Bill Bartlett has said they were working on their first album when their manager told them to get their gear to record the viedo for someone in England who had requested it. They drove to the bass player's parents' or girlfriend's house (if I recall correctly) on nIsland, shot the video, and went home. Bartlett never saw the final edit until nearly 40 years later when his dentist showed it to him.
I am born in 1966 and used to listen to this on the radio many times ... at the time I really assumed it is just "normal" ... and part of many highly creative talented soulful people out there ... nowadays with auto-tune and A.I. ... people who hear this for the first time are shocked how good it really is ... because they are bombarded with cheap music every day!
I love watching younger people hear this song for the first time...i grew up listening to music like this and i love that people are finding it and appreciating it all these decades later...southern rock from the 70's and 80's is just the best!
Actually, cadence is a good description. This song was based on a very old work song/marching song. I believe the first recording was done at a prison in 1933, where a road gang sang it for song collectors. The convicts referred to the gang boss's whip as "Black Betty", but there are many other interpretations. Whiskey jug? Musket? Camp follower? Similar songs were used by Gandy Dancers (railroad rail maintenance gangs). Huddie Ledbetter (Lead Belly) recorded it for general release in 1939.
Bill Bartlett (the singer in this version) added the second and third verses. He has said that he was thinking of a picture of 40's pinup model Betty Page wearing black. Ram Jam only lasted for two albums and never had another hit. In fact, this record was made before the group was formed, and when Bartlett was signed, the producers remixed a version he had released with his previous band to get the hit. There is a live performance by Bartlett from a few years ago available on RUclips.
@@danadnauseam Didn't Bartlett run into some issues with the Ledbetter family over this song? I seem to recall seeing Bill (in front of the same house!) talking to some reporter . . .
As I understand it, Black Betty originally referred to a flintlock musket made by Birmingham Small Arms company in Alabama. Black Betty's child that went wild and blind refers to the musket balls it fired that were notoriously inaccurate.
Ram Jam told their manager they wanted to cut a demo, so the manager gave them $400 to cut the demo, and Ram Jam spent the money on Weed and Beer and recorded this, in the drummers backyard !!
Plenty of certified Southern Rock bands out there to listen to. Lynyrd Skynyrd, Molly Hatchet, 38 Special, The Allman Brothers, CCR (Credence Clearwater Revival), ZZ Top, 38 Special. All of them have something good to listen to.
According to Bill Bartlett himself, he was thinking of pinup girl Bettie Page from the 1940s when he wrote those lyrics. Black refers to the b&w photos of her.
When Bill Bartlett wrote these lyrics to Black Betty, he said, "My version is about Bettie Page. She’s not a black girl, she’s a pin-up queen from the fifties. She was the tops. She was my inspiration for writing the last two verses. I don’t know what Lead Belly was writing about. That’s up to anybody to guess. But music can be whatever you want it to be about. As long as you’re having a good experience listening to the music, I don’t care what you think it’s about.” Check out Bettie Page and you'll quickly figure out why Bill wrote what he did.
This song was written by Leadbelly (Huddie Ledbetter). Leadbelly was in prison for murder when he sang a song for the governor of Louisiana who then released him. Leadbelly wrote Goodnight Irene and many other great songs. He got the inspiration for Black Betty from a road gang work song. You can find it on google.
MANY ideas of its origin including a 1700s military marching cadence of their black painted stock flintlock musket. There’s an old b&w 1930s video of a black chain gang prisoner, James “Iron Head” Baker, singing his version of it
4:16 what does he mean by using "Black Betty" ... You have to ask Singer Leadbelly "Black Betty" ... no joke! ... Huddie William Ledbetter January 1888 - December 6, 1949 better known by the stage name Lead Belly, was an American folk and blues singer notable for his strong vocals, virtuosity on the twelve-string guitar.
there is a longer version of this video, the genre is Southern Rock , another example of that genre you might like is "Keep Your Hands to Yourself" by Georgia Satellites
I would like to call attention to the bass on this song. Howie is carrying a full half of this tune. He is making some incredible sounds with that bass. Unfortunately, he passed away far too early. Incredible guy.
