Hambone
Archie Shepp Lyrics

The lyrics to Archie Shepp's song "Hambone" are a mixture of call-and-response vocals and spoken verses punctuated by staccato bursts of saxophone. The song's lyrics are predominantly nonsensical, highlighting the African-American tradition of Hambone, a percussion style using only the body to create rhythm. The song opens with a refrain call-and-response consisting of the repeated call of "Hambone! Hambone!" followed by a response of "Where you been?" The responder then sings of traveling the world before returning to take a walk along the railroad tracks.

The following verse is a variation on the initial melody, with lyrics that center on the playful tale of a child whose father promises a series of gifts — a mockingbird, a diamond ring, and eventually a trip to the five and dime if the other items don't please him. The final verse deviates from the initial melody entirely and mimics the percussive nature of Hambone itself. It features a spoken-word verse that talks about making a Sunday hat for a wife out of an alley cat and using a goat's hide to make a Sunday coat. The remaining lines of the song make mention of a wife cooking up beans and rice in the kitchen and supper that awaits.

In summary, the song appears to be a spontaneous calling and response exchange that offers little in the way of real plot or meaning. It is reminiscent of playful, participatory music that people of African-American lineage made while working to provide food and create other practical essentials. Lyrically, the song itself is a celebration of prominent facets of black American culture, reinforcing their sounds, traditions, and rhythm in a medium that remains, even today, a resounding component of the African-American cultural identity.