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Country Blues => Country Blues Lyrics => Topic started by: Johnm on March 18, 2009, 03:46:59 PM
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Hi all,
Philip McCutcheon, the "Cedar Creek Sheik", recorded "Watch The Fords Go By" on June 15, 1936, at a productive session in Charlotte, NC that yielded 10 titles. The song is a waltz, and McCutcheon backs it in C position, standard tuning, with a simple "boom-chang-chang" accompaniment. McCutcheon's songs are quirky enough that it seems a bit amazing that they were commercially recorded. His lyrics offer some insight into his private universe, in which he resided, equally obsessed with Fords and Miss Etta Prince. He is simultaneously nutty (I would say knowingly so) and droll. The way he works actual words into the phonetics of his yodeled refrains is really clever. I'd venture to say his use of the word "piazza", pronounced "pie-as-uh", is its only appearance in Country Blues or Old-Time lyrics. All of the Cedar Creek Sheik's titles can be found on the second JSP set of the Complete Blind Boy Fuller. Here is "Watch The Fords Go By":
https://youtu.be/vIMfrqFS5rY
Rock-y-bye, little baby
Come close your pretty blue eyes
Set up in your cradle
And watch the Ford go by
REFRAIN: Oh-de-lay-di-ay, de-lay-di-oh, de-lay-ee
Some folks prays to the altar [SPOKEN: Where you pray?]
I pray in the middle of the road
I ask the good Lord from Heaven,
"Lord, give me a John Henry Ford."
REFRAIN: I want a vee-eee-eight, vee-eee-eight, right now, please
If I ever gets any money
And get my record all straight
I'm gwine to put my money
In one o' these Ford V-8s
REFRAIN: I want a vee-eee-eight, vee-eee-eight, right now, please
Now, Sue's somewhere in Charleston
And I know she 'bout to be convinced
If the Lord in Heaven would let me
I'd married Miss Etta Prince
REFRAIN: She's a lay-eee-ay, de-la-dy-oh, de-la-dy
I'm goin' right to Mr. John Henry [SPOKEN: Mr. John Henry Ford!]
And get right down on my knees
I'm gwine ask the captain,
Please hire me, if you please.
REFRAIN: Sing on the ra-di-o, ra-di-o, ra-di"
Now, rock-y-bye, little baby
Won't you close your pretty blue eyes
Now, set up in your cradle
And watch the Ford go by
REFRAIN: Oh-de-lay-dee-oh, de-lay-dee-oh, de-lay-ee
Now, listen to me, mother
My loved one, now don't you cry
Stay right in your piazza
And watch the Ford go by
REFRAIN: Oh-de-lay-dee-ay, de-lay-dee-oh, de-lay-ee
All best,
Johnm
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What's with "Mr. John Henry Ford"? He came up recently in an Ed Bell lyric. Mr. McCutcheon uses the name in other songs. It's always referring to Henry Ford who, as far as I can find out, didn't have a middle name and went by just "Henry Ford". Is it just a conflation with John Henry, or is something else at work there?
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I know what you mean, dj. I recall the Ed Bell lyric in which he talked about John Henry Ford, and it being on a particularly whupped recording, "Rosca Mama Blues". If nothing else, the Cedar Creek Sheik's use of the same name for Ford would seem to corroborate your hearing of "John Henry Ford" in the Ed Bell lyric. As for it's significance or origin, I don't really have a clue.
All best,
Johnm
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Probably a private joke 8)
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The Cedar Creek Sheik tracks are also on the Document set "Never Let the Same Bee Sting You Twice". The notes mention that there has long been debate about whether McCutcheon was black or white, with the notes and Blues and Gospel Records (by including him) siding on the black side of the debate. He sure sounds white to me. Has any further evidence ever turned up?
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Hi Andrew,
I haven't heard any new evidence, but I am amazed that anyone could think McCutcheon was anything other than a white Southerner. He doesn't sound black at all to me. I considered mentioning this in the first post in the thread, but didn't, and I'm glad you brought it up. I am as sure as I could be without seeing him that he was white.
All best,
Johnm
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The Cedar Creek Sheik tracks are also on the Document set "Never Let the Same Bee Sting You Twice". The notes mention that there has long been debate about whether McCutcheon was black or white, with the notes and Blues and Gospel Records (by including him) siding on the black side of the debate. He sure sounds white to me. Has any further evidence ever turned up?
Like Johnm I too am mystified as to how B&GR come to that conclusion. From memory up until about 25 years ago only one song by this artist was available on a 70s Flyright LP and that sparked the "is he, ain?t he, white" debate. I have a nagging feeling that when Document put all these on LP for the first time one reviewer noted that in isolation certain songs could be mistaken as sounding black but the singer just had to be white. I'll see if I can lay hand to the review.
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I have a nagging feeling that when Document put all these on LP for the first time...
I don't have the CD handy, but didn't those Cedar Creek Sheik tracks originally come out on Old Tramp or some such label?
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I have a nagging feeling that when Document put all these on LP for the first time...
I don't have the CD handy, but didn't those Cedar Creek Sheik tracks originally come out on Old Tramp or some such label?
You are right it was Old Tramp LP 1211 CAROLINA BLUES GUITAR 1936-51 (Cedar Creek Sheik/Roosevelt Antrim/Sonny Jones/Carolina Slim). To me OT and Document are synonymous. ;)
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Hi all,
The Cedar Creek Sheik concluded his session in Charlotte on June 15, 1936 with "Jimmy Shut His Store Doors", a sort of sequel to "Don't Credit My Stuff" which immediately preceded it and paved the way for Jimmy's drastic decision. In the inclusion of his circle of friends, acquaintances and nemeses in his lyrics, the Cedar Creek Sheik treads some of the same territory as Charlie Patton and Sleepy John Estes.
