Topic: Kansas Joe McCoy Lyrics

[natmyers]

hey ya'll,

first, i wanted to thank Frankie for teaching me pile driver blues.

second, i'm happy to make my first post on weenie Campbell in a Joe McCoy thread.

"Something Gonna Happen to You" and "Look Who Coming Down the Road" are played in A position, high up on the neck*, and the latter is played in a key to match the violin, who's anonymity is only matched by his awesome playing.  My guitar is tuned somewhere around C and I'm up near the 8th fret.   

As well, it seems to me "Well, Well" and the dancier "World's a Hard Place to Live In" are dancier variants on the same progression.  IF you figure out how to sing one, change a tempo, and you'll figure out the others.

Personally, I'm tired of Joe McCoy being considered a tragic sideman, as his stuff is the good biscuits.

I'll add lyrics soon, as I've learned "One More Greasing" as well, which also, played high on the neck, is in an E position. 

Incredible musician, and incredible forum of musicians/historians also indebted to this incredible felluh.

best,

nat

*capo'd

[natmyers]

World's a Hard Place to Live In

Take me little baby, raise me to your hand
it's young and wild and I don't understand
'cause the world's a hard place, to live before you're gone
when you ain't got nobody, that you can call your own

I laid down last night, tried to take my rest
found out she was the woman broke up my half my nest
'cause the world's a hard place to live before you're gone
when you ain't got nobody, that you can call your own

take me llittle baby, left not myself
you  can't do, left somebody else
'cause the world's a hard place to live before you're gone
when you ain't got nobody, that you can call your own

i went to your house, bout half past ten
knocked on your door, you wouldn't let me in
'cause this world's a hard place, to live before you're gone
when you ain't got nobody, that you can call your own

now when i'm dead baby, don't you cry over me
i'm trying to get to my ol' used to be
'cause the world's a hard place, to live before you're gone
when you ain't got noboy, that you can call your own

when i get drunk nobody want me around
i'll be trying to turn things upside down
because this world's a hard place, to live in before you're gone
when you ain't got nobody, that you can call your own

yes i'm going up in heaven wanna talk with the good lord above
can't give me no angel, give me back the one i love
because the world's a hard place, to live in before you're gone
when you ain't got nobody, that you can call your own

[natmyers]

Well, Well

well, well, could be some old rainy day
well, well, could be some old rainy day
well I looked on the pillow, where my baby used to lay

well, well, you know how i ain't gonna be here long
well, well, you know I ain't gonna be here long
lord i ain't got nobody, to roll around in my arms

well, well, you drove me from your door
well, well, you drove me from your door
had nerve enough to tell me, "I don't want you no more"

that's alright!

well, well, you drove me way from home
well, well, you drove me way from home
you took my money baby, oh lordy you done me wrong

well, well, i ain't gonna be here long
well, well, you know i ain't gonna be here long
when i have lost my baby, and my happy home

well, well It'll be ver' nice, fare you well
oh, well. It'll be ver' nice, fare you well *
if i don't meet you in heaven, i sure done meet you in hell

*Gumbo's better ear

the call in the last stanza really stumps me, and it's sad, too, since it's the one that really gives the song it's individuality.  if someone can help out?  regardless, that response in the last stanza--who knew an old world like "hell" could land so good.

[Gumbo]

Couple of great tracks, Nat.

To me that last stanza sounds like:

Well well It'll be ver' nice, fare you well
Oh well. It'll be ver' nice, fare you well

[natmyers]

hey gumbo, thanks for the reply, 'cause i think you've split the arrow, or hit bullseye in the least. i'll add your better ear

i've only listened to duet or solo Joe Mccoy, and have only recently branched out into his tracks with the Harlem Hamfats and Big Joe's Washboard Band.  I couldn't believe the change in his voice in just a matter of years, it seemed--though, it's cliche to reflect that the times, definitely, were hard on everyone.  I highly recommend the Washboard band, which has Robert Nighthawk on Harp, I believe, but I'm probably spreading hokum.  Anyway, more to come.  I'd love to include the Dirt Dobber Joe & Georgia Pine Boy songs in here as well (I believe look who comin' down the road is, actually, recorded on Georgia Pine Boy), because those recordings are equally mouth-watering.

