Topic: Alec Seward Lyrics

[Johnm]

Hi all,
"Late One Saturday Evening" is the title cut of an Alec Seward album recorded at a house party in New York City in the Fall of 1966.  The album has gone in and out of periods of availability over the years, and has recently been licensed and released on CD by Fat Possum, so it is available again, for the time being, at least, and I know it is featured in the recent Roots and Rhythm sale.  I was happy to purchase the CD because I am a fan of Alec Seward.  In addition to his music featured on the CD, Brownie McGhee sings a number, Sonny Terry sings some and provides some hyperactive harmonica, and a young woman named Julia Carr sings a couple of songs really well.
Alec Seward backs himself out of E position in standard tuning in his solo performance of "Late One Saturday Evening", with playing that is simultaneously rough and beautiful.  His singing is terrific, deeply sad and soulful.  Seek this one out if you can.



It was late one Saturday evenin', after the sun went down
I said, late one Saturday evenin', after the sun went down
Yes, I lookin' for my baby, but she was not nowhere around

The wind was howlin', and the rain begin to fall
Lord, the wind was howlin', and the rain begin to fall
Yes, if she know how much I love her, Lord, she wouldn't have gone at all

Her picture's on my dresser, and her gown sit on my bed
Her picture's on my dresser, nightgown sit on my bed
Yes, I wonder, "Is my baby livin', Lordy, is my baby dead?"

SOLO X 2

So shine on, rising sun shine bright
I want you to keep right on shining, 'cause I sure can't sleep good at night

All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Another song that Alec Seward sings and plays on the "Late One Saturday Evening" CD is "What Has Annie Got".  He accompanies himself out of E position in standard tuning for the song, and is joined by Sonny Terry on harmonica.  Sonny is exuberant and busy.  Alec Seward delivers the kind of soulful vocal rendition you'd expect from him.  The video is "What Has Annie Got".



SPOKEN: I'm gon' tell y'all a little song about Annie, but y'all don't believe it's true.  But I swear it's true.

There's a little woman, she built up like a frog
When she grabs a man, he holler, "Ooo, got-dog!"
Lord, what is that she got?  Yes, what has Annie got?
Now, what has that Annie got, Lord, that drive all these men wild?

She went to a preacher, she went there for prayer
She had that preacher singin' when she left from there, cryin',
"Lord, what has Annie got?  Yes, what has Annie got?
Now, what has that Annie got, Lord, that drive all these men wild?"

She bred down in town, she live 'way down in mine
She cookin' for a judge, now that judge is cryin',
"Lord, oh what is that she got?  Yes, what has that Annie got?
Now, what has that Annie got, Lord, that drive all these men wild?"

SOLO

She lived in a town, 'way down in the mine
She's cookin' for a old farmer and now he's cryin',
"Lord, oh what is that she got?  Yes, what has that Annie got?
Now, what has that Annie got, Lord, that drive all these men wild?"

All best,
Johnm

 

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Alec Seward played "Piney Woods" on his "Creepin' Blues" album on Prestige Bluesville, working out of his customized tuning that he used for playing in C, EADGCE.  For much or most of the program of that album he was joined by Larry Johnson playing harmonica, but Alec Seward performed "Piney Woods" as a solo number.  I will attach an .mp3 of his performance to this message, because I don't believe it is up on youtube.

INTRO

I'm gon' pack all my things, baby, and i'm gonna move back to the piney wood
Yeah, I'll pack all my things, baby, and I'm gonna move back to the piney wood
'Cause there nobody here, Lord, that mean me any good

When I get down in piney woods, darlin', everything's gon' be all right
Yes, when I get down in the piney woods, baby, everything gon' be all right
I know I'll be happy, Lord, baby, both day and night

Down in the piney wood, baby, people are happy, night and day
Yeah, in the piney woods, baby, people are happy, night and day
You know, they don't have no blues, everybody seem to go their way

SOLO

Goodbye, city life, I'm goin' away to stay
Goodbye, city life, Lord, I'm goin' away to stay
Well, you know I gotta leave here, baby, where I can be happy, night and day

