Transcript prepared by Fielding M. McGehee III. If you use this material, please credit The Jonestown Institute. Thank you.
To return to the Tape Index, click here. To listen to MP3, click here.
To read the Tape Summary, click here.
Male: –and then– Test, one two three. Test, one two three four. Test, test, test, test, test, test. Test, test.
Music stops and starts during tests.
(Tape edit)
Song 1: Instrumental (another instrumental piece overlaps on second track for several moments)
(Tape edit)
Announcer: And now, ladies and gentlemen. We’re glad to have you here in Jonestown, Guyana. Sit back and enjoy yourself. We have a brief program. Presenting to you, the Jonestown Express.
Song 2:
We got a message in our music,
We got a message in our music,
We got a message in our song,
So come along, sing a song.
We got a message in our music,
We got a message in our music,
We got a message in our song,
So come along, sing a song.
Music, message in our music,
Message in our music, music.
Announcer: Yes, that’s the Jonestown Express.
Light applause
Announcer: And now we’d like to bring to the stage, Miss Unforgettable, Marthea Hicks.
Song 3: (Variation of “Everybody’s Talkin’ At Me” by Nilsson)
Everybody’s talkin’ about me
I can’t hear a word they’re sayin’
Only the echoes of their mind
People stop and staring
I can’t even see their faces
Only the shadows of their eyes
I’m goin’ where the sun keeps shinin’
through the pourin’ rain
Goin’ where the weather suits my clothes
Bankin’ off of the northeast wind
Sailin’ on a summer breeze
Skippin’ over the ocean like a stone
Everybody’s talkin’ about me
I can’t hear a word they’re sayin’
Only the echoes of their mind
People stop and staring
I can’t even see their faces
Only the shadows of their eyes
I’m goin’ where the sun keeps shinin’
through the pourin’ rain
Goin’ where the weather suits my clothes
Bankin’ off of the northeast wind
Sailin’ on a summer breeze
Skippin’ over the ocean like a stone
Song 4: (Variation of “Abraham, Martin and John” by Dion)
Anybody here seen my friend Cuffy
Can you tell me where he’s gone?
He freed a lot of people but the good, they die young
I looked around and he was gone.
Anybody here seen Che Guevara
Can you tell me where he’s gone?
Oh, he freed a lot of people but the good, they die young
I looked around and he was gone.
Anybody here seen my friend Martin [Luther King]
Can you tell me where the man is gone?
Yes, he freed a lot of people but the good, they die young
I looked around and he was gone.
Anybody here seen Steven Biko
Can you tell me where he’s gone?
Oh, he freed a lot of people but the good, they die young
I looked around and he was gone.
Anybody here seen my friend Malcolm [X]
Can you tell me where that man is gone?
Oh, he freed a lot of people but the good, they die young
I looked around and he was gone.
Anybody here seen my friend (unintelligible – sounds like “Tony”)
Can you tell me where that man is gone?
Yes, he freed a lot of people but the good, they die young
I just looked around and he was gone.
I just looked around and he was gone.
I looked around, the man was gone.
(Tape edit)
Announcer: That was Marthea Hicks. Now we’d like to bring to the stage to perform– let’s get some hands together for Frances Johnson doing “Oakland Beat 1.”
(Tape edit)
That was (unintelligible). And now, ladies and gentlemen, for our comedy hour. She’s the funniest lady that ever hit the floor of Jonestown. She’s 77 years old and every bone in her body (unintelligible). Let’s give a warm welcome to the Jonestown Moms Mabley [likely Bertha Cook].
Song 5:
Today, every day, every day,
I have the blues
Every day, every day, every day,
I have the blues
You got me burning with a fire
But you (unintelligible word)
You know I got a letter today, from my broker. He says, Dear Mom, I understand that you are holding stocks in American (unintelligible) United Gas and Waterworks. And it’s great (unintelligible), so I strongly advise you (unintelligible) on your pants, close your wallet, and let the gas go. He says, you might also be interested in knowing that prostitution is the best buy on the market today. You can make a cent on every penis.
(Sings) They call me Stormy Monday
Tuesday’s got to change.
They call me Stormy Monday
Tuesday’s got to change.
Now Wednesday is (unintelligible word)
Thursday’s (unintelligible word)
I got to tell you about my little baby. She got awful sick. And I took her to the hospital. So, she thought she was gonna die. Then my husband came, he said, honey, I’m so sorry, I’m just so sorry I’ve been unfaithful to you. But I wanted to make this last (unintelligible word). Saying please forgive me. She said, oh that’s all right. I was the one that poisoned you.
(unintelligible intro) early part of the year, I went down to Texas, you know, they always have tall stories in Texas. But I was born in a little town so, (unintelligible word) just a little town in Texas. But they had a story to tell me which I’d like to share with you. (unintelligible phrase), my friends told me that there was a preacher. And he had to have a horse, he had to have a horse in a hurry, so he went down to (unintelligible word) congregation (unintelligible). He went down to the stable to buy a horse. The man told him, so you just the right home for this horse, because this horse is holy. So when you say Hallelujah, he runs. And if you say Amen, he stops. So that was good for the preacher. On the way home, something frightened the horse. He ran and he ran (unintelligible). The preacher said, whoa, whoa. The horse kept going. Whoa. The horse kept going. With old man (unintelligible word) getting close to the edge of the hill, he finally thought of it. Said Amen. The horse put on his brakes and stopped. Ah, that tickled the preacher, he said, God, (unintelligible word) thank you. Hallelujah.
(Laughter)
You know, while I was down there, I ran out of money. So I thought I’d get a little job. I’ve always been able to do a little (unintelligible word) work. So I went down to (unintelligible). The lady says to me, won’t you please answer my phone? I heard no phone ringing, and had no idea what she wanted after that, but I wanted the job, so I had to answer the phone. When I got back, she says, uh, who was that on the phone? I says, well, I really couldn’t tell you because they ask so weird, it was a long distance to New York, and I said, it sure was.
(Laughter)
(Sings) Well, the eagle flies on Friday,
Saturday, I go out and play, yeah,
Well, the eagle flies on Friday,
Saturday, I go out and play
Come Sunday morning
I fall on my knees and pray
I said, Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy on me
I said, Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy on me
Well, you know how I love you
Oh, Lord, in misery.
Announcer: That was Jonestown’s Moms Mabley.
Song 6: (Sung to tune of “You Are So Beautiful To Me” by Joe Cocker)
Guyana is so beautiful to me
Guyana is so beautiful to me
Yes, I see,
It’s everything I’d ever hoped for
And it’s everything to me
Guyana is so beautiful to me
Guyana is so beautiful to me
Guyana is so beautiful to me
Yes, I see,
It’s everything I’d ever hoped for
And it’s everything to me
Yeah, yeah
Guyana is so beautiful
I’m gonna say it again
Guyana is so beautiful
Can you sing it to me
Guyana is so beautiful
One more time, one more time
Guyana is so beautiful
One more time, yeah, yeah, yeah
Guyana is so beautiful
To me, yeah.
(tape edit)
Song 7: Instrumental
End of tape
Tape originally posted January 2006