Topic: Blind Willie McTell lyrics

[Blues Vintage]

East St. Louis Blues


Easily one of my all time favorite McTell songs, if not my favorite. Just for the tremendous energy and virtuoso guitar playing. I believe McTell never sang better.
I don’t know why I waited this long to make a transcription.


Blind Willie McTell – Vocals, Guitar
Curley Weaver – Guitar

Ca. 1949/1950
Atlanta, Georgia








INTRO

I walked, all the way, from East Saint Louis
I never had, but that one, one thin dime

She (sic) placed, my head down in a New York woman lap
She laid her little sweet, head in mine

She tried, make me believe by the rattlings of her tongue
The southern sun would never refuse to shine

She was long and tall, great long hair
She want to grab a train and ride away somewhere
Faree, darlin’, faree well

I tried to meet her, in the fall
When she didn't have no man at all
Faree, good girl, faree well

But I guess I’ll greet her in the spring
When the bluebirds all begin to sing
Faree, mama, faree well  (Spoken: Play it, boy)

SOLO (Spoken: Goin’ back to East Saint Louis, buddy)

Mama, if you don’t know, the old shimme-shan
You got to learn how to satisfy my mind
Faree, honey, faree well

You can’t shimmy-she-wobble like a cannon ball
You got to jump up and learn that old Boston Crawl
Faree, darlin’, faree well

I’m glad good whiskey can’t be beat
I won’t have to dodge every cop I meet
Faree, mama, faree well (Spoken: Play it)

SOLO

I even pawned my silver, pawned my chain
I would’ve pawned myself but I felt a little ashamed
Faree, honey, faree well

I laid, my head down in a barroom door
I won’t get drunk, drunk no more

I walked all the way, back to East Saint Louis
I never had, but that one, one thin dime (Spoken: Play it for the last)

OUTRO (Spoken: Goodbye)

(Spoken: That’s alright, boy)

[banjochris]

Always nice to revisit Willie – some suggestions:

2.1 I think he misspeaks here with the “she”, but I think the missing word is “placed” – so it comes out as:
She placed my head down in a New York woman’s lap
but he means I placed my head – Charlie Patton sings pretty much the same verse in one of the Jim Lees – I forget which part

3.1 BELIEVE instead of bleed

5.1 greet is right

7.1 I think shimmy-shan (or shine) is probably right
7.2 Sounds like he says something like “You got to learn HOW I STEP” or “HALF STEP” – probably a dance and I can’t hear it

8.2 dodge every cop I meet is right

The spoken bit after one thin dime is PLAY IT FOR THE LAST

Chris

[Blues Vintage]

Thanks Chris.  That 7.2 is difficult, I gotta listen some more.

The above videos of "East St. Louis Blues" are identical (the same song). One YouTube US friendly and one YouTube Europe friendly (don't know for other continents).

[Blues Vintage]

I think I made a definitive change to 7.2.

[banjochris]

Yup, you got that for sure – nice one! Jumps right out at you once you read it correctly!
Chris

[Stuart]

Here's the September 21, 1933 recording. One has a slightly longer intro than the other, probably due to editing:





Transcription of Lyrics:

(Guitar intro)

I walked all the way from East Saint Louis
I never had but that one, one thin dime

I laid my head in a New York woman’s lap
She laid her little cute head in mine

She tried to make me believe* by the rattlings* of her tongue
The sun would never, never shine

[And]* I pawned my silver and I pawned my chain
Would have* pawned myself but I felt ashamed

I tried [to]* see you in the Fall*
When you didn’t have no man at all

I knowed* to meet you in the Spring*
When the bluebirds all was ready to sing
Fare-thee* Honey, fare-thee-well

You can shake like a cannon ball
Get out and learn that old Georgia* Crawl
Fare-thee Honey, fare-thee-well

(Spoken:) Play it, Boy (Guitar break)