Try NOT to dance with this one on the turntable! Yes TURNTABLE! 🤣 And try not to make the needle arm jump out of it's groove and scratch the whole damn thing up beyond repair when everyone's pounding the floor to this beat. Remember? 😂🙃 And don't forget to invite the neighbours to the party - otherwise there'll be pounding on the adjoining wall at 2am and a lot of screaming... and 'Disturbing The Peace' visits from local Police... Remember? Yeah - we'll blame it on Black Betty - Bambalam! 😆
One of the classics I grew up hearing, I still love it. Glad you do too! I'd like to request you react to one of my favorite artists, he's country-ish but funky as hell. I've never seen anybody react to it, and I think you'd enjoy it a lot. Dude named Paul Cauthen, "Holy Ghost Fire". The official video, please. You'll want to look up the lyrics as well. Love your channel! 🥰✌️
"Black Betty" has many meanings and references, but in part, the girl, who is believed to be being referred to in the song was Esther Lee Jones "Baby Esther", a Black American singer and child entertainer, and the real inspiration for "Betty Boop" the character of 20th Century origins.
The band went to a producer who gave them ~$500 to record their video, well out they went & bought some weed & booze and went out into backyard to sing their hearts out!! Some say it’s about a masters whip, or most say it is about an old time musket named Betty. This was a banger & played at parties indoors or outdoors 🎉💥💃💎🎸🥁
I think the first verse alone, but possibly the second too, was a marching song from the civil war era about an inaccurate rifle. The last verse was added later, by Leadbelly or perhaps by men working on a chain gang laying railroad, I believe, and refers to a prostitute.
Wow. I'm a new sub today. I'm 72 & a Canadian. I grew up in this era ..we had a different dance for almost every song. Serious Shit. I am loving your reaction. I feel the same everytime I hear that song. So I love that the song has the same efffect after all this time. I love all genres & I my happy song is Easy E Louisville Slugger. Love Eminem...but you mentioned Roy Orbison...you could hopefully get a chance to listen to him. He's a legend. & Leonard Cohen...The Cure...there's no end.
Fun fact: Bill Bartlett, lead guitarist and vocalist, is actually British! He looks like the Deep South personified but is from England. He's still performing today.
@@danadnauseam that makes me wonder. Every bio I've ever seen of him says he was born in South Harrow, Middlesex, including Wikipedia although it also says the Lemon Pipers were formed in Ohio.
Love the shirt. I was born in 84.. got a Nintendo controller tattooed on my left wrist about a year ago. Lol.. and Mario jumping bricks at a huge red plant with teeth… 😂
black betty was actually refering to the musket they used in the civil war and the baby was an upgrade to the musket,,, when they say the damn thing went wild was refering to all the trouble with the ammo and the fireing mechanics of the gun,,,alabama was where the guns and ammo was made
@ryanstratford9247 This part of the comment section is in response to a comment so yes, I am responding to username whatever it is blah. Blah blah learn how to use comment sections, please.
I was a teen when I first heard this way back when. Yeah, it's based on an old song, but it was ALWAYS clear to me, that these guys were celebrating the idea of a woman that would be alot of fun to meet...I remember thinking "Man, I wanna meet Black Betty"...
Have you reached to Stevie Ray Vaughan before if not you would enjoy. He's one of the greatest guitarists of all time. I love Mary had a little lamb live where he's wearing a black and white shirt. He shows out in every performance.
Southern Rock is a recognized genre of music. Alabama, Pure Prairie League, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Allman Brothers, Ozark Mountain Daredevils, ZZ Top, Black Oak Arkansas, etc.
Where I grew up, you want to start the party, you play this at 11. And to close you play this at 3am. My brothers band had a 20 minute version, memories
This was recorded in the 70's but it's based on an old work-gang or chain-gang chant. Black Betty was used as a nickname for many different things, I don't think anyone knows the 1st use, it goes back hundreds of years.
The song goes waayyy back and was a work song. I have seen three different recorded versions of this song. I wish I could remember who the first 2 were. They are all very dofferent.