Once again, the Sheik backs himself out of C position in standard tuning. One nifty touch: when he plays an F chord, he adds the G note at the third fret of the high E string, an "add 9". It sounds good and eliminates the need to flatten out the index finger to fret the first two strings at the first fret.
The Cedar Creek Sheik was really good at phonetic wordplay. I wish I had come up with his gem from verses two and five. The conclusion of the chorus provides a real "Huh?" response, right up there with the last line of the chorus of Glen Campbell's "Rhinestone Cowboy": "and offers coming over the phone". Whew, I'm glad I don't have the writing of that one on my conscience. In his sort of mildly humorous delivery of his songs, the Cedar Creek Sheik brings to mind Willie "61" Blackwell. Here is "Jimmy Shut His Store Doors":
https://youtu.be/gSdAR262Ph0
I used to work on a highway road, spend my money with Jimmy
Highway stop and the money all done, now Jimmy don't wants to see me
REFRAIN: Lord, Jimmy shut his store door
"How you know it?", 'cause he told me so
Yeah, he wouldn't credit me, he wouldn't credit you
How in the world Cedar Creek gonna do?
Jimmy shut his store door then he told me so
Caused me to wander to Nashville, Tennessee
When I was broke and didn't have a dime, the women wouldn't call me "honey"
All the womens tryin' to eat me up, since they get my boneless money
REFRAIN: Now, Jimmy shut his store door
"How you know it?", 'cause he told me so
Yeah, he wouldn't credit me, he wouldn't credit you
How in the world Cedar Creek gonna do?
Jimmy shut his store door then he told me so
I have to travel to Nashville, Tennessee
I asked Jimmy just to credit me, looked like he wanted to fight me
I went to catch Clarence' old grey mule, and the darned old grey mule bite me
REFRAIN: Lord, Jimmy shut his store door
"How you know it?", 'cause he told me so
Yeah, he wouldn't credit me, he wouldn't credit you
How in the world Cedar Creek gonna do?
Jimmy shut his store door then he told me so
I have to wander to Nashville, Tennessee
The boys hangin' around Jimmy's b'liquor store, thei' mouth ain't nothin' but a blabber
(SPOKEN: We went, too)
I went to Dave Hardee back door and I begged for a bowl of clabber
REFRAIN: 'Cause Jimmy shut his store door
"How you know it?", 'cause he told me so
Yeah, he wouldn't credit me, he wouldn't credit you
How in the world Cedar Creek gonna do?
Jimmy shut his store door then he told me so
I have to travel to Nashville, Tennessee
When I was broke and down and out, the women didn't want me around
(SPOKEN: No they didn't)
Since I got my boneless money, says, "Daddy, you must come around."
REFRAIN: 'Cause Jimmy shut his store door
"How you know it?", 'cause he told me so
Yeah, he wouldn't credit me, he wouldn't credit you
How in the world Cedar Creek gonna do?
Jimmy shut his store door then he told me so
I have to wander to Nashville, Tennessee
When I used to work on the highway road, spend my money with Jimmy
Now the highway is stopped and the money all done and Jimmy don't want to see me
REFRAIN: Lord, Jimmy shut his store door
"How you know it?", 'cause he told me so
Yeah, he wouldn't credit me, he wouldn't credit you
How in the world Cedar Creek gonna do?
Jimmy shut his store door then he told me so
I have to wander to Nashville, Tennessee
Edited, 1/24/10 to pick up corrections from crutch
All best,
Johnm
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Hi all,
The Cedar Creek Sheik recorded "Don't Credit My Stuff" immediately prior to recording "Jimmy Shut His Store Doors", and he accompanies it in C position in standard tuning as well. It sounds as though Jimmy was the manager of a store owned by Paul Clements and the responsibilities of the job came to be too much for him. I'd appreciate any help with the bent bracketed phrase. The Sheik uses the title phrase several times in the course of the rendition. Here is "Don't Credit My Stuff":
https://youtu.be/2Ac-W3xzGGA
Bob Clemmons told Jimmy right to his face,
"The boys may be hungry, don't you give 'em a taste.
REFRAIN: Don't you credit my stuff, don't credit my stuff."
Bob Clemmons told Jimmy, "Jimmy, don't you credit my stuff."
REFRAIN: "Don't credit my stuff, don't credit my stuff"
Bob Clemmons told Jimmy, "Jimmy, don't you credit my stuff."
I asked Jimmy for a can of hash
Say, "You can't get it lest you got the cash.
REFRAIN: You can't credit no stuff, don't credit no stuff."
Bob Clemmons told Jimmy, "Jimmy, don't you credit my stuff."
I asked Jimmy for a loaf of bread
They say you can't get it, Paul Clements said,
REFRAIN: "I can't credit no stuff, don't credit no stuff."
Bob Clemmons told Jimmy, "Jimmy, don't you credit my stuff."
I asked Jimmy just to credit my one
Jimmy said, "Philip, I don't credit no one.
REFRAIN: I don't credit no stuff, don't credit no stuff."
Bob Clemmons told Jimmy, "Jimmy, don't you credit my stuff.""
Just walked down Bleecker Street
Wesley Hotel, nothin' to eat
REFRAIN: Don't credit no stuff, don't credit no stuff
Bob Clemmons told Jimmy, "Jimmy, don't you credit my stuff."
REFRAIN: Don't credit my stuff, don't credit my stuff
Bob Clemmons told Jimmy, "Jimmy, don't you credit my stuff."
Jimmy went to Nashville, Tennessee
Left all the business with Arthur Lee
REFRAIN: Take care of my stuff, take care of my stuff
Didn't Jimmy told Arthur Lee, "Arthur take care of my stuff."
SPOKEN: Take care it, Arthur Lee
REFRAIN: Take care of my stuff, take care of my stuff
Said, Jimmy told Arthur, "Arthur, take care of my stuff."
I asked Jimmy for a can of hash
They say you can't get it lest you got the cash
REFRAIN: You can't credit no stuff, don't credit no stuff
Bob Clemmons told Jimmy, "Jimmy don't you credit my stuff."
