Rosie, Nina Simone, and Nicki Minaj
In 1947, Alan Lomax recorded the inmates of the Mississippi State Penitentiary, which is known to some as Parchman Farm, singing a song called, “Rosie.” On paper, it’s a fairly standard prison work song. The titular Rosie is a woman who lives outside the prison walls, and the song details the life the inmates hope to have with her once they’re set free. However, work songs aren’t as simple as they seem, and this one in particular had a longer life than most. In 1965, Nina Simone released “Be My Husband,” her own version of "Rosie," as the opening track of her classic album Pastel Blues. Half a decade later, “Rosie” was resurrected again, this time in 2015 by David Guetta as a sample on their hit single, “Hey Mama.”
Reimaginings, sampling, and covers have a unique power in that they can prolong the relevance of any given song and enhance it with new meaning. They also have the power to create a narrative. “Rosie” once lived in more or less of a vacuum, but then one day, Nina Simone made “Be My Husband” and David Guetta made “Hey Mama.” Now we have new contexts to consider “Rosie,” and the song takes on a different emotional weight that's entirely dependent on the listener. For me, this is a story about sexual power in reverse. For you, it could be something totally different.
(It’s worth noting that this article will make zero sense for you unless you listen to the songs. So do that.)
1. “Rosie” by The Inmates of Parchman Farm (1947)
“Rosie” is a work song, a genre rooted in spirituals. We briefly covered spirituals before, but prison work songs differ in key ways. Work songs, much like spirituals, are a subtle form of protest music. They aren’t directly about rebellion, but they bare the promise of a life outside of the prison while also discussing the conditions of prison itself. Though circumstances may be dire, there will be freedom in this life or the next. Also, like spirituals, most work songs employ a call-and-response structure to represent the toil being forced upon the singer. In fact, work songs have an even more laborious feel because they literally incorporate the swinging of tools as a kind of percussion. The misery inherent in being trapped in an oppressive system informs every aspect of a work song, be it in the beat or the lyrics or any component one may find meaningful.
One of the key differences between spirituals and work songs, however, is that work songs have much less to do with the Bible. Spirituals borrow specific stories or passages from scripture and convert them to song form in order to express a desire for freedom. Work songs have the same goal, and while God certainly has a presence in many of them, most of the time these aren’t Bible stories. They tell immediate relevant experiences. The work itself. How the singer wound up in prison. The singer’s faith in God. Where they’re from. Where they lived. Sometimes it’s sex. Sometimes it’s love.
“Rosie” is a song about those last two, and the unavoidable emotions that come with both. The lyrics are as follows, and in between each call and response, imagine the thud of striking tools. (Note, I transcribed the lyrics myself, so they may not be perfect.):
At a cursory glance, it may seem like the prisoner is the one with the power, and this is ultimately a song about, “Oh man. Once I get out of prison, I’m going to go home, find Rosie, and ‘marry’ her all night long.” But for such confidence, the song seethes with insecurity and jealously. The prisoner is just that: A prisoner. Anything happening outside of the confines of the prison is beyond his control. It’s another layer of power taken away from the prisoner, only this time, it’s in the sexual arena rather than a criminal court.
Only one entity has any control over what Rosie may or may not do, and that’s God. The prisoner seems to lack any faith in Rosie, but he does have faith in God, and he trusts that because he’s been a good Christian man, God will do the right thing and stop Rosie from doing anything untoward.
Still, despite the blatant timidity and the, um, problematic gender roles being enforced by the song, AND DISTINCTLY NOT YOUR LOVING BLOGGER, it still positions sex as a form of freedom. Again, the major difference between spirituals and work songs are aspirational. The spirituals seek heaven, a place without the suffering forced upon the slaves in the mortal realm. One day, all this suffering will end, and we’ll join God in heaven. In “Rosie,” all you need to do is switch out the nouns. “One day, all this suffering will end, and I’ll join Rosie in my new life outside the prison walls.”
