Topic: Two Poor Boys Lyrics

[crawley]

hey guys. tryin to figure out of the lyrics to this two poor boys song, 'take a look at that baby.' i tried to research it online and found nothing except info about fahey's version, which he probably got from the two poor boys. i wandered if anyone knows who wrote it, performed it originally, anything. i've got most of it, but a couple lines confuse me.


 
somebody says, well take a look at that baby
somebody says, well how do you do
a doo doo doo,  she's a wonderful baby
(.....)asking her if she's going to be true

somebody says, well just a little bit crazy
somebody says, sure just look at her hair
but whe she (..........), of course i know she's been lovin' me
so what do i care, what somebody says

any help would be awesome. or even any info on other versionsif there are any.

aaron gabriel

[Bunker Hill]

This is a clever song, especially the ironic use of "says" and "said", and I think it's of vaudeville origin but can't find where I read this. The version I have is on a 1985 LP and the 78 used not of good quality. My main problem is that it seems to be in places markedly different from what you've transcribed. B&GR only list one issued take. The sounds like "hem" as in dress or skirt. Perhaps somebody with a better quality CD version can fathom it or correct anything else awry:

Somebody says, "Well, take a look at that baby."
Somebody said, "Sure, well, how do you do?"
Somebody said, "We do do do, she's a wonderful baby.
? ? ?Goin' to askin' her if she's gonna be true."
Somebody says, "Well, just a little bit crazy."
Somebody said, "Sure, just look at her hat."
But now, when she wears good-lookin' ,
Folks, I know she's in love with me.
"Not to worry," I said, "somebody said."

Somebody says, "Mm, Mm, take a look at that baby."
Somebody said, "Do do do, oh, how do you do?"
Somebody said, "We do do do, she's a wonderful baby.
? ?Goin' to askin' her if she's gonna be true."
Somebody says, "Well, just a little bit crazy."
Somebody said, "Sure, just look at her hat."
But now, when she wears good-lookin' ,
Folks, I know she's in love with me.
"Not to worry," I said, "what somebody said."

But now, when she wears good-looking'
Folks I know she's in love with me.
"Not to worry," I said, "what somebody said."

[Oscar Wolf]

Hi folks, I'm tryin' to figure out the lyrics from "Cream and Sugar Blues" by The Two Poor Boys, I think I got some lines, can you help me to find the rest?

Thanks!



but I want all your sugar and cream honey and get, ready for your coffee?

my gal got to quit me this morning?, she didn?t said a mumbling word
my baby got out early this morning, she didn?t said a mumbling word
?? nothin that I have done??

I?m gonna build me a castle, down on, jackson avenue
I?m gonna build me a castle baby down,  jackson avenue
so I can see everything, that my baby's do

Your loving ways, will make a, rabbit hug a hound
I said your loving ways honey, will make a, rabbit hug a hound
and If you two time me baby, I?m gonna, turn your damper down

mmm? ???baby can I make a night with you
mmm? baby can I make a night with you???
?.

[One-Eyed Ross]

I would LOVE to help with this, but I can't find anyplace that sells their complete works - if you know of a place that does sell it, please post it.  The few songs I have found of theirs  on YouTube are great, would love to do the mandolin for their songs....

[Lastfirstface]

I love the Two Poor Boys and I used work out the mandolin parts to play a few of their tunes with a friend. If I dig around a bit I can probably find a video. I think you can buy their complete recordings from Document.

What I'm hearing:

I want, baby, want you to be the coffee pot, Daddy's gonna be the spout
I want, baby, you to be the coffee pot, Daddy's gonna be the spout
But I want all your sugar and cream, honey, when you get ready to pour your coffee out

My best gal she quit me this morning, she didn't say a mumblin' word
My best gal quit me this morning, she didn't say a mumblin' word
It wasn't nothin' that I'd done, something that that poor girl heard

I?m gonna build me a castle down on Jackson Avenue
I?m gonna build me a castle baby down  Jackson Avenue
So I can see everything that my babies do

Your loving ways'll make a rabbit hug a hound
Your loving ways'll make a rabbit hug a hound
And if you two time me baby I'm gonna turn your damper down

Mmm... baby can I make a night with you
Mmm... baby can I make a night with you
(?)

