Topic: Big Bill Broonzy Lyrics

[Johnm]

Hi Blues Vintage,
Thanks for the suggestions. I'm going to stick with "look" and "catch". In both instances, I think the concluding consonant sounds of those words match up with the sound of what Broonzy sang.

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Big Bill Broonzy recorded "Down In The Basement Blues" at a session in Chicago in October of 1928 for which he was joined by the seconding guitarist John Thomas, with both players working out of G position in standard tuning. The duo gets a nice-sounding chordal clash in the eighth bar, where Broonzy plays a G chord against Thomas's backing E chord. Thomas continues a circle-of-fifths resolution by going to an A7 chord in the ninth bar and moving to a D in the tenth bar before resolving to G in the eleventh bar. Here is "Down In The Basement Blues":



INTRO SOLO

Down to the depot, mama, Lord, I looked up on the board
Lord, down to the depot, mama, Lord, I looked up on the board
Lord, I said, "Ticket Agent, how long that southbound train been gone?"

Got my ticket, Lord, Lord, "Conductor, can I ride?"
Lord, got my ticket, Lord, Lord, "Conductor, can I ride?
Lord, I wanta make it to that basement, I'll be satisfied."

Sweetie in the basement, mama, Lord, as sweet as she can be
Lord, a sweetie in the basement, mama, Lord, as sweet as she can be
Lord, she low and she is squatty, she's all right with me

Down to the railroad, mama, Lord, and I looked up at the sun
Lord, down to the railroad, mama, Lord, I looked up at the sun
Lord, if the train don't come, it's gwonna be some walkin' done

Don't want no woman, Lord, Lord, sticks way out behind
Lord, don't want no woman, mama, sticks way out behind
'Cause she will hide in that bushes, she is hard to find

CODA

Edited 7/15 to pick up correction from Blues Vintage

All best,
Johnm

[Blues Vintage]

Hard to hear in some spots,

3.3 Lord, she low and she sure is squatty, she's all right with me
Could be "is sweet as she can be" for the 3rd verse

4.3 it's gwonna be some walkin' done.  I heard that line a few times by bluesmen as "there's gwonna be some walkin' done".
I can't make it out what Broonzy's singing.

I thought it was sneaks for the last verse instead of "sticks" on first hearing. It does sound like "sticks".
Could be "bushes".

[Johnm]

Thanks for the suggestions, Blues Vintage. I'm going to stay with "as sweet as she can be" in 3.1 and 3.2--it's an idiom that has a common usage in the U.S. I'll also stick with "She is squatty". because the vowel sound is exactly the same as it is in the "she" earlier in the line. The sound is complicated by Broonzy sticking in an intervallic "r" at the end of the second "she". In 4.1 Broonzy does sing "it's gwonna be some walkin' done", so I'll keep that as is. "Sticks way out behind" is used in other blues lyrics. I will change "bush and" to "bushes" which is what I had originally but changed for grammatical purposes--mistake!

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Big Bill Broonzy recorded "Skoodle Do Do" at a session in New York on April 9, 1930. Despite the session information listed in DG&R showing the song as a duet with Frank Brasswell, Broonzy in fact played the tune by himself, as a solo number in C position, standard tuning. The tune has a raggy circle-of-fifths progression. Throughout his rendition, he sings the title phrase as "skoogle-oo-do" rather than "skoodle do do". Here is "Skoodle Do Do":



INTRO SOLO

I mean, I want to skoogle-oo-do, babe, I want to skoogle-oo-do
You hear me talkin' 'bout skoogle-oo-do, babe, I want skoogle-oo-do
's up this mornin', 'bout half past four, somebody's knockin' on my back door
It must have been my little old sweet mama, she must've want to skoogle-oo-do with her daddy,
She must've want to skoogle-oo-do

