Feb
11
Submitted by webmaster on Thu, 02/11/2010 - 10:10
Gandy Dancers
Posted by rfolkstreamer
June 23, 2008
Video Description:
"Musical traditions and recollections of eight retired African-American railroad track laborers whose occupational folk songs were once heard on railroads that crisscross the South. "
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2 comments
Selected YouTube video viewer comments from
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alstl04 (5 months ago) As a former gandy dancer from my teenage years in the 60's, I've been there. Unfortunately I was just a stupid kid and didn't know or appreciate the experience of the older men I worked with. But I heard the songs and lined track with men 50 years older than me. Most of the songs were not for family entertainment. One thing I knew was I needed to find easier work, that was as hard a job as I've ever had. I went from gandy dancer to boot camp and boot camp was far easier.
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alstl04 (5 months ago) Following up on my other comment I want to mention one man in particular. John Turner was a huge man. A spike mall has a fat end and a skinny end, the only guy I ever saw use the skinny end was John. Two men drove a spike in unison and I would hit a spike and drive it down a little ways, John would hit it and drive it 3 or 4 times as far as I could. Another guy I remember is Harvey Green. Havey was in his late 60's and had biceps that young men who go to the gym every day wish they had.
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xxnoangelxx (4 months ago) Wow I am just blown away. much love to all railway workers. Give it up to the track gangs!
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mrwoct30 (4 months ago) xxnoangelxx thanks we appreciate it. its probably the hardest physical labor in the world building track by hand
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JGMusic40 (4 months ago) Gandy Tool Co. supplied the picks& shovels, the name dancers came from the crews singing and swinging with the music, I know, I worked on the railroad for forty years. Hi- Ball
Here is information from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/gandy%20dancer about the term "gandy dancer" :
gandy dancer /ˈgændi/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [gan-dee] Show IPA
–noun Railroads Slang. a member of a railroad section gang that lays or maintains track.
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Origin:
1915–20; dancer appar. in reference to the rhythmic movements characteristic of such work; gandy is unexplained; the existence of a Gandy Manufacturing Company, which supposedly produced tools used by section gangs, has not been substantiated
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.