Though this was more than likely unintentional, “Rosie” positions its titular woman in the same position as God in the spirituals. She holds the key to the prisoner’s happiness once his time’s been served. If she chooses to remain loyal to the prisoner, than all his aspirations will be met and joy becomes attainable. If she chooses someone else, the suffering continues. God may be in control of both of their fates, but Rosie’s in control of everything else.
2. “Be My Husband” by Nina Simone (1965)
There’s an ugliness that surrounds “By My Husband,” a strange but fascinating song in Simone’s catalogue. The lyrics don’t come off particularly well on paper, which is a mild way of saying that it contains lines such as, “If you want me to I’ll cook and sew,” and “Outside of you there is no place to go.” Making matters infinitely worse is the fact that “Be My Husband” was written by Andrew Stroud, Simone’s ex-husband and then manager, who at various points in Simone’s career beat, tortured, and raped her. (For more specifics on their relationship, I’d highly recommend the documentary What Happened, Miss Simone? on Netflix.)
When an abuser, whom at the very least contributed to Simone’s downfall, writes a song for his wife and includes a lyric like, “Outside of you there is no place to go,” the heinousness of it all can be a bit overbearing. Luckily, Nina Simone was one of the most gifted artists of all time, and Simone not only takes control of the song, but transforms the meaning of the lyrics to make them about sexual empowerment and not subjugation.
Both “Rosie” and “Be My Husband” utilize a stripped down sound. Whereas the only instrumentation in “Rosie” are the strikes from the prisoner’s tool, “Be My Husband” uses the faint pattern of what I believe, based on live footage of her performing the song, is Simone tapping the floor with her foot. After every fourth foot strike, there's a crash from a hi-hat. Using her feet and the cymbal, the song replicates the sound and structure of a work song. (“Be my husband man I…” *Crash* “…be your wife.”) Simone sings each line in an uncharacteristically sultry voice, and when she hits certain lyrics, it almost sounds like a full-blown orgasm.
Whereas the percussion of “Rosie” is an embodiment of the labor being forced on the singers, the drum pattern in “Be My Husband” represents the act of making love. The pattern, repetitive with the hard-hitting hi-hat, mimics the movements of the man while Simone’s vocals carry the pleasure that comes with each cymbal crash. The vocal style is a response to the music, making this the song’s version of a call-and-response structure. You know, if you want to stretch a little.
Since the vocals are a response to the music, the lyrics take on a new meaning. No longer is this a song about monogamy or submission, but about the reclamation of sexual power. Simone will give the man everything he wants, but he has to earn her devotion by working for it. (Get it? “Work” song?) If the man doesn’t fulfill his end of the deal, she has nothing to offer him. Give her everything she wants and everything she desires and she’ll give him the world.
Thus it’s Nina who actually has the power in this relationship, despite what the lyrics suggest. In fact, Simone demands more of her man than the prisoners do of “Rosie” in that she also demands an emotional connection as well as a physical one. Since the arrangement and Simone’s vocal style already suggest physical pleasure, I think we can assume that she doesn’t talk about marriage in the same euphemistic way “Rosie” does. She wants him to commit. She doesn’t want him to be so “doggone mean” and she wants him to stay away from “Rosalie.” (I like to believe that this is Simone and Stroud’s way of acknowledging “Rosie.”)
Whether intentional or not, Simone suggests here a powerful component of any meaningful relationship, and that’s the emotional aspect. When both parties are passionate enough for one another, sex and love both become transcendent. If one party isn’t bringing it to the table, then the passion is lost and what could be an emotionally rich act becomes a fleeting physical moment.
To put it coldly, there’s a slight suggestion in “Be My Husband” that sex is like a contract: A mutual agreement in which two parties agree to an exchange. But this is a Nina Simone song, and in a Nina Simone song, Nina dictates the terms.
3. “Hey Mama” by David Guetta featuring Nicki Minaj (2015)
I do not like David Guetta. I don’t like his music. I don’t like what he represents. I don’t like how he looks like the quiet guy in the corner of the prison yard who ate his parents or like somebody who’s assuredly masturbated in the reptile house of your local zoo or like a seedy club promoter who wants to snort coke out of your asshole and plunge a knife into your chest and add you to his collection.
