Colored Spade Lyrics – Hair

Song Overview

Review & Highlights

Review

“Colored Spade” lands like a flashcard drill of America’s ugliest vocabulary, flipped with swagger and purpose. Over a clipped, bluesy vamp, Hud claims every slur and stereotype, then snaps the frame by crowning himself “President of the United States of Love.” The track runs barely over a minute, but it sticks. The lyrics hammer by design, and the Tribe’s quick-fire “so you say” refrains turn the catalog into a call-and-response ritual. It’s the sound of naming as power, satire as shield.

Plot

The song functions as Hud’s entrance. He steps forward, rattles off a rolling list of racist labels, and refracts them back at the audience. Berger’s mock-host aside about a White House dinner cues a menu of caricatured “soul food,” and Hud ends with a kid-scaring chant. In the context of Hair, it sets the stakes early: identity politics will share space with humor, sex, protest, and spectacle. The lyrics aren’t there to shock for sport; they map the world Hud walks through.

Creation History

Music by Galt MacDermot, lyrics by Gerome Ragni and James Rado, “Colored Spade” appeared in the original 1968 Broadway score and has remained in major revivals and recordings. On the 2009 Hair (The New Broadway Cast Recording), Darius Nichols leads as Hud with the Tribe. The album was produced by Joel Moss and Kurt Deutsch for Ghostlight Records, with Bill Rosenfield as executive producer; MacDermot is also listed among producers in some label materials. Release rolled out digitally in late May 2009 and on CD June 23, 2009.

Song Meaning and Annotations

Context matters first. “Colored Spade” is reclamation through ridicule: Hud yanks the language of bigotry into the spotlight and makes it perform for him. The groove is compact and percussive, a theater-bred spin on bar-blues patter. Tribe interjections keep the pulse elastic, almost teasing, which heightens the satire.

The number starts confrontational and grows playful, then defiant. What begins as a grim recitation settles into a game Hud controls. That pivot - from being named to doing the naming - drives the emotional arc.

Because this text uses direct slurs, productions typically frame it carefully. Directors lean on the actor’s wit and warmth, so the wit lands before the wound. Done right, you hear the character’s strategy: own the word, shrink its sting.

Historically, “Colored Spade” lives inside a show that delighted in breaking rules. Hair put rock, R&B, and soul against Broadway brass, and this track sits right at that crossroads. A tight rhythm section, punchy horns, and spoken-sung phrasing make the satire feel street-level rather than sermon-like.

I’ve heard actors describe the piece as “verbal choreography.” You can feel that in the syncopation: consonants snap on the beat, while vowels slide across the bar line. The humor bubbles where breath meets beat.

One performance note that surfaces in score prep rooms: the opening pronunciation dispute. An annotation often flagged by fans reads:

“Correct lyrics from beginning are supposed to be: ‘I’m a colored, spade / A nègre / A black nigger…’ (‘nègre’ being the alternate, Cajun-influenced variant pronunciation of ‘negro’). The rest is correct enough. The opening is an important mess-up, though. ‘Nigga’ is definitely wrong.”

Whether a company opts for “nègre,” “negro,” or a censored variant, the choice telegraphs intent. “Nègre” pushes the line toward historical pronunciation and away from contemporary slang, which some revivals prefer to avoid confusion.

As a cultural touchpoint, the song echoes long traditions of signifying - think Richard Pryor’s early 70s reclamation routines or the dozens tradition in Black oral culture - and aligns with late-60s protest art using irony as a blade.

Production and instrumentation

The 2009 cut keeps it lean: rhythm section, brass, tight ensemble ad-libs. Nichols leads with conversational bite, letting micro-pauses sell the punchlines. The “so you say” chorus functions like a Greek chorus with a side-eye.

Metaphors and symbols

The food list gag - watermelon, grits, chitlins - is a prop table of stereotypes. By piling them up, Hud exposes their cartoon logic. The “boogie man” tag shifts the gaze to white fears, flipping the threat back toward the audience.

Language choices

Repetition acts as drumbeat. Internal rhymes and alliteration make the list feel musical even before the band kicks. It’s vaudeville timing with 60s downtown bite.

Key Facts

• Artist: Darius Nichols & ‘Hair’ Tribe
• Composer: Galt MacDermot
• Lyricists: Gerome Ragni, James Rado
• Producers: Joel Moss, Kurt Deutsch (executive: Bill Rosenfield; MacDermot also credited on some label materials)
• Release Date: June 23, 2009 (digital rollout began May 26, 2009)
• Album: Hair (The New Broadway Cast Recording)
• Track #: 5
• Length: 1:12
• Label: Ghostlight Records
• Genre: Rock musical with blues/R&B inflection
• Language: English
• Mood: satirical, gutsy, confrontational
• Instruments: rhythm section, brass, ensemble vocals
• Music style: spoken-sung patter over a bluesy vamp; crisp call-and-response
• Poetic meter: accentual, patter-driven with internal rhyme
• © Copyrights: 2009 Ghostlight Records; music and lyrics © MacDermot/Ragni/Rado

Questions and Answers

Who performs “Colored Spade” on the 2009 revival album?

Darius Nichols as Hud, with the Tribe on responses.

Was “Colored Spade” ever a single?

No formal single release is documented; it appears as an album cut on cast recordings.

Did the 1979 film include the number?

Yes, the film incorporates “Colored Spade” material in an early New York sequence, alongside “Hashish” and adjacent cues.

How did the 2009 cast album perform on the charts?

It debuted at #1 on the Billboard Broadway chart and reached #63 on the Billboard 200.

Are there notable covers or adaptations?

Yes. The 1968 Original Broadway Cast features Lamont Washington; the 1968 Original London Cast credits Peter Straker on “Coloured Spade.” Punk band Pansy Division reworked the concept in their song “C.S.F.”

Awards and Chart Positions

The 2009 Broadway revival that birthed this recording won the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical and took major revival honors across New York award bodies. The cast album itself debuted at #1 on the Billboard Broadway chart and cracked the Billboard 200 at #63, and it earned a Grammy nomination for Best Musical Show Album.

How to Sing Colored Spade

Vocal placement: Keep it speech-forward. Sit the sound in a relaxed chest register, like you’re talking with a mic - not belting a ballad.

Tempo and feel: Treat it like tight blues patter. Lock to the backbeat and let the consonants drive the groove. Micro-pauses before punch words help the jokes land.

Range and stamina: The line sits low-to-mid for a baritone, with brief flips into a higher speech-tone. Save breath by clipping phrases and releasing quickly.

Articulation: Crisp, unfussy diction. You’re juggling satire and speed, so prioritize clarity over color.

Ensemble cues: The Tribe’s “so you say” replies are rhythmic markers. Cue them with the tail of your phrase and hold eye contact to keep the volley tight.

Ethical frame: If your production uses the uncensored text, anchor the intention. Humor without cruelty is the north star.

Additional Info

• The original 1968 Broadway recording features Lamont Washington on “Colored Spade.”
• The 1968 London cast spells it “Coloured Spade,” with Peter Straker on lead.
• Pansy Division’s “C.S.F.” is a queercore answer song that flips Hair’s reclamation engine to homophobic slurs.
• The 1979 film integrates “Colored Spade” material in its early montage of New York encounters.