Topic: Hezekiah Jenkins

[Gumbo]

thanks for the attachments, thickpete. I'm listening but not hearing anything more than you've got, so far ....

Thanks Johnm! Makes sense and sounds right to me now too!

Here is the next one.......getting a bit harder to decipher....

Sister It's Too Bad
Hezekiah and Dorothy Jenkins

(Dorothy is in italics)

Talk about your lovin' men,
but you ain't seen none[nuttin'??] yet. (Is that so?)
I got the onliest[??] chick[?] in town
and that I sure will bet[??accept?].
Listen while I explain -
I'm kinda hard to get.

I got a man brother he's too bad -
the women all fall for him and keep me sad.
He ain't no Ingersoll - ain't got no Elgin movement.
There's nothing bout him needs improvement

When I'm blue, when I'm sad -
his sweet disposition sure will make me glad.

There's something peculiar about him makes me call him dad.
His hugging and his kisses are the best I ever had.
When it comes to lovin', brother he's too bad!

I got a gal - sister she's too bad -
get all crazy bout she's keeps me mad.
She aint no Ingersoll she got no Elgin movement.
Nothing about her needs improvement.

She may be blue when I'm sad,
Her sweet dispostion sure makes me glad.

I know lots of bakers [ catch her?? ] in town,
can beat her in baking bread, but she's a jelly rollin' hound!
And when it comes to lovin'- sister she's too bad!

edited to match text on previous page

[GhostRider]

INTERLUDE:
   |      F6     |  C      C7  |      F6     |  C    C7   |
   |      F6     |      C       |      D7     |      G6     |
   |      F6     |  C      C7  |      F6     |  C      C7  |
   |      F6     |  C      A7  |  D7     G7 |  C    A7   |
   | D7     G7 |      C       |

In the chorus, Jenkins hits a big grinding stop on the second beat of the first measure of Aflat, and does not start playing again until the last beat of the second measure in Aflat.  The end of the interlude does a common sort of "resolvus interruptus" in the 16th bar, hitting the surprise A7 that sends it into one last circle of fifths before resolving.
Anyone looking to do a piano-y sort of ragtime guitar arrangement could do a lot worse than picking this song.  It has clever lyrics, too.
All best,
Johnm

John:

As I do not have this recording, could you tell me whether the F6 and G6 chords are played in there first position shapes or something else.

Sometimes I like to arrange a song from just the chords and words, without having heard the original. I think I'll try that on this one, then see how I did.

Thanks,
Alex

[Lastfirstface]

I kept hearing that line in Sister Its Too Bad as:

He ain't no Ingersoll - ain't got no Elgin movement.

Based on the Elgin Movement thing, I figured it must be a watch company, and sure enough:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ingersoll_Watch_Company

[thickpete]

Excellent Lastfirstface! I thought it might be some other watch reference but know nothing about them and couldn't hear. You are certainly correct - thanks!


Here is a much tougher one still. The more I listen to this the more confused I get so it's time to just put up what I've got so far. Some of my guesses obviously make no sense and are provided just as placeholders and to give some idea of what I'm hearing. This is a great song though - would love to understand just a bit more!


Curious Blues
Dorothy and Hezekiah Jenkins
1926 according to the file I have.

Dorothy in italics...


I had the worst as one[asked one?? ] [called?for?] the curious blues -
it'll make you boogie from your head down to your shoes!
It made a preacher leave his pulpit - he told the congregation he refused (he refused)
to preach the gospel - and you heard 'em playin' them curious blues

Now my [jinxed got?] mad and he grabbed his foot[?]
so there's nothing impossible in this world.
[Pat the book[jerk?]] jumped down[?] - and began to walk and talk -
He says "high high" - when he heard 'em playin' them curious blues.

Haul me home [unkey?I'm?] about to set my heart on fire!
Great goodness - listen here[?] -
Piano talkin' -  [go out and talkin? buckin'??]
Pass me it boy!  Now you're messing around!
When you heard 'em playin' them curious blues.

Play it Hezek! Play it all night long!

Haul me home I'm about to set my heart on fire!
Great goodness - listen damn[?here?]
Piano talkin' - [no one was buckin'??]
You ain't no bluff - you really know your stuff!
When they heard 'em playin' them curious blues.

(give it [spit???to me??big??])

[Together:] Hot dog!



Edited to add corrections from Gumbo - Thanks! Some of them sound dead on to me others not so sure yet....but much better  than I had!


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[Gumbo]

Nice one on the Ingersoll

hmmm ... so .. all these are tentative

1.1 I had the worst as one for a curious too FWIW

2.1 .... grabbed his foot
2.3 Tattler? jumped down, and began to walk and talk

3.1 Haul me home unkey 'bout to set etc
3.2 great goodness as you listen dem
3.3 Piano talkin' don't want misfortune
3.4 Pass me it boy, now you pass it around

interjection: play it Hezek play it all night long

4.1 Call me home I'm about to set etc
4.2 great goodness as you listen dem
4.3 Piano talkin' don't want misfortune

interjection: get it fixed?