Bill Harley killed a hog, gimme the [mill]
'Tain't much meat, but it be a little good to have
REFRAIN: Jimmy don't credit no stuff, Jimmy don't credit no stuff
Bob Clemmons told Jimmy, "Jimmy, don't you credit my stuff."
REFRAIN: Don't credit my stuff, don't you credit my stuff
Bob Clemmons told Jimmy, "Jimmy don't you credit my stuff."
SPOKEN: Take care of my stuff, Jimmy
REFRAIN: Take care of my stuff, take care of my stuff
Bob Clemmons told Jimmy, "Jimmy, take care of my stuff."
I asked Jimmy for a bottle of dope
Say, "I can't get it 'cause I might go broke."
REFRAIN: Don't credit no stuff, don't credit no stuff
Bob Clemmons told Jimmy, "Jimmy, don't you credit my stuff."
Edited 1/24/10 to pick up corrections from crutch
All best,
Johnm
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Hi all,
The Cedar Creek Sheik performed "I Believe Somebody's Been Ridin' My Mule" accompanying himself out of G position in standard tuning. His guitar part here involves more complex picking than do most of his accompaniments. His instrumental signature lick shares its melody with Blind Blake's signature lick for "Police Dog Blues", or even more closely, John Jackson's "Bearcat Blues", which John Jackson played out of the G position like the Sheik's number. Philip McCutcheon accords a lot of space for instrumental responses to his vocals here. He yodels the words "believe" and "hoo-ee" in his refrains. The anti-clerical sentiments expressed here are not that common in Hillbilly recordings. Here is "I Believe Somebody's Been Ridin' My Mule":
https://youtu.be/ov_Ea3y-ugs
REFRAIN: I belie--ieve somebody been ridin' my mule
I belie--ie--hieve somebody been ridin' my mule
Lord, when I try to ride her cuts a doggone fool
REFRAIN: Hoo-eee, somebody ridin' my mule
Hoo--eee, (guitar finishes refrain)
REFRAIN: I belie-ie--hieve somebody ridin' my mule
Because then I try to ride her she cuts a doggone fool
Preacher went to sister house, "Come here, rest your hat."
Sister begin to grinnin', like to say, "Sister, where your husband at?"
REFRAIN: I belie-eve preacher want to ride my mule
I belie--ieve preacher want to ride my mule
Because then I try to ride her (guitar finishes refrain)
REFRAIN: Hoo-eee (guitar finishes line)
Hoo-eee, somebody riding my mule (SPOKEN: How you know?)
Because then I try to ride here she cuts a doggone fool
Preacher went to sister house, went to stay all day
Give the children fifteen cents, "Y'all go in the yard and play."
REFRAIN: I belie-ieve preacher want to ride my mule
Because then I try to ride her, cuts a doggone fool
All best,
Johnm
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Hi all,
The first song recorded by the Cedar Creek Sheik was "Ford V-8", and it offers an initial glimpse of his particular interests. He played it out of C position in standard tuning and it uses a commonly encountered raggy 8-bar blues progression:
| A | A | D | D | G | G | C | C |
Frank Hutchison used the same progression for his "Coney Isle". The Cedar Creek Sheik gives the guitar more solo space on "Ford V-8" than on most of his songs. He certainly managed to cram a lot of words into the song. Here is "Ford V-8":
https://youtu.be/Ex-5JKB_iVk
Soon as I get my record straight
Put my money in a Ford V-8
Lord, and I ain't gonna walk no more
Drive into Charlotte from the Baltimore
Park my Ford in Miss Etta Prince door
Lord, gonna play my radio
SOLO
Now, Pete and Frances lyin' in the bed
Pete turned over and Frances said
Lord, she don't credit no more
SOLO
Now, soon as I get my record all straight
Put my money in the Ford V-8
Lord, I ain't gonna pray no more
SOLO
Some pray to the altar, I pray at the gate
I start gearin' on the Ford V-8
Lord, and I sure won't pray no more
SOLO
Sue in Charleston, want to be convinced
Wish I'd married to Miss Etta Prince
And Lord, then I won't be lonesome no more
SOLO
Dave Hardee and Booth Key settin' on a log
Hands on a trigger, eye on a hog
Lord, Jimmy ain't gonna credit no more
SOLO
Some pray to the altar I pray in the road
Ask God to give me John Henry Ford
Lord, I sure won't pray no more
SOLO
Some pray to the altar, I pray at the gate
Ask God to give me one of the Ford V-8
Lord, and I sure wouldn't want no more
SOLO
Some pray to the altar, I pray in the field
Ask God to give me an Oldsmobile
Lord, and I sure wouldn't want no more (SPOKEN: Tell the truth)
SOLO
Well, soon as I get my record straight
I'm gon' buy a Ford V-8
Lord, and I ain't gonna walk no more
I'll drive in Charlotte from the Baltimore
Park my Ford in Miss Etta Prince door
Lord, want to play my radio
Edited 1/24/10 to pick up corrections from Crutch
All best,
Johnm
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Hi all,
The third song recorded by the Cedar Park Sheik at his one day of recording was "Mary Had A Little Lamb". As on most of his numbers, the accompaniment is played out of C position in standard tuning. This is definitely one of Philip McCutcheon's less colorful numbers. Musically, he utilized the melody and many of the lyrics of the Carter Family's "Little Darling Pal of Mine". Oddly enough, the nursery rhyme "Mary Had a Little Lamb" also turns up in the lyrics to Freddie Spruell's "Mr. Freddie's Kokomo Blues". I suppose it is possible that the Sheik's reference to "Mary, yella gal of mine" may have contributed to some listeners considering him to be a black musician. If so, it's a pretty weak reason when weighed against his sound. Here is "Mary Had A Little Lamb":
https://youtu.be/WVqXaKVVtuc
Oh, little Mary, she have a little lamb
And his fleece was white as snow
Every way little Mary would go
Little Mary's little lamb would go
Oh, little Mary, oh how I love you
How I love you none can tell
In your heart you love another
