Topic: Mississippi John Hurt Lyrics

[Yves]

Does John say
                     "Just like a tree bred by the water ?"

[uncle bud]

Hi Yves,

The standard lyric for this traditional tune is "Like a tree planted by the water..."  Without having listening to John Hurt's version, I'd wager that's pretty much what he's singing. Possibly adding a "that's" in front of planted.

Welcome to the board!

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Sometimes I've head the lyric as "a tree that's standing by the water", too.  Welcome on board, Yves!  I hope to see you at Exeter this summer.
All best,
Johnm

[uncle bud]

Was listening to this by John Hurt as I did some yard work today and thought I heard "standing" at one point as well, though wasn't paying strict attention.

[Johnm]

Hi all,
When "Talkin' Casey" was first released on John Hurt's second Piedmont album, "Worried Blues", recorded live at the Ontario Place coffeehouse in Washington, D.C., I'm afraid its appeal eluded me.  Looking back, I think my major problem was not being able to understand the narrative and generally being impatient.  I was listening again to this performance recently in the course of listening to a lot of John Hurt and doing transcriptions and realized that I've come to love this piece, and particularly like long narratives with the guitar going underneath throughout and imitating various sounds along the way.  John Hurt plays this with a slide in Spanish tuning.  Here goes, and what John Hurt does is spoken, unless otherwise indicated.

   Casey Jones was an old engineer.  We sing about him, while ago, we gonna talk about him little after a bit, now.
   When he went out engineering one morning, his wife didn't want him to go.  I guess she must've felt that something was gonna happen.  She called him, while he stepped in the cab, like this.  (Slide)--(Sung) "Casey, don't leave me here.  Casey Jones, please don't leave me here."
   Little children commenced hollerin' and cryin', "Daddy, don't leave us here."  (Slide)--(Sung) "Daddy, don't leave us here."
   He couldn't stand that, he told his fireman, he said, "Get the bell, let's go."  I heard the bell, something like this.  (Slide)
   Shortly after that, I heard a drive wheel, jumpin' over the joints, the railroad joints, somethin' like this.  (Guitar plays rhythm)
   On up the road, they run up on some sheep, blowed for 'em to get off the track, but they wouldn't get off, he had to stop his train and run 'em off.  Here's the way his whistle was blowin'.  (Slide)  I heard him when's he's cuttin' down, run 'em off the track.  (Slide) 
   Made him sort of mad, 'cause he had to stop his train, he commenced cursin', and here's what he said.  (Slide)  I hope you all know what he's sayin'. 
   Throw him a little behind time, commenced runnin' pretty fast, looked like them big drive wheels and little truck wheels tryin' to catch up with each other.  (Guitar plays rhythm)  People all got scared, "Now, I wonder, he's gonna make a wreck.", commenced singin', "Lord have mercy, save me, Lord".  (Slide)
   (Singing, with slide) Lord, have mercy
                               Oh, Lord, (slide finishes line)
                               Lord, have mercy
                               Save (slide finishes line)

                               Oh, save me, Jesus
                               Oh, save (slide finishes line)
                               Um, save me, Jesus
                               Save (slide finishes line)

All best,
Johnm   
 
     

   

[Mr.OMuck]

I only know the song from his Vanguard "TODAY" album but always thought it was a minor epic.
On that version he sings "God damn them sheep, God damn them sheep. It always felt as if he was experiencing a great deal of discomfort as those words were sung, like he was trying to not let the words leave his mouth. I always wondered if he had been "encouraged" to sing them by whoever the producer was (Patrick Sky maybe?). I still love that recording. Thanks for reminding me of it.

[Mike McLaren]

Hi John.

Man, if it's Mississippi John Hurt... it's the greatest stuff in the world. "Talking Casey" is how I learned to use my slide. I've got the album version ("Mississippi John Hurt Today!") and the live version (Newport). Both -- for me -- work in Spanish tuning, one step low... Open F (though MJH seems about 20 cents sharp). I use mostly the first string exclusively, with a few touches of the 2nd and 3rd strings at the 12th fret.

A friend of mine swears that it's Open D (like "Payday") with the capo on the 3rd fret (Key of F), because he swears the lyrics "... please don't leave me here..." too closely resemble Bukka White's "Streamline Special", which was done in Vestapol.

My friend also swears he hears the "Streamline Special" lick:

D -0-2p 0-----------0-/7--
A --------------------
F# ----------0h-2-------
D --------------------
A --------------------
D --------------------

I love the singing quality that Hurt gets from the strings.

