Patricia,
    The song was actually written by Gershwin (the music) in deliberate attempt to compose something that would sound like a folk song. This is from Wikipedia:

Musicologist K. J. McElrath wrote of the song:

"Gershwin was remarkably successful in his intent to have this sound like a folk song. This is reinforced by his extensive use of the pentatonic scale (C-D-E-G-A) in the context of the A minor tonality and a slow-moving harmonic progression that suggests a “blues.” Because of these factors, this tune has been a favorite of jazz performers for decades and can be done in a variety of tempos and styles."

The lyricist (Dubose Heyward) wrote the novel (Porgy) on which the play is based. He would have attempted to write it "in character" (his attempt at a black southern dialect of the time.)

When I was first learning jazz guitar, it was one of the first songs I learned, and I have come back to it time and again because it has been done so well in so many different ways with so many nuances. As i grow as a musician, the song accomodates that very well. Like many performers, though, I wouldn't presume to sound like a black woman and use what comes natural to me--"yur", which would rhyme (in my dialect) with "fur" and "stir".

Up north now, "yo" is used to call attention or in ritual greeting, as in "Yo, 'sup?" for "hello, what's up?"

Craig

Patricia Lafayllve wrote:

I wonder if that's not what I call "folk song drift" (there's probably a
more formal term for the phenomenon).  Every person interprets a
song/arranges a song differently, and what I see in folk music is a lot of
word replacement/phrase shifting.  Sometimes its deliberate and for the
best: "Johnny Come Down to Hilo" originally opened with "Never seen the like
since I been born, a big buck nigger with his sea boots on."  Clearly not
appropriate for a modern audience!  The Mystic Seaport's chanty men changed
the line to "Never seen the like since I was born, an Arkansas farmer with
his sea boots on."  The meaning is the same, but avoids the inappropriate
terminology.  Other times it's a matter of the singer remembering a line
wrong, or adding a new phrase to an old tune, or even forgetting the lyrics
and improvising.

I'm not sure what the original line was in Summertime; I know Sarah Vaughan
sang: "Oh your Daddy's rich and your Ma's good lookin'", for whatever that's
worth.

-patty


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