Coon, Coon, Coon

Coon, Coon, Coon is a "coon song" from 1900. The words were written by Gene Jefferson and the music by Leo Friedman. The lyrics are about an African American concerned with his appearance including his skin color and hair type while not being accepted by a woman. He makes efforts to acquire Caucasian characteristics but fails and is called out. Songsheet cover for the music include caricatured African American faces and a photograph of minstrel performers of the song inset.[1]

Songsheet cover from 1901 with photograph of Lew Dockstader in blackface inset

The song was performed by Lew Dockstader. Arthur Collins and Joe Natus recorded a rendition of the song on Edison Records in 1901.[2] The University of California Santa Barbara has a brown wax phonograph cylinder recording of the song.[3] A version of the songsheet has a photograph of Irving Jones inset.[4] In 1902, "Coon! Coon! Coon!" was published in the Song-book of the Commandery of the State of Pennsylvania, A. Groux, printer.[5]

Photograph of two Caucasian children pointing at an African American used to illustrate the song lyrics.

The Library of Congress has a photograph of two Caucasian children pointing at an African American described as illustrating a line from the song.[6]

A version of the song was recorded in the Max Hunter Folk Song Collection.[7]

Songsheet with photograph of Morris Manley inset.

Coon songs such as this one ridicule African Americans.[8] The derisive term coon, a shortened form of raccoon alluding to cunning, was used to refer to Native Americans, Whigs, and "sly rustic" types before being used to describe African Americans.[9]

Gid Tanner and Fate Norris recorded the song in 1928 as did Will Gilmer and R.O. Mosley. The Taylor Trio recorded it in 1930.[10]

In 1945, William Howland Kenney gave a partial defense of Arthur Collins singing the lyrics of the song and described it as bathetic.[11]

Charles Kenyon incorporated a Caucasian woman struggling to perform the song in the 1929 movie Show Boat.[12]

References
  1. Stephens, Michelle Ann (August 24, 2014). Skin Acts: Race, Psychoanalysis, and the Black Male Performer. Duke University Press. ISBN 9780822376651 – via Google Books.
  2. "Coon, coon, coon - Alexandria Digital Research Library | Alexandria Digital Research Library". www.alexandria.ucsb.edu.
  3. University of California, Santa Barbara Library Department of Special Collections (November 16, 2005). "Cylinder Preservation and Digitization Project". cylinders.library.ucsb.edu.
  4. "Coon Coon Coon / music by Leo. Friedman; words by Gene Jefferson". Sheet Music, 1900-1909. January 1, 1900.
  5. "Song-book of the Commandery of the State of Pennsylvania". A. Groux, printer. February 22, 1902 – via Google Books.
  6. ""Coon. Coon. Coon"". Library of Congress.
  7. "145.160 - Coon, Coon, Coon. The Most Successful Song Hit of 1901. | Levy Music Collection". levysheetmusic.mse.jhu.edu.
  8. Wormser, Richard (February 5, 2003). The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow. Macmillan. ISBN 9780312313241 – via Google Books.
  9. Green, Jonathon (September 3, 2014). The Vulgar Tongue: Green's History of Slang. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-939816-4 – via Google Books.
  10. Russell, Tony; Pinson, Bob (October 7, 2004). Country Music Records: A Discography, 1921-1942. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-988154-3 – via Google Books.
  11. Kenney, William Howland (July 8, 1999). Recorded Music in American Life: The Phonograph and Popular Memory, 1890-1945. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-988014-0 – via Google Books.
  12. Decker, Todd (October 5, 2012). Show Boat: Performing Race in an American Musical. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-996813-8 – via Google Books.
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