← Table of contents
Jamaican song and story

Part 3 — CIX.

Reading edition

The first half of the tune which follows occurs in the story of Annancy and Screech-owl (No. XIX.):—

music
music

[Listen] [XML]

There's a black boy in a ring, tra la la la la, There's a black boy in a ring, tra la la la la, There's a black boy in a ring, tra la la la la, He like sugar an' I like plum. Wheel an' take you pardner, jump shamador! Wheel an' take you pardner, jump shamador! Wheel an' take you pardner, jump shamador! For he like sugar an' I like plum.

The boy inside the ring chooses his partner, whom he leaves there after the dance. She obtains release by choosing another partner, whom she leaves behind. So there is alternately a boy and a girl in the ring.

"Shamador" is possibly a corruption of "camerado."

Explore with AITake your curiosity a little further.

Reading settings