I laid my head in a barroom door
And I can’t get drunk, drunk no more

If you can’t do the Shivaree
Get yourself on out of this house from me
Fare-thee Baby, fare-thee-well

(Guitar break)

I tried to see you in the spring
When the bluebirds all was ready to sing
Fare-thee Honey, Fare-thee-well

And I walked on back to East Saint Louis
Never had but that one, one thin dime

(Guitar outro)

____________________________________________________

Pronunciation:

V3/L1: believe – b’lieve; V3/L1: rattlings – rattlin’s; V4/L3 Would have – Would’ve, alt. Woulda; V6/L3: Fare-thee – Fare-ee, alt. Fare-yee, ff.; V7/L3: Georgia - Geor-gee

Notes:

V4/L1: [And] added as per Johnm's perception of the beginning of the line. I do not hear "And"
V5/L1: [to] – I didn’t hear this in the song. Perhaps omitted in error
V6/L1: “knowed” – Unusual usage; Perhaps a variant for “knew”


Comments:

"Fall" and "Spring" - Uppercase as per Johnm's suggestion in order to help eliminate possible ambiguity

[Blues Vintage]

Thanks for posting Stuart, but us blues nerds here at WC are familiar with the 1933 recording.
If you could post the lyrics with it, that would be cool. Just to see how the earlier recording is different from the later one.
No offense at all.

[Stuart]

Hi Blues Vintage:

I went through the thread and didn't see the 1933 version, so I posted it for comparison purposes and as a convenience, as having it a few posts away from the '49/'50 version can save some time, for Blues nerds and non-Blues nerds alike.

I plan to post the lyrics, which is SOP around here, but please be patient. I'm presently dealing with a level of visual impairment which slows things down. I had surgery on my right eye in late January and then the left eye began to deteriorate. I'm waiting for a call so I can schedule surgery on the LE. Reading and the necessary re-reading has slowed everything way down--and just not here at WC--and the effects are cumulative when you add it all together. And of course, I have to proofread everything I write several times as well.

Don't ever get old, Kid!

P.S. No offense taken.

[Johnm]

Hi Stuart,
I'm hearing just a couple of places differently in the "East St. Louis Blues" transcription you did.

   3.1 AND I pawned my silver
   5.2 When the bluebirds ALL WAS ready to sing
   9.2 When the bluebirds all WAS ready to sing

Because this is an 8-bar blues, I would format all of the verses in two lines. It makes the first line look long in some verses, but it indicates the form more clearly and is consistent. I would capitalize "Fall" and "Spring" in the verses where McTell refers to the seasons to differentiate them from the various uses of those words uncapitalized.
All best,
Johnm

[Stuart]

Hi John:

Thanks for the corrections and recommendations. Please look over my updated lyrics and annotations when time permits to see if I have incorporated them correctly. I caught a difference to note regarding the standard English spelling and my representation of Willie's singing of "Georgia."

I've also explained your reasons for using an uppercase S and F for spring and fall in the "Comments" section. If this transcription ever makes it into Weeniepedia, this might be helpful for the reader who is used to only seeing the prescriptive conventions.

[Blues Vintage]

Thanks for posting the lyrics, Stuart.
I like your lay-out of the transcription and I might use it for upcoming songs. Although it could not be necessary for a lot of lyrics.
To make adding to Weeniepedia easier, you could change "guitar intro" to "INTRO" and "guitar break" to "SOLO" etc.
Because there are no other instruments on the recording. At least that's the way it's been done lately when posting lyrics.
We're striving for the most accurate lyrics as we can. But I think we also should try to keep the transcriptions simple and minimal where possible.

I think there's a very quick "and" before 8.1

And I laid my head in a barroom door

[Stuart]

Hi Blues Vintage:

I followed your recommendations and made the changes.

I rarely do transcriptions anymore, so I'm out of practice, to say the least. Plus, my hearing isn't that great so anything I'd do would be more of an exercise in correction for other forum members than a contribution on my part.

