Indiana Date collected: 1968 Genre/ subgenre: Political Graffiti
Text 1
Collector: Robert Rudd Date: April 10, 1971 Informant: Jack McLaughlin from Alabama, age 49
"Nothing Could Be Finer"
Nothing could be finer than to be in her vagina in the mornin',
Nothing could be sweeter than to crawl right in and eat her in the morn.
Nothin could be greater than to screw and masturbate her in the mornin',
Nothing's so enormous as to have a little clitoris in the mornin'.
“The situation was the same as the first item, myself and the informant were just sitting around drinking beer with some other kids and after being asked about the first song he proceeded to sing this one without being asked. I had heard him sing this one before also and usually in conjunction with the first one. This song was included in his claimed original works and was part of the question about the meaning of the songs to which he replied that I should know by how and that he wouldn't tell me. This is also just an obscene song used by the informant to act younger and not be the fatherly type to the kids that are in this group of friends.”
The meaning behind this song definitely pulls from the perspective of tradition, and male bonding. The song’s creativity holds the values of today’s college male, thus revealing an in-depth insight into the male culture in college. It adds to the reflection of good times within this culture (college life) and definitely should be considered folklore, despite some vulgarity.
Text 2 Date: March 10, 1971 Collector: Terri Silverstone Informant: Konnie Sanders
I was born on a farm down in I-O-Way Flaming youth was bound to fly-o-way, Pack my bags and pack my sax-o-phone-phone A rootie-toot-toot. This folksong is told for amusement and it also tells the story of how young people want to live and fly away before they get too old. It tells of escape and freedom and the flying music of youth. This folksong has a sing-song type rhythm which is easy to follow and also the words are very easy and repetitive. Konnie told me this song while sitting in the Commons of Indiana University one day. Konnie and I are friends and she was relating this childhood folksong to me. However, I truly doubt that it is original folklore, but rather fakelore, which has been printed in literary books previously. I seem to remember hearing it while I was in elementary school.
Konnie said she first heard this song when she was attending grade school in Carmel Indiana. Konnie is anxiously awaiting leaving her home in Carmel and getting a job away from home--that is why this song appeals to her. Konnie was very enthusiastic while singing this song--she said that it brought back pleasant memories of her childhood. The song is sung mostly for amusement, however.
Item 1 Sorority Folksong Contributor: Clune McDermott Informant: Ruth Ford Date of Text: July 25, 1969
AOPI, AOPI, AOPI; How we like to show the thigh; AOPI, AOPI, AOPI; It is always us who seduce the guys; AOPI, AOPI, AOPI; How our reputation is so high; AOPI, AOPI, AOPI; Is surely a mystery to every guy.”
Context: This song was typically sung at the bars with sororities. At the time of this interview the informant was a senior at I.U. The informant also stated that she heard this song at a Fort Wayne, Indiana bar which leads her to believe that it is a popular song.
Item 2 College Song Contributor: Joe Cuttriss Informant: William R. Masters Date of Text: May 3, 1969
High above her Pi Phi garters; High above her knee, Lies a pit of hallowed passion, Waiting there for me.
Context: The informant learned this from IU boys at the IU Geological field station in Cardwell, Montana. It is typically sung to the parody of the IU Alma Mater. The informant attended the IU Kokomo campus.
Item 3 Contributor: Debbie Atz Informant: Dennis Harper Date of Text: March 7, 1971
Now listen I.U. maidens, listen close to me; Don’t ever trust a T.K.E., an inch about your knee, I trusted one last summer, and look what he did to me. The son of a gun left me with the son of a T.K.E.
Context: This ballad was learned at a party at the Teke house. The informant was drunk at the time of the interview. It is also usually sung at serenades by almost all fraternities who insert their own Greek letters.
tem 4 Folk Song Contributor: Clune McDermott Informant: Terry Barrows
Date of Text: July 20, 1969
DG’s, they are the campus queens, oh yes they are; DG’s, they are the very best. DG’s are the campus queens. DG’s are the very best. They go down like submarines. Yeah, rah; Delta Gamma.
Context: The informant explained that she first heard this at a sorority picnic. The informant also explained that this was the only song that she knew of this type. The contributor states that she has heard this song many times at bars or when many boys are together.
Item 5 Folk Song Contributor: Clune McDermott Informant: Susie Connors Date of Text: July 6, 1969
I love, love; Love a Chi O, I always will in my dreams and thoughts, Always because a Chi O always will.
