WeenieCampbell.com
Country Blues => Country Blues Lyrics => Topic started by: beljum on September 18, 2011, 05:41:00 PM
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Questionable lyrics are in brackets and ???...
Just thought I'd add (9/19/2011) found this out on the Weenie...
https://youtu.be/v5mZJAZOKjo
they cut G. Burns Is Gonna Rise Again, a parody of a religious song, Dese Bones Gwine To Rise Again. In the preamble, one of them mentions the �miss meal cramps� that Alec Johnson would sing about in the following November. Whether the name �G. Burns� had any contemporary significance isn't known.
I changed lyrics "missed" to "Miss"
G. Burns Gonna Rise Again
(Johnson, Nelson and Porkchop)
Ah looka here Tom, what y?all doin? layin around here in Memphis?
Around here in Memphis Tennessee?
Yeah.
Why, we?re just thinkin? about goin? down to the One Minute House to get a meal.
Yeah, I thought y?all had the missed meal cramps.
Missed meal cramps?
Yeah.
It looks like you got some kind of cramps. We never see you down in Sandy Bottom anymore.
You know the reason I don?t come down in sandy bottom cause every time I come down there, the first thing that I can hear when I get in the Bottom is:
I know.........I know.......I know (G. Burns gonna rise again)
Way down yonder [?? Tappin??] Lake (G. Burns gonna rise again)
Bullfrog died with a belly ache. (G. Burns gonna rise again)
I know.........I know.......I know (G. Burns gonna rise again)
I gotta gal and she just a card (G. Burns gonna rise again)
Worked over ?dere in the white folks yard. (G. Burns gonna rise again)
When she killed a chicken, she give me the ham (G. Burns gonna rise again)
Don?t give me the ham I don?t give a ......
(ha ha ha.....)
I know.........I know.......I know (G. Burns gonna rise again)
Went to the river and couldn?t get ?cross. (G. Burns gonna rise again)
Jumped on the alligator thought he was a horse. (G. Burns gonna rise again)
Alligator sittin?, [???] sittin? on the sand. (G. Burns gonna rise again)
He took me ?cross to the Promised Land. (G. Burns gonna rise again)
(ha ha ha.....)
I know.........I know.......I know (G. Burns gonna rise again)
My old mistress promised me (G. Burns gonna rise again)
When she dies gonna set me free (G. Burns gonna rise again)
She lived so long til her head got bald (G. Burns gonna rise again)
She grabbed her a notion not dyin? at all. (G. Burns gonna rise again)
(ha ha ha.....)
I know.........I know.......I know (G. Burns gonna rise again)
9/27/2011 added banjochris corrections
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Here are some suggestions:
One Minute House to get a FEED.
1.1 there's a TAPPAN LAKE in Ohio
2.1 I'VE GOT A a gal AND SHE JUST AS CARD (I think he means "just a card" and the "s" is accidental here)
2.2 over DERE in the white folks' yard
3.3 Alligator SHIFT? or SHIPPED? TO THE SITTIN' OF the sand (I think this is a play on 'setting of the sun,' but I could be wrong)
3.4 He took me 'CROSS to the Promised Land.
4.1 He mumbles, but it's usually MY OLD mistress
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Hi,
Pan posted a tune in the Blues in Minor/With Minor Chords thread (http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=892.msg78372#msg78372) that I never heard before, "In the Mornin'" by Tom Nelson, TC Johnson and Porkchop (I only knew their "G. Burns is gonna rise again"). It sounds like it's played out of C/Am position with a Capo on the 4th fret.
https://youtu.be/hZiA5Y0wtbY
I don't get parts of the lyrics, so I'd like to ask you all for your help.
When I was a young man, 't was ninety one years ago
Now I am the old man and my back is bent and low
Was fishing on this (levee?) for a many years
But now I got the fever and I can not fish no more
Oh oh in the morning oh oh all at dawning
Oh oh in the morning down in Mississippi all day long
Standing down on (Furrell) street no shoes at my feet
??? three times a day I don't ever get no pay
Oh oh in the morning oh oh all at dawning
Oh oh in the morning down in Mississippi all day long
When I come down to Mississippi town, down on Washington street
To stop right by old Joe's caf? then I get you some to eat
When you call out you walk right in an ????
Where they shoot dice and play pool ????? men
Oh oh in the morning oh oh all at dawning
Oh oh in the morning down in Mississippi all day long
I went to see my gal one day ????
