Topic: Sam Chatmon lyrics

[One-Eyed Ross]

Ross - related to multiple versions of That's All Right, my favorite take on that lyric is "If I can't come in that BASTARD better not come out!"  No need to mince words in that situation ;-)

Thanks again,
                     Scott

That's actually the version I do, learned those lyrics from YouTube.  Watching the videos of him perform is amazing...

[Blues Vintage]

Ross - related to multiple versions of That's All Right, my favorite take on that lyric is "If I can't come in that BASTARD better not come out!"  No need to mince words in that situation ;-)

Thanks again,
                     Scott

That's actually the version I do, learned those lyrics from YouTube.  Watching the videos of him perform is amazing...

I agree. There is also footage of Chatmon on the DVD Legendary Country Blues Guitarists (Sales Tax Blues, Outside Friend, Fishing Blues (Evil Jackson), Glad When You're Dead).
I haven't seen this (yet) and since it's not available on YouTube I might get that DVD soon.
 

[One-Eyed Ross]

I agree. There is also footage of Chatmon on the DVD Legendary Country Blues Guitarists (Sales Tax Blues, Outside Friend, Fishing Blues (Evil Jackson), Glad When You're Dead).
I haven't seen this (yet) and since it's not available on YouTube I might get that DVD soon.

Let me know how it is, if it's worth the $ and all I'll have to check into getting it as well

[Johnm]

Hi all,
The DVD
"Legendary Country Blues Guitarists" is worth its price just to see once, let alone to be able to view over and over.  In addition to the Sam Chatmon footage, there are two numbers, one full length and one very short, by Blind Connie Williams, who is perfectly amazing, a beautiful long version of "Crow Jane by Henry "Rufe" Johnson (wow!), and several numbers by Willie Trice, wow as well.  Add in Bill Broonzy and some other folks and you can't beat it.  Buy it!
All best,
Johnm

[Blues Vintage]

Ashtray Taxi

I'll drop all your ashes 'fore I'll get you back home

Well, you look a-here, woman, where did you stay last night?

Thanks,
          Scott

Edited 6/2/15 with help from Frankie

I'm pretty sure I'm hearing dump instead of drop in the second verse.
And now instead of you in the fourth verse.

[Blues Vintage]

Sam Chatmon - My Little Woman (Sweets Mill, near Auberry, CA, July, 1970)   (lyric request)




This is basically the song "she's my baby" (discussed here on weenie campbell) but now in a combo setting with extra lyrics.
I'm working on transcribing the lyrics but find it rather difficult.

[David Kaatz]

The fourth verse I'm hearing something like
You's a natural fool [that?] tries a wrong doing man

Sixth verse I hear
Tired of waiting I'm trying to fool around with you

Seventh verse is harder
I ain't gonna holler, towns too small
If you don't catch me gonna [swear?] that's all

Dave

[papa john pio]

Hi everybody. In these days I?m involved in Sam Chatmon?s ?Cold Blooded Murderer? that he play (my guess) in the A positions, a couple of steps below, roughly the same positions maybe someone of you did heard in John?s fantastic section ?What is this musician doing?? about ?Hollandale Blues?. I like this number and found it funny to play also as solo guitar. You all can see Sam performing it in this famous shot by A. Lomax in 1978:

so you can really see all those tricks for both the hands.
I really need an helping hand to write down the lyrics. My mother language is italian so forgive me as you can. There are some lines in the verses that seem taken from ?Pistol Slapper Blues?, recorded by Blind Boy Fuller and Sonny Terry in 1938, also studied in the ?Lyrics? section of Weeniepedia.
Dots mean that I have not any idea of the words, underscore means that I?m not sure. Well, I cannot say I? m sure of everything I heard, but this is my best try.

?Cold Blooded Murderer?
Say, she?s a cold blooded murderer, and that woman want me out of way (spoken: Oh yes, she?..)
Say, she?s a cold blooded murderer, and that woman want me out of way
I?ll be all right with the way you?re doin? me, baby
Hey, you?ll need may help again someday

Well, that woman told me gonna put me down six foot in my lonesome grave (spoken: Oh yes, she did, boys)
Hey, she tell me goin? drive me down, boys, six foot in my lonesome grave
You?ll gonna be sorrow ? day, woman, ?cause I ?.

