" The Eagle And Me"-Emancipation Anthem: " Bloomer Girl" wove two dominant themes into the 1943 stage musical. Women's rights and freedom from slavery. A runaway slave sings this positive expression of people with the need and the right to be free. Set in 1860, as the Civil War began, emancipation was a principle held by President Lincoln against the staunch resistance of slave owners, mainly in the Southern states. The stage production was in 1943, at a time when there were savage race riots in Detroit, Mobile Alabama and Harlem. Blacks serving in the Armed Services were still segregated and fighting for equality with their own government. These race relations issues were very prominent at the time Bloomer Girl was launched.
The part of the runaway slave was played by Dooley Wilson,( Sam, the piano player in the film " Casablanca." )He begins with an introductory verse that sets the stage for his eloquent plea for freedom in the refrain.
Free as the sun is free
That's how it's gotta be
Whatever' s right for bumble bee
And river and eagle is right for me
We gotta be free
The eagle and me !
No doubt Dooley Wilson had been scarred by his own experiences growing up in a segregated America although he did have a decent career as an entertainer, a career that blacks were allowed to pursue as long as they were not considered to be " Too Uppity and knowing their place."
It is a fetching and emotionally rich performance that surely resonated with the audience as it should for listeners today.
Carmen McRea also sings a more up-tempo, jazzy version that is no less effective than Dooley Wilson's earlier recording.
Dooley Wilson Link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0Zad8aC4Bg
Carmen McRae Link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3QTjzWUCGQ
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