Hi all,
The Memphis musician Allen Shaw only had two titles released under his own name during his recording career, and they date from a session in New York City on September 17-18 in 1934. Shaw played "I Couldn't Help It" out of G position in standard tuning. The song is shown as a solo piece, but I believe that Memphis Willie B., who seconded him on "Moanin' The Blues", Shaw's second title, played on "I Couldn't Help It" too, providing a simple chordal strummed back-up of the type that Willie Thomas played behind Butch Cage.
Allen Shaw was a superlative singer, with a strong baritone voice in a class with Son House's, which is a pretty small class. As both a singer and player, he had beautiful heavy time, and his vocal phrasing is especially punchy. The third verse seems a staple of Memphis singers after the Memphis Jug Band used it. Here is "I Couldn't Help It:
Well, I got up this mornin', feelin' bad, thinkin' about the times that I once have had
REFRAIN: God knows, I couldn't help it, God knows, I couldn't help it
God knows, I couldn't help it, I mean, sure as you're born
Well, it ain't but the one thing that grieve my mind, all of these women, ain't nary one mine
REFRAIN: God knows, I couldn't help it, God knows, I couldn't help it
God knows, I couldn't help it, I mean, sure as you're born
Well, I whups my woman with a single tree, you might-a heard her hollerin', "Don't you murder me!"
REFRAIN: God knows, I couldn't help it, God knows, I couldn't help it
God knows I couldn't help it, I mean, sure as you're born
Mama told me, papa told me, too, "Never let a woman make a fool of you."
REFRAIN: God knows, I couldn't help it, God knows, I couldn't help it
God knows I couldn't help it, I mean, sure as you're born
Well, I woke up this mornin', feelin' blue, thinkin' about no other one but you
REFRAIN: God knows, I couldn't help it, God knows, I couldn't help it
God knows, I couldn't help it, I mean, sure as you're born
Well, mama told me, papa, too, "The way you've got, there's no need of runnin' you."
REFRAIN: God knows, I couldn't help it, God knows, I couldn't help it
God knows, I couldn't help it, I mean, sure as you're born
SPOKEN: Play 'em now
SOLO
All best,
Johnm
The Memphis musician Allen Shaw only had two titles released under his own name during his recording career, and they date from a session in New York City on September 17-18 in 1934. Shaw played "I Couldn't Help It" out of G position in standard tuning. The song is shown as a solo piece, but I believe that Memphis Willie B., who seconded him on "Moanin' The Blues", Shaw's second title, played on "I Couldn't Help It" too, providing a simple chordal strummed back-up of the type that Willie Thomas played behind Butch Cage.
Allen Shaw was a superlative singer, with a strong baritone voice in a class with Son House's, which is a pretty small class. As both a singer and player, he had beautiful heavy time, and his vocal phrasing is especially punchy. The third verse seems a staple of Memphis singers after the Memphis Jug Band used it. Here is "I Couldn't Help It:
Well, I got up this mornin', feelin' bad, thinkin' about the times that I once have had
REFRAIN: God knows, I couldn't help it, God knows, I couldn't help it
God knows, I couldn't help it, I mean, sure as you're born
Well, it ain't but the one thing that grieve my mind, all of these women, ain't nary one mine
REFRAIN: God knows, I couldn't help it, God knows, I couldn't help it
God knows, I couldn't help it, I mean, sure as you're born
Well, I whups my woman with a single tree, you might-a heard her hollerin', "Don't you murder me!"
REFRAIN: God knows, I couldn't help it, God knows, I couldn't help it
God knows I couldn't help it, I mean, sure as you're born
Mama told me, papa told me, too, "Never let a woman make a fool of you."
REFRAIN: God knows, I couldn't help it, God knows, I couldn't help it
God knows I couldn't help it, I mean, sure as you're born
Well, I woke up this mornin', feelin' blue, thinkin' about no other one but you
REFRAIN: God knows, I couldn't help it, God knows, I couldn't help it
God knows, I couldn't help it, I mean, sure as you're born
Well, mama told me, papa, too, "The way you've got, there's no need of runnin' you."
REFRAIN: God knows, I couldn't help it, God knows, I couldn't help it
God knows, I couldn't help it, I mean, sure as you're born
SPOKEN: Play 'em now
SOLO
All best,
Johnm