The meaning of "Black Betty" often changes with the singer as this is a very very old song. Although the first person to record is was Huddie Ledbetter in the 1930's, it was sung as early as the 18th century. Besides a black woman, it can also refer to a prisoner wagon, a slave whip, a gun, or a bottle of whisky.
This is song about a rifle (musket). The gentleman that wrote it was black. And several radio stations wouldn't plat it. I don't think t made it to no.1. It should have. Great song
The first first verse is about a rifle. Second verse is about strong booze. Third verse is about a southern Nubian queen. From what I was told, the lyrics are old as dirt and origin from a military cadence that was used in one of the first world wars.
I feed peanuts to all the squirrels that visit my yard... all are gray. Then one day, up pops this tiny black one, with a stub tail (I think some ish went down with a bunny, it even hops.. but hey, I don't judge lol) but you KNOW I named her Betty! Bambalam!!😉😀🖤
Well that all depends where you are from I heard someone called black Conn on a ferry in Ireland in the 70s. He had black hair eyes and beard. So It could go either way.
That song may have originated as far back as marching soldiers from *Birmingham, England!*. Black Betty has been attributed to a ton of various things from muskets, to whiskey (a lot of them still have black labels, ya know) to a work wagon, to heroin, to a hot woman. I believe Ram Jam’s jammin hard Rock-a-Billy version is obviously referring to a woman.
Black Betty is an old southern blues song not sure if the lyrics are completely the same but I have heard one old performance and by old I mean in the 30's.
Black Betty is whisky, usually in a dark bottle. My grandfather told me that people would put whiskey in a cough syrup bottle and would mix it in with cough syrup that had medicine and other drugs in it.
Wow. Tons of descriptions about this song. Here's mine: Band said they needed $500 to do the video. The studio gave it to them. They made the video in his backyard and bought $500 in weed. The song IS a cadence. Very old. "Black Betty" was what the soldiers called a particular gun that they really liked, was reliable, and they used it, the factory was in Birmingham, Alabama.. Then, the gov said, naw, naw, we have a NEW gun for you (Black Betty had a child. . .). The new gun was an absolute piece of shit, wouldn't shoot straight (damn thing gone blind), kept jamming (young thing gone wild) and was terrible. But, you're in the military. What are you going to do? So, they did the only thing they could do---made a cadence bitching about the new, unreliable gun. Great review!
Black Betty was the name for a civil war era musket they tweaked a few things and released the Black Betty’s child. Brown Bess. It was a dud impossible to aim straight, the damn thing run wild. I remember when this came out they said that their production manager asked them what they needed to make the video. The guys told them 200 bucks would do it. Then they promptly spent it all on weed to get in the zone and recorded the footage in the singer’s backyard
You ask the definitive question, the question everybody asks. I have watched dozens and dozens of reaction videos to "Black Betty". Just yesterday, I saw the absolute, complete explanation. It covers the 200 year history of "Black Betty", that's right two centuries. There is a man, Adam Reader, that has been covering Rock and Roll in every way for years now, if you watch the video I am about to list for you, you will know EVERYTHING there is to know about "Black Betty". Here is what you need to put in the "Search" box at the top of RUclips's screen: 'The EXTENSIVE 200 Year Journey of This 1977 Hard Rock Classic | Professor of Rock'. Watch that fourteen plus minutes and you will be able to tell anybody that brings up the subject exactly what's what.
![Felix "Unfair" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Oswujxm2Ag0/mqdefault.jpg)
Most comments are they wish it was longer but that's what makes it perfect. Not all drawn out
Rumor has it they were paid in beer and weed. We had a blast in the 70's.
Jell yeah
Paid $200 for beer & weed !
Bill Bartlett has said they were working on their first album when their manager told them to get their gear to record the viedo for someone in England who had requested it. They drove to the bass player's parents' or girlfriend's house (if I recall correctly) on nIsland, shot the video, and went home. Bartlett never saw the final edit until nearly 40 years later when his dentist showed it to him.
@@danadnauseam I know Bill Bartlett's brother Jim. 😀
We were still jamming this in the 80’s too 🤟
Song known as the banginist banger that ever banged.