You hear me talkin' 'bout skoogle-oo-do, baby want to skoogle-oo-do
You hear me talkin' 'bout my skoogle-oo-do, babe, you want to skoogle-oo-do
Some of these mornin's, mama, it won't be long, you gwonna call me, baby, and I'll be gone
I know you're gonna miss your lovin' papa, baby, from skoogle-oo-doin' somebody else,
Mama, from skoogle-oo-doin'

SOLO

I mean, she been skoogle-oo-doin', babe, she been skoogle-oo-doin'
You hear me talkin' 'bout skoogle-oo-do, mam', you been skoogle-oo-doin'
I was up this mornin' 'bout half past four, somebody's knockin' on my back door
I mean, must've been my baby, wants skoogle-oo-do with her daddy
She must've want skoogle-oo-do

You hear me talkin' 'bout skoogle-oo-do, mam', you want to skoogle-oo-do
I mean, she want to skoogle-oo-do, baby loves to skoogle-oo-do
Your right foot in, mama, your left one out, you try and, baby, move your body about
I mean, that's the lovin' sweet way, mama, that you skoogle-oo-do with your daddy
That's the way to skoogle-oo-do

I mean, she been skoogle-oo-doin', mam', you been skoogle-oo-doin'
You hear me bein' 'bout skoogle-oo-do, babe, you been skoogle-oo-do
I mean, she been skoogle-oo-doin', mam', she been skoogle-oo-doin'
Get me a picket off of my back fence, whup you on your head until you learn some sense
I mean, I'm gonna stop you, mama, kill you, baby, from skoogle-oo-doin' somebody else
Mama, from skoogle-oo-doin'

Edited 7/18 to pick up correction from banjochris

All best,
Johnm   

 

[Thomas8]

This one always sounded like he was unsure of how long the ii and the v should last in relation to the vocals. Might've been intentional though.

[Johnm]

I know what you mean, Thomas, though he's consistent with it, except in the last verse, where he sings two first lines.

[banjochris]

One trifling thing, John – I think 3.2 is also "up" like the first verse instead of "out" –
Chris

[Johnm]

Thanks for the catch, Chris, I have made the change.

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Big Bill Broonzy recorded "Police Station Blues" at a session in New York City on September 16, 1930. He did the session as Sammy Sampson, and is surmised by DG&R to be joined by Arthur Pettis on the cut, with both guitarists working out of C position in standard tuning. It is a wonderfully worked out duet, and Pettis, if he was the second guitarist, did a particularly sparkling job in the bass, leaving Broonzy free to play fluid treble runs. I'd very much appreciate help with the tagline to the next-to-last verse--I can't make any sense out of the sounds I hear Broonzy sing there. Here is "Police Station Blues":



INTRO SOLO

I was standing on the corner, I did not mean no harm
I was standing on the corner, I was just only looking 'round
Lord, and a police come up and 'rest me, Lord and he carried me down

Lord, he take me to the station, and he left me there alone
Lord, took me to the station, and he left me there alone
I got to thinkin' about my poor women, Lord, and my wife at home

SOLO

Lord, down in Maxwell Street Station, wandered 'round there all night long
Lord, down in Maxwell Street Station, wandered 'round there all night long
"You go to to sleep on a plank now, boy, 't your head on your own right arm

Gonna write a letter to my mother, "Mama, please send for me."
Gonna write a letter to my mother, "Mama, please send for me.
'Cause I'm down here in this old station, you don't know how they're treatin' me."

CODA

Edited 7/19 to pick up correction from Blues Vintage

All best,
Johnm
 

[Blues Vintage]

I think this is the tagline;

You've got to sleep on a plank now, boy, put your head on your own right arm

[Johnm]

Thanks so much for the help, Blues Vintage, I was sure not hearing that! He kind of leaves out the "p" on "put", doesn't he? I'll make the change. Thanks!

[waxwing]

Hi all,
Big Bill recorded "Big Bill Blues" for the first time at his Richmond, Indiana session on February 9, 1932, accompanying himself out of C position in standard tuning.

Big Bill Blues was first recorded in February, 1928, and was the second song BBB recorded.

Wax