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I never saw him drunk, just feelin' good all the time, the better he felt the better he played - Bill Williams on Blind Arthur Blake

Author Topic: Frank Edwards' "Chicken Raid"  (Read 4052 times)

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Offline Chezztone

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    • Steve Cheseborough 1920s-30s-style blues
Frank Edwards' "Chicken Raid"
« on: December 20, 2006, 10:47:37 PM »
We talked about the youtube video of him on another board, and I mentioned the difficulty of understanding his lyrics. I've listened more and I am still utterly stumped. Decided to move it to this board for all you sharp-eared guys and gals who like to decipher lyrics. This is a modern recording, even! Thank god I never had to interview this guy -- people usually are easier to understand when they're singing. You can hear the song on the video, and on National Downhome Blues Festival Vol 1, and on the Chicken Raid CD, which has nice long samples at http://cdbaby.com/cd/frankedwards . (Interesting aside: his capo is in a different place on each of these three recordings.) There also is a version on a Trix album, probably his original, but I haven't heard that one. Anyone have that record? Maybe he was enunciating more clearly then? Anyone know how to get hold of RR McLeod? I'd love to hear his take on this one! (It's not prewar so I don't think it's in his books.) Anyone else want to take a stab at a transcript? I hear the word "chicken" and "preacher" and maybe something about a "bone" and possibly a "wing." No "raid." I can't make a whole sentence, much less the whole story.

 
« Last Edit: July 21, 2020, 06:11:32 PM by Johnm »

Offline Pan

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Re: Frank Edwards' "Chicken Raid"
« Reply #1 on: December 21, 2006, 03:20:24 AM »
Well, Chezztone,

I think you have chosen a particularly impossible task here ;).

I think Stefan's sound clip is just a little clearer than the rest of the takes.

I think I'm hearing some lines sort of like:

"If a preacher (wants to?) come around
catch a bus and leave town
????

(help?) the chicken and leave it's bones (2x)
Glad when the reverends gone home."

I could be completely wrong, it doesn't make any sense, and this won't get you very far, I'm afraid. :(

This is a catchy tune BTW :)

Cheers

Pan

Offline dj

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Re: Frank Edwards' "Chicken Raid"
« Reply #2 on: December 21, 2006, 03:53:25 AM »
Here's what I get.  Thanks, Pan, for doing the hard work of getting the basics.  And thank you Stefan for making the recording available.

If a preacher, brother, come around
Catch a bus and leave town
Each one o' them I've known
Each one o' them I've known
Kept the chicken and leave the bones
Kept the chicken and leave the bones
Glad when the reverend go on

Looked around and I [ ? ]
Lookin' round I get to [ ? ]
Each one o' them I've known
Each one o' them I've known
Kept the chicken and leave the bones
Kept the chicken and leave the bones
Glad when the reverend go on


 

Offline Stefan Wirz

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Re: Frank Edwards' "Chicken Raid"
« Reply #3 on: December 21, 2006, 04:43:00 AM »
and then there's this MP3 by one "Little Brother" from Atlanta: http://littlebrotherblues.com/Booking-Demos/LB-ChickenRaid-webdemo-96k.mp3
Stefan

Offline Chezztone

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Re: Frank Edwards' "Chicken Raid"
« Reply #4 on: December 21, 2006, 10:50:03 AM »
All right! Yes, I agree with Little Brother, "Eat you out of house and home" is that repeating line. And "Glad when the reverend go home" is in there. I'll keep working on the whole transcript, thanks for all the help. Also, the Trix CD is available through Amazon Marketplace (or was yesterday, for some reason I can't find it on there right now, glad I already ordered it -- check back there soon if you're interested) very cheap.

Offline Chezztone

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Re: Frank Edwards' "Chicken Raid"
« Reply #5 on: December 21, 2006, 07:06:29 PM »
OK -- Here at Weenie Campbell, we do the impossible. With the help of everyone who responded, and the other sources they referenced, I think I've got the lyrics figured out:
1. If the preacher was coming around, catch a bus and leave town.
He'll eat you out of house and home (2x)
Pluck chicken and leave you the bone (2x)
Glad when the reverend go home.
2. I looked around and I thought he was through, looked around he getting a thigh or two
He'll eat you out of...
3. I looked around and I thought he was through, he reaching for a neck to chew
(subsequent verses substitute "back to chew" and "wing to chew," otherwise same as 2.)

chipmonk doug

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Re: Frank Edwards' "Chicken Raid"
« Reply #6 on: December 22, 2006, 04:04:25 AM »
Ok now someone spit out the progression where I don't have to spend hours working it out.

Thanks.


chipmonk doug

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Re: Frank Edwards' "Chicken Raid"
« Reply #7 on: December 29, 2006, 03:50:55 AM »
bump

Offline Pan

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Re: Frank Edwards' "Chicken Raid"
« Reply #8 on: December 29, 2006, 01:09:13 PM »
Come on Doug!

You're not even trying!  ;D

A hint: for the basic changes just listen to the rhythm guitar part in Stefan's sound clip.

The chords are just I7, IV7, V7, and a bVI7 (a half step higher than the V chord).

Cheers

Pan

chipmonk doug

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Re: Frank Edwards' "Chicken Raid"
« Reply #9 on: December 30, 2006, 05:08:27 AM »
You the man, Pan.  :)
You'd think after 40+ yrs of this that I could do that stuff.
I had it down as 1, 4, 5, 1
I didn't have the 7ths and I didn't have the flated 6th.

Once I get the basics I can work with them, but I can't ever seem to get the basics.

With what you gave me I'll be playing it out at next weeks gig.

 


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