All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
"Creeping' Blues" is the title track from Alec Seward's album on Prestige-Bluesville from the 1960s.  He is joined on the track, as he was on most of the cuts on that album, by Larry Johnson on harmonica.  I don't know if Larry kept up his harmonica playing at all in his later years; I don't believe he featured it at all in his own performances.  He had several recordings that he played harmonica on early in his career, among them one with Big Joe Williams on Prestige-Bluesville that I have never heard.  Alec Seward accompanied himself out of EADGCE tuning in C position for "Creeping Blues".  His sound in that tuning/playing position was very distinctive, and it is a way of playing that has pretty much gone completely unexamined by present-day players, as far as I know.  "Creepin' Blues" is a hard album to find--it's one of the Prestige-Bluesville albums like Shirley Griffith's or Robert Curtis Smith's that never was released on CD when Fantasy owned the Prestige catalog.  I was surprised to find that the track is up on YouTube.  Here it is:



INTRO SOLO

Mmm, Lord, feel something crawl, creepin' 'round in my bed
I cry, oh Lord, feel something crawl, creepin' around my bed
You know, it worries me so bad, darlin', 'til I'm talkin' all out of my head

It started creep at midnight, then it creep, baby, all day long
Yeah, creep at midnight, darlin', and it creep, baby, all day long
That's why you hear me singin', Lord, this lonesome song

Lord, Lord, Lord, this creepin' sure is worryin' me
Yeah, Lord, Lord, Lord, this creepin' sure is worryin' me
Well, if it don't stop creepin', Lord, what gon' happen to poor me?

SOLO

Lord, Lord, Lord, what can a poor man do?
My Lord, Lord, Lord, what can a poor man do?
I'm having so much trouble, won't you please tell me what to do?

All best,
Johnm 

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Alec Seward included "I Made A Mistake In Life" on the program of his Prestige Bluesville album, "Creeping Blues".  It is a song I first heard performed by Roosevelt Sykes on a Folkways album he did, but I don't believe the song originated with him, either.  The "mistake" in the Sykes and Seward versions differs--for Sykes, it is getting married, for Seward, it is falling for a married woman.  I recorded my own arrangement of the song in cross-note tuning on my first Blue Goose album, "First Degree Blues".  Alec Seward chose to accompany himself out of his EADGCE tuning that he used when playing in C, and was backed on harmonica by Larry Johnson.

INTRO

Oh Lord, I made one mistake in life
Oh-oh babe, I have made one mistake in life
You know, that was when, I fell in love with another man's wife

Say, a married woman, sweetest woman ever been born
Yeah, a married woman, sweeter woman ever been born
The only thing that hurts you, you know that girl, she gotta go home

Married woman will swear that she love you the rest of her life
Yeah, a married woman swear that she loves you the rest of her life
And meet another man 'round the corner, and she tell that same lie twice

SOLO

I want tell all you young men, please don't make the same mistake in life
I'm gon' tell all you young men, please don't make the same mistake in life
If you ever meet a sweet woman, always find out if she's another man's wife

All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Continuing on in the program to Alec Seward's "Creeping Blues", we come to "Some People Say", which like "I Made A Mistake In Life", he chose to accompany out of EADGCE tuning, playing in C position.  Once again, Larry Johnson joins him on harmonica.

INTRO SOLO

Some people say that the worried blues ain't bad
Some people say that the worried blues ain't bad
You know, oh the worst old feelin', Lord, that a good man ever had

I get the blues at midnight, and they last me all night long
Lord, I get the blues at midnight, and they last me all night long
I want somebody to tell me, Lord, that baby child, what to do

Mr. Blues, Mr. Blues, please don't come by here no more
Yes, Mr. Blues, please don't come by here no more
'Cause if you do, Mr. Blues, Lord, I'm gonna walk right out of my door

SOLO

Mr. Blues, Mr. Blues, you will not worry my mind no more
Mr. Blues, Mr. Blues, you don't have to worry my mind no more
Because I got my things all packed, and Lord, I am ready to go

All best,
Johnm
 

[Stuart]

Hi John: --A link to your previous review of "Creepin' Blues"

https://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=8820.0

[Johnm]

Hi all,
For "Sweet Woman", similarly included on the "Creeping Blues" LP, Alec Seward chose to accompany himself out of E position in standard tuning, and was once again joined by Larry Johnson on harmonica.