Context: The informant first heard this song at a party and everyone joined in on the verse. The song is often heard at parties, serenades and often in bars.
Item 6 Folk Song Contributor: Clune McDermott Informant: Pam Collins Date of Text: July 2, 1969
Ring a ling, ling, ling; blow it out your ass; Ring a ling, ling, ling; blow it out your ass; Ring a ling, ling, ling; blow it out your ass; We are the Pie Phi Girls; Balls, balls, balls; Whenever we go to a dance, We wear no bras and we wear no pants, We like to give those freshmen a chance; We are the Pie Phi Girls; Balls, Balls, Balls., etc.
Context: The informant said that the first time she heard this song was during a serenade. The informant also stated that she doesn’t think that girls sing this song when they get together because it is mostly sung when a group of males get together.
Item 7 Folk Song Contributor: Clune McDermott Informant: Sarah Green Date of Text: June 26, 1969
Tri Delts, they are the tried and true, tried and true; Tri Delts, they are the tried and true, Tri Delts, are the tried and true, I tried one, how about you? Glad I’m a boy.
Context: The informant first heard this song at a slumber party with some of her friends. Back in 1969, girls would typically not tell spooky stories at slumber parties and instead they would sing risqué songs. The informant also said that the girls would never sing this song when males were around.
Item 8 Folk Song Contributor: Clune McDermott Informant: Carol James Date of Text: July 14, 1969
High above a Pi Phi garter, high above her knee, Lies the sign of Pi Phi honor, her virginity. Lay her gently, lay her gently, lay her on the grass. All I live and all I die for is a piece of Pi Phi ass.
Context: The informant first heard this song at “Ye Old Regulator.” She said she was with a party of six, which was three couples.
_____________________________________________________
Sayings from Lindsey B’s journal
“Here’s to you, here’s to me, and if we shall ever disagree, then fuck you and here’s to me”
“It is better to be loved and lost, than to never have loved at all.”
“Sex is like bridge. If you don’t have a good partner, you better have a good hand.”
_______________________________________
Speech items from the journal of Lindsey H.
Text 1 “While at a Halloween party, I saw a guy dressed in a plaid shirt, jeans, and a red wig. I wasn’t sure what his costume was, until he spoke in a Scottish accent. The accent helped me figure out what he was dressed as.
Context: The guy used speech, in the form of his accent, to help enhance his costume. The clothing and accent together enabled his costume to be understood. The costume shows that the person has a sense of humor, and is creative.
Text 2 “While working out at the SRSC with a friend, she made the comment, “I’m sweating like a whore in church.”
Context: This is a metaphorical feature, and was probably said by someone with a religious background. In some religions, being promiscuous is a sin, and for a “whore” to sit in church, she would be nervous of her sins and begin sweating. The saying tells what kind of condition the girl’s body was in.
Text 3 “The freshman fifteen”
Context: This saying is an urban legend created by college students. It is used as a way to describe the amount of weight a girl will supposedly gain during her freshman year of college.
___________________________________________ from Leah’s journal, some proverbs overheard:
“A man is known by his friends” o I heard this on the way to class, as one girl was talking about a boy she was interested in.
“Actions Speak Louder than Words” o I read this proverb on someone’s wall of facebook.
“Bad news travel quickly” o After a incident over the weekend had happened, people were discussing how many people know already.
“Love will find a way” o I heard as girls were talking about one breaking up with her boyfriend.
“Think globally, act locally” o I was traveling home for Thanksgiving, I saw this bumper sticker
“You are a sight for sore eyes” o I heard a boyfriend say to his girlfriend after having a hard week.
A sampling of toasts from students in E103, Spring 2006
From James: High School Graduation Cheer
The majority of shots you take Will not be in a glass. The majority of hurdles made Won’t require running fast.
The thing about life is That it is worth more than a game. Still, I cheer that you win And achieve goals all the same.
From Hanna:
Family Prayer
Lord Jesus -- May I always be tender and kind of heart like thee.
If any suffer or are sad help me to try to make them glad. From Tawanda:
For Sunday dinners
Gracious Lord, we truly thank you for this food we are about to accept for the nurturing and caring for our bodies for Christ’s sake.
From Harrison:
“My grandparents put this in graduation cards and say it to each child that graduates.”
May you have the hindsight to know where you’ve been, The foresight to know where you are going, And the insight to know when you have gone too far.