Car broke down in the middle of the street right there where I stood and cried
Oh oh in the morning oh oh all at dawning
Oh oh in the morning down in Mississippi all day long
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Hi Mr Mando
It's a cool tune allright! :)
Some posiibilities:
4:
CORNBREAD AND MOLASSES three times a day I don't ever get no pay
9:
I went to see my gal one day, AND DIDN'T HAVE NO WAY TO (A?) RIDE
As always, let's hope our native friends confirm, correct and fill in.
Cheers
Pan
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Pan, I think you're right in both instances. I think he sings 'lasses instead of molasses
When I was a young man, 't was ninety one years ago
Now I am the old man and my back is bent and low
Was fishing on this (levee?) for a many years
But now I got the fever and I can not fish no more
Oh oh in the morning oh oh all at dawning
Oh oh in the morning down in Mississippi all day long
Standing down on (Furrell) street no shoes at my feet
Cornbread and 'lasses three times a day I don't ever get no pay
Oh oh in the morning oh oh all at dawning
Oh oh in the morning down in Mississippi all day long
When I come down to Mississippi town, down on Washington street
To stop right by old Joe's caf? then I get you some to eat
When you call out you walk right in an ??
Where they shoot dice and play pool ?? men
Oh oh in the morning oh oh all at dawning
Oh oh in the morning down in Mississippi all day long
I went to see my gal one day and didn't have no way to ride
Car broke down in the middle of the street right there where I stood and cried
Oh oh in the morning oh oh all at dawning
Oh oh in the morning down in Mississippi all day long
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Hi mr mando,
I think I have a couple of the mystery lines and a few possible minor changes. What a tremendous song and performance!
1.2 Now I am the old man, and my back is BENDIN' low
2.1 BEEN fishin' on this LEVEL,
REFRAIN 1. Oh, oh, in the mornin', oh, oh, oh in the dawnin'
Oh, oh, in the mornin', WAY down in Mississippi
All day long
3.1 Standin' down on PEARL Street, no shoes ON my feet
3.2 Cornbread and molasses three times a day, I don't ever get no PIG
REFRAIN 2, line 2 Oh, oh, hear me talkin', WAY down in Mississippi
5.1 When YOU come down to Mississippi TOWNS, down on WASHING' Street
5.2 Just stop right by ROSE TOLAN'S cafe, then YOU get you somethin' to eat
5.3 When you GET DONE, YOU'LL walk right in THAT POOLROOM, AND THEN,
5.4 Where they shoot dice and play pool, GOT A ? FROM THE NIGHTHAWK MEN
REFRAIN 3, line 1 Oh, oh, in the mornin', oh, oh, EARLY DAWNIN'
6.1 I went to see my gal one day and didn't have no way to ARRIVE
REFRAIN 4, add WAY before "down" in the second line.
I would love to know the origins of this song.
All best,
Johnm
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Hi Johnm,
thanks so much for your help. Now everything's starting to make sense! He pretty much swallows what you get from the nighthawk men, but maybe somebody will find that out too.
I would love to know the origins of this song.
Me too. Somehow it sounds like another parody of a spiritual, as they did with "G. Burns is gonna rise again".
When I was a young man, 't was ninety one years ago
Now I am the old man and my back is bendin' low
Been fishing on this level for a many years
But now I got the fever and I can not fish no more
Oh oh in the mornin' oh oh oh in the dawnin'
Oh oh in the mornin' way down in Mississippi
All day long
Standing down on Pearl street no shoes on my feet
Cornbread and molasses three times a day I don't ever get no pig
Oh oh in the mornin' oh oh oh in the dawnin'
Oh oh hear me talkin' way down in Mississippi
All day long
When you come down to Mississippi towns, down on Washing' street
To stop right by Rose Tolan's caf?, then you get you somethin' to eat
When you get done you walk right in that poolroom and then
Where they shoot dice and play pool, got a ? from the nighhawk men
Oh oh in the mornin' oh oh early dawnin'
Oh oh in the mornin' way down in Mississippi
All day long
I went to see my gal one day and didn't have no way to arrive
Car broke down in the middle of the street right there where I stood and cried
Oh oh in the mornin' oh oh oh in the dawnin'
Oh oh in the mornin' way down in Mississippi
All day long
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I listened to this song and my husband Eric pointed out the similarities between it and the song "Roustabout" from the Disney movie "Dumbo" - I suspect some common ancestor. Both pieces of the lyrics and the melody and harmonization are similar. Wonderful song!
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To stop right by Rose Tolan's caf?...
I don't think Rose is correct there. There's an "r" sound, but I think it's the r that was habitually placed between two distinct vowel sounds, as in "Norah's dove". In this case, the r separates the y of "by" and the o of "old". I think the correct transcription would be "To stop right by ol' [Toler's? Tolan's?] cafe...."