I am born in 1966 and used to listen to this on the radio many times ... at the time I really assumed it is just "normal" ... and part of many highly creative talented soulful people out there ... nowadays with auto-tune and A.I. ... people who hear this for the first time are shocked how good it really is ... because they are bombarded with cheap music every day!
Black Betty is the love of his life.
Black Betty is a gun
Hearing that southern accent in their guitar right off the bat. Kudos my man
I like " Hey Boogie woman"!
DAAAAMN that's hott!!!!
It's called Southern Rock. It's an off shoot of country.
A One Hit Wonder.... but what a HIT.... and video that will remain timeless as a group of kids in a backyard.
Originally recorded by Ledd Belly in 1937. Album called Negro Sinful Songs. Said to be a song sung in the cotton fields while picking.
I love watching younger people hear this song for the first time...i grew up listening to music like this and i love that people are finding it and appreciating it all these decades later...southern rock from the 70's and 80's is just the best!
Actually, cadence is a good description. This song was based on a very old work song/marching song. I believe the first recording was done at a prison in 1933, where a road gang sang it for song collectors. The convicts referred to the gang boss's whip as "Black Betty", but there are many other interpretations. Whiskey jug? Musket? Camp follower? Similar songs were used by Gandy Dancers (railroad rail maintenance gangs). Huddie Ledbetter (Lead Belly) recorded it for general release in 1939.
Bill Bartlett (the singer in this version) added the second and third verses. He has said that he was thinking of a picture of 40's pinup model Betty Page wearing black.
Ram Jam only lasted for two albums and never had another hit. In fact, this record was made before the group was formed, and when Bartlett was signed, the producers remixed a version he had released with his previous band to get the hit.
There is a live performance by Bartlett from a few years ago available on RUclips.
@@danadnauseam Didn't Bartlett run into some issues with the Ledbetter family over this song? I seem to recall seeing Bill (in front of the same house!) talking to some reporter . . .
@@bonnievonbraun6276 The Ledbetter estate refused credit for the additional verses. but it's noted on the Starstruck release.
Nice info.
As I understand it, Black Betty originally referred to a flintlock musket made by Birmingham Small Arms company in Alabama. Black Betty's child that went wild and blind refers to the musket balls it fired that were notoriously inaccurate.
Ram Jam told their manager they wanted to cut a demo, so the manager gave them $400 to cut the demo, and Ram Jam spent the money on Weed and Beer and recorded this, in the drummers backyard !!
You can't help but want to dance every time you hear this song...I don't think there's ever been another song quite like this one🔥🔥🔥😎👍
These guys was probably so lit they didnt remember making the video. 😂😂✌️❤️ from Ky
I have only one complaint about this song - why is it so damned short?! Great reaction and you earned a new sub.🙂❤
there is a longer version off the album
Huddle “ Leadbelly” Ledbetter popularized this back in the 30’s too. It’s a marching cadence or “ Jody”.
Plenty of certified Southern Rock bands out there to listen to. Lynyrd Skynyrd, Molly Hatchet, 38 Special, The Allman Brothers, CCR (Credence Clearwater Revival), ZZ Top, 38 Special. All of them have something good to listen to.
She DOES make him sing !!
🎶🎵💖💖💖🔥
ITS BAD ASSSSSSSSSS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's called SOUTHERN FRIED ROCK !
1rst verse, black mussel loader gun was notoriously inaccurate.
2nd verse, fast black muscle car.
3rd verse, sexy black woman .🍻😎👍
There is an extended version 7 minutes 10 seconds long It's quiet the experience God bless you and yours
There is actually several meanings to BLACK BETTY your favorite RIFLE, the girl you know you can KICK IT WITH such as he is singing about.
According to Bill Bartlett himself, he was thinking of pinup girl Bettie Page from the 1940s when he wrote those lyrics. Black refers to the b&w photos of her.
Perfect. Them and you... Thanks
I love that: “rock music and like, southern drawl into it”. Great description! PS everybody wishes it was longer.
