Sweet to Mama
Sweet To Mama — The Beale Street Sheiks
Chicago August 1927
G position, capo at 3rd fret, absolute key of B flat
Instrumental verse
I woke up this morning, ah soon this morning, with the blues all around my baby’s bed
Lord I woke up this morning with the blues all round my baby’s bed
I turned my face to the wall, and baby these are the words I said
Now, sweet to mama, how sweet to mama, now mama tell me where you stay last night
Lord its sweet to mama, now mama where you stay last night
Now your clothes are all wrinkled, mama, your hair sure ain't fixed up right
Now its two drops of water, two drops of water, now baby one or two grains of sand
Lord its two drops of water, Lord, and one or two grains of sand
My baby the blues ain’t nothin’ but a woman want to see her man
Now there’s two big steamers, two big steamers, my baby running along side by side *** (see note below)
Lord there’s two bullyin' steamers running along side by side
Now you stole my good gal, I guess you’re satisfied
Now, mama told me, my mama told me, my baby when I was a child
Lord, my mama told me, Lord, when I was a child
You have a good time now, you’ll have trouble after a while
If I justa listened, just hadda listened, my baby what my mama said
If I just hadda listened, great God, what my mama said
I would have been at home trying to live with you every day
Now when you see the spider, you see the spider, my baby runnin' up and down the wall
Lord when you see the spider, Lord, they’re runnin' up and down the wall
He must be goin’ somewhere, because he's tryin' have his ashes hauled
Now weepin’ Mary, a–weeping Mary, a–weeping Mary don’t you weep no more
I said a–weeping Mary, now, Mary don’t you weep no more
Now stop and take your time, and do your work everywhere you go
