Topic: Mississippi Sheiks Lyrics

[Lastfirstface]

Thanks for posting this stuff, Frankie. I used to check Donegone.net for keys and positions for the Sheiks and satellite bands, but I remember you saying it was a pain to get the site back up.

[banjochris]

Thanks for posting all this, Frankie!
Chris

[Pan]

Thank you for generously sharing all this information with us, Frankie!

I'm sorry to hear about your troubles with the done gone website. I hope you'll get it sorted one day, it was another fine resource indeed!

Pan

[Mr.OMuck]

Wow Frank! Amazing compiling/scholarship...Thanks!

[Stuart]

Thank you, Frank. You have done an incredible amount of work and made a great contribution.

[frankie]

My goodness, Frank, what a generous thing to do--and time-consuming!  Thanks so much, and I can see I've got my work cut out for me, entering these all in Weeniepedia.  Thank you, on behalf of all Weenies and the site!

I don't mean to make work for you..  if it's something that I can do, I can also take the time at some point to put them in there. The transcriptions can certainly stand some improvement, so it might be good to work through them methodically like we did at one point with Lemon's lyrics.

[Johnm]

It's okay, I wasn't angling for assistance, Frank.  I like putting stuff in there--it's kind of peaceful and contemplative.  But what I think I may do is, where I can find them, add youtube links to your posts of lyrics that have gaps, so that folks can listen and possibly fill in the gaps.  And where there are pre-existing dedicated threads, like a Walter Vinson Lyrics thread, I may put all of his lyrics you've transcribed in that thread.  Just so you know, we already have all of Alec Johnson's cuts transcribed and in his own thread, so there's no need to add those.  It's a ton of work you've done, first transcribing all of those lyrics and then posting them here--that's plenty!  Thanks again for sharing.
All best,
Johnm

[banjochris]

I started the other day listening to the tunes that had bracketed bits in them; didn't get super far but got a few, some of which I'm not sure of, but I'll share and folks can double check:

Driving That Thing

1.1 could it be WHACKING?

5.1 Raggedy is right

on the choruses, could it be All the LAWS uptown?
meaning cops instead of lawyers?



Jazz Fiddler

I think it's take UP your bow in the first verse

I wonder if it should be a SUPPLE heel and he pronounces supple "soup-le"



We Both Are Feeling Good Right Now

2.4 I hear "just fine"

missing bit is TRULY ALL RIGHT



Jake Leg Blues

1.1 LIVELY
1.3 WHAT-A HE HAVE HAD is right
1.4 TALK and FOLKS are right


West Jackson Blues
5.3 JUST I think is the missing word there; Bo stumbles a bit



Sitting On Top of the World No. 2

in 5.3 and 6.3 I think it should be
You NEEDN'T to worry

6.2 Just SAY THERE'S poor Walter, used to be YOUR slave



Times Done Got Hard
2.3 Run the LOAFIN' MAN away

4.3 (perhaps) THAT DEAR man will come?.

5.1 and 5.2 maybe: the men ATTEMPT THEY'RE BLIND (in other words pretend to be blind and beg)


Chris

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I have a question about the personnel on the Sheiks recording of "Jake Leg Blues".  Am I correct in thinking that Bo Carter sings lead, Walter Vinson sings the harmony on the chorus, Lonnie plays the fiddle, and there is only one back-up guitar (Walter?)?  I like to acknowledge all of the musicians when I make entries in Weeniepedia.  Thanks for any help.
All best,
Johnm

[frankie]

John - thanks for the heads up on Alec Johnson...  I'll reserve those or maybe take a look at the thread. I doubt I have anything to add - he was curiously well-enunciated. Thanks for splitting out the "orbit" transcriptions - if it's ok, I'll just keep dumping them into the "orbit" thread and then you can re-assign as necessary...  it'll simplify things for me as I'm trying to get this done between other things I'm not quite getting done and the transcriptions are way better off here than on my laptop.

Jake Leg sounds to me like two guitars - they're usually basically right on top of each other, except when the change comes to the VI chord, where they occasionally seem to be not of the same mind, so to speak. You're right about Bo and Walter's roles and I think they're both playing guitar. Bo's might be the slightly more audible, in my opinion.

Chris - most of those changes look good to me...  ("TRULY ALL RIGHT" - a ringing endorsement!)... I can be more active on editing the original posts in a couple of weeks. There are plenty of holes peppered throughout, but the MOST vexing holes are the ones on the sides with Sam Chatmon singing - the last 10 songs or so....  they are kinda whupped records and even though I think he's pretty easy to understand in his re-discovery era recordings, these older ones just stumped me more than I expected.

[Johnm]

Hi Frank,
I think I have a couple of things on "Bootlegger's Blues":

First line of first verse:
   Pack of whiskey on my back, and the sheriffs is on my track

First line of second verse:
   If you want to have to leave home, you just mess with a bottle of corn

Spoken during solo:
   Spoken: Boy, they'd sure get to hear about liquor

That's it, I think.