I love Mary, yella gal of mine
So you leave me 'cause you wish to
Never let me cross your mind
In your heart you love another
Little Mary, yella gal of mine
SOLO
Oh little Mary, you know I love you
How I love you none can tell
In your heart you love another
Little Mary, yella gal of mine
So you leave me 'cause you wish to
Never let me cross your mind
In your heart you love another
I love Mary, that yella gal of mine
So you leave me 'cause you wish to
Never let me cross your mind
In your heart you love another
I want Mary, that yella gal of mine
Little Mary, she have a little lamb
And his feet was white as snow
Every way little Mary would go
Little Mary's little lamb would go
Maa-ry, you know I love you
How I love nobody can tell
In your heart you love another
I love Mary, yella gal of mine
I marry on Easter day
For Thanksgivin', she's gone away
And I know she's got another
I want Mary, that yella gal of mine
Oh little Mary, oh how I love you
How I love you none can tell
In your heart you love another
Little Mary, yella gal of mine
So you leave me 'cause you wish to
Never let me cross your mind
In your heart you've got another
I want Mary, that yella gal of mine
All best,
Johnm
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Hi all,
The Cedar Creek Sheik recorded "Buy It From A Poultry Man" immediately prior to "Don't Credit My Stuff". It is a rude little number--make no mistake about it. The structure is very loose, and the refrain has something of the sound of a street vendor. The Sheik backed himself here out of C position in standard tuning, as was most often the case for him. He starts the song with a vocal impression of a muted trumpet or kazoo. Talk of the Poultry Man reminds me of Phoebe Snow's hit record from the '70s.
"Cock", as used in Blues lyrics and vernacular usage is unusual in that depending on the context, it can refer to either female or male genitalia, though in the older usages it is more often used for female genitalia. In the recently released George Mitchell Collection, Will Shade's unexpurgated version of "The Dirty Dozens" includes the following verse, one people might associate with Charley Jordan's "Keep It Clean, but for one changed word in Shade's version:
Up she jumped, down she fell, her cock flew open like a mussel shell
In substituting "mouth" for "cock", perhaps Charley was taking his own advice. Here is "Buy It From The Poultry Man":
https://youtu.be/wEliUDpM0PE
Doo-di-doo, doo-di-doo, doo-di-doo-doo-di-doo-doo
REFRAIN: Cock for sale, cock for sale,
Buy it from the poultry man
I got a girl who weared a short frock
One of 'em down the street had a Tyson cock
REFRAIN: This cock for sale (SPOKEN: Roosters), cock for sale
Buy it from the poultry man
I see a gal stand on the street
Yella gal looked so nice and neat
REFRAIN: She got cock for sale, cock for sale
Buy it from the poultry man
I got married on Sunday night
Monday night I had a fight
REFRAIN: She had cock for sale, cock for sale
Give it to every man
Fifteen cent is the price, you know
Bring me a quarter, you, and you can get two
REFRAIN: Cock for sale, cock for sale
Buy it from the poultry man
See that girl all dressed in red
The old hen settin' right under the bed
REFRAIN: Sayin, cock for sale, cock for sale, cock for sale
Buy it from the poultry man
I got a gal in Kalamazoo
She don't wear no, "Yes, she do."
REFRAIN: She got cock for sale, cock for sale, cock for sale
Buy it from the poultry man
You maybe got cock mighty fine
Nobody cock as good as mine
REFRAIN: This cock for sale, this cock for sale, this cock for sale
Buy it from the poultry man
SPOKEN: Brown Leghorn cock, Black Giant cock, White Leghorn cock
REFRAIN: This cock for sale, this cock for sale, this cock for sale
Buy it from the poultry man
See the people all in the block
Ever'body sure loves to buy a cock
REFRAIN: Buy a cock for sale (SPOKEN: Roosters) cock for sale, cock for sale
Buy it from the poultry man
REFRAIN: This cock for sale (SPOKEN: Yeah!), cock for sale, cock for sale
But it from the poultry man
SPOKEN: The preacher love cock
REFRAIN: That cock for sale, that cock for sale, cock for sale
Buy it from the poultry man
I got married on a Sunday night
Monday night I had a fight
REFRAIN: I had cock for sale, cock for sale
Buy it from the poultry man
REFRAIN: This cock for sale, this cock for sale, cock for sale
Buy it from the poultry man
All best,
Johnm
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Hi all,
The Cedar Creek Sheik accompanied himself in G position in standard tuning for "She's Totin' Something Good", a raggy little chorus blues. McCutcheon liked to sing many of the same verses over and over again, so a number of them here have appeared previously on other songs in his repertoire. For that matter, he was not averse to using the same verse two or three times in the course of one song. I like the way he alters the first line of his refrains to suit his opening lines in the different verses. His kind of nutty good humor is very winning. Here is "She's Totin' Something Good":
https://youtu.be/oO5g0JJCHSg
Met my woman at the ice cream stand,
She totin' somethin' up there in each hand
REFRAIN: Yes, she totin' somethin' good, totin' somethin' good
Beedle-um-bum, don't know what he is
But I know it was good
God put Adam in the garden with Eve
"Use that stuff, you'll have to leave."
REFRAIN: Adam want somethin' good, yeah, he want somethin' good
Beedle-um-bum, don't know what he is
But I know it was good
I got married on a Saturday night,
Monday night I had a fight
REFRAIN: but I had somethin' good, I had somethin' good
Beedle-um-bum, don't know what he is
But I know it was good
I've got a gal in Kalamazoo,
She don't wear no, "Yes, she do!"