From Shane:
“Song before long family meals”
Bless this food, O Lord and bless all those who dine here. Feed the poor wherever they are With Christian bread and wine, Amen.
From Derrick:
The Universal Toast
Observe, when Mother Earth is dry She drinks the dropping of the sky, And then the dewy cordial gives To every thirsty plant that lives. The vapors which at evening weep Are beverage to the swelling deep; And when the rosy sun appears He drinks the ocean’s misty tears. The moon too quaffs her paly stream Of luster from the solar beam. Then hence with your sober thinking! Since nature’s holy law is drinking, I’ll make the law of Nature mine, And pledge the universe in wine. Two from Rachel:
1) “It is a tradition at my house to recite the following toast before dinner each night, each person saying one line. The toast originated as a Buddhist prayer or mantra used in Yoga and meditation. ‘I’, ‘my family’, ‘the world’ etc. can replace ‘we’.”
May we be filled with love and kindness May we be well May we be peaceful and at ease May we be happy
2) “One I learned in Perú (moving the glass as instructed)”
Arriba Up Abajo Down Al centro To the center Para adentro And inside
From Andley:
Here’s to smiling instead of frowning to swimming instead of drowning and doing everything the hard way – Cheers for living every day!
From Josiah:
“I’d like to raise a toast to the girl I love most”
--Alfalfa, The Little Rascals Movie
From Leah:
Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest and let thy gifts to us be blessed, amen.
From Miyako:
“Toast made on my Dad’s birthday”
Here’s to a loyal husband a generous father a dedicated soldier a bad gardener – here’s to a good man!
From John:
A Christmas Toast
'Tis the season of the year We bring good fortune to those of cheer. A pocket full of money and a cellar full of beer And a big fat pig to last you all the year.
Cheers, and Merry Christmas! From Natalie:
As we gather around this wonderful meal we thank the Lord for his blessings, each and every day. Family and friends, we each hurry to our seat. In the name of the Father and the Son, good bread, good meat good God, let’s eat!
From Megan:
A Thanksgiving Toast
Cheers to family, friends, health and happiness, On this Thanksgiving Day. Our blessings are many and our misfortunes few, So let us give thanks.
From Whitney:
May you both live as long as you want and never want as long as you live.
From Peter:
Merry met, and merry part I drink to thee with all my heart.
From Matt:
Here’s to a sweetheart, a bottle, and a friend. The first beautiful, the second full, the last ever faithful. From Jane:
Here’s to you Here’s to me, Now let’s drink up And merry we shall be.
From Toi:
“At mealtime, Thanksgiving or Christmas”
Thank you for giving us our food, so the weak may run and not grow weary, but mount up on wings like eagles. To love – amen.
From Terrance:
“Although not on a regular basis, my family and I use toasts. We do it on special occasions, usually on large family occasions like Christmas or Thanksgiving. We do it to say something that’s very important and pertains to everyone. But I don’t just use toasts then, I use them more regularly for fun. One that I do use goes like this:
When I was sick My mom took me to the doc There is no denying That I love her a lot.”
Two from Kelli:
Tune: “Oh What a Night” - Marvin Junior
Oh What a night You must give a toast that’s smooth but light You’re prepared – oh well, in truth, not quite Don’t despair – there’s help in sight.
Soon is the night Days are passing and you feel uptight Breathe a sigh – we’ll help your words take flight Don’t waste time – call us tonight.
Tune: “That’ll be the Day” – Buddy Holly
Well, you’re givin’ a toast, the deadline is near Oh you’re givin’ a toast, for someone who’s dear Yes, you’re givin’ a toast, you must get in gear You’re givin’ a toast, don’t worry, help’s near.
There will be a big crowd, so mind what you say And you want to feel proud, and say something gay You can hope words will come, and sit back and pray Or pick up the phone – call us right away.
Two from Karen:
Toast (from friend)
May you live as long as you like And have all you like as long as you live.
Here’s to you and here’s to me Friends may we always be! But if by chance we disagree Up yours! Here’s to me! From Jackie:
Bless us O Lord For these thy gifts Which we are about to receive On this, thy bounty Though Christ, Our Lord, Amen.
From Sally:
We’re here We’re queer Let’s drink Some beer.
From the prof:
“I got this toast a long time back from three charming sisters who grew up in Idaho.”
Here’s to the woman, The fruit of the vine, She blooms every month, And blossoms every nine.
Here’s to the man That rotten old weed He blooms not at all But always has seed.