best,

nat

[Gumbo]

I love the Hamfats and McCoy Brothers sets, but have them mostly as downloads without session details so am just seeing now that Georgia Pine Boy is on the first McCoy Brothers CD from document. I'd say any and all would be welcome. It would be fascinating to see a family tree of the McCoys and the various ensembles they played with, linking in to the Mississppi Sheiks, and Sleepy John Estes, Memphis Minnie, the Hamfats etc as they do.

Maybe The Harlem Hamfats should have their own topic for collecting lyrics?

Listening again to Well, well. I think it must be past tense and so

"It's been ver' nice, fare you well."

Though I can't quite hear it clearly enough to confirm that.

EDIT: There is already a Harlem Hamfats Lyric Page

[Blues Vintage]

My Babe, My Babe


Bill Wilber (Kansas Joe McCoy) – Vocals, Guitar
Willie Lofton – Guitar

Chicago, Illinois
July 22, 1935





My babe my babe sure is good to me
She tore up my troubles broke up my misery

I can ask her for whiskey she gives me cherry wine
Don’t you wish your woman would treat you good like mine

Her hair ain’t curly but it ain’t like horses name (sic)
Don't you wish you had a woman to treat you just the same

I can ask her for a nickel she gives me ten and a dime
Don’t  you wish you had a woman to treat you just like mine

She got me out of jail bought me a diamond ring
I ain’t gon’ do nothin’ but lay ‘round and shake that thing

She calls me daddy then she calls me sugar pie
I ain’t gon’ do nothin’ but lay down by her side

Now when she’s dead six feet in the clay
Won’t have none other woman to treat me this a way

Now goodbye goodbye baby now and fare you well
If I don’t meet you in heaven you know I’ll meet you in hell

Now I’m leavin’ I’m leavin’ leavin’on the eagle wing
All don’t see me know can hear me sing

She had an old job makin’ four dollars a day
I didn’t have to do nothin’ but lay ‘round and throw it away

[Johnm]

Hi Harry,
I've got a few suggestions for this one:

   1.2 She TORE up my TROUBLES
   2.1 I CAN ask her
   3.1 He means to say "horse's mane", but he pronounces "mane" "name"
   3.2 DON'T you wish you had a woman TO TREAT you just the same
   4.1 I CAN ask her
   4.2 TO treat you just like mine
   6.1 She CALLS me daddy, then she CALLS me sugar pie
   7.2 Won't have NONE OTHER woman TO
   9.1 leavin' on the eagle WING
   9.2 KNOW, can hear me sing
   10.1 She had AN OLD job

All best,
Johnm

[Blues Vintage]

That's a lot of corrections but their all valid.  Thanks John.

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Kansas Joe McCoy's version of "Joliet Bound", done with Memphis Minnie playing the lead part in Spanish tuning and Joe providing busy back-up bass lines, was chewed over at length at the very front end of this thread, but no final version was ever agreed upon by consensus so I thought I'd return to it and see if we could finish the transcription. The song is in half-time, 4/2, and in the verses has an unusual 11-bar form, which break down into a 3-bar phrase and two four-bar phrases, while the intro omits two of those bars (the ones where the IV chord  would normally come). Perhaps because of the unusual form, Joe and Minnie play the song as a set piece with a vengeance, hardly varying it one iota from one verse to the next.  I'd very much appreciate help with the tagline to the third verse, which I've never been able to hear in the front end.  Here is "Joliet Bound":



INTRO SOLO

Now, the police comin', with his ball and chain, mmm-mmmm
Police comin', with his ball and chain
And they 'cusin' me of murder, never harmed a man

