Rufus "Speckled Red" Perryman Recorded The Song. "The Dirty Dozen," On The Brunswick Label, In Memphis, Tennessee, On September 14, 1929.
Perryman Was Born October 23, 1892, In Monroe, Louisiana. He Died January 2, 1973. He Was The Older Brother Of "Boogie Woogie" Piano Man, Piano Red. Both Men Got Their Names Because Of Being Albinos.
Speckled Red Popularized, In Song, A Uniquely African American Comedy Form Called "Playing The Dozens." The Dozens Involves Hurling (Good-Natured) Put-Downs At One Another -- Often Making Comments About The Other's Mother. The Name Comes From The Dice Game, Craps, In Which 12 Is The Worst Throw.
Called The Blues Of Comedy, The Dozens Is Believed To Have Its Roots In Slavery. Slaves Would Weave Insults And Scandal Into Songs As A Way Of Venting Anger Against An Oppressive System.
For A While, The Dozens Was A Fringe Form Of Blues Music. More Recently, It Has Become A Spoken Comedy Form. And Since Originally, Words Of The Dozens Were Sung Rather Than Spoken, The "The Dirty Dozens" Is Considered The Forerunner To Today's Rap Music.
Here Are A Few Phrases From Perryman's Song. "The Dirty Dozen:"
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"I like your mama, I like your sister, too. I liked your daddy but your daddy wouldn't do...
Slip you in the 'Dozens,' your pappy is your cousin And your mama do the Lordy-Lord.
Your face is all hid now your back's all bare, If you ain't doin' the bobo, what's your head doin' down there?" "In Order For Black History To Live, We Must Continue To Breathe Life Into It." -- Hubert Gaddy, Jr.
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