Watermelon Vendor

Creator: 
Ellabell Singleton (Performer), Herbert Halpert (Recorder)
Description: 

Sound recording of a woman imitating the street cries of a Georgia watermelon merchant. The tune uses both snappy lyrics and exaggerated claims to market the product to passersby.

Publisher: 
Library of Congress
Contributor: 
Bradley Sykes
Rights: 
Library of Congress
Format: 
wav
Language: 
English
Type: 
Sound
Source: 

Florida Folklife from the WPA Collections, 1937-1942. Accessed via web. The Library of Congress American Memory. http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/florida/index.html.

Date: 
June 18, 1939
Subject: 

African-Americans, vocals, Ethnography, Street Cries, Music, Advertising

Transcription: 

Fly 'round, fly 'round young ladies, fly 'round, fly 'round. [inaudible] fly 'round, fly 'round. Watermelons so sweet, don't need no meat. These frog-town people, ain't got no teeth. Fly 'round, fly 'round young ladies, fly 'round, fly 'round. [inaudible] fly 'round, fly 'round.

Duration: 
00:32
Bit Rate/Frequency: 
352 kbps