When Bill Bartlett wrote these lyrics to Black Betty, he said, "My version is about Bettie Page. She’s not a black girl, she’s a pin-up queen from the fifties. She was the tops. She was my inspiration for writing the last two verses. I don’t know what Lead Belly was writing about. That’s up to anybody to guess. But music can be whatever you want it to be about. As long as you’re having a good experience listening to the music, I don’t care what you think it’s about.” Check out Bettie Page and you'll quickly figure out why Bill wrote what he did.
There's southern delta in this , absolutely.Some rock n rock, pinch of funk... might even find some bluegrass in there, a remarkable song
100% Pure Southern Rock!
the band was actually formed in long island, ny...this video was shot there
This song was written by Leadbelly (Huddie Ledbetter). Leadbelly was in prison for murder when he sang a song for the governor of Louisiana who then released him. Leadbelly wrote Goodnight Irene and many other great songs. He got the inspiration for Black Betty from a road gang work song. You can find it on google.
No, Leadbelly covered it but it was a work song long before he recorded it.
Excellent reaction!!! Banger of a song.
MANY ideas of its origin including a 1700s military marching cadence of their black painted stock flintlock musket. There’s an old b&w 1930s video of a black chain gang prisoner, James “Iron Head” Baker, singing his version of it
There is a longer version of this on the record album itself!!
4:16 what does he mean by using "Black Betty" ... You have to ask Singer Leadbelly "Black Betty" ... no joke! ... Huddie William Ledbetter January 1888 - December 6, 1949 better known by the stage name Lead Belly, was an American folk and blues singer notable for his strong vocals, virtuosity on the twelve-string guitar.
Ledbelly wrote it, and it means 2 things. 1, a black woman, and 2, a cannon. As they were called black Betties back in the day.
there is a longer version of this video, the genre is Southern Rock , another example of that genre you might like is "Keep Your Hands to Yourself" by Georgia Satellites
I would like to call attention to the bass on this song. Howie is carrying a full half of this tune. He is making some incredible sounds with that bass. Unfortunately, he passed away far too early. Incredible guy.
Try NOT to dance with this one on the turntable! Yes TURNTABLE! 🤣 And try not to make the needle arm jump out of it's groove and scratch the whole damn thing up beyond repair when everyone's pounding the floor to this beat. Remember? 😂🙃
And don't forget to invite the neighbours to the party - otherwise there'll be pounding on the adjoining wall at 2am and a lot of screaming... and 'Disturbing The Peace' visits from local Police... Remember? Yeah - we'll blame it on Black Betty - Bambalam! 😆
One of the classics I grew up hearing, I still love it. Glad you do too! I'd like to request you react to one of my favorite artists, he's country-ish but funky as hell. I've never seen anybody react to it, and I think you'd enjoy it a lot. Dude named Paul Cauthen, "Holy Ghost Fire". The official video, please. You'll want to look up the lyrics as well.
Love your channel! 🥰✌️
"Black Betty" has many meanings and references, but in part, the girl, who is believed to be being referred to in the song was Esther Lee Jones "Baby Esther", a Black American singer and child entertainer, and the real inspiration for "Betty Boop" the character of 20th Century origins.
Man you made me smile 😃 6:07
The band went to a producer who gave them ~$500 to record their video, well out they went & bought some weed & booze and went out into backyard to sing their hearts out!! Some say it’s about a masters whip, or most say it is about an old time musket named Betty. This was a banger & played at parties indoors or outdoors 🎉💥💃💎🎸🥁
It just leaves you wanting more.
Southern Rock and roll baby, way down south 😮
I think the first verse alone, but possibly the second too, was a marching song from the civil war era about an inaccurate rifle. The last verse was added later, by Leadbelly or perhaps by men working on a chain gang laying railroad, I believe, and refers to a prostitute.
In the 1960s, the Wagon/Van that carried men to prison was known as "Black Betty."
