Topic: Leadbelly lyrics

[banjochris]

I think it's Deadville, too. A succinct way of putting it. Here are some missing bits and I hear the first spoken part differently.
Chris



First spoken part:

She was runnin' WITH 25 or 30 MEN. ... He was a SWEETBACK man. And the MENS WAS COMIN' AROUND, they asked her what she want. She didn't want nothing from THEM THEN. But when HER SWEETBACK man come around to ask HER for one dime, you didn't see her no more. ... "DARLING don't you worry."

1st question mark:
Don't you ask 'em for no favors, they even stop a-comin' around.

2nd question mark:
I think "chain" is right

3rd question mark:
drop-stitch hose

next verse is A-LOOKIN' not a-looked

next holler is last FEW words she said

[Rivers]

Thanks Chris! I heard 'sweetback' the first time then my brain cut in... I hadn't realized it was slang for, according to various google hits, 'a bad ass', 'a good lover', etc

Good going on 'drop stitch hose', I'd never have got that. Agree with all other points, will amend.

[Rivers]

I think it's Deadville, too. A succinct way of putting it.

Denver, jeesh. Did he think he was going skiing?

[Rivers]

[edit: now added to weeniepedia]

[edit: extensively edited, see notes at bottom]

Fort Worth & Dallas Blues, also from Larry Cohn's comp Leadbelly King of the 12-String Guitar. I've basically decided to focus on this album, with the numbers in standard tuning (though tuned down for the 12) first.

This one gets up a head of steam and drives like a _________. It's played out of a G chord and uses a lot of licks you already know it's great for migrating your classic G blues licks to 12 string. Comments welcome.

Leadbelly adds to the G licks with a nifty signature short bass run down to the V and a fairly quirky boogie break on the bass strings that's tailor made for 12 string guitar. Dig the tips of the hat to his pal Lemon throughout. Huge fun.

I've posted it mostly ready marked-up for weeniepedia to save rework later.

Please somebody lend an ear and tell me what the phrases marked might be, or any other corrections most welcome.



'''Fort Worth & Dallas Blues - Leadbelly'''
24 January 1935 NYC
ARC 16697-2 unissued
Transcribed from Leadbelly King of the 12-String Guitar, Columbia Roots 'N' Blues 467893
G position standard, 12 string is tuned down 5 semitones so pitch is D

''[Intro 4 bars]''

I'd the the Fort Worth Blues, and Dallas heart disease
Got the the Fort Worth Blues, the Dallas heart disease
Can't keep my woman from all 'time worryin' me

Come here pretty mama, tell me where you goin'
Look a-here pretty mama, tell me where you goin'
If you can't tell me, it sure gonna be your ruin

I taken you woman, to-ho be my friend
Yes I've taken you woman, honey to be my frien'
Just look what hole, yes you've got me in

MmmmMmmmMmmm, MmmMmm, MmmMmm, Mmmm
Mmmmmmmmmmmm, MmmMmm, MmmMmm, Mmmm
MmmmMmmmHmmm, MmmMmm, Hmmmmm, Hmmm

''[Instrumental verse]''

Fort Worth Blues, 'n the Dallas heart disease
Got the the Fort Worth Blues, the Dallas heart disease
And the blues, oh God, it keeps on worryin' me

Good morning blues, blues how do you do?
And good morning blues, blues how do you do?
"I'm doin' fairly well, baby how'ra you?<ref>sic: how are you?</ref>"

You want me baby to be like Jesse James
''[End suddenly on the I7 where you expect the change to  the IV]''

==Notes==
<references/>

[edit: corrections from UB (lyrics, spelling!) and Chris (chord position, degree of tuned-downness) included. I messed up big-time with the first iteration. Rather than striking-through the errors etc., which looks messy, I've just corrected it in place. All other comments I made are still valid]

[uncle bud]

I'd the the Fort Worth Blues, and [jelly's hard to gee]
Got the the Fort Worth Blues, and [jelly's hard to gee]
Can't keep my woman from all 'time worryin' me

1.1 GOT the Fort Worth blues and the DALLAS HEART DISEASE
1.2 Got the the Fort Worth blues and the the DALLAS HEART DISEASE

Come here pretty mama, tell me where you goin'
Look a-here pretty mama, tell me where you goin'
If you can't tell me, it sure gonna be your wrong

2.3 If you can't tell me, it sure gonna be your RUIN

I' taken you woman, to-oo be my freind
Yes I've taken you woman, only to be my frein'
Just look what hole, yes you've got me in

3.1 I (no apostrophe) taken you woman to-HO be my FRIEND (just some minor points)
3.2 Yes I've taken you woman, HONEY, to be my FRIEND

MmmmMmmmMmmm, MmmMmm, MmmMmm, Mmmm
Mmmmmmmmmmmm, MmmMmm, MmmMmm, Mmmm
MmmmMmmmHmmm, MmmMmm, Hmmmmm, Hmmm

''[Instrumental verse]''

Fort Worth Blues, and [jelly's hard to gee]
Got the the Fort Worth Blues, and [jelly's hard to gee]
And the blues, oh God, it keeps on worryin' me

5.1 Fort Worth blues and THE DALLAS HEART DISEASE
5.2 Got the Fort Worth blues and THE DALLAS HEART DISEASE

Good morning blues, blues how do you do?
And good morning blues, blues how do you do?
"I'm doin' fairly well, baby how' ra' you?"

6.3 I'd transcribe "ra'" as "are"

Great freakin' tune.

[Rivers]

Awesome work! thanks, will correct. Love the service around here. 

Last verse, I hear him pronounce it "baby how'ra' you?" though. Idiomatic pronounciation. Do I want to transcribe the actual sound or the meaning? I know, I'll add a note.

