"Not a light"? (Linstead Market- 1904)

[Morwen Edhelwen]

In the 1904 earliest collected version of <span style="font-style: italic">Linstead Market</span>, called by that version first line <span style="font-style: italic">Me Carry Me Ackee A Linstead Market</span> the chorus line(which I know and sing as &quot;Oh lord, what a night, not a bite, what a Sattiday night&quot is this:
<span style="font-style: italic">Oh lord, what a night,</span> <span style="font-weight: bold">not a light</span>,[/i]
what a Sattiday night,
Lord what a night, not a light,what a Sattiday night.&quot; [/i] Does anyone know whether &quot;not a light&quot; refers to literally not having a light, or it being dark because it's a moonless night?
Because it's impossible to sell things in total darkness (and yeah, in the song the singer can't sell the ackee, but no-one tries to sell things when it's totally dark. Or maybe it refers to having a cigarette or something, if those were invented by 1904. I've read the word &quot;light&quot; used in reference to cigarettes. Got no idea where, but I've read it somewhere. Or it's possible that &quot;light&quot; is a corruption of something.)

[Morwen Edhelwen]

Re: &quot;Not a light&quot;? (Linstead Market- 1904)

That version's in Walter Jekyll, <span style="font-style: italic">Jamaican Song and Story</span>, published 1907.

[Tuff Gong]

Re: &quot;Not a light&quot;? (Linstead Market- 1904)

It could be a moonless night, as I remember my grandma used to go to Balaclava Market. We had to get there at 4:00. By Daylight most of the wholesale business between vendors was completed, then it was time for retail.
By that time some wholesalers had moved on to other locales.
I can see how it may have started out literally as light, then became bite overtime!
Some version went
Lord....ddd
What a Night
What a Night
What a Satiday Night

[Morwen Edhelwen]

Re: &quot;Not a light&quot;? (Linstead Market- 1904)

Thanks for that. Looks feasible.

[sistactry]

Re: &quot;Not a light&quot;? (Linstead Market- 1904)

ahhh my Linstead market,


this sight is directly across the street, I think this is Fletchers Lane

[Morwen Edhelwen]

Re: &quot;Not a light&quot;? (Linstead Market- 1904)

Wow! And, SistaCry, what do you think &quot;not a light&quot; refers to? Interesting note: Wiki on this song gives a version called &quot;Solas Market&quot;, collected in 1927 by an (American?) folklorist named Edith Roberts (?) which is close to the version most people know; except for the name of the market. Maybe this song is found all over Jamaica?

[Wahalla]

Re: &quot;Not a light&quot;? (Linstead Market- 1904)

given that this was rural Jamaica and that there was not penetration of electricity into Linstead at the time.. I always thought it was an early morning market.. and there were no customers who would have brought their own lights.. so the lack of light suggest a lack of customers...

Bear in mind also that from about the 1890's kerosene was available in Jamaica but it would have been expensive so it wouold be used sparingly...

If theis pred ated the availabilty of kerosnene that light was more expensive and difficult commondithy that the poor peastant would be hard pressed to have...
Bear in mind that slaves had markets at the end of slavery and they would leave the plantations under liecence... whern they went to markets they would light their lamps to examine the produce.....

it could have orginiated during a period of revolt where by the liecences meant that the customers were not available to attend the markets due to lack of liecences...

But what do I know ???? I am a stupid uneducated sell out..

[Morwen Edhelwen]

Re: &quot;Not a light&quot;? (Linstead Market- 1904)

Um, who said that about you? Your explanation- yeah, that also sounds feasible. Interesting though that the same basic song, with different verses, can tell a different story.

[Wahalla]

Re: &quot;Not a light&quot;? (Linstead Market- 1904)

there are multiple versions of the song...like all folk songs internationally.. it is hard to explain to people who cannot imagine living without the electronics recorded music that folk songs evolved and are organic. and the concept of definative version is a misnomer... With each version reflecting local experience and conditions.. f

When I heard it orignially it was a slower song... and recall a discussion as to light vs night. Lewin version is the most popular one, but it is not the only one..

And I have been reliably informed by this board that I am a sell out stupid and uneducated..and a running dog...

[Morwen Edhelwen]

Re: &quot;Not a light&quot;? (Linstead Market- 1904)

Didn't Olive Lewin publish a book called: &quot;Rock it come over?&quot; I found that on Google Books. She mentioned that this particular song is one of a type of song called a &quot;Dinki'- a funeral song and dance performed in rural areas on a sad topic with an upbeat tune.

[Morwen Edhelwen]

Re: &quot;Not a light&quot;? (Linstead Market- 1904)

bump