As I wrote, the layout or format is merely a starting point and something tangible to work with. We have to be flexible as different songs requires different approaches. And I agree, we don't want to overdo things--but we don't want to underdo things, either. We shouldn't be minimalists simply to strive for minimalism, IMHO. Let circumstances dictate.

Transcribing "East St. Louis Bules" and just turning 72 caused me to reflect on my ~50 years ago younger self when I was listening to Yazoo 1005, "The Early Years," and Atlantic SD 7224, "Atlanta 12 String" (still got 'em) and transcribing lyrics. Half a century has passed and I still can't get it right.

--Waiting for the next reincarnation...

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Blind Willie McTell recorded "Georgia Rag" at a session in Atlanta on October 31, 1931, accompanying himself out of C position in standard tuning. The song uses a more or less common raggy progression with a few of McTell's own wrinkles and innovations in it, and seems to have been based, at least partially, on Blind Blake's "Wabash Rag". Here is "Georgia Rag":



INTRO

Down in Atlanta on Harris Street, that's where the boys and gals do meet
Doin' that rag, that Georgi' Rag

Out in the alley, in the street, every little kid that you meet
Doin' that rag, that Wa-Georgia Rag (Spoken: Swing that Georgia Rag, boy)

SOLO

Buzz all 'round like a bee, shake it like a ship on the sea
That wild rag, that crazy rag, better known as the Georgia Rag

Came all the way from Paris, France, come into Atlanta to get a chance to
Do that rag, that Georgia Rag (Spoken: Pull it little bit for me)

INTERLUDE

That Georgia Rag

Grab me, mama, and hold me tight, let's mess around the rest of the night
Doin' that rag, that Georgia Rag (Spoken: Swing that Georgia Rag)

I'm crazy 'bout the Georgia Rag, I'm wild about the Georgia Rag
I mean that Georgi' Rag, Georgi' Rag
Buzz all 'round like a bee, shake it like a ship on the sea
That wild rag, that crazy rag, better known as the Georgia Rag (Spoken: Now whup it)

INTERLUDE (Spoken: That somethin' make you feel good, right in there)

Wa-throw your hands way up high, grab your daddy and make him cry
Doin' that rag, that Georgia Rag

Wild about the Georgia Rag, you're wild about the Georgia Rag
I mean that Georgi' Rag, Georgi' Rag
'Cause you buzz all 'round like a bee, shake it like a ship on the sea
That wild rag, that crazy rag, better known as the Georgia Rag (Spoken: Aw, whup it now)

INTERLUDE

Oh you shake it like a ship on the sea, buzz around like a bee
Oh that Georgi' Rag, that wild rag, better known as the Georgia Rag

People come from miles around, get in Darktown to break 'em down
Doin' that rag, that Georgi' Rag

Out in Darktown night and day, tryin' to dance them blues away
Doin' that rag, that Georgia Rag (Spoken: All right now, boy, spank 'em)

SOLO

That wild rag, that crazy rag, better know as the Georgia Rag

Goin' all the way back to Newport News, singin' these doggone Atlanta blues
'Bout that rag, that Georgi' Rag (Spoken: All right now, play that Georgia Rag)

INTERLUDE

'Cause you buzz all 'round like a bee, shake it like a ship on the sea
That wild rag, that crazy rag, better known as the Georgi' Rag

CODA

Edited 7/20 to pick up corrections from Blues Vintage

All best,
Johnm

 

[Blues Vintage]

2nd verse; 
Could McTell mean Wa-Georgia rag? As Blake sings Wabash Street/Wabash Rag.
Don't know if there is or was a Wabash street in Georgia.
Or he just still heard echos of Wabash in his mind.


6.1 I can tell you I'm crazy

12.1 know  known

[Johnm]

Thanks very much for the suggestions, Blues Vintage, I've incorporated all of them. The suggestion that McTell started to sing "Wabash" in those two places and then caught himself is brilliant, I think. I think this one is ready to go, thanks!