All best,
Johnm

[banjochris]

Jake Leg sounds to me like two guitars - they're usually basically right on top of each other, except when the change comes to the VI chord, where they occasionally seem to be not of the same mind, so to speak. You're right about Bo and Walter's roles and I think they're both playing guitar. Bo's might be the slightly more audible, in my opinion.

I totally agree on this, for what it's worth. Also right at the beginning you can hear the quieter guitar playing bass runs into the C chord as the louder guitar continues boom-chang-ing. Such a great song and melody.

Frank, I'll try to get to some more of these myself in the next couple of days. Always a pleasure to revisit the Sheiks.
Chris

[banjochris]

Frank -- I went through the Sam tracks that had gaps. Some of those are really impossible to hear; hopefully there's better copies somewhere.


Old Grey Mule, You Ain't What You Used To Be - Mississippi Sheiks

Lots of gaps still

1.2 ?

1.4 (and the rest) SAY, the way YOU?RE RIDING NOW, sure ain?t SUITING me.


spoken: Oh, NO SHE AIN?T

3.2 CAN ?? YOUR BACK?

4.1 ?
4.2 ?
spoken: Go on, MADAM. YOU?RE NO GOOD FOR WORK, NO-HOW. YOU DON?T WANT NOTHING BUT KICK.



What's The Name Of That Thing? - Mississippi Sheiks
1.1 Baby cooks IN THE morning, CURES my appetite,
1.4 (and the rest) ?NOW I believe it?s tasting? (or it might be NOW, REALLY tasting, but I think he?s slurring believe)


2.2 GET ON TO IT EASY, AND I DRESS AND turn it loose

3.2 Seen my gal WASHIN? THE VERY SAME MEAT I LIKE

4.2 HELP YO?SELF daddy?

5.2 ANY MAN DON?T LIKE HIS MEAT, nothing but a fool

spoken: NAME is right I think

6.1 supposed to be VEAL

7.2 BILLY GOAT is right


Stir It Now - Mississippi Sheiks


1.1 Says I got the SPOON, my baby's got the pan
1.2 WON?T stir her bread for another man
1.4 might be: It ain?t much FITTIN? but stir it anyhow

2.2 phonetically I hear ?FOUGHT YOU RING IT WAS ALL ABOUT? ? obviously wrong but maybe that'll help someone hear what it really is

3.2 THIS THE WAY THAT FUSS begin

4.2 LOOKIN? a dinner I like (I think he meant to sing something like he sang in What?s the Name of That Thing but messes up because he?s going to fast)


6.1 ?couldn?t SEE through my blind




Radio Blues - Mississippi Sheiks

gotta come back to this one, it?s rough, and it's not Sam singing -- maybe Sonny Boy Nelson? or it could be Lonnie.



Please Don't Give My Love Away - Mississippi Sheiks
1.2 YOU KEPT ON WORRYIN? ME till?
1.3 YOU THE CAUSE OF ME, baby?


3.3 IT?S one thing, woman
3.4 I wonder if Sam meant to sing: YOU GOT A MAN DOWNTOWN but reverses the last word


Are some of these records missing? B&GR lists some that aren't on the Document.
Chris

[mwbutter]

Two thoughts on the first two lines of this tune.

First, I think it's "Maybe today, early or late" in the first line.

Second, I think it's a Cadillac A, not eight. As far as I can tell, there was a model A, but no 8. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Cadillac_vehicles#Early_Antique)

-Butter

The New Sittin' On Top Of The World - Mississippi Sheiks
Actual pitch: G-flat
Main guitar position: G
Fiddle position: G
Mandolin position: n/a
Second guitar position: n/a

Lyrics:
Maybe today, or [] late
My baby got movements like a old Cadillac eight
I'll never leave her, because I don't worry
I'm sitting on top of the world

I'll go away, I won't stay long
Thinking about that sweet thing I've left at home
I'll never leave her, I don't worry
I'm sitting on top of the world

My baby loves me, tries to treat me right
Gives me her loving both day and night
I'll never leave her, I don't worry
I'm sitting on top of the world

My baby says one thing, I know it is true
"Can't have another man and be good to you"
I'll never leave her, because I don't worry
I'm sitting on top of the world

Up in Chicago, long ways from home
Wonder if somebody else, carrying my loving on
I'll never leave her, I don't worry
I'm sitting on top of the world

I'm going home, buy a lock and key
To keep these men from stealing my loving from me
I'll never leave her, I don't worry
I'm sitting on top of the world

[Stuart]

"Cadillac Eight" would refer to a Cadillac with a V-8 engine, which, according to the Wiki entry you cite, was available beginning in 1915.

This doesn't mean that the Sheiks didn't sing "Cadillac A," just that "Cadillac 8" cannot be ruled out.