Wow. I'm a new sub today. I'm 72 & a Canadian. I grew up in this era ..we had a different dance for almost every song. Serious Shit. I am loving your reaction. I feel the same everytime I hear that song. So I love that the song has the same efffect after all this time. I love all genres & I my happy song is Easy E Louisville Slugger. Love Eminem...but you mentioned Roy Orbison...you could hopefully get a chance to listen to him. He's a legend. & Leonard Cohen...The Cure...there's no end.
amazing piece. Maybe kind of southern as well but ... excellent. makes me remeber when I was young. good job mugnify
Fun fact: Bill Bartlett, lead guitarist and vocalist, is actually British! He looks like the Deep South personified but is from England. He's still performing today.
Mr My Green Tambourine!
Bartlett has said that the Lemon Pipers, his earlier band, faked their biographies because they thought admitting they were from Ohio was boring.
@@TheDivayenta that's true!
@@danadnauseam that makes me wonder. Every bio I've ever seen of him says he was born in South Harrow, Middlesex, including Wikipedia although it also says the Lemon Pipers were formed in Ohio.
@@fuzzballzz36 He gave an interview in 2022, which can be found on RUclips, where he said he was born in Dayton.
Yes- that’s Southern style picking alright!
Love the shirt. I was born in 84.. got a Nintendo controller tattooed on my left wrist about a year ago. Lol.. and Mario jumping bricks at a huge red plant with teeth… 😂
black betty was actually refering to the musket they used in the civil war and the baby was an upgrade to the musket,,, when they say the damn thing went wild was refering to all the trouble with the ammo and the fireing mechanics of the gun,,,alabama was where the guns and ammo was made
What about when he says, she's shaking that thing?
Hahahahaha Absolutely not no
@@chloedevlin6544 are you saying your talking about user what ever his name is?
There are many versions of this song even the one from the great "Leadbelly" but this one is about a black woman.
@ryanstratford9247 This part of the comment section is in response to a comment so yes, I am responding to username whatever it is blah. Blah blah learn how to use comment sections, please.
Black Betty is a gun used during the Civil War
ROCK/BLUES. There are the blues and there's ladida. All modern music is rooted in the blues
Great song. Just needed someone like the late Jeff Beck to add a superb guitar solo finale.
I was a teen when I first heard this way back when. Yeah, it's based on an old song, but it was ALWAYS clear to me, that these guys were celebrating the idea of a woman that would be alot of fun to meet...I remember thinking "Man, I wanna meet Black Betty"...
This song is included on the movie, "Basic". Great song!! 💋💖💐
Have you reached to Stevie Ray Vaughan before if not you would enjoy. He's one of the greatest guitarists of all time. I love Mary had a little lamb live where he's wearing a black and white shirt. He shows out in every performance.
Twenty seconds in and loving your reaction 😂
There is also another version you can find on You Tube of a longer version of Ram Jam doing this song.
Southern Rock is a recognized genre of music. Alabama, Pure Prairie League, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Allman Brothers, Ozark Mountain Daredevils, ZZ Top, Black Oak Arkansas, etc.
Immortality in two minutes twenty five seconds.
Where I grew up, you want to start the party, you play this at 11. And to close you play this at 3am. My brothers band had a 20 minute version, memories
They have a video,and also a long version of the song, that's darn good.
So dope
Adapted from a LEAD BELLY song.
Lead Belly, American singer Huddie William Ledbetter, better known by the stage name Lead Belly, was an American folk and blues singer
When I was in Senior High School the rumor going around the term "Black Betty" was a reference to an illegal drug, 'Black Beauty".
It is absolutely about one heck of an amazing, black woman!😁👌💖
You got moves sweetheart and you sitting down! ❤
This was recorded in the 70's but it's based on an old work-gang or chain-gang chant. Black Betty was used as a nickname for many different things, I don't think anyone knows the 1st use, it goes back hundreds of years.
Its a very old folk song from the 1800s There was a gun called the Brown Bess and a Gun named Black Betty
I love your shirt.
Huddie "Lead Belly" Ledbetter wrote this song in '39
The song goes waayyy back and was a work song. I have seen three different recorded versions of this song. I wish I could remember who the first 2 were. They are all very dofferent.