Mike

[Johnm]

Hi Mike,
If you play it in Spanish you are right and your friend is wrong.  This isn't to say that it can't be played in Vestapol, but simply that John Hurt didn't play it in Vestapol.  He definitely played "Talkin' Casey" in Spanish.  What Bukka White did or did not do doesn't pertain.
All best,
Johnm

[banjochris]

As an aside of questionable significance, the "Lord have mercy" part of "Talking Casey" is played in a very similar manner by Charlie Patton at the beginning of "Prayer of Death Part 2."
Chris

[Blue in VT]

 

Thanks for bringing this up John...this was a discussion I attempted to start a couple of months ago about MJH and his slide playing.  I think its very under rated and Talkin Casey is the best of the Lot IMO.  Its got a lot of fun lyrics and driving beat.

My question is how did MJH play slide?  was he one of the Jack knife players or did he use a actual slide?  This is certainly a tune I'll have to play with when I get back to slide work eventually....Time is just too tight for all this great music!!

Blue 

[arlotone]

The John Hurt album "Legend" has a recording of "Pera Lee" with a very scratchy sounding slide that I assume is a knife. I haven't noticed this quality on any of his other recordings, though.

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Mississippi John Hurt played his 1928 version of "Stack O' Lee" out of D position in standard tuning.  Despite Okeh's way of spelling the title character's name, John Hurt pronounced it "Stagolee" throughout his rendition.  He was certainly one of the most adroit players in the style in D position in standard tuning, a position altogether avoided by a good portion of the most famous players in the style.

Since there was only one John Hurt song transcription here previously, I added this song to that thread and changed the thread's name to Mississippi John Hurt Lyrics.  The responses to the original post in the thread retain the original title of the thread.




   Police officer, how can it be,
   You can arrest everybody but cruel Stagolee?
   REFRAIN:  That bad man, old cruel Stagolee

   Billy DeLyons told Stagolee, ?Please don?t take my life.
   I got two little babes and a darlin? loving wife.?
   REFRAIN:  That bad man, old cruel Stagolee

   ?What I care about your two little babes, your darlin? loving wife?
   You done stole my Stetson hat, I?m bound to take your life.?
   REFRAIN:  That bad man, old cruel Stagolee

   (Two verses and refrains hummed)

   Boom-boom, boom-boom, went a .44
   Well, when I spied Billy DeLyon he was lyin? down on the floor
   REFRAIN:  That bad man, old cruel Stagolee

   Gentlemens of the jury, what you think of that?
   Stagolee killed Billy DeLyon ?bout a five dollar Stetson hat
   REFRAIN:  That bad man, old cruel Stagolee

   Standin? on the gallows, his head way up high
   At twelve o?clock they killed him, they?s all glad to see him die
   REFRAIN:  That bad man, old cruel Stagolee

Edited 2/5 to pick up corrections from ScottN

All best,
Johnm

[ScottN]

Hi John - amazing work as always!
For consideration:
"Went a .44" vs "with a .44"
And
Standin' on the gallows, "his" head way up high

Thanks again for all the work you do on these!

[Johnm]

Thanks very much for your suggestions, ScottN, upon re-listening, I agree with both of them.  I will make the changes.
All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
John Hurt backed himself out of D position in standard tuning for "Big Leg Blues", recorded in 1928.  The performance was never released by Okeh, and reportedly John Hurt did not remember it upon his rediscovery.  It is one of those relatively rare recorded performances of country blues, like Blind Blake's "Georgia Bound", that alternates solos and verses from beginning to end.  John Hurt really showcases his mastery of D on this one.




   Raise up, baby, get your big leg off of mine
   Raise up, baby, get your big leg off of mine
   It?s so heavy, made a good man change his mind
   
   I asked you, baby, come and hold my head
   I asked you, baby, come and hold my head
   Sent me word that you?d rather see me dead

   I?m going, I?m going, crying won?t make me stay
   I?m going, I?m going, crying won?t make me stay
   More you cry, further you drive me away

   Some crave high yellow, I like black and brown
   Some crave high yellow, I like black and brown
   Black won?t quit you, brown won?t lay you down

   It was late at midnight, the moon shined bright like day
   It was late at midnight, the moon shined bright like day
   I seen your faro goin? up the right of way

Edited 2/8 to pick up corrections from ScottN

All best,
Johnm