Topic: Washboard Walter Lyrics

[Johnm]

Hi Blues Vintage,
I'm pretty sure it is "joint". To joint a chicken is to butcher it, separating the leg from the thigh, cutting off the wings splitting out the breasts, etc.

[banjochris]

There are few places where "joint" as a verb would be logical, and this is one of them!

[Blues Vintage]

Alright, I'd never heard of it. I wouldn't have guessed that in a thousand years.

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Washboard Walter and John Byrd recorded "Disconnected Mama" at a session in Grafton in April of 1930, with John Byrd accompanying the song in G position in standard tuning. The duo's rendition is a cover of Sloppy Henry's 1928 recording of "Long, Tall, Disconnected Mama". This song may fairly be said to be monotonous. I'd very much appreciate help or corrections with the lyrics. Here is "Disconnected Mama":



Long, tall, disconnected mama, but she is my gal
Long, tall, disconnected mama, but she is my gal
She got great big legs and pretty good thighs, she's one of these women that'll tantalize
She's a long, tall, disconnected mama, but she's my gal

Long, tall, disconnected mama, but she is my gal
She makes good jellyroll every day, but, boys, I swear she will give it away
She's a long, tall, disconnected mama, but she is my gal

She's a long, tall, disconnected mama, but she is my gal
I'm low and squatty, she's long and tall, when I get my step ladder, I let her get it all
She's a long, tall, disconnected mama, but she is my gal

She's a long, tall, disconnected mama, but she is my gal
She's got a head like a punkin [sic] and a face like a frog, smell like a billy goat, will jump overboard
She's a long, tall, disconnected mama, but she is my gal

Long, tall, disconnected mama, but she is my gal
She talks to me like the rooster to the hen, "I haven't seen you since the Lord knows when."
She's a long, tall, disconnected mama, but she is my gal

Long, tall, disconnected mama, but she is my gal
I begin to stagger, she begin to fuss, when I get  my blackjack, she'll begin to buck
Long, tall, disconnected mama, but she is my gal

Long, tall, disconnected mama, but she is my gal
She's one of these women who dips her snuff, swear to God, she knows to get enough
She's a long, tall, disconnected mama, but she is my gal

Long, tall, disconnected mama, but she is my gal
She takes my money right in the pot, now I've got no money and she's tryin' to play hard
She's a long, tall, disconnected mama, but she is my gal

Edited 8/1 to pick up corrections from banjochris and Blues Vintage

All best,
Johnm

[banjochris]

A little help, John:

4.2 PUMPKIN or PUNKIN more phonetically

6.2 I think "stagger" is right, less sure about "cuss" but that's definitely possible, and then WHEN I GET MY [? JACK?], she'll PRETEND TO BUCK

7.2 I think "knows" is right – I suspect at some point there was a pun involving "nose" there that they have lost in translation somewhere

[Johnm]

Thanks for the help, Chris. In that one verse, where I had "cuss", I think it is "fuss". I think "Jack" refers to a male mule, and the line ends, "he'll begin to buck". I wish there had been a solo somewhere along the way in this tune, just for some relief!

[Blues Vintage]

I begin to stagger, she begin to fuss, when I get my Black Jack she'll begin to buck

[Johnm]

That's a great catch, Blues Vintage! I have made the change.

[hogwell]

Thanks for the lyrics to Narrow Face Blues!
I've been playing this tune for years - it's one of my favorites.
I never could decipher the first line and always used "you can talk about braised liver..." but I knew this was probably wrong.
"bird liver" is pretty weird too, but more plausible.
For the last line, I always assumed "Join in with you and ..." but "joint it with you" is more like what it sounds like.