Topic: Lil' McClintock Lyrics

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Lil' McClintock was a Georgia player, I believe, who recorded some novelty numbers and religious numbers, too, in 1930.  His performance of "Mother Called Her Daughter To Her Dying Bed" is a beauty.  He accompanies himself with a slide in Vestapol, phrasing his singing right on top of the melody as he played it.  The song has some very strong lyrics.  Here is his performance:



SOLO

Mother called her child to her dying bed
She softly whispered, these are the words she said,
"Child, I'm goin' away, meet me at the Coming Day
I'm gonna leave you in the hands of my God."

REFRAIN:  "I'm gonna leave you in the hands of my God
I'm gonna leave you in the hands of my God
Mother told her child, "Child, I'm going to die,
I'm gonna leave you in the hands of my God."

The doctors has been writin', no good they has done
Jesus Christ, the Physicianer, he is the only one
Can soften your dying bed, and these are the words she said,
"I'm gonna leave you in the hands of my God."

REFRAIN:  "I'm gonna leave you in the hands of my God
I'm gonna leave you in the hands of my God
Mother told her child, "Child, I'm born to die,
I'm gonna leave you in the hands of my God."

REFRAIN:  "I'm gonna leave you in the hands of my God
I'm gonna leave you in the hands of my God
Mother told her child, "Child, I'm born to die,
I'm gonna leave you in the hands of my God."

"We has but a few days on Earth, and it is full of sin
Jesus plainly tells you, you must be borned again.
While the blood run warm in your veins, now is the time to refrain
I'm gonna leave you in the hands of my God."

REFRAIN:  "I'm gonna leave you in the hands of my God
I'm gonna leave you in the hands of my God
Mother told her child, "Child, I'm going to die,
I'm gonna leave you in the hands of my God."

REFRAIN:  "I'm gonna leave you in the hands of my God
Gonna leave you in the hands of my God
Mother told her child, "Child, I'm born to die,
I'm gonna leave you in the hands of my God."

SOLO

REFRAIN:  "Says, I'm gonna leave you in the hands of my God
I'm gonna leave you in the hands of my God
Mother told her child, "Child, I'm born to die,
I'm gonna leave you in the hands of my God."

All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Lil' McClintock recorded another beautiful religious number, "Sow Good Seeds", similarly played in Vestapol tuning with a slide.  He sounds like he may have been an older man when he recorded.  Here is his recording:



I'd very much appreciate help with the two bent bracketed passages.  I'm having a hard time hearing them.

SOLO

REFRAIN: Sow good seeds, everybody
Sow good seeds, everybody
On the mountains, down in the valley
You gonna reap just what you sow

Sow by walkin', sow by talkin',
Sow by everything you do
But you need not mind that, keep on sowin'
You gonna reap just what you sow

REFRAIN: Sow good seeds, everybody
Sow good seeds, everybody
On the mountains, down in the valley
You gonna reap what you sow

Hark, the voice of Jesus calling,
"Who will come and work today?
Tunes of mercy, harvest waiting
Here am I, oh mercy me."

REFRAIN: Sow good seeds, everybody
Sow good seeds, everybody
On the mountains, down in the valley
You gonna reap what you sow

REFRAIN: Sow good seeds, everybody
Sow good seeds, everybody
On the mountains, down in the valley
You gonna reap just what you sow

They'll talk about you, they'll vilify you
Call you everything 'cept a Child of God
But you need not mind them, keep on sowin'
You gonna reap just what you sow

REFRAIN: Sow good seeds, everybody
Sow good seeds, everybody
On the mountains, down in the valley
You gonna reap just what you sow

SOLO

REFRAIN: Sow good seeds, everybody
Sow good seeds, everybody
On the mountains, down in the valley
You gonna reap just a-what you sow

Edited 10/15 to pick up lines from banjochris

All best,
Johnm

[banjochris]

I wonder if he misspoke for the "tunes of mercy" line, that doesn't make much sense but it sure sounds like that's what he sings. However, I can state with confidence that the missing bits are "harvest waiting" and "vilify you" respectively.
Chris

[Johnm]

Thanks very much for the help, Chris.  He enunciated "vilify" with perfect clarity, as it turns out--I guess if you're not expecting to hear a word, you may not recognize it when you do hear it.  I sure like both of these songs and the performances of them.  I have made the changes.
All best,
Johnm

[Lignite]

I think he's saying "Tender mercy, harvest waiting" and "They'll talk about you, they'll vilify you". Great song. I've never heard that one before.