[Gumbo]

Sister It's Too Bad

tentative ones again - I agree with none and onliest


1.2 but you ain't seen none yet. (Is that so?)
1.3 I got the onliest pig? in town
1.4 and that I'm sure will bet.

7.1 I know lots of bakers [ catch her?? ] in town
somehow this sounds like scratch to me

[thickpete]

Fantastic Gumbo - thank you! You certainly don't have okra in the ears!

I definitely hear the "I'm" and "none" now, and 'scratch her' sounds right though it confuses me. "Pig" instead of "chick" makes intuitive "pigmeat" sense to me (especially since I really can't hear any second syllable for "chickEN") but I still hear more of a "ch" sound. Here is a slowed down clip at the same pitch - see what you think.....

Haven't been back to the other song yet to relisten but will keep at it - feel free to lobby for 'tentatives' you feel extra strongly about and I can pull up slowed clips if it helps.

Great work! Cheers! 

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[thickpete]

Alrighty - here is the last of the awesome ones I have. The final song ("Mouth Organ Blues") is much less interesting than H&D's other stuff, but this is a great one. A couple of very confusing phrases and I'm prepared to be talked out of "daisy" (which I'm taking as a 'doozy' substitute but which makes no sense.... ) though it sounds like that rather than 'amazing', etc to me.....please help something break through my cerumen and ossified neurons....thanks! Love this song and the flavor/wit of all their work very much...


Miserable Blues
Hezekiah and Dorothy Jenkins
1926?  [Hezekiah in italics]


Some people say they never had the blues -
wish I could say so too...
Well maybe it's because they never
had anyone to lose  (anyone to lose)

Never was superstitious didn't believe in signs,
since I've lost my man I have changed my mind.
Feel just like a lost child on some desert far away -
and I guess that kind of feeling [??out there will here??] be stayin'...

Those miserable blues nearly got me crazy...
Good gracious me oh my - they certainly are a daisy!
They'll make a hound go and hug a goat
(and they will even make your grandma curse your grandpappy's soul!)

Can't sleep at night for wonderin' who's huggin' my lovin' honey...
If he was here tonight I wouldn't want any money.
Cause everything I had he [done - my clothes and flat??] -
My big fat papa's gone I wish I knowed where he's at!
Want everybody here to go and spread the news
and tell the world I've got those miserable blues!

(Together)

Those miserable blues nearly got me crazy...
Good gracious me oh my! They certainly are a daisy!
H: Old corn liquor's 'bout to run me blind!
D: But those miserable blues will make you lose your mind!

Can't sleep at night for wonderin'
Who's huggin' my lovin' honey.
If he (she) was here tonight I wouldn't want any money.
D:Cause everything I had he [brung my clothes and flat??] -
My big fat papa's (mamma's) gone I wish I knowed where he's (she's) at.
Want everybody here to go and spread the news
and tell the world I've got those miserable blues!

[Some blues...??]






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[Gumbo]

Hi thickpete. Sad that we're nearly at the end lol
thanks for the slowed down line from Sister. I still here it the sam , unfortunately. it sounds like pig but could be chick, jig, prig etc etc.  I'll keep listening every now and again ...

for miserable blues I have a couple of suggestions

3.4 make your grandma cut your grandpappy's coat (throat?)

4.3 Lost everything I had even my clothes and flat(s)


sorry I can't hear 2.4 yet ...

[Rivers]

Just a reminder folks, please go back and edit your first draft to pick up corrections you agree with, and add a comment at the end, for ex. 'edited to pick up corrections by...'

Makes it way easier for the person inspired at a later date to push it out to weeniepedia to know they have the very best guess. Thanks y'all!

[thickpete]

Thanks Rivers - I think I've been doing that all along. I've replaced anything that clearly sounds better as corrected and left up some of the alternates in brackets for those that still sound dubious to me. Others I don't hear at all and haven't edited in - though of course I'm just waiting to be convinced or out-voted....

And thanks Gumbo! I still hear my versions of both those lines and can't really hear what you suggest in them. I'm not sure but I think I've heard the "curse your grandpappy's soul" line elsewhere, but not sure I've ever heard anyone suggest granny cut grandpappy's coat (maybe like an old school dip/cannon/pickpocket/lushroller) or cut his throat. With the second line I can't hear it but also the context seems to suggest the missing lover was providing for the singer....Will keep listening and ready to be talked into most anything though!  Thanks!

[Rivers]

Thank you Pete, much appreciated by all.

[Johnm]

For Alex,
I'm sorry to be slow answering your question about "Shout You Cats".  I was away from the CD when you asked it, and then forgot about it, just remembered it.  When Hezekiah plays the F6 in the interlude, he frets the sixth note of the F chord on the second string, and otherwise plays the F chord as you would play it at the base of the neck, with a thumb wrap.  I hope that helps.
All best,
Johnm