(?)
(?)
Reason why I'm busy asking you, certainly looks good to me

(edited to reflect suggestions from coco, Banjochris and Johnm)

[Oscar Wolf]

Hey that's helpful... !

I'm pretty sure that he said: "It wasn't nothin' that I'd done", instead of "I wasn't nothin..."
and I'm gonna turn your damper down instead of "I'll turn your damper down..."


One-Eyed Ross, you can listen to it on spotify!

Last first face: we almost got it!! what about the last line?

Thanks!!!

[Lastfirstface]

Ok, changed my post to reflect your suggestions (and to fix my typo.) I'm struggling on that last line; it is a tough one to decipher. I'd like to work out some more Two Poor Boys lyrics, so I'll start in on another I haven't seen here.



Shook It This Morning Blues

I shook it this morning, baby I shook it late last night
Well I shook it this morning, baby late last night
When I come in at twelve o'clock, I need(?) to shake it up right

If I could holler just like a mountain jack
If I could holler mama just like mountain jack
I would crawl up on some mountain and holler for my woman back

Two kind of people, baby I can't understand
There's two kind of people I can't understand
A bow-legged woman, likes a knock-kneed(ed) man

(humming verse)

See my baby, hanging on...
See two women running hand in hand
You can bet your life one's got the other's man

Hard luck done come here, caught me in a barrel
Hard luck done come here, caught me in a barrel
I ain't got no friends, even got no gal

I got a rock for my pillow, treetop(?) for my bed
I got a rock for my pillow, treetop(?) for my bed
I ain't got nowhere to lay my weary head

[Lastfirstface]

Two White Horses In A Line



There's two white horses in a line (x3)
Gonna carry me to my burying ground

My heart stopped beating and my hands got cold (x3)
It's a long old way I had to go

Did you ever hear a church bell tone? (x3)
Then you know that the poor boy's dead and gone

Its' a long old lane ain't got no end (x3)
It's a bad old wind don't never change

Oh, dig my grave with a silver spade (x3)
You can lower me down with a golden chain

Did you ever hear the coffin sound? (x3)
Then you know that the poor boy is in the ground

(humming verse)

[Stuart]

I would LOVE to help with this, but I can't find anyplace that sells their complete works - if you know of a place that does sell it, please post it. 

http://www.document-records.com/fulldetails.asp?ProdID=DOCD-5044

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I'll try and get a couple of lines in "Cream and Sugar Blues".
   1.1 I want, BABY, WANT you to be the coffee pot, daddy's gonna be the spout
   1.3 I want, BABY, YOU to be the coffee pot, daddy's gonna be the spout
   
   2.1 MY BEST GAL, SHE QUIT ME THIS MORNIN', she didn't say a mumblin' word
   2.2 MY BEST GAL QUIT ME THIS MORNIN', she didn't say a mumblin' word
   2.3 It wasn't nothin' that I done, somethin' that THAT poor girl heard

   3.3 So I can see everything that my BABIES do

   4.1 Your lovin' ways'LL make a rabbit hug a hound
   
   5.3 [   ?    ], CERTAINLY LOOKS GOOD TO ME

The front end of that last line is really tough!

All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I thought Lastfirstface's idea of a Two Poor Boys lyrics thread was a really good one, so I merged a very old thread on "Take A Look At That Baby" (a transcription which was never finished off) with coco's "Cream and Sugar Blues" thread.  So that's where it stands now.
All best,
Johnm

[One-Eyed Ross]

I would LOVE to help with this, but I can't find anyplace that sells their complete works - if you know of a place that does sell it, please post it. 

http://www.document-records.com/fulldetails.asp?ProdID=DOCD-5044

THANK YOU!  Now, if I can just figure out how to navigate the web site.  They don't make it easy, do they?

