B ▁example ▁of ▁the ▁folk lor ic ▁J ody ▁character ▁is ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 ▁hit ▁single ▁from ▁Johnny ▁Taylor , ▁J ody ' s ▁Got ▁Your ▁Girl ▁and ▁G one . ▁Another ▁is ▁the ▁poem , ▁Black ▁Sold ier , ▁by ▁the ▁Last ▁Po ets , ▁on ▁their ▁ 1 9 7 2 ▁album , ▁Ch ast is ement . ▁ ▁The ▁name ▁der ives ▁from ▁a ▁stock ▁character ▁in ▁African - American ▁or al ▁trad itions , ▁" J oe ▁the ▁Gr inder ." ▁The ▁character ' s ▁name ▁has ▁been ▁trans cribed ▁as ▁" Jo ady ," ▁" J ody ," ▁" J od ie ," ▁" J oe ▁D .", ▁or ▁even ▁" J oe ▁the ▁_ ___ " ▁( in ▁dialect , ▁" J oe ▁de ▁_ ___ ") ▁with ▁Joe ▁then ▁identified ▁by ▁occupation . ▁He ▁was ▁a ▁stock ▁villa in ▁who ▁mal ici ously ▁took ▁advantage ▁of ▁another ▁man ' s ▁absence . ▁En list ed ▁African - American ▁soldiers ▁incorpor ated ▁this ▁character ▁into ▁cad ence ▁songs ▁during ▁the ▁Second ▁World ▁War . ▁ ▁Line berry ▁emphas izes ▁conflic ting ▁uses ▁of ▁the ▁calls : ▁they ▁are ▁useful ▁to ▁command , ▁in ▁that ▁they ▁serve ▁as ▁instruments ▁to ▁psych olog ically ▁det ach ▁the ▁soldier ▁from ▁home - life , ▁and ▁to ▁in cul c ate ▁a ▁useful ▁degree ▁of ▁ag gression . ▁They ▁are ▁useful ▁to ▁the ▁soldier , ▁who ▁can ▁vent ▁diss atisf action ▁without ▁taking ▁individual ▁responsibility ▁for ▁the ▁expression