But I could tolerate all of this because up until this song, I saw him as relatively harmless. He was never guilty of doing anything any other mainstream EDM artist hadn’t done before, and in the end, he always came off to me as a good businessman who just wants to make fun music for people to dance to, and that’s fine. But then he released “Hey Mama,” and he sampled “Rosie."
You see, I’d been planning on creating this blog for a while, and as far back as early 2015, I had started writing ideas for posts. One of them was a comparison piece on “Rosie” and “Be My Husband,” and that was about it. I was happy. I was content at the idea of not only writing about good music, but also scoring hipster points in being able to point out this obscure recording of a prison chain gang. (This blog is as much about my own vanity as it is for anything else.) Then I caught “Hey Mama” on the radio, and as much as I tried to fight it, I felt like I had to talk about it now. My precious article. Ruined. My hipster points. Dashed.
But honestly, how am I supposed to not talk about this song? If you thought the lyrics to “Rosie” were questionable or you’re justifiably upset by the circumstances surrounding the writing of “Be My Husband,” wait until you read the lyrics for “Hey Mama.” You don’t need me to point out why some of these lyrics can be read as problematic. Or at the very least, if you need me to point out the problem with, “Yes I do the cooking/Yes I do the cleaning/Plus I keep the na-na real sweat for your eating/Yes, you be the boss, and yes I be respecting/Whatever that you tell me me, cause it’s game you be spitting,” then chances are you haven’t been reading this blog. Or anything at all, for that matter.
I don’t think there’s a whole lot to say about this song. Everything you need to know about it is right on the surface. Nevertheless, there’s still a point or two worth making for the sake of reiteration. Notice how quickly the man in question has Nicki’s unrestrained loyalty, using nothing but, basically, a line or two. Rosie has the power over the prisoner’s emotional state. If you want Nina Simone to cook and clean for you, you’re going to have to earn the privilege in both the physical and emotional arena. Apparently if you want Nicki and a lifetime of sexual servitude, all you have to do is approach her and yell, “BE MY WOMAN GAL, I’LL BE YOUR MAN!”
Of course, I’m being overly literal, but I don’t think there’s much to indicate a whole lot of grace on Nicki’s part. She does talk about his “dick game” so we can wonder if maybe her newfound loyalty was earned in the physical arena, but that still doesn’t address the emotional one. For all we know, he could treat her like absolute dirt, but that wouldn’t matter provided he still has a big dick.
If that’s what Nicki wants, that’s fine. I’m not saying you have to live like a nun or be ashamed of what you want. I’m talking about how this song values Nicki. Nina Simone will commit herself to you, but you have to commit to her. You have to love her in every sense of the word. Based purely the lyrics of “Hey Mama,” Nicki will also commit herself, but there’s nothing you have to give back. You don't have to love her or even respect her. The only thing you really need is a penis.
I don’t blame Nicki Minaj or Bebe Rexha, who sings the chorus. If they weren’t on this song, it would just be somebody else. I’m only using the name “Nicki” because that’s who’s raps the lyrics, and if it was somebody else, I’d use that name. I put all all the blame on David Guetta. He, and his team of producers and writers, are the ones who picked the sample. He’s the one who was fine with the lyrics, and may have even contributed to them. He is responsible for the song’s existence.
“Hey Mama” does everything possible to trample on the legacy of both “Rosie” and “Be My Husband.” “Rosie” was a means for prisoners to express their desire for freedom and transcendence. Nina Simone reclaimed the sexual power of “Rosie” in “Be My Husband.” Then David Guetta, pounding his chest and grunting like a gorilla, swings in like some eurotrash Tarzan and with a few hits, the story of “Rosie” and “Be My Husband” is forever tainted in our collective memory.
And there’s nothing we can do about it because, as we’ve discussed before, doing something because it sounds cool is a perfectly valid form of expression. The only point left to make in the end is that legacy matters. You can take whatever you want to make some disposable EDM song, but you might be shitting on a piece of art that matters to someone.
Luckily, I’m free to forget “Hey Mama” ever existed. “Rosie” and “Be My Husband” will live on in my mind for as long as I’m still sane. That's how this story will end for me.
