CALYPSO HISTORY MONTH # 17 Yankees are here World War II bought the Yanks to Trinidad. And even though Trinidad saw no real fighting, the American base at Chaguaramas became an important centre for Calypso activity and prostitution. All the ills and benefits of the American presence so dramatically portrayed in plays like Errol John’s ‘Moon on a Rainbow Shawl’ and Efebo Wilkinson’s ‘Same Khaki Pants’ were also documented in the calypso. The problems with the women were demonstrated in songs like Kitchener’s ‘Marjorie’s Flirtation’ Marjorie I am tired of you Cause you are not really true For every time I walk down the Strand I can hear you were talking to some Yankee Man Ah going to beat you He was a big Yankee man Ah going to beat you He was a rough Yankee man Or Bomber’s ‘Yankee steal my wife’, both songs eliciting threats of a violent reaction from the cheated lover. I am a very unhappy man Through a big handsome American Big Jim came straight from New York City Armed with he good looks and plenty currency Emily eh want to see me again Since big Jim land in Port of Spain Yes it was a Yankee, a big strapping Yankee That stole my gyul from me When ah hold him I intend to flog him All the big he big when I done with him Ah bringing him slim, slim, slim Kitchener’s ‘My Wife Gone’ and Sparrow’s legendary ‘Jean and Dinah’ (Yankees Gone) portray two different side of the shilling, the one in which the calypsonian laments the loss of his wife to the American soldier with whom she is planning to migrate and the other in which the singer as new found hero celebrates the end of the war and the return of the Americans to their homeland. My Wife Gone - Kitchener My wife left me in November To go with a Yankee soldier She said Kitch I am so sorry But you can’t afford to make me happy I told her darling come back to me She shook her head so pitifully And told me Kitch don’t look so sad I may join you back in Trinidad I have made up my mind to go You can’t support me on calypso I turned and said to my darling Why it is you are leaving She said you might not believe me But the Yankee has plenty money And since I have him as my boyfriend I get a lot of money to spend So Kitchie darling you must agree That is what you can’t give to me So I sat my wife on the sofa To see if I can influence her I said dear you should know better Than to fall in love with a soldier A man who lives like a hermit And hires himself as a target She says your criticism is fine But you cannot make me change my mind I don’t care what you think of me Tomorrow I bound for New York City Jean and Dinah - Mighty Sparrow Well the girls in town feeling bad No more Yankees in Trinidad They going to close down the base for good Them girls have to make out how they could Brother is now they park up in town In for a penny, and in for a pound Believe me its competition for so Trouble in the town when the price drop low So when you bounce up Jean and Dinah Rosita and Clementina, round the corner posing Bet your life is something they selling And if you catch them You can get em all for nothing Dont make no row, the yankees gone, Sparrow take over now Things bad is to hear them cry Not a sailor in town, the night clubs dry Only West Indians like me or you Are able to get a drink or two And as we have things back in control Ah seeking revenge with me heart and soul Brother when I spread the news around Is to see how them cave men come into town When the Yankee was in full swing Just imagine how I was suffering Mavis told me straight to me face How she find I too fast and out of place No, no, no, they would start to fret Money or not poor Sparrow cant get Because with the Yankees they have it cool Calypsonians too hard to fool Its the glamour boys again We are going to rule Port of Spain No more Yankees to spoil the fete Dorothy have to take what she get All of them who used to make style While they taking two shilling with a smile No more hotel to rest your head By the sweat of thy brow thou shall eat bread youtu.be/FVqkxiUWXBs When in 1960 Dr. Eric Williams called for the return of the Chaguaramas base and a declaration of Caribbean. “Two years and eight months ago the Second Annual Convention of the People’s National Movement fixed 22 April 1960 as West Indian Independence day and called for a four-party conference to revise the Anglo American agreement on Chagaramas. One year and six months ago I announced publicly at the municipal elections of 1958 – the hour and destiny – 22 April 1960 at eleven o’clock in the morning…. Our ‘base’ is the University of Woodford Square, our ‘army’ is the citizen body; their ‘arms’ are the banners proclaiming independence and their placards denounce colonialism …” Sparrow’s ‘The Base’ and Nap Hep Burn’s ‘We want back Chaguaramas’, two songs in support of Williams’ stand. The Base - Sparrow Long long ago we didn’t even know Well not even a tip Nobody said Chaguaramas was exchanged For a few old battle ship When we asked the Yankees to go Nobody really cared They refused to go they say the base is theirs Until 99 years They ask the Chief Minister He say no they didn’t even register It not sealed or stamped Somebody is a big big scamp If they go remain let them take the Caroni Swamp Great Britain the mother country That’s the one to blame It seems to me doh matter what we do They ent feeling shame They took the ships away from they arms And promised them this place But neglected to see the papers were signed For the Chaguaramas Base During the war the enemy attacked And Britain was afraid To keep all these islands under controls She couldn’t make the grade If then she took the ships from the people To defend she self After the war she was so happy She forget to sign the papers on the shelf I don’t know why but the Yankees came down In a aircraft carrier So much planes and guns and ammunition They must be come to inquire If you see the ship so big and long They call it the Ranger When in land in t h place ah say somebody dead Or the Doctor in danger Want back Chaguaramas– Nap Hep Burn Uncle Sam pull out and go Give we back we land 2 We got Federation The islands unite as one This is my land and meh forefathers land And meh children to come land too This is my place every West Indian place Regardless of class, colour, creed or race Listen Uncle Sam we want back we land Soon we would be a great nation We are going to be prosperous So we want back Chaguaramas But it was Invader’s stealing Yankee who stole not women but the calypso itself that made the biggest impact of all. Next: the Rum and Coca Cola story
Posted on: Fri, 17 Oct 2014 11:27:47 +0000
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