[Johnm]

Hi Lightnin',
I think "tender mercies" would have made more sense and may be what he intended to sing, but it sure sounds like he did sing "tunes of mercy".  I hope all is going fine.
All best,
John

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Lil' McClintock accompanied himself out of G position in standard tuning for his recording of "Don't Think I'm Santa Claus".  He's working some of the same territory as Jim Jackson did on a lot of his material here.  Here is the recording:



Please don't think that I'm Santa Claus 'cause Christmas comes every day
You can hear them sleigh bells a-ringin' now, every time he turn around this-a way
You need not think that i'm a human being that's nothing but a fraud
'Cause I bring you presents every once in a while, don't think I'm Santa Claus

Lindy, oh Lindy, you're sweeter than sugar cane
Lindy, Lindy, say you'll be mine
While the moon am a-shinin', and my heart am a-twinin'
Meet me, dear little Lindy, by the watermelon vine

Oh Lindy, Lindy, sweeter than sugar cane
Oh Lindy, Lindy, say you'll be mine
While the moon am a-shinin', and my heart am a-twinin'
Meet me, dear little Lindy, by the watermelon vine

Now keep a little clo'ster corner in your heart for me, heart for me
I'll be just as good to you as anyone can be, just wait and see
If you promise what I'll ask you we'll both agree, both agree
Keep a little clo'ster corner in your heart for me

K-k-k-keep a little clo'ster corner in your heart for me, heart for me
I'll be just as good to you as anyone can be, just wait and see
If you promise what I'll ask you we'll both agree, both agree
Keep a little clo'ster corner in your heart for me

It's Lindy, oh Lindy, you're sweeter than sugar cane
Lindy, Lindy, say you'll be mine
While the moon am a-shinin', and my heart am a-twinin'
Meet me, dear little Lindy, by the watermelon vine

Now everybody works but Father, he sits around all day
With his feets up to the fire, smokin' a pipe or playin'
Mother takes in washing, so does sister Ann
Everybody works at our house 'cept the old man

It's Lindy, oh Lindy, you're sweeter than sugar cane
Lindy, Lindy, say you'll be mine
While the moon am a-shinin', and my heart am a-twinin'
Meet me, dear little Lindy, by the watermelon vine

Father went to work this mornin' at a dollar-and-a-half a day
Done took his feet from the fire, done th'owed his pipe away
Mother's quit takin' in washing, so has sister Ann
Now everybody's takin' vacation, 'cept the old man

It's Lindy, oh Lindy, sweeter than sugar cane
Lindy, Lindy, say you'll be mine
While the moon am a-shinin', and my heart am a-twinin'
Meet me, dear little Lindy, by the watermelon vine

All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Lil' McClintock recorded "Furniture Man", accompanying himself out of G position in standard tuning, tuned a bit low, just as he was for "Don't Think I'm Santa Claus".  Some of these lyrics showed up in Luke Jordan's version of "Cocaine Blues".  I'd be interested to know what company Lil' McClintock recorded for, because both of these songs are such long takes.  He sounds like someone whom it would have been a treat to see perform.



Well, what insurance has the poor man got, with the furniture man?
If you've got no dough, you've got no show, right back the wagon's gonna stand
He'll take everything that you possess, from a bed tick to a frying pan
If there ever was a devil born without horns, it must've been a furniture man

REFRAIN: So take your time, Mr. Brown, take-a your time
All of this furniture are mine
Well-a, this piano and everything, Mr. Cooper had it written down in-a my name
So take your time, Mr. Brown, take-a your time

Now, Sally's "The Boast", everybody knows, she's the swellest coon in town
She give a ball last Friday night, invited all the coons around
Coons come in, chock full of gin, they tried to raise a row
There's nobody home but Sally The Boast, and these am the words she said,

REFRAIN: "Take your time, Mr. Brown, take-a your time.
All of this furniture are mine.
Well-a, this piano and everything, Mr. Cooper had it written down in-a my name
So take your time, Mr. Brown, take-a your time."

Now, the furniture man come to my house, I told him that my wife was sick
He looked all around, rammaged [sic] through the house, even down-turned up the bed tick
He went in the kitchen, he looked on the stove, he grabbed a fryin' pan
If there ever was a devil born without horns, it must've been a furniture man

REFRAIN: So take your time, Mr. Brown, take-a your time
All of this furniture are mine
Well-a, this piano and everything, Mr. Cooper had it written down in-a my name
So take your time, Mr. Brown, take-a your time

All best,
Johnm

[Lastfirstface]

The earlier songs that make up the medley "Don't Think I'm Santa Claus" are:
-Thomas Allen's "Lindy Lou - By The Watermelon Vine" 1904
-Jack Drisdane "Keep a Little Cosy Corner In Your Heart For Me" 1905
-Jean C Havez "Everybody Works But Father 1905
-Irving Jones "Don't Think I'm Santa Claus" 1904

[banjochris]

The earlier songs that make up the medley "Don't Think I'm Santa Claus" are:
-Thomas Allen's "Lindy Lou - By The Watermelon Vine" 1904
-Jack Drisdane "Keep a Little Cosy Corner In Your Heart For Me" 1905
-Jean C Havez "Everybody Works But Father 1905
-Irving Jones "Don't Think I'm Santa Claus" 1904

Thanks for that! I knew two of them but it's good to know them all!

[Johnm]

Yes, thanks for that information, Lastfirstface.
All best,
Johnm

[Gumbo]

McClintock recorded for Columbia in Atlanta during December 1930 and was said to hail from Clinton, South Carolina.

http://www.allmusic.com/album/georgia-blues-gospel-1927-1931-mw0001896581

[Johnm]

Thanks for the information on Lil' McClintock, Gumbo.  It's fortunate that Columbia permitted long takes.
All best,
Johnm