Topic: Robert Curtis Smith Lyrics

[Johnm]

Hi all,
"I'm Going Away" was included on the one Robert Curtis Smith album that came out on Prestige Bluesville.  I think it may have been recorded by Paul Oliver and Chris Strachwitz, but I'm not sure of that.  Smith played the song out of E position in standard tuning, and what a ripping guitar part it is!  I taught this a number of years ago at Port Townsend and possibly at EBA BluesWeek  and had forgotten about it.  I need to learn it again!  It illustrates in a way, that if you accompaniment is cool enough, you don't need a solo.  I'll attach a video for those of you who have not heard it before.



Well, I'm goin' away, just to worry you off my mind
Well, I'm goin' away, just to worry you off my mind
Lord, I stay 'round here, I'd be bothered all the time

Well, if you don't want me, baby, please don't dog me 'round
Well, if you don't want me, baby, please don't dog me 'round
Well, just like you found me, you can put me down

Well, it ain't but one thing, one thing I did wrong
Well, now it ain't but the one thing, one thing I did wrong
Well, I let you mistreat me, little bit too long

Well, I ain't never loved but just four womens in my life
Well, I ain't never loved but just four womens in my llfe
That's my mother and my sister, my sweetheart and my wife

All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Robert Curtis Smith also recorded "Council Spur Blues" on his Prestige Bluesville album, accompanying himself out of E position in standard tuning.  The song is a rarity among blues, a pointed and specific complaint at the treatment Mr. Smith received from his employers.  It was probably hard for him to continue living where he did after the record came out, if his employers ever heard it.  By his own account, it was already a hard place to live.  In fact, Robert Curtis Smith relocated to Chicago, and I believe was living there at the time of his death a few years ago.  Here is his performance of the song:



Somebody help me get away from Council Spur
Somebody help me get away from Council Spur
That's kinda my little headquarters, and it's not too far

The man that run it, he is awful mean
Yeah, that man who run it, he is awful mean
And his name is Mr. Walker, the meanest man I ever seen

One day it rained, I was playin' my guitar
One day it rained, I was playin' my guitar
You know, Mr. Walker wanted to shoot me, settin' right there, where I was

I had a white friend stand between me and him
I had a white friend stand between me and him
You know, I didn't want to be bothered, didn't want to be shot by them

You know, it mean, I don't know what to do
Yes, he's mean, so mean I don't know what to do
Yes, if I could make me enough money, yes, I would leave there too

You ask for money, he'll give you a order to the store
You ask for money, he'll give you a  order to the store
Then, if you eat that up 'fore the week is out, man, you don't get no more

You think that's bad, we're workin' for thirty cents an hour
You think that's bad, a-workin' for thirty cents an hour
You stick around awhile, and let me tell you 'bout Mr. Roy Flauver

Mr. Roy Flauver don't pay but two dollars a day
Mr. Roy Flauver don't pay but two dollars a day
Yes, and once you are there, he dare you to leave away

Mr. Roy Flauver, in the wintertime, he's got a habit
Mr. Roy Flauver, in the wintertime, he has a habit
When you go to him for food, he'll tell you to catch some rabbit

There's a peg-leg man, went to Mr. Roy Flauver one day
Yeah, that was bad, the way Mr. Flauvers turn him away
He say, "What I'm gonna do?", Mr. Flauvers says, "And pay me right, is too."

You know, I'm goin', if I ever get a chance
Yes, I'm goin', if I ever get a chance
'Cause I don't get but three dollars a day, choppin' all that doggone grass

All best,
Johnm
 

[Johnm]

Hi all,
There is an interesting spoken word piece by Robert Curtis Smith on the CD, "From Mississippi To Chicago", on the Hightone label.  The piece is called "Lye Water Conversion", and Robert Curtis Smith accompanies himself out of dropped-D tuning while telling the story.  Here it is, beginning at 2:47 in the video, which includes all of Robert Curtis Smith's tracks from the CD:



(SPOKEN)  It first began when my sink stopped up, and I didn't not, wondering about how I was got to unstop that thing.  And I didn't want to get a plumber to come in, because I didn't have no money, to pay for, and I decided to do it myself.  And the people telling me, "Don't bother with it.", because that lye was dangerous.  And I know that I had been dealing with lye for a long time.  And I decided after everybody was gone, I just decided to try it.  Take that lye and pour it in the sink, and let it unstop the sink.  But it didn't work that way because , as I poured the lye in the sink, I was standin' there lookin' down in there, and had me some water trapped in there, somewhere--and when it hit that water, it blew up.  And blew back in my face.  And I was, it was, I was in trouble, because it's all in my eyes, and my mouth, and my nostrils.  And, the devil tried to make me run, went out where somebody could see me, they could help me.  Then, once I had run a few minutes, my flesh would have fell off my bones.  And the Spirit led me to stand still, and not panic.  And wait, and try to find out where my water was--I'd feel around there and find something that I could recognize.  Then I know how to get to the water, and then that a-way I could wash it out. 

So, that's what I did.  I climbed, and went to a poles, I knew where the poles was.  And I knew which way the water was from there.  And I started washing, but it was so hot, just couldn't hardly sit still.  Then I thought about right away, that when I was in the world, I was doin' everything, and when I stopped, decide to serve God, then, this what happen.  And I told God, I say, "I stopped doin' what I was doin', and follow You, You got to save me.", cause I wanted to read the Bible and know what the word said.  And at that minute, it's like a cool breeze came down over me, like a cool wind blew on me . . . and stopped that lye burnin', and point blank.  And I knew, from that point, God was the powerfullest thing I had ever come in contact with in my life.  And I had a aloe vera plant there.  And I went and took that aloe vera plant and broke it down, squirt the juice out of it on my face, still lookin' for my skin to come off.  But it didn't.  It stopped burnin', and no skin come off or nothin'.  And I went on with the bed, to sleep. 

