Origin of a song? Mattie Rag

[SandiF]

Re: Origin of a song? Mattie Rag

You are refering to the word <span style="font-weight: bold">matey</span> which is absolutely different and has no relation to the name &quot;Mattie&quot;. Just for the record &quot;matey&quot; is akin to &quot;mate&quot; and the word was coined during early 90s dancehall songs in reference to the married man who has one or more women on the side. <span style="font-style: italic">yeah man, a one a 'im matey dat.</span>

No relation to &quot;Mattie&quot; (a wi nuh waan Morwen more confused than how s/he is..)


<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Seveen</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><span style="font-size: 11pt">mattie is also a term for a woman that is messing with a married man - as in she's his &quot;mattie</span>&quot; </div></div>

[Seveen]

Re: Origin of a song? Mattie Rag

not going to argue - but i know what i know - and maybe the word has morphed into &quot;mattie&quot; - i have heard it used so more than once - especially in negril - where there are loads of &quot;matties&quot; coming and going every day - and it wasn't used in a dancehall song - it came out of people's mouth

go ask a man - none which are in this thread



<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: SandiF</div><div class="ubbcode-body">You are refering to the word <span style="font-weight: bold">matey</span> which is absolutely different and has no relation to the name &quot;Mattie&quot;. Just for the record &quot;matey&quot; is akin to &quot;mate&quot; and the word was coined during early 90s dancehall songs in reference to the married man who has one or more women on the side. <span style="font-style: italic">yeah man, a one a 'im matey dat.</span>

No relation to &quot;Mattie&quot; (a wi nuh waan Morwen more confused than how s/he is..)


<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Seveen</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><span style="font-size: 11pt">mattie is also a term for a woman that is messing with a married man - as in she's his &quot;mattie</span>&quot; </div></div> </div></div>

[Seveen]

Re: Origin of a song? Mattie Rag

and i have never heard anyone say &quot;matey&quot; in jamaica - i heard it alot living in england tho'

[SandiF]

Re: Origin of a song? Mattie Rag

I won't argue either but I know you are referring to the word &quot;matey&quot; regardless of how you may think it is spelt or pronounced. Matey is a very commonly used word in Jamaican vocabulary and as I said in reference to a woman who dey wid a next ooman's man. Yep, Negril full up a matey. We know that too.

So, just to reiterate, Mattie is not the same as &quot;matey&quot;. Different words, used in different terminologies and came about in different genres.

<span style="font-style: italic">when wifey gaawn out den matey run in</span>

[SandiF]

Re: Origin of a song? Mattie Rag

I am surprised at that Seveen as the word matey is so commonly used in Jamaica. Which Jamaican nuh know sey the evolution of 90s dancehall music culminated with the insurgence of glorifying or ridiculing the position of the wifey and di matey (aka mistress) in the man's life. lol!

But I'll caution to add that Mattie a common name used in pre-colonial mento songs is different from the word matey. But if your position is that it is one and the same... well... carry on...

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Seveen</div><div class="ubbcode-body">and i have never heard anyone say &quot;matey&quot; in jamaica - i heard it alot living in england tho' </div></div>

[CyberPhobic]

Re: Origin of a song? Mattie Rag

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: MorwenEdhelwen1</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Seveen</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><span style="font-size: 11pt">mattie is also a term for a woman that is messing with a married man - as in she's his &quot;mattie</span>&quot; </div></div> Thanks for that, Seveen! I didn't know that. So it could be a personal name or a word for &quot;mistress/other woman&quot;. Rag refers to music-- but the way the lyrics of the verse I know go, it [i]sounds like the woman's actual name. /i] (apologies for phonetic spelling) &quot;Wen 'im ask 'im a who fa rag, 'im tell 'im sey a Mattie rag,&quot; which I thought meant <span style="font-weight: bold">'When he asked him whose rag is that, he told him and said it was Mattie's rag&quot;. </span> </div></div>

RAG in dis context mean WASHCLOTH or TIE-HEAD.

Dat sang is about a man whe &quot;blakhawt&quot; did tekk whe. Unnoo cyaah gwaan mek it sound pretty but it nuh mean nutt'n but di fack dat di likkle bwoy run wen dem (slave-owners) ketch him fadda and cyaah him whe gawwn a plantayshan.

