Topic: Barbecue Bob Lyrics

[Orb Mellon]

If someone could post these for me it would be great.  I want to play it out later this week but cannot get to my recording to extract the lyrics.



Thanks,

[banjochris]

I was walking down the levee with my head hanging low,
Looking for my sweet mama but she ain't here no more

That's why I'm crying Mississippi heavy water blues (repeats after each verse)

Lord lord lord I'm so blue my house got washed away
And I'm crying how long, till another payday

I'm sitting here looking at all of this mud
And my gal got washed away in that Mississippi flood

I hope she comes back some day kind and and true
Can't no one satisfy her like her sweet papa do

I think I heard a moan on that Arkansas side
Crying how long before sweet mama 'rrive

I'm in Mississippi with mud all in my shoes
My gal in Louisiana with those high water blues

Lord send me a sweet mama

Got plenty muddy water, don't need no wood or coal
All I need's some sweet mama, send (ship?) me jelly roll

Nothin' but muddy water far as I could see
I need some sweet mama come shake that thing with me

Listen here you men one more thing I'd like to say
Ain't no womens out here for they all got washed away

Lord lord lord, Mississippi shaking, Louisiana sinking
The whole town's ringing, rubbernecks are singing

Chris

[Orb Mellon]

Thank You Chris!

[mmpresti]

don't know if this still matters, but in that last line "Robert Hicks" is singing

best

[uncle bud]

I agree it's "Robert Hicks" in the last line. Probably no one noticed though at the gig, eh Orb?

On another note, just FYI I've always found Andy Cohen's take on this song to be tremendously enjoyable. I thought it was on the Juke, but it isn't...

[Bunker Hill]

On another note, just FYI I've always found Andy Cohen's take on this song to be tremendously enjoyable. I thought it was on the Juke, but it isn't..

To digress even further, the version by Robert Pete Williams ain't bad either, even though probably half remembered from the 78...adding three verse not in the original.

The Williams version I have on Folk Lyric's Negro Country Jam Session, but check out Stefan's RPW page for current reincarnations - or perhaps it's on the Juke, haven't checked.

[Orb Mellon]

I knew it was "Robert Hicks" in the last verse. Although, rubbernecks is an interesting alternative to be sure. The funny thing is that when I play this tune, I almost never get to the last verse, with all my wank sections. I'm kind of inauthentic that way. I guess I should do "The whole town's ringing, Orb Mellon 's a singing"

[Rivers]

I hear the last line as "The wole town's a wrinkin'" (sic), as in "wringing wet"

[sw0mgt]

There's a few I'm curious about...
I can't figure them out for the life of me

Twistin' That Stuff
Motherless Chile Blues
Honey You Don't Know My Mind
etc etc...

From what verses I can tell, Barbecue Bob is a compelling lyricist.  And his repertoire is just filled with diamonds.

[Papa John]

Hello all,

Please could I have your collective help with She Shook Her Gin by Barbecue Bob.  Here is what I have so far.  I'm stumped on the last word of the first line of the 3rd verse.  I'm struggling with bits from the 7th verse on.  Your corrections/assistance would be greatly appreciated.




She Shook Her Gin

I got a girl on Second Avenue
She can do things no other girl can do
Cause she shakes her gin, she shakes her gin
And you bound to feel better, when you shake her gin

My friend went to see her on the Saturday night
What she done to him must have been alright
Cause she shook her gin, she shakes her gin
And the way he?s wobblin? I know she shook her gin

Now when Poppa Joe went to see her on the ?.
When he came back he was shakin? that thing
Cause she shook her gin, oh she shook her gin
The way he was steppin?, she must have shook her gin

Now Hot Shot Jack he?s the jelly roll king
He went to see and he shook his thing
When she shook her gin, oh she shook her gin
He shook it and rolled it but she kept shakin?her gin

Now Deacon Jones he come to town
He went to see and laid his bible down
Cause she shook her gin, yes she shook her gin
She?ll make you feel better just by shakin? her gin

I been with girl what just too tight
But little little girl is just alright
When she shakes her gin, yeah she shakes her gin
You just can?t stop when you start to shakin? her gin

I may be hot and a little bit rough
But this little girl is just enough
When she shakes her gin, oh she shakes her gin
You bound to feel better when she starts shakin? her gin

Take all your liquor and the way you might
But shakin? that gin is just too tight
But she shakes her gin, oh she shakes her gin
No matter how you do it but keep on shakin? your gin

Shake it in the sun time, shake it in the shade
Nineteen ... just wont??..
When she shakes her gin, oh she shook her gin
And you?re bound to feel better when she keeps shakin? her gin


Thanks
Papa John

[dj]

For the third verse:

Now GRANDPAPA Joe went to see her on the TRAIN

And for the last:

Nineteen THIRTY MA just won't 'HAVE

I'm not sure about "Ma", it actually sounds to me like "Ma 'll just won't...", but I'd be open to a better interpretation.

[pete12string]

Here's my take on the lyrics...

I got a gal on Second Avenue
She can do things no other gal can do
?Cause she shakes her gin
She shakes her gin
And you bound to feel better
When you shake her gin

My friend went to see her on a Saturday night
What she done to him must?ve been alright
?Cause she shook her gin
She shakes her gin
And the way he was wobbling
I know she shook her gin

Now Gran? Papa Joe went to see her on his cane
When he come back he was shaking that thing
?Cause she shook her gin
?Cause she shook her gin
The way he was stepping
She must have shook her gin

That hot-shot Jack he?s a Jelly Roll king
He went to see her and he shook his thing
When she shook her gin
Aw she shook her gin
He shook it and rolled it
But she kept shaking her gin

Now Deacon Joe he come to town
He went to see her an? laid his Bible down
?Cause she shook her gin
Yeah she shook her gin
She?ll make you feel better
Just by shaking her gin

I been with gals who were just too tight
But this little gal is just alright
When she shakes her gin
Yeah she shakes her gin
You just can?t stop her
When she starts to shaking her gin

Hope this helps.

[banjochris]

Nineteen THIRTY MA just won't 'HAVE

I'm not sure about "Ma", it actually sounds to me like "Ma 'll just won't...", but I'd be open to a better interpretation.

dj:
I'm at work so can't listen to this at the moment, but just an educated guess on this one, and based on other singers using this formulation, perhaps it's "1930 model just won't 'have."
Chris

[LeftyStrat]

One of the tunes that got me into Barbecue Bob real heavy.


I've always heard the line in question as:

"...1930, mama, just won't hay..."

Got the last phrase from one of Bob's other tunes, titled "It Just Won't Hay"


Whaddya think?

[dj]

perhaps it's "1930 model just won't 'have."

Good one, Chris.  I think you've got it.

Lefty, I think 'have, short for "behave" is clearly what Bob sings.  It's not an unusual usage in blues from that period.