REFRAIN: God, she totin' somethin' good, totin' somethin' good
Beedle-um-bum, don't know what he is
But I know it was good
SOLO
Met an old man, ninety-five years old
Couldn't walk straight, not to save his soul
REFRAIN: But he hunted somethin' good, he hunted somethin' good
Beedle-um-bum, don't know what he is
But I know it was good
God put Adam in the garden with Eve
"Use that stuff, you'll have to leave."
REFRAIN: Adam want somethin' good, he want somethin' good
Beedle-um-bum, don't know what he is
But I know it was good
Adam took a drink of old home brew, Eve [used to share], to buy you two
REFRAIN: Let's get somethin' good, let's get somethin' good
Beedle-um-bum, don't know what he is
But I know it was good
SPOKEN: Dogs fightin' 'bout it, cats fightin' 'bout it, men kill one another
REFRAIN: 'Bout somethin' good, 'bout somethin' good
Beedle-um-bum, don't know what he is
But I know it was good
I got married on Easter day, 'fore Thanksgivin' she was gone away
REFRAIN: But she carried somethin' good, she carried somethin' good
Beedle-um-bum, don't know what he is
But I know it was good
God put Adam in the garden with Eve
"Use that stuff you'll have to leave."
REFRAIN: Adam want somethin' good, Adam want somethin' good
Beedle-um-bum, don't know what he is
But I know it was good
SOLO
I got a girl in Kalamazoo,
She don't wear no, "Yes, she do!"
REFRAIN: But she totin' somethin' good, tote somethin' good
Beedle-um-bum, don't know what he is
But I know it was good
All best,
Johnm
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I know what you mean, dj. I recall the Ed Bell lyric in which he talked about John Henry Ford, and it being on a particularly whupped recording, "Rosca Mama Blues". If nothing else, the Cedar Creek Sheik's use of the same name for Ford would seem to corroborate your hearing of "John Henry Ford" in the Ed Bell lyric. As for it's significance or origin, I don't really have a clue.
Just came across another occurrence of "John Henry Ford", this one in Tampa Joe and Macon Ed's "Wringing That Thing", on the Peg Leg Howell and Eddie Anthony Vol 2 disc. The first line of the lyric is unclear to me but they sing:
I had a little woman, [yes I believe she rolled]??
Made more money than John Henry Ford
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I found this, it might indicate it was a common usage:
"Durin' war time I got 'scripted and they sent me to Detroit to work in John Henry Ford's shops. I was a moulder. I had to stay up there three long years, and Lawd! was I glad to get home."
Jim McDowell,
Tryon, North Carolina,
Adyleen G. Merrick, interviewer,
April 6-17, 1939.
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/today/jul30.html
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I have really been enjoying this thread - the lyrics are classic!
Re: "John Henry Ford" I think it likely that this is a lyrically convenient blending of the familiar "John Henry" (referring to a person's signature) and the well known name of Henry Ford.
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Hi Andrew,
I haven't heard any new evidence, but I am amazed that anyone could think McCutcheon was anything other than a white Southerner. He doesn't sound black at all to me. I considered mentioning this in the first post in the thread, but didn't, and I'm glad you brought it up. I am as sure as I could be without seeing him that he was white.
All best,
Johnm
Hi Everybody. I'm new here--stumbled across the site while googling for the Cedar Creek Sheik. Bruce Bastin, in his book Red River Blues, says "For years, Cedar Creek Sheik was considered to have been black." (pg. 195) But he offers no basis (as far as I can find on Google Books) for thinking that he wasn't.
I've been listening to him all afternoon, and I'm as sure as I can be that he's either black or a first-class mimic. What may make him sound white to some people is that his accent isn't the usual Piedmont or Delta black accent. By his accent, I'd say he's from the South Carolina Low Country. My people are from there, and my grandmother's generation all spoke the white version of the same brogue. It's unusual among Southern dialects in that, in its Eastern versions (close to the coast), the vowel in words like "I", "my", "time", etc., is pronounced sort of like "oi", instead of "aa".
In the Low Country, a porch is a "piazza". McCutchen (that's how it seems to be spelled on the records) says "pie-azza", but I think he's fooling around, the way Fats Waller does in "Oh Susannah, dust off that old 'pie-anna'."
"Watch the Fords Go By" includes the line, "Now soon somewhere in Charleston," which fits with my interpretation.
His pronunciation of "God", "straight", "Ford", "hand", "eye", "in", "garden", "about" (sometimes), "got", "away", "go", "Tuesday", "Adam", "can't", "highway", "road", and lots of other words is very typical of the black speech of the Low Country. So is the way he kind of slurs "r" and "w" at the beginning of words. The song, "Mary Had a Little Lamb" is virtually in the Gullah language (e.g., "Mary haav a little lamb," instead of "Mary had a little lamb."), and there are a number of other Gullah-isms in some of the other songs (e.g., "Highway stop an de money all done . . . .").
So unless somebody has some pretty solid evidence that McCutchen was white, I'm about positive he was black. (Now, plenty of white folks in and around Charleston in earlier days grew up speaking Gullah, so it's possible he was one of those; but I doubt any of them would have addressed Henry Ford as "Captain".)
Regarding "John Henry Ford", this is pure speculation, but I suspect it has to do with hero worship (at one point the Sheik sings about going down on his knees to ask Ford for a job). John Henry, the Steel-Driving Man, had the status of a demigod in the old-time black culture. He was probably linked to High John the Conqueror, a mythic African prince, and to the slave John who always tricks Old Master in countless traditional stories. These mythic figures were often blended together in the collective mind. (There are similar phenomena in ancient Greek and Roman religion.) It's possible that Henry Ford, as a rich man of humble origin and a popular hero, had a similar status in that society, and that he got mixed into the complex of mythic John heroes. If that speculation has any validity, it's further evidence that McCutchen was black.
Anyway, I hope this is interesting to some folks. Thanks for this great site!