A run him run guh home guh tell him madda and was juss glad sey dem neva tekk him tuh.

[sistacaf]

Re: Origin of a song? Mattie Rag

cyberphobic

that sounds like the rightest interpretation to me.

[CyberPhobic]

Re: Origin of a song? Mattie Rag

Tonks sistacaf.


<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Seveen</div><div class="ubbcode-body">i'm surprised you haven't heard the term &quot;mattie&quot; - not matey in jamaica caf - i have heard it for years . . . seen people introduced with a wink and a grin as &quot;mattie&quot;


<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: sistacaf</div><div class="ubbcode-body">well - the side woman is a &quot;matey&quot; -- like British people call a close friend 'mate'.

that's a different spelling <span style="font-style: italic">and</span> different pronunciation altogether from the name &quot;Mattie&quot;- </div></div> </div></div>

Tekk it from dis country gurl, dawlin, since yuh naah listen to nuhbady else... U WRANG pan dah wan yah!!!

Di word is M-A-T-E-Y (pronounced MAY-TEE)

MATTIE is a whole different word dat and it hawdly evah use widdout di MISS or MS, infronta it.

[Morwen Edhelwen]

Re: Origin of a song? Mattie Rag

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: CyberPhobic</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: MorwenEdhelwen1</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Seveen</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><span style="font-size: 11pt">mattie is also a term for a woman that is messing with a married man - as in she's his &quot;mattie</span>&quot; </div></div> Thanks for that, Seveen! I didn't know that. So it could be a personal name or a word for &quot;mistress/other woman&quot;. Rag refers to music-- but the way the lyrics of the verse I know go, it [i]sounds like the woman's actual name. /i] (apologies for phonetic spelling) &quot;Wen 'im ask 'im a who fa rag, 'im tell 'im sey a Mattie rag,&quot; which I thought meant <span style="font-weight: bold">'When he asked him whose rag is that, he told him and said it was Mattie's rag&quot;. </span> </div></div>

RAG in dis context mean WASHCLOTH or TIE-HEAD.

Dat sang is about a man whe &quot;blakhawt&quot; did tekk whe. Unnoo cyaah gwaan mek it sound pretty but it nuh mean nutt'n but di fack dat di likkle bwoy run wen dem (slave-owners) ketch him fadda and cyaah him whe gawwn a plantayshan. </div></div>

&quot;Rag' means &quot;washcloth&quot;, as in &quot;headscarf&quot; ? So this song is about a boy who runs away when his father is caught and sent to a plantation? Sounds like a reasonable explanation/interpretation to me. Thanks, CyberPhobic.

[Morwen Edhelwen]

Re: Origin of a song? Mattie Rag

SandiF, I'm a &quot;she&quot;. Sorry if I wasn't clear enough.

[CyberPhobic]

Re: Origin of a song? Mattie Rag

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: MorwenEdhelwen1</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: CyberPhobic</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: MorwenEdhelwen1</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Seveen</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><span style="font-size: 11pt">mattie is also a term for a woman that is messing with a married man - as in she's his &quot;mattie</span>&quot; </div></div> Thanks for that, Seveen! I didn't know that. So it could be a personal name or a word for &quot;mistress/other woman&quot;. Rag refers to music-- but the way the lyrics of the verse I know go, it [i]sounds like the woman's actual name. /i] (apologies for phonetic spelling) &quot;Wen 'im ask 'im a who fa rag, 'im tell 'im sey a Mattie rag,&quot; which I thought meant <span style="font-weight: bold">'When he asked him whose rag is that, he told him and said it was Mattie's rag&quot;. </span> </div></div>

RAG in dis context mean WASHCLOTH or TIE-HEAD.

Dat sang is about a man whe &quot;blakhawt&quot; did tekk whe. Unnoo cyaah gwaan mek it sound pretty but it nuh mean nutt'n but di fack dat di likkle bwoy run wen dem (slave-owners) ketch him fadda and cyaah him whe gawwn a plantayshan. </div></div>

&quot;Rag' means &quot;washcloth&quot;, as in &quot;headscarf&quot; ? So this song is about a boy who runs away when his father is caught and sent to a plantation? Sounds like a reasonable explanation/interpretation to me. Thanks, CyberPhobic. </div></div>

U R Welcome puttus. Nexx time juss hawks mi an mi wi clear tings up fi yuh yah mi Kiwi.

