History /
Offensive Versions
This is a subset of "Yes: Caution" - return to full list.
The de Brébeuf / Middleton lyrics are inadmissible, but the newly created lyrics below cure the historical appropriation and are admissible.
The writer of the lyrics has given a chorus permission to use her lyrics and asks that other choruses and/or quartets ask for permission as well. Dana Seaborn states that "As an Indigenous [Wendat] person, in the spirit of Reconciliation, I respectfully offer lyrics reflective of Wendat (Huron) culture."
CAUTION:
Performers choosing this arrangement should ensure they understand the issues with the original version of this song and include MC work that is appropriate and respectful of the Wendat people.
The lyrics are as follows: A Huron (Wendat) Carol Lyrics by Dana Seaborn
(song is also rated Yes: Lyrics)
Ensembles selecting this song:
must not use the original 1929 lyrics
must ensure that all members understand the song’s history by carefully reviewing and discussing this Reviewers' Note, as well as the What is the Song About, Song History, and Earliest Performance sections of this research document.
As noted by cultural historian Brad Weismann, the original 1929 lyrics mock Black people and reflect the stereotypes of c**n songs, which “cast African Americans as stereotyped and denigrated sources of amusement and were popular in white American culture from the 1880s through the 1930s. The song’s lyrics imagine impoverished, pretentious African Americans literally 'aping' their supposed betters."
Puttin' on the Ritz is nevertheless admissible (with caution) because Berlin’s re-written 1946 lyrics for the movie Blue Skies constitute a substantial rewrite, removing the racist references and message. This version is far more widely known, having initiated a revival with dozens of new covers. The song enjoyed renewed popularity in 1974 when it was featured in Young Frankenstein. Thus, the new version has a much higher profile. Most will associate the song with its iconic performance by Fred Astaire in Blue Skies, its comic feature in Young Frankenstein, or Taco’s 1982 hit version.
Regrettably, the Taco music video, while using the revised lyrics, hearkens to the original meaning through its use of blackface. However, the video was eventually banned and only the censored video (with blackface characters excised) now appears on YouTube as the “official video.” To find the original video, one has to know about it and purposely search for it.