this is a cover of a military cadence from prior to civil war, where "Black Betty" was many things: in the first verse she is a musket that was very inaccurate due to lack of rifling, so the child (bullet) went wild (off target) and gone blind (the heavy smoke blocking vision after firing the weapon), 2nd verse is alcoholic drink of available for cheap to give to soldiers, and 3rd verse is an actual woman who "serviced" the soldiers at a local "men's club" in Alabama. "Bam a lam" is the reference sound of the musket firing and the beat of the singing cadence

This song was based upon a Prison Blues song, that was recorded for the Library Of Congress in the late-1920s. The Blues/Folk singer and songwriter, Leadbelly, was twice convicted for two separate murders that he did not commit (he was released both times on appeal). While he was in prison, Leadbelly most likely heard this song, and was inspired to record the song in 1939. No one made a copyright claim on the song, so Leadbelly got the songwriting credit. When Ram Jam recorded the song in 1977, they sang the original first verse sung by Leadbelly, and added two new verses to the song. Ram Jam gave Leadbelly's estate the full songwriting and copyright credit for the song.

The lead singer and lead guitarist of Ram Jam, Bill Bartlett, was previously in a Rock group in the 1960s named The Lemon Pipers, which had a hit record for the song, "Green Tambourine.

This is EXACTLY how I grew up in the 70’s bands jamming in the front yard!! Fantastic memories!?🥰♥️🎶

There's an extended version of this song worth listening to.🔥🎸

This has a longer musical jammin' version too. For another unusual song try Redbone, Come and Get your Love.

Every time I see this video it just takes me back. Riding on the back of a Harley, out to a party in the country. ❤️❤️✌️

One reference for black betty is in relation to a civil war musket rifle that was noted for not being very accurate. Betty had a child=the bullet/ball and damn thing gone blind=being off target.

Filmed in their backyard in Long Island NY!

Black Betty in the 77' version can be based in one or among three things . A Musket rifle during the civil war . A chain gang or field working song in the 17-1800's era or how he felt during his experience with a wild fine black woman named Black Betty

Thoroughly enjoyed ur reaction! ❤️‍🔥 much love!

He looks crazy but boy can he sing! This is a great song and they have a few more songs off of the one album they made in 1977! Bam ba lam is the sound the black powder gun makes when you shoot it. Gone blind is a shot that goes wild, I'm sure someone else will explain it better than I do.

Others in the comments have given you the answers you were looking for, so I'll just thank you for reacting to this rockin' cover.

"Black Betty" was videotaped in 1977, but the lead singer in the video (Bill Bartlett) appeared on TV in 1967 as lead guitarist and harmony singer in a group called the Lemon Pipers. He played the exact same guitar in both instances and plays it to this day. "Black Betty" was recorded in 1975 by a previous band Bartlett had been in (Starstruck) and the track was lip-synched to by Ram Jam when videotaped by the request of a London group who showed up to film them. So technically, you ARE hearing Bartlett's actual voice, but not hearing any other Ram Jam member. The official lead singer for Ram Jam was Myke Scavone (seen in the video dancing at the left of the drummer, behind Bartlett lip-synching lead and playing guitar. Scavone CLAIMS the song is his and he sang it, but that's false; there are pressings of Starstruck performing this song on Truck Star records and the recordings are identical. The song itself goes back to before the first recording in 1933 and was made 'famous' by Huddie "Lead Belly" Ledbetter. What it refers to exactly is open to speculation. Some say it's about muskets, some say it's about a whip, some say it's about a bottle of whiskey; what it's NOT about is a woman, although Bartlett's lyrics more than any others pushes the meaning in that direction. The thing that most makes sense is this song coming from Civil War times, having been sung by black recruits or fieldworkers. "Bam-a-lam" would be the gunshot sound. The "child" would be the bullet, "Damn thing run wild" is a wild shot. But like I say, it's lost in the mists of history, complicated by constant rewriting of lyrics. Only one or two verses could be original; Ledbetter added some of his own and then claimed copywrite for the song, though it really should be in public domain. Bartlett replaced some verses with two of his own. What ensues is ongoing argument as to who owns the Ram Jam-related recording or should receive the residuals; Bartlett who brought the song with him when he joined RamJam, the previous band Starstruck who performed on the actual original recording, Ram Jam (and Myke Scavone) who issued a pressing of the original recording under their name, Lead Belly Ledbetter, or no one. It has never been resolved, but Ledbetter did draw authorship residuals from this recording. Also, The Lemon Pipers members, especially Bill Bartlett, pre-1967 had mostly been interested in playing blues, but Buddha Records signed them, changed their music, repackaged them, and recorded a number one hit straight out of the box. But the band members were not thrilled playing the psychedelic stuff Buddha Records demanded of them, so the band fell apart. You could even tell in the 1967 TV taping that Bartlett was not having this; he wanted to do blues, the music he loved.