Well, just give my money, woman, I?ll catch the train and go
You don?t have to kill your daddy, ?cause you don?t want me no more
Just gimme my money, and I?ll catch the train and go
You don?t have to kill your daddy, sweet baby, heeee-uh, ?cause you don?t wanna love me no more

Well, she?s a cold blooded murder, and that woman no how can be good
Hey, she?s a cold blooded murderer, and that woman no how can be good
I?ll be all right with the way you?re doin? me, woman, I?ll treat you the same way if I could

Well, just give my money, baby, I?ll catch the train and go
You don?t have to kill your daddy, ?cause you don?t wanna love me no more
Just gimme my money, and I?ll catch the train and go
You don?t have to kill your dad, sweet baby, heeee-uh, ?cause you don?t wanna love me no more

Many, many thanks for any thoughts, help or whatsoever.
Best regards

[Blues Vintage]

Thanks Dave.

[Blues Vintage]

Hey, you?ll need my help again someday

Well, that woman told me she gonna put me down six foot in my lonesome grave
Hey, she tell me goin? drop me down, boys, six foot in my lonesome grave
You?ll gonna be sorry ?day, woman, ?cause I once have been your slave

Well, she?s a cold blooded murder, and that woman know her chance is good?
Hey, she?s a cold blooded murderer, and that woman know her chance is good?
That will be alright  the way you?re doin? me, woman, I?ll treat you the same way if I could

[papa john pio]

Thanks a lots harry. Yes, I forgot "my" in the first stanza, just like "she" in the second. The use of "drop" makes sense but I cannot hear the difference with "drive" instead. My fault. The only verse I'm still hearing quite different from you (but as I told before, I'm not pretty sure about anything) is the A verse in the fourth stanza.I really cannot catch "know her chance is good". I'm hearing "be" instead of "is" just before the word "good" in that verse.
Anyway, thanks again, I really appreciate your useful help.
Cheers.

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Sam Chatmon's "I Stand And Wonder" came out on his first rediscovery recording, the Arhoolie anthology "I Have To Paint My Face", and it is a rarity in Sam's repertoire, a song for which he accompanied himself with a slide, playing out of Vestapol tuning. The song has an unusual form in which Sam hangs on the opening phrase over the I chord for a long time. An in-depth analysis of its structure can be found in the "Vocal Phrasing--The Long and the Short of It" thread at: https://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=951.msg99278#msg99278 . Here is "I Stand And Wonder":



INTRO

Says I hate that train, baby, runned out East today, runned out East today, Lord, I hate that train, gal, runned out East today, Good Lordy,
Same old train, now, carried my baby away
Ohh, hate that train, now, runned out East today

Says my babe's in jail, and I just got out myself, just got out myself, Lord, my gal's in jail now, and just got out myself, Good Lordy,
When the woman I love quit me, want nobody else
Well, babe's in jail now, just got out myself

Says I stand and I wonder, she answer if I write, answer if I write, Lord, I stand and I wonder, answer if I write, Good Lordy,
When I was with my baby, I didn't treat her right
Hey, and I stand and wonder, answer if I write

I wonder do my baby, good girl know I'm here, good girl, know I'm here, Lord, I wonder do my faro, good girl know I'm here, Good Lordy,
Knowed I's here now, really feel my care
Hey, I stand and wonder, do she know I'm here

Well now, look-a here, pretty mama, what you mean to do, what you mean to do, Lord, now look-a here, faro, what you mean to do, Good Lordy,
Tried every way, baby, tried to get along with you
Well, tried every way, woman, tried to get along with you

Edited 9/22 to pick up corrections from harry
Edited 9/23 to pick up corrections from lyndvs, Johnm

All best,
Johnm

[Blues Vintage]

Intro sounds like "Dinner Blues" by Bo Carter.

1.1  Ruined runned out Easter day (Typo)

3.1  Says I stand and I wonder, she answer if I write, she answer if I write, Lord, I stand and I wonder, answer if I write, Good Lordy,

[Johnm]

Thanks for the catches, Harry, I have made the changes. Thanks!

[Lyndvs]

I don`t think he`s saying "Easter day"...I think he`s saying "East today"...."runned out east today"
Also I hear"No right here now" in verse 4,not "Know what I feel now".I think he means "no one" and gulps the "one".
Great song.Sam was fabulous.