Your smile said it all! I love it when young people discover our music from the seventies! And realize how much better it is than what is for offer today. I loved your reaction to this song!

It's cracking me up, the still shot. The dudes eyes are popping out of his head. 😆

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

I remember this song from 1977. It was definitely different at a time when songs were often experimental. Ram Jam was a one hit wonder, but what a hit they had with their song. But Black Betty must have been one heck of a woman.

This is when a lot of bands were rocking out old blue's songs

Man, he's beating the hell outta them drums. 👍👍🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁

Go,go,go, because your heart and feet won't quit jumping

So much fun seeing someone see this for the first time. It hit us the same way back then.

It was also the name of a gun during the north south war. I love you man, whatever the meaning. Keep it up!

Just a little history. This is said to be be around 200 years old. Many artist did version of this song and it originates to a chant prisons would sing on chain gangs and also the name of the whips the guards would use to beat the prisons with.

Loved that you looked up the meaning. I've never seen any other reactors who did this and then just speculated or trashed the song.

Good music can’t be put in a box and should remind us what we have in common than how we are different.

It's about a musket, rifle they used during the civil war. They would say get Betty ready.

there is a longer version where they go nuts

This song is the shit, always have been and always will be!

Rumor has it they were pain in weed, the 70's were so much fun😅

You made my day. Thanks for reacting to song of my time

It's not an abandoned building. Ram Jam was paid to make a promotional video. They used as little money as possible by setting up in the backyard of one of the band members --- and spent the rest of the money on pot --- some sources say they used the extra money for both pot and alcohol.

This was a Prison Blues song, which was used to establish a working rhythm, so that the prisoners would not tire out too quickly during work projects. Blues/Folk singer Leadbelly was twice imprisoned for two separate murders that he did not commit. He was released both times on appeal. Leadbelly most likely learned this song while in prison, and since no one held a copyright for the song, he recorded the song in 1939, and got the copyright credit for the song. When Ram Jam recorded the song in 1977, they sung the original first verse of the song, then added two new verses to the song. The band gave Leadbelly’s estate the full songwriting credit.

There is a much longer version you should check out

Filmed in their backyard in Long Island NY!

There is a lot of discussion out there about the origins of the term “Black Betty” and meaning of this song. I think the first recording of it was in about 1933. But some say that it actually originated in about late 1700's or early 1800's. The term “Black Betty” seems to have a long history” --The term "Black Betty" was used in London in the 1600's in reference to a bottle of whisky. --Benjamin Franklin used the term in this way in the 1736 referring to whisky. --The British used the term "Black Betty" to refer to a musket that had a barrel painted black. --According to the Library of Congress, the song was a tree cutting song in the 1700's. ---"Black Betty" was a term used in the back country of Eastern America in the 1700's for a sultry woman. --A wagon carrying convicts --A nick name for a dreaded whip that was used to administer brutal justice in southern prisons. The origins of the song are debated: --According to the Library of Congress, the song was a tree cutting song in the 1700's. --Some say it was a marching cadence used by slaves in the 1700’s. --By the 1900’s it became a labor chant with some convicts in the south. --The song was first recorded in 1933 by blues musician James Baker, aka Iron Head Baker.

I used to play a lot of pinball to this tune as a kid at the local arcade.

I was in high school when this came out ...Great 70s rock.....

My man!!! 🎉🎉🎉

The 70s ruled.

SURE SOUND LIKE SOME RAPPING GOING ON THERE..LOVE IT.💥

My Black Betty's name was Rita. No one was sweeta than Rita!!

That song rocks till today

I love this song

Excellent video.

You need to listen to the full version (official audio). The instrumental break is much longer.

There is a longer version with a drum solo.

I think in this particular song black Betty was the girl who brought the weed to the Cook Out.

This is actually and old song. The first two first versus refer to a musket. She is always ready and so right steady. I heard the part where "she had a child" and the "thing gone wild" and "blind"was about the gun not shooting accurately. The Bam ba Lam is supposed to be the sound of the gun firing. The last verse was added later about an actual woman.

Just came across your channel, I'm now a new subscriber

This song is exactly what it sounds like. He had a crush on a woman and they had a fling. Bam a lam means sex.

Heard they were given $500 to make this video in 1977 and they spent it on booze and weed then went in their backyard and knocked it out!

Black beauties is what they were called

One commenter said that the lead singer here is what Mountain Dew would look like if it was a person.

This was an old work song.

I can assure u this was not a racist song, drugs and or liquor was the root! peace

I wish you would’ve reacted to the actual video

Dude this songs mentioned in the song The Butcher by Adam Calhoun which he approved for monitization by yt for reaction channels

Shake,n that thang ya she make me sing, it a Girl

Queen.....Somebody to Love.... official video

Hahahaha I am 65 and I still don't know the meaning hahahahahahah apart that Black Betty is always ready hahahaha

☮️💙💙💙🔥

Black Betty was also speed pills.

If you haven't you need to listen to lynard skinard free bird. Awesome guitar in that.

try edgar winter song called frankinstien youll love it

My understanding it refers to firearms but a seemingly double entendre

And the old days of around WWII and before of Betty was a girl there were a lot of movie stars Betty Davis Betty White and there was another one even 30 years later when these boys made that song some people refer to going out to get some girls let's go get some Betty's this white boy playing the guitar found him a Black Betty that completely f***** him up and made him write a badass song

Black Betty was a ‘35 Dodge 😜

Black Betty was the first Insta Model

The studio version is much longer.

How about Little Feet's Spanish Moon?

Try AC/DC

Everyone seems so eager to spin their own meaning of Black Betty. It’s all just stupid people thinking they’re smarter than everyone else. Go look at the history of this song. It’s a rip off from a much earlier time (I don’t say “rip off” in a bad way… I love it… Ram Jam turned it up!). But it’s beyond obvious what it’s about, and it’s exactly what you think it is on face value. Black Betty is a Black woman. It’s as simple as that. Many idiots say it’s about drugs. First, that’s just moronic, you can’t do enough mental gymnastics to make about 80% of the lyrics work with that definition. Second, again, go to the song origins… such drugs weren’t even around when this song originated. It’s all a bunch of nonsense. It’s a very simple song which is about exactly what it sounds like it’s about. There’s no hidden meaning. It’s just a flat out fun song. Period.

Why are you hiding the video?

I'm 60 and have always loved and hated this song because it always sounded kinda mean to the woman. I watched your reaction, and realized Black Betty could me anything you want.

What in the "Black Betty" is going on here?🤔

It was a pill

He’s definitely singing about a woman….changed it up from the original, old version.