Topic: Blind Boy Fuller Lyrics

[banjochris]

Oh I know, just having fun too. 
Chris

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Blind Boy Fuller recorded "Shaggy Like A Bear" at a session in New York City on December 15, 1937, accompanying himself out of G position in standard tuning.  I think his record company must have been in love with him at this point, because in looking at his session dates for 1937, he was in New York and recording on four different occasions, spending three days there each time, in February, July, September and December, recording a total of 51 titles that were released--a Herculean output, and I've yet to encounter a weak track in the bunch! That kind of productivity is pretty humbling for any musician who has recorded. It also goes some way towards explaining why he was the most popular Piedmont blues recording artist ever, as well as the most influential.

Fuller was operating in Texas Alexander's territory with regard to the frankness of his language on this song.  He liked that one tagline so much he used it three verses in a row. It sounded to me like he mis-spoke at the end of the first line to his last verse, but if you can hear something that makes more sense there, I'd appreciate if you would let me know.  God, his guitar playing is good on this one, and his singing was always great.  Here is "Shaggy Like A Bear":



See my woman, tell her I says, "Hurry home."
Hey, hey, tell her I says, "Hurry home."
Says, I ain't had no lovin', Great God, since my gal's been gone

Says, I know my little woman, sure gwonna change my mind
Hey, hey, sure gwonna change my mind
Says, because whenever she walks, and she reel and rocks behind

Says, my woman, she's got something, shaggy like a bear
Hey, hey, shaggy like a bear
She says, "Come around to my room, daddy.", Great God, and that stuff is there

Says, she asked me for fifteen cents, pay her way in the fair
Hey, hey, just to pay her way in the fair
She said, "Come around to my room, daddy.", Great God, and the stuff is there

She's a little bit knock-kneed, but she'll brook to carry her anywhere
Hey, hey, her looks will carr' her anywhere
And she just call around to my room, "Daddy", Great God, and the stuff is there

CODA (Spoken: Great God, that stuff is good!)

Edited 8/12 to pick up additional lyrics from banjochris
Edited 8/13 to pick up corrections from harry

All best,
Johnm
 

[Johnm]

Hi all,
For "Mojo Hidin' Woman", recorded on September 7, 1937 in New York City, Blind Boy Fuller accompanied himself out of A position in standard tuning.  Here is "Mojo Hidin' Woman":



INTRO SOLO

Now, it's stingy mama, don't be so stingy with me
Stingy mama, don't be so stingy with me
You's a good little girl, but you so stingy with me

Throw your water out your pitcher, mama, let your bowl go dry
Throw your water out your pitcher, let your bowl go dry
Then I'll give you my lovin', mama, mama, just before you die

My gal got a mojo, she won't let me see
Says, my babe's got a mojo, she won't let me see
One morning about four o'clock, she eased that old thing on me

Now mama, mama, you can't keep that mojo hid
Hey, hey, mama, can't keep that mojo hid (Spoken: Why, boy?)
'Cause I got something just to find that old mojo with

Now my mama, lent me something, she calls that stingeree
My mama lent me something, called that stingeree
I done sting my baby, and she won't stay away from me

CODA

All best,
Johnm

 

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Blind Boy Fuller recorded "Been Your Dog" at a solo session in New York City on February 10, 1937, accompanying himself out of D position in standard tuning. Fuller didn't shy away from playing in D position as some well-known players like Blind Lemon and Charlie Patton did. Here is "Been Your Dog":



INTRO SOLO

Says, I've been your dog, mama, ever since I've been your man
Been your dog, mama, ever since I've been your man
Leavin' you this morning, mama, you can do the best you can

Says, I got me a suitcase, and gettin' me a travelin' trunk
Got me a suitcase, mama, gon' get me a travelin' trunk
Every night I come home, you piled up in the bed, drunk

Mama, today have been, long old lonesome day
Day have been, mama, long old lonesome day
Seem like tomorrow gonna, be the same old way

I said, Lord, Lord, what more can a poor man do?
I said, Lord, Lord, what more can a poor man do?
Try to be good to you, mama, you keep me worried and blue

Now when I'm gone, mama, no use to weep and moan
When I'm gone, mama, no use to weep and moan
Get you another man, God knows this one's gone

Edited 8/13 to pick up corrections from lindy

All best,
Johnm

[banjochris]

On "Shaggy," I agree that he misspeaks on that one line; the meaning is certainly clarified by the next one – what you have there is a good phonetic representation, I think.