[uncle bud]

Yes, I agree about the pronunciation, but would personally still transcribe it as "are". No biggie, just going from previous discussions about trying to limit some of these unnecessarily complicated transcriptions based on sound. "That" rather than "dat" etc...

[Rivers]

Good point. When I sing it I'm going to sing "how'ra" though cause it's cool, more fun, and generally less "white bread", so to speak. Agree we don't want to get into 'dis' and 'dat', I just think that particular contraction is a really cool usage and would be a nice tip of the hat to Huddie. See the added 'sic note'. Thanks for the corrections, great work.

[uncle bud]

Yes, well I wouldn't have expected David Niven or anything. 

Someone needs to organize a 12-string workshop!

[Rivers]

Be careful what you wish for... great idea actually.

All four Lead tunes in this thread are now in weeniepedia, thanks v.much for all the help guys, I think we nailed them: http://www.weeniecampbell.com/wiki/index.php?title=Category:Leadbelly_Lyrics

Much more to come.

[notasja]

I am looking for the lyrics to a Leadbelly song that is either known as "Tell Me Which Way The Red River Run" or "Red River Blues". This is different from his song "Red River".

Some of the lyrics are:

"Some people say it runs from sun to sun". 

"The Red River, it is so deep and wide, well I can't get a letter from the other side"

Can anyone help me, please?

[banjochris]

Fort Worth & Dallas Blues, also from Larry Cohn's comp Leadbelly King of the 12-String Guitar. I've basically decided to focus on this album, with the numbers in standard tuning (though tuned down for the 12) first.

This one gets up a head of steam and drives like a _________. Since I believe it's played out of an E chord and uses a lot of licks you already know it's great for migrating your classic E blues licks to 12 string. Having said that you can also play it out of an F chord, though not as easily, which would put him tuned down to C. Comments welcome.

Leadbelly adds to the E licks with a nifty signature short bass run down to the V and a fairly quirky boogie break on the bass strings that's tailor made for 12 string guitar. Dig the tips of the hat to his pal Lemon throughout.

I'm pretty sure this number's played out of G position. In the boogie break he plays an A7 chord before going to the D, and he does a double-hammer-on lick leading up to both chords on the fifth and fourth strings.
Chris

[Rivers]

Interesting, I will check it out. That would require tuning down another full tone, total 5 frets.

Dang, you're right.  The I chord lick and IV chord sound better out of G too. Plus I stupidly had the 12 tuned to C# thinking it was in C which compunded the error. Will amend, thank you for the correction Chris, I need to be less quick to make assumptions, and also double check whether I'm tuned down to C or C# as well. True pitch is D BTW

[banjochris]

Rivers -- the low tuning on a lot of the 12-string pieces still throws me off a lot of the time. I don't have a 12 anymore, but when I did that was one of the 3 or 4 Leadbelly ones I learned. One of these days I'll get one again, but I sold my Dell'Arte (hated the neck; they made it too shallow) and bought a National.
Chris

[Rivers]

[edit: now added to weeniepedia]

Here's a tough lyric, mystery phrase is marked, ideas and corrections welcome. [edit: mystery solved, lyric corrected]

I also swear he sings "Dean" not "Deem" but have left it per the ARC title.

I'm really not certain where he's tuned or what chord position he'd playing out of. My best guess is dropped D, guitar tuned down to C so true pitch B flat. There's a classic low drop D bass lick at the end of several verses, is what makes me think so. Having said that I'm having trouble getting the guitar to sound like Huddie, who keeps up an industrial-strength vamp throughout. I'll probably end up picking it my way.

Being an 8 bar blues with a very similar tune to Furry Lewis's Dry Land Blues it also sounds good out of an E position with the first I and V7 played around the E and B7 triads at the fourth fret, but that's just by the by, unless it is actually in E, but I doubt that. He throws in a nice passing V Augmented (sharp 5) chord in the last V to pick out the melody.



'''Becky Deem, She Was a Gamblin' Girl'''
23 January 1935 NYC
ARC 6-04-55
Transcribed from Leadbelly King of the 12-String Guitar, Columbia Roots 'N' Blues 467893

''[Instrumental verse]''

Becky Deem<ref>Sounds more like "Dean" each time</ref>, she was a gamblin' gal
Win all her money, and she win it fair

Becky Deem, she was a gamblin' gal
She win all her money, and she win it fair

Becky Deem, had her games on the ground
She win all the money the skinner<ref>Could be a "mule skinner" (driver), see singletree ref below</ref> laid down

Becky Deem, had her games on the ground
She win all the money the skinner laid down

''[Instrumental verse]''

She started to hit one, with a singletree<ref>a wooden bar swung at the center from a hitch on a plow, wagon, etc. and hooked at either end to the traces of a horse's harness</ref>
Mighta heared the rascal hollerin' "Don't you murder me"

She started to hit one, with a singletree
You mighta heared the rascal hollerin' "Don't you murder me"

''[Instrumental verse x 2]''

Walked all the way from East St Louis
She didn't have but the one thin dime

She walked all the way from East St Louis
And she didn't have but the one thin dime

Never spent it for whiskey, and honey neither for wine
Yes I spent it all on the sake of the man of mine

She never spent it for whiskey, and honey neither for wine
I spent it all on the sake o' the man o' mine

''[Instrumental verse out]''

==Notes==
<references/>
[http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?amp;Itemid=128&topic=4318.msg43259#msg43259 Go to original forum post]
[[Category:Lyrics]][[category:Leadbelly Lyrics]]


[Edited to pick up corrections and suggestions from UB and also mark up for the wiki]