...my husband Eric pointed out the similarities between it and the song "Roustabout" from the Disney movie "Dumbo" - I suspect some common ancestor.
It strikes me that this song is a parody of, or at least steals the melody of, and old Jubilee song. I can't think of what that song is right now. Perhaps the notes to the Document CD shed some light on this. If nobody beats me to it, I'll check when I get home.
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It strikes me that this song is a parody of, or at least steals the melody of, and old Jubilee song. I can't think of what that song is right now.
Got it. the song I'm thinking of is "Poor Mourner's Gone Home At Last", recorded by the Fisk University Jubilee Quartet in 1911 as "Po' Mo'ner's Got Home At Last". The melody of the chorus in both "In The Mornin'" and "Po' Mo'ner" are virtually identical, while T. C. Johnson, Tom Nelson, and Porkchop simplified the verse melody a bit.
It's interesting to note that the trio's other recording, "G. Burns Gonna Rise Again" is also taken from a Jubilee song, "These Bones Gonna Rise Again".
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A silly topic for my first post - but this is driving me nuts....
Is the meaning of "G. Burns" still unknown???
Been googling around plantation names like Panther Burn and C. Burrus, trying to think of related slang for sex or indigestion that might fit, even went so far as to try and figure out when Burns and Allen started on radio. Nothing...
Still a mystery???
This site is the most amazing resource - thank you all!
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I think the lake in verse 1 might be TER'PIN (i.e. Terrapin).
In 3.3 I almost agree with Chris: Alligator SHIFT TO THE SIT 'IM ON the sand
I think the "the" in "the sit 'im on the sand" is extraneous, and just sort of fell in to keep the rhythm of the lyrics going. I don't think the line is a play on "setting of the sun", though. As I see it, the singer jumped on an alligator in the water because he thought it was a horse, the alligator swam over the river to the sandy shore on the other side, but he'd eaten the singer on the way, thus carrying him "over to the Promised Land".
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dj -- I think you've definitely got it with Terrapin
In 3.3 how about "Alligator shift to the siftin' of the sand"?
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What I'm hearing:
2.1 I'VE GOT A GAL AND SHE JUST DID CROSS ( SHE DIED AND CROSSED THE RIVER)
2.3 WOULDN'T KILL THE CHICKEN, SHE GAVE ME THE HAM
3.3 ALLIGATOR SHIP (OR SAID) BETTER SIT HIM ON THE SAND
4.1 HAD A LITTLE MISTRESS
4.4 SHE GRABBED A NOTION
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Hi all,
I merged the "G. Burns Rise Again" and "In The Mornin'" lyric threads since both of those songs were recorded by this obscure trio. Except for the first post in the thread, all of the posts of kept their original title headings for ease of following the discussions.
All best,
Johnm
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Though I'd add this one, but there's a few part I can't figure out
https://youtu.be/ir0zr0jRx44
Blue Coat Blues
Hey baby, see what you have done
Hey, see what you have done
You made me love you, now your man's in town
I'm going away baby to wear you off my mind
Hey, to wear you off my mind
For you keep me worried and bothered all the time
I woke up here, this morning feeling bad
Hey, this morning feeling bad
I was thinking about sweet mama, the times once I've have had
Hey, late last night when everything was still
Hey, when everything was still
And I find my (Georgie?) way behind some hill
My gal got something, I don't know what it is
Hey, I don't know what it is
Now, every time she touches me my mind can't keep still
Head on down the alley and heist your window high
Hey, and heist your window high
Believe to my (?) twenty more years (?)
I'm going down south to have my fortune told
Hey, to have my fortune told
'Cause I believe some rascal stole my jelly roll
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Thanks for posting that, Lastfirstface! I think the last line of the next-to-last verse might be:
FOR I believes, RUTH, 24 EASING BY
I think "Georgie" is right, in the verse two prior to that one, maybe a woman's name, Georgia, pronounced Georgy, like the state so often is.
All best,
Johnm
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I agree with John about "Georgie." On the next to the last verse, based on how abrupt the pause is in the middle of the third line (and the fiddle is a little odd there as well), I suspect he sang the wrong beginning to the line (and the next verse's third line starts basically the same way). I hear WHEN IT GO EASIN' BY for the last part of that line. Referring to a train or street car, I suppose, but I don't think you're going to get any sense out of that line the way it stands.
