Topic: Big Joe and His Washboard Band--I'm Through With You - Lyrics

[Rockdale]

Hey everyone,

   I need a little help with the lyrics to the song "I'm Through With You". The version I'm listening to is from a CD compilation I have called Good Time Blues: Harmonicas, Kazoos, Washboards & Cowbells and is by Big Joe & His Washboard Band. Also, any info on who's playing harmonica would be appreciated as well. Here's what I have and here is "I'm Through With You":




I'm through with love, on the count of you
I'm through with love, on the count of you
You love so bad, I'm through with you


I'm tricked again, on the count of you
I'm tricked again, on the count of you
Your tricks so bad, I'm through with you

I've got in jail, on the count of you
I've got in jail, on the count of you
Your jail's so bad, I'm through with you (I'm not sure about this verse)

I'm going home, on the count of you
I'm going home, on the count of you
Your home's so bad, I'm through with you

Now look at me, on the count of you
Now look at me, on the count of you
I look so bad, I'm through with you

It's all over now, on the count of you
It's all over now, on the count of you
You did so bad, I'm through with you

[dj]

Big Joe and his Washboard Band, at least for this title, were Joe McCoy on guitar and vocals, Robert Lee McCoy (Robert Nighthawk) on harmonica, Ransom Knowling on string bass, and Amanda (Ann) Sortier on washboard and vocals.  I'm Through With You was recorded in Chicago on December 17, 1940.

I think your lyrics are correct, except that everywhere you have "on the count of you" it should be "on ACCOUNT of you".

 

[Chezztone]

Great number! Lauren Sheehan and I perform it together once in awhile. I love Amanda Sortier's playing and singing on that and the other BJ&WB recordings. She played drums with Nighthawk when he did his electric Chicago thing, too. Anyone have any more info on her or knowledge of other recordings?

[Rockdale]

I appreciate the info, guys. I think it's a great song too but the harmonica playing is probably my favorite part about that band. I didn't realize it was Robert Nighthawk; very surprised by that.

[Bunker Hill]

Great number! Lauren Sheehan and I perform it together once in awhile. I love Amanda Sortier's playing and singing on that and the other BJ&WB recordings. She played drums with Nighthawk when he did his electric Chicago thing, too. Anyone have any more info on her or knowledge of other recordings?

Not much is known. Ann Sorter McCoy recorded as Sortier, Sorter and Amanda Porter. She enlivens quite a number of Jazz Gillum recordings. Neil Slaven writing in 1965 observed "?Maybe You?ll Love Me Too is dominated by her pedestrian washboard scrapings, punctuated with sundry cowbells and crashing cymbals, and I just love every minute of her!"

In the mid-late forties she was vocalist for Jack Cooley and appeared on a couple of his recordings. Nobody seems to know what became of her after that.

[Richard]

She's great, I think I gave her a couple of tracks on the jugs\washboard show 

[Chezztone]

Bunk, thanks for telling me about those other Sortier recordings; will look them up. She did play (and sing?) with Nighthawk in Chicago, as his drummer, although I don't know if she recorded with him in that phase.