Best wishes,
Jim Crutchfield
A Southern sojourner in
Long Island City, NY
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Hi Jim,
Welcome to Weenie Campbell, and thanks for your thoughts on the Cedar Creek Sheik. I believe the line from "Watch the Fords Go By" is "Now, Sue's somewhere in Charleston 'bout to be convinced", rather than "soon". The Sheik's songs contain a semi-static cast of characters, including Miss Etta Prince, whom the Sheik wishes he'd married and Sue, whom he regrets marrying, along with the guys at the store, Paul Clements, Jimmy and Arthur Lee.
I'm still in the camp of thinking the Sheik sounds altogether white. His tone production sounds white, much more like such Old-Time singers of his era as the Bollick Bros., kind of high, light and mild, than any Black singer I can think of, apart from Josh White. His guitar-playing doesn't share a sound, either with regard to time-keeping or forcefulness of touch, with his black neighbors who were recorded during that era. His pronunciation sounds like an affectation, much like other white singers trying to sound black, like the Allen Bros. or Jack Gowdlock. It's hard to imagine a black singer adopting his quirky persona, for that matter--his whole manner seems eccentricly white, unquestionably heavily influenced by and admiring of black musicians, but white.
All best,
Johnm
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Hi Jim,
Welcome to Weenie Campbell, and thanks for your thoughts on the Cedar Creek Sheik. I believe the line from "Watch the Fords Go By" is "Now, Sue's somewhere in Charleston 'bout to be convinced", rather than "soon". The Sheik's songs contain a semi-static cast of characters, including Miss Etta Prince, whom the Sheik wishes he'd married and Sue, whom he regrets marrying, along with the guys at the store, Paul Clements, Jimmy and Arthur Lee.
Thanks, John. After listening to "Oh! What a Pity", I see you're right about "Sue's somewhere in Charleston." I do think Mr. Clements's name is Bob, though, not Paul. South Carolina Low Country dialect again. My father grew up in Orangeburg, about forty miles from Charleston, and his name is Robert--"rawbut", more or less, with the vowel that many Americans use when we say "Paul". "Paul", on the other hand, is pronounced the way an upper-class Englishman might say it, kind of halfway between "pall" and "pole".
I'm still in the camp of thinking the Sheik sounds altogether white. His tone production sounds white, much more like such Old-Time singers of his era as the Bollick Bros., kind of high, light and mild, than any Black singer I can think of, apart from Josh White. His guitar-playing doesn't share a sound, either with regard to time-keeping or forcefulness of touch, with his black neighbors who were recorded during that era. His pronunciation sounds like an affectation, much like other white singers trying to sound black, like the Allen Bros. or Jack Gowdlock. It's hard to imagine a black singer adopting his quirky persona, for that matter--his whole manner seems eccentricly white, unquestionably heavily influenced by and admiring of black musicians, but white.
Well, these judgments are necessarily subjective, so unless somebody comes up with a photograph or a birth certificate, we're each most likely to trust our own ear. I'm absolutely convinced that he's black, and is from the South Carolina Low Country. According to the notes to "Blind Boy Fuller Vol. 2" (http://www.venerablemusic.com/catalog/TitleDetails.asp?TitleID=11577), "it appears" the Sheik was born in 1910 in Andrews, S. C. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrews,_SC), which is deep in the Low Country, near Georgetown. Andrews's population today is over 60% black, so the odds probably favor his having been black as well. He probably grew up speaking Gullah, as his English is full of Gullah-isms. I don't know of any other blues musician of that time from the Low Country, so it's hard to say how his neighbors might have played the guitar. (Rev. Gary Davis was a South Carolinian, but he was from Laurens in the Upcountry, so not a neighbor. Same for Pink Anderson, also from Laurens.)
You can listen to some traditional singing (but not guitar playing) from the Georgia Sea Islands (a closely-related culture) at http://www.rhapsody.com/georgia-sea-island-singers/tracks.html. It's a very different style, but the accents are similar. The track "Pay Me" (recorded by the Weavers as "Pay Me My Money Down") has a spoken introduction that may give a better sense of the dialect.
As for the persona, lots of black performers have adopted quirky personae. Think of Screamin' Jay Hawkins, for one extreme example. There's a long tradition of black artists performing comic and novelty songs, which the Sheik seems to fit into very well. And maybe it wasn't an adopted persona--maybe he was just quirky. Chuck Berry seems to have a similar Ford fixation. In the chapter on blues nicknames in David Evans's Ramblin' On My Mind (http://books.google.com/books?id=scp47Y9cLtgC&pg=PA201&dq=%22cedar+creek+sheik%22+king+prince&cd=1#v=onepage&q=%22cedar%20creek%20sheik%22%20king%20prince&f=false), Evans finds the Sheik's nickname to be consistent with two traditions, sexual nicknames and royal nicknames (including Kaiser Clifton, Rajah Evans, Prince Budda, and Sheik Johnson).
Anyway, hope this is interesting and not overkill. Thanks again for the warm welcome!
Crutch
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Here's my attempt at transcribing "Oh! What a Pity". Anybody have a theory on what he's saying at the end of the third verse? I just wrote phonetically what it sounds like to me. In the fifth verse, "gimme_a" represents three syllables sung on two notes.
Notice the Gullah element in the first verse, "How fool I do when I married Sue." Here is "Oh! What A Pity":
https://youtu.be/UEhqg74BEZA
Oh What a Pity
Cedar Creek Sheik (Philip McCutchen)
Oh! What a pity, what a fool I am.
Oh! What a pity, what a fool I am.
Oh! What a pity, what a fool I am.
How fool I do when I married Sue.
I got married on a Sunday night.
I got married on a Sunday night.
I got married on a Sunday night.
On Monday night I had a fight.
I went to Bob Newton and I buy me a goat.
I went to Bob Newton and I buy me a goat.
I went to Bob Newton and I buy me a goat.
Sue, you ain't nothing but a [? hai des ko:t].
Oh! What a pity, what a fool I am.
Oh! What a pity, what a fool I am.