Watch the Original Black Betty recorded in 1933 in a Texas prison. This recording here of Black Betty is great, back in the day when people played their instruments and sang without a production. I think it was recorded in someone's backyard.

Check out Roy Clark performing a guitar solo " Malagueña". It'll shock toy but this man's talent.

I remember playing this song on my boombox at school and all the black girls would gather around and dance. They loved it

Keep it rocking!!!! Black Betty is a rifle, (musket)that wss used in the civil war. The gentleman that wrote that song was black. Great song

black betty means so many things what you want it to mean same way with music !

Bam A Lam!!! That sound Black Betty can inspire

The song was in a car commercial for Volkswagen bug. I think it's really quite an accomplishment to have one song that is a big hit. Another Lead Belly cover is "Where did you sleep last night " they performed it on MTV unplugged I meant to say Nirvana performed it on mtv unplugged

New sub my man. Bell and the like button always.

Bamalam refers to someone living in birmingham, alabama. It's a local expression. The song although originally old, was redone and now is referring to a black woman he was involved with.

Great reaction, thx!

2 minutes thirty five seconds is all it takes for immortality,

believe me, if you grew up with this like I did, one was all it took! Nobody cared what it meant..it made you move, I leave the formal explanations to others..

This song is about a civil war musket (black betty) and the remake (child) that didn't shoot straight (blind). Bam alam is the gun firing!!😉😉😉🎶🎼🎵🎸🎹🥁🎤🎙🎧🤘🤘🤘

This song has been in alot of movies!

It was in Ray Man. The video game. That’s why so many people remember it that don’t know the movies.

Some think the song was written and sung by Lead Belly, but he just took that song and gave his own spin on it. Tom Jones also gave it a spin in the 60's. There are even some ties to Benjamin Franklin with Black Betty... yes, that Benjamin Franklin!

I can't believe you never seen blow. Brah You can't go through life without watching blow About drug dealers True story that happened.

A fire bomb thing too,,,,4got what it is called,,yes,,this ones about a woman his woman n that hes so happy with,,,,,ram jam.... Theres a longer. Version also

The full length version has a longer instrument solo. Where they jam for a minute or so longer than this video version

Eastbound and down :)

This song was also in the 2007 animated movie TMNT. Its the scene where Raph goes into the diner right before Leo confronts him.

She was a woman he had a crush and and a fling with for a while. Bam a lam means sex.

Black Betty was used the name for a number of things gun black powder gun and a few other things to do with slavery and associate other things chain gangs whatnot. Leadbelly was the creator of the song writer then it was a blues song take a look back on the history you'll find all kinds of things

The siund of a musket firing

First recorded by Blues great Lead Belly. He took it from a song sung by Black Share Croppers picking cotton in the south.

They said their budget was $500. I'm betting $400 for ganja...100 for BBQ.

Love ya MMBxMOB, but I'll pass on this one. Actually, one or two of the members were in a great bubblegum band from the '60s, The Lemon Pipers who had a big hit with "Green Tambourine".

I thought you would like it😊😊😊😊😊❤❤❤❤❤

This song has several lyrics that this singer made up. This bands version doesn't have much of the original version. The early version and early singer and this song can be found on yt

Black Betty wasn't a who, but a what.

They were a pretty good band, but this is the only song of theirs that ever got any radio play. Classic one hit wonder. A song they're just having fun with and probably made the song in an hour and it ends up being their only hit. I can't count how many bands made a hit out of something they're just goofing with and put together quick, never expecting anything from it and boom, it becomes their big hit. Also, I believe they heard this song from an old blues player from maybe the 40s and wanted to do a version of it.