Don't forget the very end – Spoken: Great God, that stuff is good!
Chris

[Johnm]

Thanks for corroborating the mis-spoken line Chris and for the catch on the last spoken line--I just figured he was done at the end off that little coda and didn't listen through to the end--now I know!  Thanks!

[lindy]

On "Been Your Dog," a couple of minor points:

First verse--I think he sings "ever" both times instead of "every," this might be a spellcheck issue.

Second verse--I think he sings "dead drunk" instead of only "drunk."

Lindy

[Johnm]

Lindy, thanks for the catches of the "every" mistakes in verse one--I'll make those changes. Verse two is correct as is. What you're hearing as "dead drunk" is "bed drunk". Thanks!

[Blues Vintage]

Some suggestions for Shaggy Like A Bear

1.1 See my mama woman

3.1 Says, my woman, she she's got something, shaggy like a bear

[Johnm]

Thanks for the fixes, Harry, and I've made the changes. Thanks!

[waxwing]

Verse two is correct as is. What you're hearing as "dead drunk" is "bed drunk". Thanks!

I agree with Lindy.

If it is "bed drunk", then the line is "you piled up in bed, bed drunk". Doesn't sound like "the" to me. I like "you piled up in bed, dead drunk" better. There is very little difference between the plosives "b" and "d" on a scratchy, poorly mic'ed recording, which leaves it pretty open to "interpretation".

Wax

[banjochris]

I'm hearing it exactly the way John is here. Fuller puts a bit of odd emphasis on "the" is all. Listening with headphones I would say it's possible he's singing "this" and trails off.

But "bed, drunk" is definitely what I am hearing.
Chris

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Blind Boy Fuller recorded "Tom Cat Blues", an 8-bar blues played out of E position in standard tuning at a session in New York City on February 9, 1937. The session notes in the JSP Fuller set have Bull City Red backing him on the track, on washboard, and he doesn't--it is certainly a solo number for Fuller. It's a terrifically strong track in every way, lyrics, singing and guitar-playing, the last of which is heavily indebted to Buddy Moss. As was always the case with Fuller, he emphatically made ideas whose source was elsewhere his own through the forcefulness and personality of his own delivery. Here is "Tom Cat Blues":



INTRO SOLO

You's a dirty mistreater, don't mean your man no good
Gwonna quit you this mornin', gwonna leave your neighborhood

Now I used to, have a woman, had her front teeth is crowned with gold
I wouldn't mistreat my baby, not to save nobody's soul

Now I told, you, mama, you been mistreatin' me every way
Sun gwonna shine in my back door someday

Now the sun, is shinin', in Blind Boy Fuller's door today
I ain't got many dollars but things sure is comin' my way

HUMMED VERSE

Now I used to, have a woman, make a passenger train, jump the rails
Got a hard-head gal, mama, make a tomcat heist [sic] his tail

Now, rider, I told you, when you were doin' me mean
Gwonna quit you, gal, goin' back to New Orleans

Now I got, me a woman, she rolls all over the bed
She got the kind of lovin' make a man talk out his head

SOLO

What you want, with a woman, can't cheat, beg, robbin' or steal?
When you get in trouble, she can't bring you a decent meal

I got a new, way of lovin', woman, you know I think it must be best
These here women up the country, won't let Blind Boy Fuller rest

SCATTED AND HUMMED VERSE

CODA

Edited 8/20 to pick up corrections from banjochris
Edited 8/21 to pick up correction from harry

All best,
Johnm
   


 

[banjochris]

A few suggestions on "Tom Cat," John –

1.2 and 6.2 QUIT instead of fix

3.1 missing an "r" in mistreatin' (just a typo but kind of a funny one!)

7.1 WOMAN instead of mama

7.2 THESE HERE women up the country

Chris

[Johnm]

I re-listened, Chris, and all of your suggestions were spot on, so I have made the changes. Thanks! Isn't that a great take? And I've never heard it covered.