___________________________________________
FEMA Evacuation Plan (Run-Motherfucker-Run)
Don't Give Me Your Attitude I Already have One
Computers are fun and useful (Image of 1980s family around a monitor)
The leaf of the coca plant isn't a drug (Image of a coca leaf)
Make Love, Not War! (Hand-decorated tie-dye shirt)
McShit (Image of the yellow arches)
I wish a could fly (Image of a penguin)
The hottest girls are from New Jersey (Image of nuclear reactor in background)
Girl chasing is the Kazakh national sport (Image of girl and boy riding horses)
Vote or Die
These art pieces were performed anonymously and then later captured on photographs.
The graffiti shown in these photos is a very common style of graffiti found in almost every town. The meaning of the graffiti is not necessarily clear and some of the art is up for interpretation. Each piece was tagged by the artist, yet we do not know the real names of the people who created this graffiti. These specific pieces were found covering an entire building off 3rd Street.
The following is an interview with a graffiti artist. This interview took place on Indiana University campus with an undergraduate art student named Joseph Campbell.
Clair: What is the meaning and function of graffiti to you? Joseph: As a graffiti artist I think the meaning and function go hand in hand. The function is … it’s a way of free self expression and it’s meant to be rebellious and that’s the meaning. And there’s different types of meaning to like gang graffiti, territorial, political, artistic, etc. and it differs from person to person. Clair: How does graffiti fit into folklore? Joseph: It’s a voice of the people at a certain time. It’s a lot of what people want to say but can’t…at least not comfortably in public. It’s a voice of a population or community. Clair: When you do graffiti what, what kind do you generally do: political, artistic? Joseph: I do a mixture of a both political and artistic. But my main focus is always artistic expression. Clair: Where do you usually like to present your work and why? Joseph: The majority of what I do is on smaller canvas or pieces of cardboard, or basically anything I can find so I can take it beyond buildings and bring it into the home. I do it in places you wouldn’t expect it so when you take a certain path you just stumble upon it.
Meaning and Function When we think of graffiti, we generally think of the graffiti we see almost every day decorating our buildings. Since graffiti is seen as an illegal act, and in most cases is, we tend to think of graffiti as gang related or political. However, graffiti does not have to go against something or be used in a gang related way. It can also simply be a form of artistic expression. Its meaning can be to capture the viewer’s imagination. Artistic graffiti can also have the function of beatifying a building. For example, People’s Park uses graffiti to create an interesting, artistic atmosphere. While graffiti is a great way to voice the opinions of the people and express one’s views in an anonymous way, it is also a great medium for artistic expression. In many cases political and artistic graffiti share the same meaning and function. Both are used to capture the attention of a community. Graffiti allows people to say what they want or create any images they want without any consequences. Graffiti allows people to reach out to others. Whether it be to state a view on the upcoming election, or to create a picture of the earth in hopes to get people thinking about saving the environment, graffiti is a great way to speak to a community and be heard.
I searched Bloomington for graffiti which was political in its nature. By political, I mean anything which references or is critical of the United States government. Hot topics which are based on current issues are being discussed in the back-alleyways of Bloomington. However, due to the nature of the discussion, it is better for people to voice their opinions anonymously sometimes. In doing so, one avoids the possible social ostracizing that comes with a radical stance. Item 1: “Resist I-69”
Located on the side of “420” shop on Kirkwood. This graffiti, measuring roughly 5 X 10 feet, is one of the larger pieces that can be found with political undertones. Its size and simplicity of message are part of what make it so effective as a medium. In Indiana right now, many people want more roads built to increase the rate at which goods can be transported. However, some people feel that there are already too many roads in a state of disrepair, and new ones should not be built. The graffiti calls for resistance to the highway – a sort of rallying call to citizens to keep watch on the government’s use of our tax dollars. Item 2: “Wisdom”