Song has about 6 different definitions....music from the late 70's..see Goggle for many definitions...song played in movie Johnny Depp-Blow

In the 1930s by working blacks men meaning a certain whiskey. Ram jam slightly changed the lyrics and talking of a sexy black woman!

I think Black Betty was also a 1930's song by a black singer/guitar player. Look it up

I’ve heard this song from the show Esatbound & Down 😂

At the end of a movie called Basic with John Travolta

I heard it in Blow with Johnny Depp

I think the song was titled Lead Belly, I think Ram Jam changed the lyrics to Black Betty...

The “Wrestler”

The more I look the cuter he loox 2me,,,ohhhh noo Mr.bill😮😮😮😮😮

Love this ol rocker if you listen to Adam Calhoun's The Butcher he references to this song in it.💯🤘😎

Black Betty- Leadbelly (the song is older, Ledbelly was the first artist to record it) kzfaq.info/get/bejne/ibCFhqqms97YXWg.html Original Black Betty (Texas prison 1933) kzfaq.info/get/bejne/qs9zeLmdxJ-RfYE.html Nirvana - Where Did You Sleep Last Night (Live On MTV Unplugged Unedited) kzfaq.info/get/bejne/nqt9oJqY3ai9g5c.html Leadbelly - Where Did you Sleep Last Night kzfaq.info/get/bejne/htmWlriLp7O3g5s.html

Growing up with this song, as a teen, in my mind bam a lam meant having sex 😆. Don't care what it really means now.

Why can't you just listen to it and enjoy it ?

Wait? You ain't never seen Super Troopers? You are missing out... "You boys like Mexico?"

☮️💙💙💙🔥

Check out the version by old bluesman Leadbelly. You can tell it's the same song but totally different

Kung Pow: Enter the Fist

Llllove this song and vid!!! A re.ake of the original WAAAAAY bak in the day❤❤❤😊😊😊 I think you'll like ,,,,but to each they're own,,,u might not,,,,but I think maaaaybs up like it,,, hopefully you will ....

old old song, updated by LeadBelly in the 40s, and then again by these white boys in '77. they used the same first verse and made up 2 new ones, but it's probably had all sorts of different lyrics over the years...

Tom Jones also did a decent, more dance oriented version of this song back in 2002.

🔥❤🔥

Correct me if I'm wrong but was Huddy "Leadbelly" Leadbetter stabbed to death after he was released from prison in the 1930's?

I heard this was the cheapest music video in history. They in they own yard. Lol

Just FYI. There never was a gun of any type called "Black Betty".

Listen to the historic versions

Black Betty has multiple definitions and meanings.

Just push play!!

its in video games guitar hero among others

It was blow

Black betty is his bambalam woman....

Betty is a lot of things. The first verse is about a gun. The second verse is about alcohol. The third verse is about a girl. It's history goes far back from immigrating to America to the hardships of everyday life and trying to culp through whatever feels appropriate. It's somewhat up to your interpretation on what and who Black Betty is. It's beautiful isn't it?

Bama lamb

🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆

The Losers..... Best one.

Sporting events

It always cracks me up when I see this, because it has to be the lowest cost video ever made. Guys who maybe got off their factory jobs and went in the yard to made a video.

I think the original version was by Lead Belly, but my favourite version of this song is by "Spiderbait". You should check it. I've got nothing against this version or the original, but Spiderbait is wild. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/nNqSqKd1vKysqmg.html

It's ok ur the host u can pause,,,,,😊😊😊

BLACK BETTY IS ALSO AN OLD NAME FOE A MUSKET.

Can you please react to You can't deny it By Lisa stansfield Please

Leadbelly check out

They were stoners. Maybe they ran out of inspiration, motivation, atttention span fell off a cliff.... I bet you heard this song on the radio. It was popular in the 80'

Original Black Betty kzfaq.info/get/bejne/qs9zeLmdxJ-RfYE.html

Good reaction! But, too many interruptions......

Watch Blow

Ok. That was a snoozefest. Except for the music.

This one hundred percent was about a black women I don't care what anyone says

The comments from John Reyes is the best explanation. Just Southern boys jamming in the backyard with beer and weed.

After this song came out Jeffrey Dahmer quit the band to pursue other interests.

Stop reading all the crap into it...just enjoy

I'm still laughing at Jeffrey Dahmer..lol

Get earbuds. Get a mic.