Oh! What a pity, what a fool I am.
How fool I do when I married Sue.
Some prays to the altar and I pray in the road.
Some prays to the altar and I pray in the road.
Some prays to the altar and I pray in the road.
I ask God to gimme_a John Henry Ford
Sue in Charleston 'bout to be convinced.
Sue in Charleston 'bout to be convinced.
Sue in Charleston 'bout to be convinced.
Wish I could marry Miss Etta Prince.
Some pray to the altar and I pray at the gate.
Some pray to the altar and I pray at the gate.
Some pray to the altar and I pray at the gate.
I ask God to gimme one dem Ford V-8.
I'd drive it to Charlotte and Baltimore.
Drive it to Charlotte and Baltimore.
Drive it to Charlotte and Baltimore.
I'd park my Ford in Miss Etta front door.
I'm gon to set in the back of my car.
I'm gon to set in the back of my car.
I'm gon to set down in the back of my car.
I'll play a tune on the old guitar.
[? Play] Sue in Charleston getting 'long fine.
Sue in Charleston getting 'long fine.
Sue in Charleston getting 'long fine.
I wish to God Miss Marietta Prince was mine.
Oh! What a pity, what a fool I am.
Oh! What a pity, what a fool I am.
Oh! What a pity, what a fool I am.
How fool I do when I married Sue.
Crutch
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Hi Crutch,
Thanks very much for your follow-up post and for the transcription of "Oh, What A Pity". For folks who have not heard the recording, it's a 16-bar song sung to the tune of "Careless Love". I am away from my Cedar Creek Sheik recordings presently but will back to them on Saturday and will see if I can fill in any of the blanks. As I recall, I was stumped by the tagline of the third verse as well, but with fresh ears, who knows?
All best,
Johnm
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Hi folks.
I seem to be on a jag with the Cedar Creek Sheik. I did some digging on Ancestry.com and Google and came up with the following.
1930 US Census record for Sampit District No. 2, Georgetown County, South Carolina, Sheet 8A, Lines 36 & 37:
36. Mc Cutchen (Miss); Head of household; Rents home; no radio [crossed out]; family lives on a farm; female; negro; 50 years old; single; has not attended school since Sept. 1919; able to read and write; born in SC; parents born in SC; can speak English; occupation: laborer; industry: farm; actually at work on last working day.
37. Mc Cutchen, Philip; son; male; negro; 20 years old; single; has not attended school since Sept. 1919; unable to read and write; born in SC; parents born in SC; can speak English; occupation: laborer; industry: farm; actually at work on last working day.
The census taker apparently went farm by farm, and there's a farm schedule referred to for each farm. (The farm schedules apparently were not preserved.) The Mc Cutchens appear to have been tenants on the farm of David J. Hardee (Line 28, Farm Schedule 96), a white man, who lived with his wife Bulah [sic, ? should be Beulah] and his father James. Two other families of black tenants also lived on the same farm. "Ford V-8" contains the lines,
Dave Hardee and [?Boujie] settin' on a log
Hands on the trigger, eye on a hog.
The name that sounds like "Boujie" on the record could possibly be a nickname for Dave Hardee's wife Bulah, I guess.
In the same census I also found a Rosa McCutchen, negro, aged 24, working as a live-in cook in the home of a white family (John B. & Clara Grant) in the nearby town of Andrews. I haven't found any other McCutchens in the area, so it seems likely that she was a relative, possibly the sister of Philip.
Now here's something I was excited to find:
1910 US Census record for Hope Township, Williamsburg County (next door to Georgetown County), South Carolina, Sheet 3B, Line 68:
68. Clemmons, Robt. B.; son of householder [Samuel P. Clemmons]; male; white; 18 years old; single; born in SC; parents born in SC; speaks English; occupation: salesman; industry: dry goods store; wage earner [i.e., employee]; working as of date of survey; no weeks out of work in 1900; able to read; able to write.
1930 US Census Population Schedule for Township 6, Andrews, Georgetown County, South Carolina, Sheet 13A, line 33:
33. Clemons [sic], Robert B.; Householder; owns home; male; white; 38 years old; married; 20 y.o. at first marriage; has not attended school since Sept. 1919; able to read and write; born in SC; parents born in SC; speaks English; occupation: merchant; industry: grocery store; owner; actually at work on last working day; not a veteran.
Haven't tracked down Jimmy, although there is a Jimmy Clemmons to be found in the Andrews phone book as late as 2002 (and maybe still--I didn't think I should call him up). There are a couple of Arthur Lees in the neighborhood who are about the right age, but nobody I can identify with any confidence.
Crutch
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That's really amazing work, Crutch! If in fact the Philip McCutchen you've found is the Cedar Creek Sheik, you've figured out something I don't believe any blues researcher prior to you has ever established. Congratulations! The guy you found has the right name, was in the right place, and was the right age. Your findings corroborate your sense of the Sheik's race, too. It looks like I had that wrong. That is outstanding work on your part.
All best,
Johnm
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That's really amazing work, Crutch! If in fact the Philip McCutchen you've found is the Cedar Creek Sheik, you've figured out something I don't believe any blues researcher prior to you has ever established. Congratulations! The guy you found has the right name, was in the right place, and was the right age. Your findings corroborate your sense of the Sheik's race, too. It looks like I had that wrong. That is outstanding work on your part.
All best,
Johnm
Thanks. Amazing what you can accomplish when you're obsessed and out of work. ;0)
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Revised 13 Feb 2010: Identified "Jimmy" as James Blakely, born about 1892.
This isn't much different from JohnM's version (http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?amp;Itemid=128&topic=5514.msg44162#msg44162), but I've put it into four-line verses, just for convention's sake, and made a few changes based on my research into McCutchen's biography, and to reflect McCutchen's dialect and occasional use of Gullah elements. I'm sorry to have to eliminate "I went and kissed Clarence' old grey mule," but it really is "ketch" (= catch, caught), not "kissed". It seems pretty clear to me that McCutchen is saying "shot" where I (and JohnM) have "shut", but I don't know whether that's just pronunciation or actually a different word (in other words, whether McCutchen's dialect uses "shot" as the past tense of "shut", or just pronounces "shut" as "shot" no matter which tense it is), so I've left it "shut".