INTRO

I got a sweet woman, tellin' everybody I know
I got a sweet woman, I want everybody to know
You know, she paid one hundred dollars, for every suit that I ever wore

But she got ways like the devil, act like she born in some lions' den
She got ways like the devil, she act like she born in some lions' den
You know, she'll pitch a boogie-woogie, if I ask her where she been

Way I love that woman, nobody will ever know
Yeah, the way I love that woman, nobody will ever know
Lord, when I lookin' for her, I asked everybody from door to door

SOLO

But she's a sweet woman, she don't ever fail
Yes, she's a sweet woman, and she don't ever fail
Every time I get locked up, she right there to go my bail

All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Alec Seward accompanied "Evil Woman Blues", on "Creeping Blues", out of his C position tuning, EADGCE, and Larry Johnson backed him on harmonica.  I agree with Alec Seward that throwing beer bottles at him definitely qualifies as "evil".  Here is "Evil Woman Blues":



INTRO

I'm in love with a woman, and she don't belong to me
I'm in love with a woman, and she don't belong to me
You know, she stay drunk, Lord, what's gonna happen to poor me

She's a mean woman, tellin' everybody in town
Yes, she's a evil woman, and I'm tellin' everybody in town
The reason I'm tellin' you, buddy, I want somebody help me to put her down

She's a evil woman, and I want everybody to know
Yes, she's a evil woman, and I want everybody to know
You know, she throw beer bottles at me, Lord, baby, every time she can throw

SOLO

She's a evil woman, and she don't never fail
Yes, evil woman, and she don't never fail
'Cause every Monday morning, I gotta get that girl out of jail

All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
"Let A Good Thing Do" comes from the "Creepin' Blues" album, too, and finds Alec Seward accompanying himself out of E position in standard tuning, once again joined by Larry Johnson on harmonica.  After the first verse, Alec Seward begins the remaining verses with a four-bar lyric break, before going to the refrain in the fifth bar, turning the song into a chorus blues.  I think Alec Seward's guitar playing, especially on his solo, shows some Buddy Moss influence.

INTRO

Cryin' oh, baby, why don't you let a good thing do?
Cryin' oh, why don't you let a good thing do?
I say, if you make a change, I swear I'll be kind and true

You know I work, baby, I work hard every day, you takin' my money, baby, and throw it all away, I'm cryin'
REFRAIN: Oh baby, why don't you let a good thing do?
I swear, if you make a change, I swear I'll be kind and true

You leave home in the mornin', baby, you stuck like a doll, when you come back, baby, you just can crawl, cryin',
REFRAIN: Oh baby, why don't you let a good thing do?
I say, if you make a change, I swear I'll be kind and true

SOLO

I talk to you, baby, like you're a child, when you stay out, baby, when you come home you just smile, cryin'
REFRAIN: Oh, whoa, baby, why don't you let a good thing do?
I swear, if you make a change, I sweat I'll be kind and true

All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
The one remaining song in the program of "Creepin' Blues" was St. Louis Jimmy's classic, "Goin' Down Slow", which Alec Seward played solo, accompanying himself out of E position in standard tuning.

INTRO

I have had my fun, if I don't get well no more
I have had my fun, if I don't get well no more
Said, my health is failin' me, and I'm going down slow

Please write my mother, tell her the shape I'm in
Please write my mother, tell her the shape I'm in
Tell her, pray for me, and forgive me of my sin

Tell her, "Don't send no doctor, doctor sure can't do no good."
Tell her, "Don't send no doctor, doctor sure can't do no good."
Tell her, "It's all my fault, Mother, I didn't do the things I should."

SOLO

On the next train South, look for my poor clothes home
On the next train South, look for my poor clothes home
If you don't see my body, Mother, all you can do is moan

All best,
Johnm