The meaning of "Black Betty" often changes with the singer as this is a very very old song. Although the first person to record is was Huddie Ledbetter in the 1930's, it was sung as early as the 18th century. Besides a black woman, it can also refer to a prisoner wagon, a slave whip, a gun, or a bottle of whisky.
This is song about a rifle (musket). The gentleman that wrote it was black. And several radio stations wouldn't plat it. I don't think t made it to no.1. It should have. Great song
The first first verse is about a rifle.
Second verse is about strong booze.
Third verse is about a southern Nubian queen.
From what I was told, the lyrics are old as dirt and origin from a military cadence that was used in one of the first world wars.
I feed peanuts to all the squirrels that visit my yard... all are gray. Then one day, up pops this tiny black one, with a stub tail (I think some ish went down with a bunny, it even hops.. but hey, I don't judge lol) but you KNOW I named her Betty! Bambalam!!😉😀🖤
Well that all depends where you are from I heard someone called black Conn on a ferry in Ireland in the 70s. He had black hair eyes and beard. So It could go either way.
That song may have originated as far back as marching soldiers from *Birmingham, England!*.
Black Betty has been attributed to a ton of various things from muskets, to whiskey (a lot of them still have black labels, ya know) to a work wagon, to heroin, to a hot woman.
I believe Ram Jam’s jammin hard Rock-a-Billy version is obviously referring to a woman.
Those hillbillies can rock
This is a cover of an old old song. Prison workers on road gangs sang it. I think there's a Smithsonian recording of it from the 1930's
Black Betty is an old southern blues song not sure if the lyrics are completely the same but I have heard one old performance and by old I mean in the 30's.
Black Betty is whisky, usually in a dark bottle. My grandfather told me that people would put whiskey in a cough syrup bottle and would mix it in with cough syrup that had medicine and other drugs in it.
Wow. Tons of descriptions about this song. Here's mine: Band said they needed $500 to do the video. The studio gave it to them. They made the video in his backyard and bought $500 in weed. The song IS a cadence. Very old. "Black Betty" was what the soldiers called a particular gun that they really liked, was reliable, and they used it, the factory was in Birmingham, Alabama.. Then, the gov said, naw, naw, we have a NEW gun for you (Black Betty had a child. . .). The new gun was an absolute piece of shit, wouldn't shoot straight (damn thing gone blind), kept jamming (young thing gone wild) and was terrible. But, you're in the military. What are you going to do? So, they did the only thing they could do---made a cadence bitching about the new, unreliable gun. Great review!
Great Reaction 👍🙏👣
Black Betty was the name for a civil war era musket they tweaked a few things and released the Black Betty’s child. Brown Bess. It was a dud impossible to aim straight, the damn thing run wild. I remember when this came out they said that their production manager asked them what they needed to make the video. The guys told them 200 bucks would do it. Then they promptly spent it all on weed to get in the zone and recorded the footage in the singer’s backyard
Black Betty was a musket gun. Historical song
Often originally credited to Huddie “Lead Belly” Ledbetter, though some recordings predate his. Eventually became Ram Jam’s only recognizable hit.
You ask the definitive question, the question everybody asks. I have watched dozens and dozens of reaction videos to "Black Betty". Just yesterday, I saw the absolute, complete explanation. It covers the 200 year history of "Black Betty", that's right two centuries. There is a man, Adam Reader, that has been covering Rock and Roll in every way for years now, if you watch the video I am about to list for you, you will know EVERYTHING there is to know about "Black Betty". Here is what you need to put in the "Search" box at the top of RUclips's screen: 'The EXTENSIVE 200 Year Journey of This 1977 Hard Rock Classic | Professor of Rock'. Watch that fourteen plus minutes and you will be able to tell anybody that brings up the subject exactly what's what.
There's a longer version, from an album, around 6 or 7 minutes I'd guess.
The album version is actually longer than this. It's got a double tempo guitar solo middle, after that drum breakdown.
There is supposed to be a longer more solos version somewhere.
Black Betty was a song sang by slave workers, referring to the the whip Black Betty.
Fyi alot of these people saying its about a gun, this guys song is about betty page from the 50s, the guy said so himself in an interview.