B/T/W, mi coming down unda soon, any chance of free accomodations for dat piece of wisdom?

:NOSHAMEINMYGAME:

[CyberPhobic]

Re: Origin of a song? Mattie Rag

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: MorwenEdhelwen1</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: CyberPhobic</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: MorwenEdhelwen1</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Seveen</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><span style="font-size: 11pt">mattie is also a term for a woman that is messing with a married man - as in she's his &quot;mattie</span>&quot; </div></div> Thanks for that, Seveen! I didn't know that. So it could be a personal name or a word for &quot;mistress/other woman&quot;. Rag refers to music-- but the way the lyrics of the verse I know go, it [i]sounds like the woman's actual name. /i] (apologies for phonetic spelling) &quot;Wen 'im ask 'im a who fa rag, 'im tell 'im sey a Mattie rag,&quot; which I thought meant <span style="font-weight: bold">'When he asked him whose rag is that, he told him and said it was Mattie's rag&quot;. </span> </div></div>

RAG in dis context mean WASHCLOTH or TIE-HEAD.

Dat sang is about a man whe &quot;blakhawt&quot; did tekk whe. Unnoo cyaah gwaan mek it sound pretty but it nuh mean nutt'n but di fack dat di likkle bwoy run wen dem (slave-owners) ketch him fadda and cyaah him whe gawwn a plantayshan. </div></div>

&quot;Rag' means &quot;washcloth&quot;, as in &quot;headscarf&quot; ? So this song is about a boy who runs away when his father is caught and sent to a plantation? Sounds like a reasonable explanation/interpretation to me. Thanks, CyberPhobic. </div></div>

Some more WISDOM.

Back in dose times, di elder or granny in di house would tekk a piece a calico cloth and tie dem head a nite-time (fi ward off duppy). Dem would pray pon di rag and den give di tie-head/RAG to dem son or son-in-law fi cyarry wid dem inna dem pocket wen den guh farm/bush, juss fi keep BLAKHAWT from ketching them (read up on the stealing of young men for slavery) suh a dat RAG dem talking bout inna di song which (mekks nuh doubt) belong tuh him granny name Miss Mattie.

[Morwen Edhelwen]

Re: Origin of a song? Mattie Rag



&quot;Rag' means &quot;washcloth&quot;, as in &quot;headscarf&quot; ? So this song is about a boy who runs away when his father is caught and sent to a plantation? Sounds like a reasonable explanation/interpretation to me. Thanks, CyberPhobic. [/quote]

Some more WISDOM.

Back in dose times, di elder or granny in di house would tekk a piece a calico cloth and tie dem head a nite-time (fi ward off duppy). Dem would pray pon di rag and den give di tie-head/RAG to dem son or son-in-law fi cyarry wid dem inna dem pocket wen den guh farm, juss fi keep BLAKHAWT from ketching them (read up on the stealing of young men for slavery) suh a dat RAG dem talking bout inna di song which (mekks nuh doubt) belong tuh him granny name Miss Mattie.

[/quote] I searched on Google Books. And found this: From a book (Staying power: the history of black people in Britain by Peter Fryer) &quot;<span style="font-style: italic">And there were many slaveowners who defied the law by kidnapping escaped slaves and shipping them to the plantations.&quot;</span> I wouldn't be surprised that something like that happened in Jamaica. Is this what you're referring to, or have I got <span style="font-style: italic">completely the wrong idea? /i]Escaped slaves or possibly freeborn people being recaptured back into slavery? Of course... if this was sung before emancipation, I highly doubt it was [i]illegal in Jamaica</span>.

[Wahalla]

Re: Origin of a song? Mattie Rag

since u are an Ozzie.. I must point out that the first Bushranger was a Jamaican!

You dont live in Karratha by any chance do u ?

[Morwen Edhelwen]

Re: Origin of a song? Mattie Rag

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Wahalla</div><div class="ubbcode-body">since u are an Ozzie.. I must point out that the first Bushranger was a Jamaican!

You dont live in Karratha by any chance do u ? </div></div> Yes to the first part, the first bushranger's name was John Caesar, and he came on the First Fleet, in case you didn't know. No, I live in Sydney.