Topic: Blind Boy Fuller Lyrics

[JohnLeePimp]

Hello... since I have the memory of melted cheese and am not really familiar with Blind Boy Fuller's tunes I wanted to know the name and lyrics of his song were he talks about fighting and going to war - I heard it on juke while working and said "I should look that up"... so now about a month later I'm making this vauge and almost inane bump

thanks for understanding

[Blind Arthur]

"When You Are Gone"? That?s from his last session. First line is "This war is raging..."

[JohnLeePimp]

that's right thanks a bunch

I got all of fullers later works... pretty damn impressive

[Stumblin]

... almost inane bump

thanks for understanding

Keep this thread bumped, I says.
Maybe we could actually have a dedicated lyric transcription forum on the Weenie boards?
Just a thought. I'll get back to you when I've heard it played back at half speed.

[Pyrrus 61]

Hello,

I'm New here, i 'm glad to find this forum .
I've been learning fingerpicking for 2 years
Playing Mississippi John Hurt Rd Gary Davis
Robert Johnson and i discovered a song called
ten o'clock peeper from Blind Boy Fuller, sounds good to me,
but i can't find the lyrics anywhere,
Maybe someone could help me???



Regards from France

[uncle bud]

Hi Pyrrus 61 - Welcome to WC. I've separated your post into its own topic. I don't have the lyrics for Ten O'Clock Peeper, but if you wanted to take a shot at transcribing them, there are lots of people here who can help with tricky spots, corrections etc.

[Stumblin]

Great song. I'll work on the lyrics when I get some free time 
Thanks for reminding me of this great little number, I'm going to learn to play this one, sounds like A position stuff to me 

[uncle bud]

The request for lyrics to Ten O'Clock Peeper has been merged into the main Fuller lyrics thread. I moved it out of the Guidelines sticky topic originally, but forgot we had a Fuller thread.

[Rivers]

Word in doubt highlighted with ?? but I think it has to be "door", since it fits with the slightly hilarious "knocking on your door/won't knock there no more" later; as usual it's a double entendre. This is a pretty unusual form, has two bridges starting on the IV (the black snake verses), basically it's very like "Mamie" though. Good song!

10 O'Clock Peeper, Blind Boy Fuller, somewhere south of a true pitch of C

Said I went home last night, clock was striking ten
Said I went home last night, clock was striking ten
Said I peeped through the keyhole mama, my woman she wouldn't let me in

Now some black snake been, sucking my rider's tongue
Yeah, some black snake been, sucking my rider's tongue
And you can tell by that mama, that I ain't gonna be here long

I said "excuse me mama, from knocking on your door"
I said "excuse me mama, from knocking on your door"
"And if you 'scuse me this time, I won't knock there no more"

Yeah, some black snake been, sucking my rider's tongue
Yeah, some black snake been, sucking my rider's tongue
And you can tell by that, that I ain't gonna be here long

Said I wish I was (a) jay bird, flyin' in the air
Said I wish I was a jay bird, flyin' in the air
Says I'd build my home, in some o'these old high browns' hair.

[edit: applied corrections from frankie and ub]

[frankie]

Now some black snake been, sucking my rider's (door??)

It's been a while since I last heard this song, but I think this line is usually:

Now some black snake been sucking my rider's TONGUE

more like a single-entendre.

[uncle bud]

Agreed, tongue, and the image used in Victoria Spivey's Black Snake Blues in 1926. Daddy Stovepipe used it as well in his cover of Black Snake Blues, which seems to have been influenced by both Spivey and Lemon Jefferson's recordings (he even uses Lemon's name in it, I think). Lemon doesn't use the line in question though, in any of his versions. Digressions.  

Also, the last line of the song should be:

Says I'd BUILD my home IN some of these old high BROWNS' HAIR

[lindy]

When I heard John Jackson sing his version of Black Snake, I always heard "suck my rider DOWN."

I admit, I haven't heard the BBF song y'all are discussing.

L

[Rivers]

I think frankie and ub nailed it, thanks guys, corrections applied. Lindy, if you listen to Fuller it's more likely 'tongue' but it's close and I can see how JJ came up with that.

Cool song to drop in at just the right occasion as we move into the festival campsite season in the northern hemisphere, thanks to Pyrrus 61 for bringing it up.

p.s. this song definitely deserves a mention in the 'bad hair' thread.

[Pyrrus 61]

Many thanks

Those lyrics are clear for my ears
just have to work now..

I 'm looking for others lyrics : so different blues by Mance Lipscomb & cool down by Cephas & Wiggins

Best regards

[Rivers]

Pyruss, let us know how 'Peeper' turns out. My first thoughts were he's capoed way high and playing out of E position but I'm not very good at nailing such things and I haven't worked with it at all yet. I see from weeniepedia it's more likely to be A capoed. see http://www.weeniecampbell.com/wiki/index.php?title=Blind_Boy_Fuller_Guitar_Keys_and_Positions

Also, if you can post what you've already got the weenies are always glad to help fill out any gaps. There is a Mance lyrics thread already going at http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?amp;Itemid=128&topic=658.0 --- please feel free to start a John Cephas thread. I do realize from your IP address you are from France and it's harder for non-native English speakers to hear these things so no probs, we will help if we can.