Summertime; My man’s gone now (from Porgy and Bess)

George Gershwin’s greatest achievement, his “folk opera” Porgy and Bess, was first performed in New York in 1935. Since it was much cut on that occasion – the opera wasn’t heard in its complete form until Houston Grand Opera produced it in 1976 – it opened with “Summertime,” which is one of the great lyric inspirations of the twentieth century. A lullaby sung by Clara to her baby, it recurs several times in the score as a kind of symbol of the need for togetherness and mutual support among the poor black residents of Catfish Row.

But as long as Crown, a rough stevedore, is around there can be no togetherness. It is he who kills Robbins with a cotton hook after losing money in a drunken crap game. “My man’s gone now” is Serena’s passionate lament for Robbins at a wake over his body in her room in Catfish Row. In the meantime Crown has made his escape, leaving his woman Bess to be protected by the crippled Porgy – but only until she sees Crown again.

Summertime

Summertime and the livin’ is easy,

Fish are jumpin’ and the cotton is high.

Oh yo’ daddy’s rich, and yo’ ma is good lookin’

So hush, little baby, don’ yo’ cry.

One of these mornin’s you’re goin’ to rise up singin’

Then you’ll spread yo’ wings an’ you’ll take the sky.

But till that mornin’ there’s nuttin’can harm you

With Daddy andMamy standin’ by.

My man’s gone now

My man’s gone now,

Ain’t no use alistenin’

For his tired foot-steps

Climin’ up de stairs. Ah!

Ole Man Sorrow’s

Come to keep my comp’ny,

Whisperin’ beside me

When I say my prayers.

Ain’t dat I min’ workin’.

Work an’ me is travellers,

Journeyin’ togedder

To de promise land.

But Ole Man Sorrow’s

Marchin’ all de way wid me

Tellin’ me I’m ole now

Since I lose my man.

Ole Man Sorrow sittin’ by de fireplace,

Lyin’ all night long by me in my bed.

Tellin’ me de same thing mornin’, noon an’ eb’nin,

That I’m all alone now since my man is dead.

Since my man is dead!