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Work Song

The document describes the song "Po Lazarus" performed by James Carter in the film O Brother, Where Art Thou?. It was originally recorded in 1959 by Alan Lomax of James Carter singing the song to accompany prisoners working in a Mississippi state penitentiary camp. Over 40 years later, it became the title track of the film's highly successful soundtrack album. The song tells the story of a man hunted down and shot by a sheriff. Work songs were an important part of African American folklore, helping slaves synchronize their work and endure difficult tasks on cotton fields in the Southern United States.

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126 views1 page

Work Song

The document describes the song "Po Lazarus" performed by James Carter in the film O Brother, Where Art Thou?. It was originally recorded in 1959 by Alan Lomax of James Carter singing the song to accompany prisoners working in a Mississippi state penitentiary camp. Over 40 years later, it became the title track of the film's highly successful soundtrack album. The song tells the story of a man hunted down and shot by a sheriff. Work songs were an important part of African American folklore, helping slaves synchronize their work and endure difficult tasks on cotton fields in the Southern United States.

Uploaded by

genard
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Po Lazarus James Carter & The Prisoners (O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Well, the high sheriff He told his deputy Want you go out and bring me Lazarus Well, the high sheriff Told his deputy I want you go out and bring me Lazarus Bring him dead or alive, Lawd, Lawd Bring him dead or alive Well the deputy he told the high sheriff I ain't gonna mess with Lazarus Well the deputy he told the high sheriff Says I ain't gonna mess with Lazarus Well he's a dangerous man Lawd, Lawd He's a dangerous man Well then the high sheriff, he found Lazarus He was hidin' in the chill of a mountain Well the high sheriff, found Lazarus He was hidin' in the chill of the mountain With his head hung down Lawd, Lawd With his head hung down Well then the high sheriff, he told Lazarus He says Lazarus I come to arrest you Well the high sheriff, told Lazarus Says Lazarus I come to arrest you And bring ya dead or alive Lawd, Lawd Bring you dead or alive Well then Lazarus, he told the high sheriff Says I never been arrested Well Lazarus, told the high sheriff Says I never been arrested By no one man Lawd, Lawd By no one man And then the high sheriff, he shot Lazarus Well, he shot him mighty big number Well the high sheriff, shot Lazarus Well he shot him with a mighty big number With a forty five Lawd, Lawd With a forty five Well then they take old Lazarus Yes they laid him on the commissary gharry Well they taken poor Lazarus And the laid him on the commissary gharry He said my wounded side Lawd, Lawd My wounded side

extrait du film OBrother des frres Coen


Esclaves dans un champ de coton 1873-1874 / Sud des Etats-Unis

Po Lazarus, un vieux work-song triste et mlancolique qui relate l'histoire d'un homme traqu et abattu par un shrif, avait t enregistr mi septembre 1959 par Alan Lomax, alors que James Carter le chantait pour soutenir au travail ses compagnons d'infortune du camp B du pnitencier de l'tat du Mississippi. Plus de 40 ans plus tard ce work-song est devenu le titre phare de la bande son du film qui s'est vendue en plusieurs millions d'exemplaires et qui a obtenu 5 Grammy awards en 2002, alors que James Carter tait considr comme disparu.

LES WORK-SONGS FONT PARTIE DE LAUTHENTIQUE FOLKLORE AFRO AMERICAIN. ILS CONSTITUENT LUNE DES SOURCES DE LA MUSIQUE DE JAZZ "O brother" le film des frres Coen prsente dans reconstitution dun work-song : Po Lazarus. Ce sont des chants populaires avec lesquels les esclaves noirs des EtatsUnis accompagnaient les travaux des champs. Cela leur permettaient de synchroniser leurs mouvements et de mieux supporter les tches pnibles. Les coups de pioche soulignent la pulsation et accompagnent le chant. Loutil est utilis comme un instrument. Transmis par tradition orale ils taient chants A Cappella (sans accompagnement instrumental). De forme question/rponse on dit que le work song est un chant responsoriel.
LE COTON ET LE FOUET Le coton est la fleur la plus cultive dans le sud des Etats-Unis. Grce aux esclaves la production augmente constamment. Pour chaque esclave la quantit de coton cueillir par jour est fixe et elle est contrle la fin de la journe en pesant les paniers. Si un esclave est moins rentable il est puni avec le fouet. Les plaies provoques sont ensuite laves avec de leau et du sel pour quelles cicatrisent mais aussi pour quelles restent douloureuses et quelles servent dexemple aux autres esclaves. Les autres cultures sont le riz, la canne sucre, le tabac et le chanvre.

son prologue une

Pour les esclaves dpouills de leurs biens, dracins, la musique reste l'un des seuls ponts qui les relient encore leurs origines. La musique va tre pour cette population une chappatoire leurs conditions de vie trs pnibles. En Afrique, chants et danses accompagnent la vie quotidienne. Un village sans musique est un village mort Proverbe africain. Ainsi, la tradition va se perptuer. Dans un premier temps dans les champs de coton (work-song), puis, partir du milieu du 18me sicle poursuivre son volution au sein des temples alors que les esclaves participent aux crmonies religieuses. Ainsi natront les negro-spirituals et les Gospels Songs (chants de lvangile)

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