[Stuart]

THANK YOU!  Now, if I can just figure out how to navigate the web site.  They don't make it easy, do they?

You're Welcome--No, it's not the easiest site to navigate. But don't thank me yet, because I spaced on another source that doesn't come up via the mainstream search engines:

http://www.allegro-music.com/online_catalog.asp?sku_tag=DOC35044

I believe they are a U.S. distributor for Document. I ran across them years ago when they seemed to be the source for "The Essential" series. We've mentioned them before.

My apologies if this lapse has cost you extra money and shipping time from the UK Document site. What can I say? I'm an idiot at times. Arhoolie is also a source for Document CDs, but I checked and their site doesn't list it.

To add insult to injury, Allegro is in Portland, so you'd probably have it by the weekend, as it's just down I-5 from you. (--Makes me feel like a double idiot! Again, my apologies!)

[Oscar Wolf]

Thanks Johnm!

I also really like the "Oh You son of a gun" song, both versions fast and slow...



"Oh you son of a gun" (fast version)

Oh Oh Oh Oh you son of a gun, look what you've done, look what you've done
 You messed around and made me love you, I think about you, everyday and in everyway??
oh you let.??down? you son of a gun, look what you've done to me
with your ways like a baby? you drive me crazy
oh, oh you son of a gun

??you let out?, you son of a gun, why don't you love me, I always think of you
 You messed around and made me love you, I think about you, everyday and everyway??
oh you let the love down? you son of a gun, look what you've done to me
with your ways? now you drive me crazy, oh oh you son of a gun

now ow oh oh oh you son of a gun, look what you done done, think what you done
you messed around and made me love you, I think about you, everyway and everyday
oh you let the love down? you son of a gun, look what you've done to me
with your ways?like a baby now you drive me crazy, oh oh you son of a gun

??you let out?, you son of a gun, I'll always love you, why don't you love me
 You messed around and made me love you, I think about you, everyday and everyway??
oh you let the love down? you son of a gun, look what you've done to me
with your ways? like a baby, now you drive me crazy, oh oh you son of a gun

[Johnm]

Hi all,
The Two Poor Boys (Joe Evans and Arthur McClain) did "Little Son Of A Gun" with both of them playing kazoos and at least one of them playing a 12-string guitar out of F position in standard tuning.  They take the song at an absolutely blistering rate; it is one of the quickest cut time renditions I've heard in the style, just tearing along.  The raggy progression really sets off the melody, too.  If any of you out there has a jug band or other small ensemble, this would be a great tune to add to your band's repertoire.  Here is the duo's version:

 

SOLO X 2

It's oh, oh, oh, oh, you son-of-a-gun
Think what you've done, think what you've done
You messed around and made me love you
I think more of you, every day in every way
Oh, you little, little son-of-a-gun
Look what you've done to me
With your ways like a baby, you drive me crazy
Oh, oh, you son-of-a-gun

And it's oh, you little son-of-a-gun
Why don't you love me?  I've always been good to you
You messed around and made me love you
I think more of you, every day in every way
Oh, you little, little son-of-a-gun
Look what you've done to me
With your ways, how you drive me crazy
Oh, oh, you son-of-a-gun

And it's oh, oh, oh, oh, you son-of-a-gun
Look what you done done, think what you've done
You messed around and made me love you
I think more of you, every way and every day
Oh, you little, little son-of-a-gun
Think what you've done to me
With your ways like a baby, you drive me crazy
Oh, oh, you son-of-a-gun

And it's oh, oh, oh, oh, you son-of-a-gun
I've always loved you, why don't you love me?
You messed around and made me love you
I think more of you, every day in every way
Oh, you little, little son-of-a-gun
Think what you've done to me
With your ways like a baby, you drive me crazy
Oh, oh, you son-of-a-gun

All best,
Johnm