This piece, which I located on the side of Chase Bank on Kirkwood Avenue, features a stencil of the Dalai Lama’s face with the word “wisdom” written on his forehead. The Dalai Lama has a special connection to Bloomington, as his brother moved here after they were both exiled from China due to their outspoken views on China’s treatment of Tibet. He is seen by some as a counterculture revolutionary, speaking out against governmental regimes of immense authoritative power. The Dalai Lama has gained a certain celebrity in the states, especially with younger people, by holding public talks in which he extols the Buddhist way of life and teaches people how to live their daily lives more in tune with their spiritual consciousness. Item 3: “Christo Fascist”
This piece, which I found on the side of Domo Steak and Sushi on Third Street, is a stencil of George Bush’s face with the claim that he is a Christo-Fascist. By this, the artist is referring no doubt to our President’s concept of church versus state. It is built into our Constitution to separate matters of church and state; however, many feel that Bush keeps the two in close proximity to one other. He is constantly saying “God bless America” as a well as making claims that God seems to favor the U.S. over other nations. The fascism aspect comes in when people feel that Bush is literally forcing Christianity on Americans. A fascist government’s support of a particular religion is a big fear in a liberal area such as Bloomington. As such, it is not surprising to find such open, blatant criticism against our President here. Item 4: “Rob the Casbah”
This is a reference to the Clash’s song “Rock the Casbah,” a song about war in the Middle East. Located on the side of Tracks on Kirkwood Avenue, this graffiti makes reference to a popular belief in America that we are currently fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq in order to obtain oil rights. We are robbing them of what is, by way of possession, their oil. This is justified by our government, according to some, because oil is needed to maintain our economy. Such a message is critical of our efforts in the Middle East, and accordingly could not in good taste be publicly shared outside the anonymous medium of graffiti. Item 5: “Your Patriotism in Action”
This piece, which I found on the side of Soma Coffeehouse on Kirkwood, shows a bomb dropping. It claims this bomb is a direct result of people’s patriotism. This piece is a reference to public’s support of the war. It is easy for an American citizen to support the war from all the way back in America. Back here, all we see are positive chants and rallying cries for our troops, but over in the desert this simply equates to more death. Every increase in public support for this war simply brings about more funding for more bombs. This graffiti artist would probably wish a peaceful resolution to the Middle Eastern conflict.
These free-style raps were all performed by Dane Hoover (age 26) one evening with Sarah Brewer (age 22) in attendance, during the spring semester of 2008.
Text 1: On Dane’s life as an IU student
I can do anything you can do better I can do anything better than you That’s because I’m from 1982 IUSB! To IUB Dropped an S and added a B But left the B from the other D Wait, what the Fuck is wrong with me? Oh, here we go Let me start again I’m coming back fresh with the same old plan
This rap is uncensored as it would be in a more public setting, which is how Dane usually performs amongst friends and other IU students.
Text 2: On the Little 500 weekend
Don’t get down from IUSB Instead I’m down In IUB Where I’ll be representin’ all in my tee ‘Cept for that it is a long sleeve Ya dig what I be sayin’ or ya dig what I see? No? Well, fuck you and fuck me IUSB, IUB it don’t matter Lil’ 500 is a whole bunch of chatter But I don’t see the fucking thing It’s just a bunch of kids in tights On fuckin’ bikes Riding around be like, “yikes”! They’re like “I’m fuckin’ drunk”! And ‘ I’m all like “I thought you was ridin’ bikes, why you all skunked”? They’re like “Aww shit man, waz up”? I’m like “Naw get out Ima kick you in the butt” I’m tired, I’m tired, I’m tired of this shit It’s time to go coz my shit gettin’ – illiget It’s like oooh, oooh, oooh Woowa, woo, ha, ha, ha
This rap relies on the Lil’ 500 partying aspect and his opinions on that put this piece into the IU folklore context.
Text 3: On describing himself
My name is Dane and my raps are lame I’m gonna give you what comes off my brain It’s all gonna be a lil’ insane But it comes from the straightness right here man IU is where I go to school I’m gonna graduate in May and act a fool Except for one lil’ thing is true I’m gonna have to find a job to support my boo And my lil’ one too! Everyone knows I make the best beef stew And they’re gonna eat it up and love every bit Everybody knows I spin and get legit Coz I’m comin’ back quick and I’m comin’ back fresh Everybody knows I act like David Koresh And it’s the way I do, it’s the way I be My name is Dane and I like ICP And the things like that, and I think it’s funny But I don’t know what coz you ain’t my honey
This text has a more comedic stand point and would be something more fitting to a public forum of friends or other students. It is an example of what other rappers at IU may also be performing.
