Topic: Allen Brothers Lyrics

[Cleoma]

Hey hey hey hey -- here's what I have, verse 4 stumps me.  I am pretty sure it's not what I have written!  Suggestions welcome.  I just love this version of Salty Dog.



New Salty Dog ? the Allen Brothers

Come here mama what?s on your mind
Daddy wants to love you but you won?t give him time

CHORUS:
Y?ain?t nothing but a salty dog
Oh Salty dog
Ha ha ha ha, ha ha
(Hey hey hey)

I got a gal she?s 6 feet tall
Sleeps in the kitchen with her feet in the hall

I got a gal she?s raised in the sticks
She does her lovin? in a Packard Twin 6

I got a gal she rides a river boat
She?d make a good mule just feed her oats

I got a gal she looks so bum
But she?s got a way of lovin? like Wriggly?s got gum

2 little nigras laying in the bed
One rolls over and the other said



[attachment deleted by admin]

[Johnm]

Hi Suzy,
I think it is "She'd make a good mule just leave his oats".  I guess the idea is that she's so appealing that the mule loses interest in eating--pretty impressive!
All best,
Johnm

[banjochris]

And I believe it's: "She's got more ways of lovin' than Wrigley's got gum"

[Cleoma]

Thanks gents!

[Lastfirstface]

There's a bit of overlap with lyrics they used elsewhere, like on this one:



Bow Wow Blues

I got a gal she?s 6 feet tall
Sleeps in the kitchen with her feet in the hall
She's got a sister she's tall and keen
She runs her tongue like and English Queen

CHORUS:
Bow, Wow
Wow wow wow
I got the bow wow blues

Oh, I got a gal she rides a river boat
She could make a good mule leave his oats
She's got a sister, she's tall and rough
She's a hometown gal and knows her stuff

Oh, I've got a gal shes the vamp of the town
She's strictly tailor-made no hand-me-down
She's got a little sister, she looks so bum
Bus she's got more ways of lovin' than Wrigley's got gum

Oh I got a gal she's six feet tall
Sleeps in the kitchen with her back to the wall
She's got a sister she's tall and keen
She struts her stuff in a Ford limousine

Oh I've got a gal she's an awful [hand shiver?]
She comes to down in a broken-down flivver
She's got a sister and her name is Kate
Struts her stuff in a Cadillac Eight

[Cleoma]

I'm not familiar with Bow Wow Blues, and look forward to hearing it.  Thanks for pointing out the overlap in lyrics.

[Lastfirstface]

'Bow Wow Blues' is on the Old Hat compilation 'Good For What Ails You:Music of the Medicine Shows', which I would definitely recommend.

[Lyle Lofgren]

I'm pretty sure the line in verse 4 is:
"She'd make a good mule just feel his oats."

"Feeling your oats" means exuberant, perhaps manically so. The term goes back to the horse-and-buggy days.

PS: The gum is spelled "Wrigley's," although that's not relevant when you're singing it.

Lyle

[Johnm]

The meaning of "feel" his oats suits the lyric, well, I think, Lyle, but the sound is "leave" his oats.  There's an"l" sound and no "f" sound at the front end, and there's a "v" sound at the back end.
All best,
Johnm

[Cleoma]

I agree with John, just listened to both Salty Dog and Bow Wow.  I will say though that "feel his oats" makes good sense.  Good sense and the Allen Brothers, who would ever expect those two things to go together....
Salty Dog is such a great song, whether it's the Booker Orchestra or Papa Charlie Jackson or the Morris Brothers or Red Foley or Flatt & Scruggs.  The Flatt & Scruggs version has been the gateway to a world of old-time music for a lot of people, me for one.

[Lyle Lofgren]

Unfortunately, I have to avoid salty dogs because I'm on a low-sodium diet.

Lyle

[Lastfirstface]

Another great version is the Sam and Kirk McGee recording with the strong minor chords.

I agree with John, just listened to both Salty Dog and Bow Wow.  I will say though that "feel his oats" makes good sense.  Good sense and the Allen Brothers, who would ever expect those two things to go together....
Salty Dog is such a great song, whether it's the Booker Orchestra or Papa Charlie Jackson or the Morris Brothers or Red Foley or Flatt & Scruggs.  The Flatt & Scruggs version has been the gateway to a world of old-time music for a lot of people, me for one.

[Lyle Lofgren]

"Leave his oats" also makes sense, so I don't object. My ears aren't what they used to be.

Lyle

[Gumbo]

The Allen Brothers' Salty Dog Hey Hey Hey
in verse 5 i think it's Old Lee's Place but you could check that bit especially
it goes like this

Come here mama what?s on your mind
Daddy wants to love you but you won?t give him time

CHORUS:
Ain?t nothing but a salty dog
Oh Salty dog
Ha ha ha ha, ha ha
(Hey hey hey)

Come here mama just look at your sis
she's going down the street she's trying' to twist

She ain't nothing but ..

Ain't one thing but worries my mind
all these women and none of them mine

Ain't nothing but  ?

I got a gal she?s raised in the sticks
She does her lovin? in a Packard Twin 6

She ain't nothing but  ?

I got a gal from Old Lee's place
she does her loving in a Cadillac Eight

Ain't nothing but  ?

Daddy told me mama too
to go with the women would never do

I ain't nothing but ...

Come here mamma look at Jack
goin down the road with a hump in his back

Ain't nothing but  ?

I got a gal seven feet two
sleeps in the kitchen with her feet up the flue

Ain't nothing but  ?

Come here mama just look at Kate
she does her loving in a Cadillac Eight

She ain't nothing but  ?

[Gumbo]

And the original Allen Brothers Salty Dog Blues is almost identical to the original post of New Salty Dog Blues. I read they re-recorded a selection of their popular tracks for ARC in 1934. Is there a discography anywhere or do I need to buy another book?

BTW the 'leave his oats' line is pretty clear on this version.



Come here mama what?s on your mind
Daddy wants to love you but you won?t give him time

CHORUS:
Y?ain?t nothing but a salty dog
Oh Salty dog
Ha ha ha ha, ha ha
(Hey hey hey)

I got a gal six feet tall
sleeps in the kitchen with her feet in the hall

ain?t nothing but a salty dog ...

I got a gal she?s raised in the sticks
She does her lovin? in a Packard Twin 6

ain?t nothing but a salty dog ...

I got a gal she rides a river boat
She?d make a good mule just leave his oats

ain?t nothing but a salty dog ...
(blow it brother blow it)

I got a gal she looks so bum
But she?s got more ways of lovin? than Wriggly?s got gum

ain?t nothing but a salty dog ...

Two little nigroes laying in the bed
one rolled over and the other said

ain?t nothing but a salty dog ...

EDIT to correct a typo in the last line