Topic: Words that only appear once in Blues lyrics

[dj]

Lightnin' Hopkins recorded Jackstropper Blues at least twice, once for Gold Star and once for Prestige/Bluesville.

[lindy]

Makes sense, doesn't it -- Lightnin' and Lil' Son Jackson both recorded for Gold Star, and somewhere in my memory is someone's comment that they lived close to each other before Jackson moved from Houston to Dallas. Correct me if wrong.

L

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I think I might have a couple. The first is "'vestigating", as used by Emery Glen in his "Back Door Blues":

   I got up this morning, 'vestigating on my mind
   Well, I got up this morning, 'vestigating on my mind
   I wanted to see if mama was the right kind

The second if from Willie "61" Blackwell and his "Rampaw Street Blues". The word is "organization".

   If I only belonged to some secret organization, and was wealthy in degrees
   If I only belonged to some organization, and was way up in degrees
   I know some vehicle driver, boys, would have some mercy on me

Anybody know of other instances of either of those words appearing in blues lyrics?

All best,
Johnm

[blueshome]

Bessie Tucker recorded a Jack Stropper Blues well before Lightnin or later artists.

[David Kaatz]

This led me to look up the meaning of Jack Stropper.
JohnM said this in 2003:
https://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=135.msg697#msg697

But Stephen Calt lists it in his Barrel House Words, A Blues Dialect Dictionary, as "someone who's trying to steal your woman"

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I was wondering if "strychnine" appeared in any lyrics other than Furry Lewis's "Big Chief Blues".
All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

It's not a blues, but in Joe Taggart's "Religion Is Something Within You" he uses the word "perpendicular". I can't imagine it showing up anywhere else.