Now, some got six months, some got one solid year, mmm-mmmm
Some got six months, some got one solid year
Now, me and my buddy, got a lifetime here

Now, the judge he pleaded, clerk, he wrote it down, mmm-mmmm
Judge he pleaded, clerk, he wrote it down
Said, if I miss jail sentence now, must be Joliet bound

Now, cook my supper, let me go to bed, mmm-mmmm
Cook my supper now, let me go to bed
I've been drinkin' white lightnin', it's gone to my head

Now though, quit me, baby, do anything you wanta do, mmm-mmmm
Quit me, baby, do anything you wanta do
Someday you're gonna want me, cinch and I won't want you

Now, those police shivved his ol', pistol in my side, mmm-mmmm
Police shivved his ol', pistol in my side
Said, "If you run, big boy now, must be born to die."

When they had my trial, you could not be found, mmm-mmmm
Had my trial, you could not be found
Now, that I'm God-all messed up,and I'm Joliet bound

Edited 2/28 to pick up correction from Thomas
Edited 2/28 to pick up corrections from waxwing

All best,
Johnm 
 

[Thomas8]

Said if I miss jail sentence now?

[Johnm]

You got it, Thomas, thanks so much! I will make the change.

[waxwing]

Hi Frank and John C.,
Sounds to me like the one verse says,
Now the police shoved (pronounced shivved) his ol' pistol in my side
MmmmMmmmm
Police shivved his ol' pistol in my side,
Says, "If you run big boy,
Must be born to die"

The other verse sounds to me like,
Quit me babe, do anything you wanta do
MmmmMmmm
You can quit me baby, do anything you wanta do
Well, some day you're gonna want me,
and I won't want you.

This is a tough one to hear.  Neat the way it stays in the I chord where most blues go to the IV chord.
Take care.
John

Hi Johnm,

I think I like the "shivved his ol'" transcription that you offered back in 2003 for the penultimate verse. But I think it starts with a contraction of the+old or th'ol', which we discussed back then also. I think he uses it in this line:

V6.1. Now TH'OL' police SHIVVED his ol' pistol in my side

I think he used the same contraction in V1.1 (Now TH'OL' police coming') and in V3.1 (Now TH'OL' judge he pleaded) which was also discussed back in 2003.

Another contraction I think he uses is shortening that to 'at. One is in V4.3 (I've been drinkin' white lightnin', 'AT'S gone to my head) and in V5.3 (Someday you're gonna want me, cinch 'AT I won't want you)

I still have a question around the start of V5.1 (Now [?], quit me, baby). The vowel really sounds like an o sound to me. It's almost like he started to sing V6 (Now TH'OL' police) and then shifted back. But it doesn't sound like "don't", more like a soft th at the beginning, or some fricative like v or f. Hard to say.

Make of it what you will, but I hear the o sounds in all those places, not a the or then. As we mentioned 18 years ago, this is a deceptively tough one in places.

Wax

[Johnm]

Hi Wax,
Thanks for the suggestions. Re-listening, I do think "shivved his ol'" is correct, and will make that change. I'm not hearing "the ol'" in either 1.1 or 3.1, mostly because I hear no trace of an "l" at the end of the phrase in either place. I think Joe just had some odd vowel sounds, like Bo Carter and Booker White. Similarly, I don't think he would have said "'at's gone to my head'", because the the contraction it suggests, "that's" for "that has" would seem an unlikely, almost fussy usage--certainly much less likely than "it's" for "it has". At 5.1, I can hear the possibility of the line opening "Now, though," and will make that change.
At the level of detail we're talking about, meaning is not being changed, just the phonetics of elided consonants, so I guess it ends up being judgement calls--which it is most of the time anyway, I suppose. Thanks for the detailed listening.
All best,
Johnm   

[blueshome]

Missed jail sentence makes sense as he is being sent to the penitentiary (Joliet) rather than the jail where a short sentence would be served. The similar verse in Viola Lee has his sent to the penitentiary at Nashville.