Jimmy Shut His Store Door
Cedar Creek Sheik (Philip McCutchen)
1. I used to work on a highway road,
Spend my money with Jimmy
Highway stop and the money all done,
Now Jimmy don't wants to see me
REFRAIN:
Lord, Jimmy shut his store door
"How you know it?", 'cause he told me so
Yeah, he wouldn't credit me, he wouldn't credit you
How in the world Cedar Creek guine do?
Jimmy shut his store door
Then he told me so
Caused me to wander to Nashville, Tennessee
2. When I was broke and didn't had a dime,
The women wouldn't call me "honey"
All they women tryin' to eat me up,
Since they get my boneless money
REFRAIN:
Now, Jimmy shut his store door
"How you know it?", 'cause he told me so
Yeah, he wouldn't credit me, he wouldn't credit you
How in the world Cedar Creek guine do?
Jimmy shut his store door then he told me so
I have to travel to Nashville, Tennessee
3. I aks Jimmy just to credit me,
Look like he wanted to fight me
I went and ketch Clarence' old grey mule,
And the darned old grey mule bite me
REFRAIN:
Lord, Jimmy shut his store door
"How you know it?", 'cause he told me so
Yeah, he wouldn't credit me, he wouldn't credit you
How in the world Cedar Creek guine do?
Jimmy shut his store door
Then he told me so
I have to wander to Nashville, Tennessee
4. The boys hangin' around Jimmy Blakely store,
They mouth ain't nothin' but a blabber
(SPOKEN: Where you went to?)
I went to Dave Hardee back door
And I begged for a bowl of clabber
REFRAIN:
'Cause Jimmy shut his store door
"How you know it?", 'cause he told me so
Yeah, he wouldn't credit me, he wouldn't credit you
How in the world Cedar Creek guine do?
Jimmy shut his store door
Then he told me so
I have to travel to Nashville, Tennessee
5. When I was broke and down and out,
The women didn't want me around
(SPOKEN: No they didn't)
Since I got my boneless money,
Says, "Daddy, you must come around."
REFRAIN:
'Cause Jimmy shut his store door
"How you know it?", 'cause he told me so
Yeah, he wouldn't credit me, he wouldn't credit you
How in the world Cedar Creek guine do?
Jimmy shut his store door
Then he told me so
I have to wander to Nashville, Tennessee
6. When I used to work on the highway road,
Spend my money with Jimmy
Now the highway stop and the money all done
And Jimmy don't want to see me
REFRAIN:
Lord, Jimmy shut his store door
"How you know it?", 'cause he told me so
Yeah, he wouldn't credit me, he wouldn't credit you
How in the world Cedar Creek guine do?
Jimmy shut his store door
Then he told me so
I have to wander to Nashville, Tennessee
NOTES:
1.2 James Blakely, born about 1892, retail grocery merchant of Andrews, S. C.
2.4 I.e., bonus
4.3 David J. Hardee, 1886-1969, the farmer on whose land McCutchen and his mother were tenants in 1930.
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In his liner notes to "Never Let the Same Bee Sting You Twice", Chris Smith mentions "store operator Jimmy Blakeley, ordered by Bob Clements to deny credit to his customers." I had already identified "Bob Clements" as Robert Clemmons, but I couldn't figure out where Smith was getting Jimmy's last name. Then I listened to the song again, and realized that what JohnM and I were hearing as "Jimmy's liquor store" was actually "Jimmy Blakely store". Of course that makes sense, because the store sells hash and bread, not liquor. (The "bottle of dope" referred to in "Don't Credit My Stuff" is Coca-Cola, which a lot of Southern people used to call "dope".) The name in and around Andrews, S. C., where the Sheik lived, is spelt "Blakely", and there's a village of Blakely, with a Blakely Road, about five miles from Andrews.
So I did some digging on Ancestry.com and found a 1920 census record that gives us the following:
Blakely, James / Boarder / Male / White / 28 / Single / Born in S. C. / Parents born in S. C. / Able to speak English / Merchant / Retail Grocery / [either worker ("w") or on own account ("oa")--the handwriting is unclear]
If Jimmy was working on his own account, that would make him part-owner of the store with Bob Clemmons.
Still no luck finding Arthur Lee (which are probably his first and middle names: "Take care of my stuff, Arthur Lee!"), or Sue. As for the amiable Miss Etta Prince, there was a large family of Princes on County Line Road in Williamsburg County, including an Etta Prince, but she was only about eight in 1930, and fourteen when the Sheik recorded in 1936, whereas he was about twenty-six. You don't like to think about it, but plenty of country girls married at thirteen or fourteen in those days. Loretta Lynn for example.
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Great work, once again, crutch, in tracking down Jimmy Blakely. Well done!
All best,
Johnm
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Fantastic thread, thanks chaps.
I've been listening to Cedar Creek Sheik a fair bit lately, wondering who he was. Now I'm much better informed than I could have imagined possible!
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I think you'll find that Philip McCutchen, his mother Lizzie and his brother Willie J. turn up in the 1920 Census also. They were enumerated on March 12th by R. N. Maskell in Williamsburg County, Suttons Township (Supervisor's District 6, Enumeration District 139, Sheet 5A, lines 21-23). Some years ago researcher Bob Eagle found a reference to a Philip McCutchen who had died in an asylum. I am very grateful to Bob Eagle for having shared this discovery with me but keep an open mind as to whether it is the same individual. My guess is that the Rosa McCutchen mentioned earlier is not a close relative of Philip, but the absence of Philip and his mother from the 1910 Census is intriguing. JN.