Text 4: On his future
My name is Dane and Ima sing you a song This song isn’t for you in the class room Its for my girl, her name is Lacy, she’s my boo We have a lil’ one too It’s in her belly Comin’ out soon and I’m helly-yelly Gonna be like wh-wh-hoo Smokin my cigar and get on, WHAT? WHAT? And that’s how its gonna be My baby’s gonna be like po-ppy! She gonna be like dab-ba-dab-ba-da-ba, da-ba-do I’ll be like, that’s my baby and I love you! People think it’s crazy that I’m on here You’ll see me around town and be like, Was that guy the one that wasn’t even clear When he said things to me, and said things to you He cam back tellin’ us, Somethin’ bout his boo I don’t know let me ask you What do you think, where it from, how do ya do? Waz up, Waz up, waz up You see me say something or I’ll (smacks hands together) And be like what, what-what, what, what
As can be seen there is overlap from some earlier performances, which shows how important these elements are to the artist.
Informant: Lakyra Pharms Text Title: Campus Superstar Text Date: Second Semester 4/13/08
Interview:
Interviewer: So what is Campus SuperStar?
Lakyra: It is a competition involving student singers from I U campuses.
Interviewer: Do you have to be involved in the music school or any major musical group to participate?
Lakyra: No. You can be any random student, and if you think you can sing then you can participate.
Interviewer: After hearing my classes’ definition of Folklore, why would you consider this competition a part of college folklore.
Lakyra: Well first off it involves the college student. (Laugh) But it also shows the other side of the musical world of college life, the side that is not shown in the major performance halls in the school of music, or broadcasted on billboards. This competition allows these students to let their hair down. Some of the Jacobs School of Music students said that this competition was totally against what they are being taught!!!
Interviewer: For the record, how far did you make it?
Lakyra: (laughing) I made it into the top five singers of the whole competition.
Context
This contest was put on by the Jewish community at Indiana University. They allow students to sing any song that they are comfortable with (excluding Gospel), and in turn provide the stage and a performance venue. This competition captures the folklore music of the college students because it causes students to sing sings that are listened to by the college culture.
This is Rich
For the ethnography collection, my group decided to divide up so we could research party songs, fraternity songs, or sports songs or chants. I chose to research party songs. I decided to interview five different people about party songs that they have experienced. I also asked them when was the first time that they heard it and where did they hear it. The only subgenre of the party songs that I was able to find was beer songs. I interviewed my girlfriend Dallas Frakes, Mitch Phegley, Jordan Carrol, Becca Sheetz, and Cameron Thacker, all of whom are students at Indiana University. When I interviewed Dallas Frakes, she told me about a song called “Beer Run.” I have heard this song myself many times. Dallas explained that she has heard this song typically at parties when there is no alcohol or beer left to be drunk, which is typically late into the night when everyone is drunk. The purpose of the song is to get everyone at the party to want to go on a beer run, meaning running an errand to the liquor store to get more beer. It goes B Double E Double R-U-N BEER RUN Dallas also explained that many country singers have transformed the repetitive chorus into a full lyric song.
Next, Mitch Phegley explained a song to me that goes, One Tequila, Two Tequila, Three Tequila, FLOOR!” I have never heard this song at any party I have been to. It is more of a chant rather than a song that everyone sings. Mitch explained to me that people typically take shots of tequila when acting this out and after the third shot they hit the floor simultaneously.
In the third interview, Jordan Carrol explained a song called “The Beer Barrel Polka.” Again, I have never heard this song myself. The context of this song is an actual song that can be sang. The song went, as follows: Roll out the barrel, we'll have a barrel of fun, Roll out the barrel, we've got the blues on the run. Zing, boom, tararrel, sing out a song of good cheer. Now's the time to roll the barrel, for the gang's all here!
Jordan explained to me that this is just the chorus of the song and he could not remember the rest of the lyrics. He first heard this song while he was in Europe with friends when they went out to a bar one night.
In the fourth interview, Becca Sheetz explained a song to me, which I found to be hilarious. Again, I had never heard this song prior to the interview. This song was more poem-like than the other songs presented to me in the interviews. Becca said that she first heard this song while she was at Daytona Beach with some of her guy friends. She said all of a sudden they started acting it out while they were drinking beer late at night on the beach. It went like this,
Beer is much better than a woman, I'll tell you why I'm right, a beer will not get mad at me if I stay out and drink all night, a beer will go down easy, a beer is always wet, do I want a wife?, NO THANKS!, another BEER?, YOU BET!”
Lastly in the fifth interview, Cameron Thacker presented another song to me, which I had never heard prior to the interview. This song was another poem similar to Becca’s song. It went Oh there was a little man and he had a little can and he used to dredge the growler. He'd booze and he'd booze and he'd booze and he'd booze and he'd booze up to his collar. No booze today, no booze today. There ain't no booze on Sunday. No booze today, no booze today. Better come back on Monday!