When I woke up, I was the same color--black (laughter)!  And I went back to work that Monday, and my boss sent me back home, they wouldn't let me work 'cause my eyes was so red.  Told me to go, and go to the doctor.  And I called my wife, she got off of work, went to the doctor with me.  And the doctor looked at my eyes, said, "This is amazing!"  I said, "What's that?"  He said, "The white of your eyes cooked!"  He said, "But the sight ain't been took."  'Cause I asked God to spare my sight, and it was so bad, you could see the white turnin' loose from the ball, it was coming' loose from around the ball.  But God, he changed all of that, and I serve Him now, with all I got.  Jesus is the answer.

All best,
Johnm   

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Robert Curtis Smith recorded "Get A Real Young Woman" for Paul Oliver and Chris Strachwitz, I believe, right around 1960. He had cuts from that time come out on a solo album that Prestige Bluesville put out by him and also on the Arhoolie anthology "I Have To Paint My Face". If the photo accompanying the video was taken at that time, he looks quite young. He recorded decades later, sounding quite different, playing all religious numbers and accompanying himself for the most part, in dropped-D tuning. For "Get A Real Young Woman" he chose to accompany himself in Spanish tuning, and he sure sounds good. For those of you who live in England, Paul Oliver evidently had an entire album's worth of recordings by Robert Curtis Smith that were never released and perhaps can be listened to at his archive at Oxford University, where he taught. Here is "Get A Real Young Woman":



INTRO

Get you a real young woman, if you feel yourself growing old
Get you a real young woman, if you feel yourself growing old
They'll build you up where you're torn down, how in the world can you grow cold?

They will fix your breakfast, they will bring it to your bed
They will fix your breakfast, they will bring it to your bed
But don't be nobody's fool, don't, don't let that swell your head

SOLO

'Cause that real young woman, she'll have you on the square
Yeah, that real young woman, she will put you on the square
She'll have you in her insurance, so all that money'll be there

Now I am the old, old man, now you know I bound to know
Yes, I'm the old, old man, now you know are bound to know
But now they will thrill you, every place you go

SOLO

Edited 4/5 to pick up corrections from Blues Vintage

All best,
Johnm

[Blues Vintage]

Last verse: beginning of 4.1 and 4.2 sounds different. I hear it like this even if the sense is wrong (more sure about 4.2)

4.2 Yes I'm the old  

4.1 Now I am the old


Session info is in the description of the YouTube video:

Memphis, Tennessee
July 28, 1961

Photo was taken by Paul Oliver in 1960

[Johnm]

Thanks for very much for the catches, Blues Vintage. I agree with them both and changed the tail end of those lines to make more sense, too. Thanks!

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Robert Curtis Smith accompanied himself out of E position in standard tuning for "Going Back To Texas". There are a couple of places I'm not at all sure I heard the lyrics correctly, and I'd appreciate corroboration or correction. Here is "Going Back To Texas":



INTRO SOLO

Well now, I'm goin' back to Texas, get all  of my womens in line
Well, I'm goin' back to Texas, get all of my womens in line
Well now, if you said you'll be there, they'll roll up your credit card overtime

When I first went to Texas, didn't have no shoes on my feet
When I first went to Texas, I didn't have no shoes on my feet
Yeah, little girl take me downtown, and I thought that was mighty sweet

SOLO

Girls in Texas, they really know their way around
Yeah, now the girls in Texas, they really know their way around
Well, if you say you'll be yours, she'll roll up your credit card overtime

Well now, if I make me some money, gonna make Texas be my home
Baby and I make me some money, I'm gon' make Texas be my home
I'm gon' make all these Mississippi women, make them leave me alone

CODA

Edited 4/10 to pick up corrections from Blues Vintage and Johnm

All best,
Johnm

[Blues Vintage]

I thought he sang "over town" instead of "overtime" on first listen but it's probably "overtime"

1.3 Well now, if you said -say- you'll be there, they'll roll-'em- up your credit card overtime

3.2 Yeah, -now- the girls in Texas,

4.2 -Baby and I-/-Maybe I- make me some money

[Johnm]

Thanks for the help, Blues Vintage. I took the last two suggestions, but he does sing "said" in the first verse--you can hear the "d" at the end of it.

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Robert Curtis Smith recorded "Lonely Widower" once again accompanying himself out of E position in standard tuning. The rendition is a cover of L. C. Greeen's "The Sun Was Shining" and very faithfully captures the rhythmically complex signature lick of that song and the way the time flips coming out of the signature lick into the vocal. I don't know of another song in the entire blues genre that has timing and phrasing like this one. Both Green and Smith sing "little" rather than "lonely". Here is "Lonely Widower":



INTRO

I'm gon' tell y'all something, better take my advice
Don't go out and get drunk now, then go home and mistreat your wife, the sun is
Shining, you throwed all of your money 'way, 'cause that'll
Cause you to be, now, poor little widower today

'Cause I made a little money, when I were livin' in town
I spent all of my money, that mean she put me down, the sun is
Shining, and I throwed all of my money 'way, Yeah, that what
Caused me to be, now, poor little widower today

And I, love my baby, better than I love myself
Yes, I love that woman, she lovin' someone else, yay now
And I throwed all of money 'way, yeah, and that
Cause me to be, now, poor little widower today

I said now, bye-bye, baby, if you call that gone
Yes, I may be worried, but I -- worry long, the sun is
Shining, and I throwed all of my money 'way, yeah, and that
Caused me to be, now, poor little widower today

CODA

All best,
Johnm