Topic: Texas Alexander's Lyrics

[dj]

I hear the last part of the last line in verses 2 and 3 as "go to SEE REDEYE", where I'd assume that Redeye is the nickname of a guy who owns/works in a pawnshop.

[Johnm]

I don't know, dj.  I hear a very clear and pronounced "d" sound at the front of the phrase in question, every time he sings it, and no "s".
All best,
Johnm

[uncle bud]

Amazing that a song recorded so well would be so difficult, but it is. Like Chris, I hear Baxter in the first verse. And maybe Jimmy Green in the last verse.

That's a tough one for sure.

[WhiskyMan]

Hi all,

I'd like to propose a slight change to the lyrics for "She's so fair",
I believe it's: "I've got a little *low* woman, 'bout five feet from the ground" rather than "I've got a little *old* woman, 'bout five feet from the ground".

It sounds like "low" to me and seems to make sense since he's telling us exactly how low she is (5ft); but also "little low" seems a fairly common phrase in blues for describing shortness e.g. Ishman Bracey: "I've got a long tall mama, little low mama too -I never tell my long tall mama what my little low mama do."

[Johnm]

Thanks for the catch, WhiskyMan.  I re-listened to "She's So Fair" and made the edit you suggested.
All best,
Johnm

[catyron]

Well, back in 2006 (that's 19 years ago!) Johnm asked if anyone had found an earlier example of the floating verse "Going to Louisiana to get me a mojo hand..." than Texas Alexander's example in "Tell Me Woman Blues" from 1928.

I've been digging through that little question since the 1990s, and back in 2018 i published this bit of research, which may or may not be definitive, but it's all i got:

Going to the Louisiana bottom to get me a hoodoo hand
Gotta stop these women from taking my man
   (Louisiana Hoo Doo Blues, Ma Rainey, 1925)

I’m going to Louisiana, to get myself a mojo hand
’Cause these backbiting women are trying to take my man
   (Mojo Hand Blues, Ida Cox, 1927)

I’m going to Louisiana to get me a hoodoo hand
Gonna stop you women from messing with my man
   (Superstitious Blues, Hattie Burleson, 1928)

I’m going to Louisiana, get me a mojo hand
Just to see when my woman got another man
   (Tell Me Woman Blues, Texas Alexander, 1928)

So Ma Rainey wins the race for the hand/man line in 1925, but Ida Cox wins in 1927 if you insist on "MOJO hand/man" rather than including "HOODOO hand/man"

Cheers to all.

[Johnm]

Good searching, catyron.