Topic: Mance Lipscomb Lyrics

[Blues Vintage]

Every guy covering this song on YouTube sings "my carbs won’t even sing" instead of "my coil won’t even sing".

[Stuart]

It could be owing to various reasons, one being that they are unfamiliar with early coils which actually did "sing."

http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/29/10844.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trembler_coil

https://www.larescorp.com/toolbox/skinned-knuckles-articles/the-model-t-ford-buzz-coil/

The air flow (and Venturi principle) through a carb might make more sense to some re: singing, but "coil" is what Mance sings.

[Blues Vintage]

Goin’ Down Slow


The video might not play in the U.S.
I can’t find one that certainly will. It’s from Mance’s first recording session by Strachwitz and McCormick.


Mance Lipscomb – Vocals, Guitar

June 30, 1960
Navasota, Texas

A Position
Dropped D Tuning






(Spoken:  One more try this)

Well, I done had my fun, I don’t get well no more
Yes, I done had my fun, I don’t get well no more
My health is failin’ me, Lord, I’m goin’ down slow

I want you to write my mother, tell her the shape I’m in
I want you to write my mother, tell her the shape I’m in
Tell her to pray for me, forgiveness for my sin

Mama, don’t send no doctor, he can’t do no good
Mama, don’t send no doctor, he can’t do no good
It’s all my fault now, mama, I didn’t do the things I should

Next train south, look for my clothes home
Well, the next train south, mama, look for my clothes home
You don’t see my body, all you can do is moan

Mama, please don’t worry, this is all in my prayer
Mama, please don’t worry, this is all in my prayer
You know your son is dead, goin’ out this world somewhere

OUTRO SOLO

[Blues Vintage]

At the Weenie Campbell moderator;  Would it be OK to post a mp3 of "Goin’ Down Slow" (the official Lipscomb recording)?
I might post more from Mance's first session- it seems a lot of his stuff is restricted.

[Slack]

I modified your post above to include a video link of Mance doing 'Goin' Down Slow' that U.S. folks can see.  That work?

[Blues Vintage]

Not really, the lyrics don't match 'cause it's from a different recording.

[Slack]

I'm fine with posting the mp3 then... it should meet the 1010kb limit.

[Blues Vintage]

OK, thanks Slack. mp3 attached.

[Forgetful Jones]

In the video above, it looks like Mance's 3 low strings are wound the opposite direction around the post. He sure had his own sound. I love the way he plays and sings.

[Blues Vintage]

I prefer Mance's picking on beat up Sovereign to a slick session player on 3k Martin any day.
He plays a beautiful run from 1.04 - 1.07. Too bad it doesn't show his fretting hand at that time.
Is it neccessary to play his A Position Blues in Dropped D to get that Lipscomb sound? Been learning "Goin' Down Slow" and "Shake, Shake, Mama"- I can't get used to it.
I think I modify the arrangements to standard tuning.

[Johnm]

Hi Blues Vintage,
It is absolutely necessary to play his songs in A that he played in dropped-D in dropped-D to get his sound. The whole purpose of playing in A that way is to get the low root of the IV chord. Listen to "Goin' Down Slow" in the first verse. It's one of those 12-bar blues that starts the first two four-bar phrases in the IV chord. When he opens those first two phrases in the IV chord, that low D sixth string just honks. Do it in A in standard tuning and it will sound wimpy by comparison.

I don't understand why you need to see what he's doing at 1:04--1:07 to figure it out. Use your ears. He's going to a V7 chord and from there to a IV7 chord. That gives you a head start.

[Blues Vintage]

I'll figure it out eventually but I don't have your quick bright transcribe skills, John. Actually, you're the only country blues author whose TAB books are dead on balls accurate.
The late Woody Mann being a close second. I meant it makes it a lot easier to see a close up of his fretting hand at the time of that run.
I'm gon' try it again in dropped D, if it don't works for me I just wrap my thumb on the F# in standard. I don't feel it sounds wimpy, it just gives it a different flavor.
I think there's little difference when playing parts of the song, the signature lick, stuff around E chord etc. - if a I may quote banjochris "particularly on the tunes in A, sometimes it's a little difficult to tell if he's tuned in drop D or not. The A tunes where he doesn't retune tend to have either no IV chord or a very brief allusion to one".

[Johnm]

Hi Blues Vintage,
If you keep figuring things out by ear, you get better at it and start recognizing where things live on the neck. In the passage in the Mance performance, it can be helpful just to try to identify the notes he's hitting with his thumb in the bass, first. Once you're got those figured out, you can go after the notes he's picking with his finger in the treble. Faculties sharpen with use. Best of luck with that.

[banjochris]

I'll figure it out eventually but I don't have your quick bright transcribe skills, John. Actually, you're the only country blues author whose TAB books are dead on balls accurate.
The late Woody Mann being a close second. I meant it makes it a lot easier to see a close up of his fretting hand at the time of that run.
I'm gon' try it again in dropped D, if it don't works for me I just wrap my thumb on the F# in standard. I don't feel it sounds wimpy, it just gives it a different flavor.
I think there's little difference when playing parts of the song, the signature lick, stuff around E chord etc. - if a I may quote banjochris "particularly on the tunes in A, sometimes it's a little difficult to tell if he's tuned in drop D or not. The A tunes where he doesn't retune tend to have either no IV chord or a very brief allusion to one".

Since I got quoted here I'll add my two cents – I agree with John completely here. When the tune needs it, you have to do it – it's absolutely essential on "Goin' Down Slow" and "Angel Child" for instance. All I meant with that quote is that he does have some A tunes where the IV isn't as prominent, and sometimes in those I suspect he's just tuned normally or if he did leave the 6th at D he's not using it much except fretting it for the E chord.

"Captain, Captain" and "Long Tall Girl" for instance are tuned standard – the first one has just a brief D chord and the second none at all.

My favorite is the one recording of "Meet Me in the Bottom" where he starts with the 6th at D and when he gets to the first E chord he cranks the 6th up to E!
Chris

[Forgetful Jones]

BanjoChris-
I hadn’t listened to “Meet Me in the Bottom” in a long time. He plays/tunes that 6th string so perfectly in time with the song. Do you think this was a planned move, or maybe he realized he was in Dropped-D and tuned up on the fly? Either way, it sounds so good.

RE: “Going Down Slow” That dropped D really defines the sound of the whole song for me. Mance seems to emphasize that low note in his first solo too.

I am going to make it a point to use the word “honks” more often.

Cheers!