Cameron explained that this was typically sung when he would get together with his friends on his farm and all the beer was gone on late Saturday nights.
Discussion: I found that all of these songs to be very amusing and interesting. I was surprised to hear that four out of five of the songs I had never heard prior to the interviews. An interesting detail that I found was that all of the songs had to do with beer and not drugs. When I hear the words “party songs” I would typically think of either beer or drugs being involved and in my interviews I only found beer to be involved. I really enjoyed doing these interviews and I hope you enjoy the songs that I found as much as I did.
__________________________________________________________________
Overview: The following content was found on the internet website called Facebook. This website is extremely popular among college students. It is a social utility that connects you with the people around you. The poetry I found through this website comes out of an application where users can write their favorite quotes. I found that many people were using this space to display some of their own poetry or quotes.
Text 1
Three passions, simple but overwhelmingly strong, have governed my life: The longing for love, the search for knowledge, And unbearable pity for the suffering of mankind.
Text 2:
Love brings ecstasy and relieves loneliness. In the union of love I have seen In a mystic miniature the prefiguring vision Of the heavens that saints and poets have imagined.
Text 3 Love and knowledge led upwards to the heavens, But always pity brought me back to earth; Cries of pain reverberated in my heart Of children in famine, of victims tortured And of old people left helpless. I long to alleviate the evil, but I cannot, And I too suffer.
Text 4 If you’re not living on the edge …you’re taking up too much room.
Text 5 All we have is here and now, and that’s why procrastination feels so right.
Function and Meaning The web has become a way for people to come together all over the world and express themselves in numerous ways. Facebook, much like the well-known and much-used MySpace, has become a way for students to express themselves and share their lives with people in their community, school, or all over the world. The point of adding quotes and poetry to one’s profile is to show those you have chosen to view it who you are and what you stand for. It is also a way for students to share with friends funny things they have said or their friends have said in order to come together, laugh, and learn about each other’s lives. The purpose of using Facebook to post one’s poetry and quotes is that it gives students a place to share thoughts and feelings with people who are living in the same environment and who can relate to one another. Facebook is also becoming a way for students to advertise their artwork. Whether it is poetry, photography, or paintings, it is guaranteed to be viewed by a large audience. It is easy to see that the internet has become a large part of our lives. Through the web we have been able to connect in ways we never could before with people all over the world in seconds. With the use of programs such as Facebook one can connect with people and express oneself in countless ways.
From Elizabeth:
“A friend of mine emailed this to me for Valentine's day. I think its a good little parody of the roses are red, violets are blue theme....I think it’s funny because it is sad. It came to my friend and me through the grapevine. I have no idea who actually penned it. I like how the author seemed to lose it around the third stanza and didn't mind killing the rhyme scheme to get it done.”
I hate boys especially today they are useless assholes just good for some play
flowers die chocolates make you fat dont need to go to a romantic dinner It's just stupid like that
whispers in my ear sweet kisses on my lips none of those things i have cause boys are just shit
so roses are red violets are blue im gonna have sex with myself tonight how 'bout you?
Item 1: AAA Taste of Asia Poetry http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejFpmnsGL9o>.
This video is from the 2006 Taste of Asia Culture Show. It is described as “slam” poetry. The artist infuses both his native language and English in describing aspects of his Asian culture. In relation to folklore, the student has shared this at Indiana University in front of other students and online. His expression is forever persevered as a representation of Asian students.
Item 2: Party invitation
This picture was created by Dane Hoover using the Facebook.com application Graffiti. The application works a lot like a computer paint program using a computer mouse to draw. Creative expression is used here, and with the right tools one can even make a great work of art. For this picture in particular a message is used (“Rock of Love Party. Sunday. Be there or Be Square”) to relay information to someone else.
Item 3: Graffiti
This picture was created using the Facebook.com application Super Wall. It has a graffiti section where the user can choose different backgrounds to draw on, and include stickers. This picture was created by Sarah Brewer and sent to several of her friends. Using a brick background and the drawing style attempts to make this piece look like a real life graffiti art work. In relation to folklore this piece shows different ways that students can communicate on line.
_______________________________________________
|
|
||
|
|
|
|
||
This
is Clair
This
is Joey
This
is Sarah
This is
Rafael 