Chris
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Hi all,
Good catch on that "when it go easing by", Chris. This trio had another song, J. C. Johnson's Blues", featuring, once again, fiddle and guitar accompaniment. It seems as though the record company must have stiffed the title on this one. Perhaps the lead singer is T C Johnson for this song; whoever the singer is, he has a deeper voice than the lead singer on "Blue Coat Blues". I'd very much appreciate help with the bent bracketed passages. Here is the track:
https://youtu.be/HiAVUxFmLUQ
FIDDLE INTRO
I was born in the state of old Arkansas
I was born in the state of old Arkansas
Where they don't allow no, Mississippi women there at all
I'm going, I'm going, back to my old home to stay
I'm going, I'm going, back to my old home to stay
And you'll find me hanging around the levee, both night and day
Then after I walk, the levee from end to end
Then after I walk, the levee from end to end
I'll go to Sweet Mama Ally's, boy, and get my hooch and gin
I've tried old jelly, and old hooches, too
I've tried old jelly, and old hooches, too
But me and the [ ] have liquor, when we sure can do
I don't see why, white folks don't have no blues
I don't see why, white folks don't have no blues
They got all cash money, and brownskin women, too
When you go to Vicksburg, please ask for old [Jim Pouting?]
When you go to Vicksburg, please ask for the old [ ]
For he's the bootlegging seller, your thirst, he sure can quench
All best,
Johnm
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It does sound like he's saying "jelly" and "hooch". Maybe the "jelly" he was referring Sterno/jellied alcohol like Tommy Johnson describes in 'Canned Heat Blues' and "hooch" is just bad bootleg booze in this context. The last line of the verse sounds like "me and the tin of liquor..." to me.
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Thanks for the listen, Lastfirstface, I will remove the bent brackets from "jelly" and "hooches" in that verse. I think he might be saying in the last line of that verse:
But me and the CHIN have liquor, when we sure can do
The word "have" seems pretty clear there, so there needs to be a someone or something that combines with "me" in the first half of that line to make up the "we" in the second half of the line. It sounds to me like he might be saying that both he and his mouth have liquor when the opportunity presents itself.
All best,
Johnm
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Me and the ginhouse liquor?
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I've tried old jelly, and old whisky too
But me and the kid have liqour?? well we sure can do?
I tried to check out the other tunes from this session to get a hint. Unreleased side Four and Five Blues. But. Just before tom nelson and tc johnson there is this cut from nat hayes and matthew prater
https://youtu.be/QZjeIjJdNBk
Is it just me or are these the same pair with tc johnson playing a very similar part on the mandolin???
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I don't know, David.The guitarist on "T. C. Johnson's Blues" seems considerably more nifty and has more moves than the guitarist on the Hayes and Prater cut, who seems more workmanlike. I think I figured out the last word in "T. C. Johnson's Blues"--"quench". He doesn't really sing the back end of the word.
All best,
John
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Yeah the guitar and guitar part do sound quite different on Prater's blues. I got a bit excited. I see that TC Johnson recorded an instrumental (unissued) with Hayes and Prater. Seems so strange that the mandolin part and fiddle parts to the songs can be so divergent in places and exactly the same in others. I guess they must have known one another pretty well. Great work with quench. The name is sounding a bit like Jim Bucane to me on the first pass but it's less clear the second time.
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Did a search to see if there is or was a place called sweet mama alley in vicksburg and found this version of the lyrics on a website with Spanish translation.
https://flowlez.com/es/songs/tc-johnson-blues-2184994/
Escucha la canción "Blue Coat" Tom Nelson - T.C. Johnson Blues en línea
"Blue Coat" Tom Nelson - T.C. Johnson Blues
Letras de canciones "Blue Coat" Tom Nelson - T.C. Johnson Blues
I was born in the state, of old Arkansas
I was born in the state, of old Arkansas
Where they don't allow, no Mississippi women there at all
I'm going I'm going, back to my old home to stay
I'm going I'm going, back to my old home to stay
And you'll find me, hanging around the levee both night and day
Then after I walk the levee, from end to end
Then after I walk the levee, from end to end
I'll go to Sweet Mama Alley, go and get my hooch and gin
I've tried old jelly, and old *loosha* too
I've tried old jelly, and old *loosha* too
But me and my gin house liquor, well we sure can do
I don't see why, white folks don't have no blues
I don't see why, white folks don't have no blues
They got all kinds of money, and brownskin women too
When you go to Vicksburg, please ask for old dripper king
When you go to Vicksburg, please ask for old dripper king
For he's the bootlegging fellow, your turkey sure can swing
Prior to this I was hearing old triple king but this fits better. I also thought I heard "your turkey sure can swing" or swim but it seemed pretty wild to me. I don't hear all kinds of money at all. I prefer cash as you have it John. I sometimes think it might be church money.
This is one of my favourite ever songs. It just has more to it every time I listen to it. Sublime backing guitar too.