Topic: Roosevelt Sykes Lyrics

[Johnm]

Hi Harry,
Thanks for posting this song.  Was it originally released as a Kokomo Arnold record with Roosevelt Sykes doing the vocal?  If so, that's pretty unusual.  I'm hearing a couple of things in the lyrics slightly differently:

2.1 So I'm your boss, mama, and YOU'S my queen
2.2 Says, I'm your boss, and you know that YOU'S my queen bee

3.1 Do you realize, YOU'S A good girl to have around?
3.2 Do you realize, mama, YOU'S a good girl to have around?
3.3 You KNOWS exactly how to bring my honey down

4.3 'Cause I'LL tell the world that you is alright with me

5.1 Look-a here, mama, I'm goin' OFF, but I ain't goin' far from home
5.2 Look-a here, pretty mama, I'm goin' OFF, but I ain't goin' far from home
5.3 I'm gonna hurry right back, SOME, AND drip some more honey in your honeycomb

All best,
Johnm

[Blues Vintage]

Thanks John. But I don't hear the "AND" in 5.3.

It's on Document Records, Komomo Arnold Vol. 2 and Roosevelt Sykes Vol. 4.  It was released on Decca as a Sykes record.

But I noticed that on the Sykes version (video below) it's in the key of F. But on the Arnold version it's slighty off pitch.
Sykes version runs 2.42. Arnold version runs 2.46. It's the same song I'm sure, no alternative takes so I guess something was either speed up or slowed down.
A lot of blues piano players, myself included, played songs in F so I guess the Sykes version is accurate. I'm not very familiar with Arnold's playing so I don't know if he played a lot of songs in F.

[Johnm]

Hi Harry,
I re-listened to that 5.3 line, and it was not right what I had. I'm pretty sure now that he sang:

I'm gonna hurry right back, so I CAN CONSUME MORE honey in your honeycomb

Kokomo Arnold was playing Vestapol, so playing in F would not pose a problem.
All best,
Johnm

[Blues Vintage]

I think it's this John;

I'm gonna hurry right back so I CAN DRIP SOME MORE honey in your honeycomb.

[Johnm]

Yes, you've got it, Harry.  I re-listened, and the performance changed overnight (not!).  Sometimes I'm baffled by what I thought I heard when I re-listen later.
All best,
Johnm

[alyoung]

Hi Harry,
Thanks for posting this song.  Was it originally released as a Kokomo Arnold record with Roosevelt Sykes doing the vocal?  If so, that's pretty unusual.
Johnm

Honey Dripper is on Document's Kokomo Arnold Vol 2 (DOCD-5038), but it's a Roosevelt Sykes issue (Decca 7164). It's Sykes first recording of a song that became his theme tune, and the artist credit on it is to The Honey Dripper (Roosevelt Sykes). Kokomo is simply the accompanist. BUT just to make life interesting, the Decca 7164 label says in the small print above the title: "Vocal Blues with/ Piano & Guitar/ Vocal Blues/ by Kokomo Arnold" Which is confusing, to say the least. But I suspect the second "Vocal Blues" isn't supposed to be there. The words are over four lines, and I think they were supposed to be three lines saying "Vocal Blues with/Piano & Guitar by Kokomo Arnold".

[RichardW]

On the Honey Dripper, the last line of the second verse is:

don't you let nobody fool with your honeycomb but me

[Blues Vintage]

Thanks Richard. I think you finished the song now.

[RichardW]

Cheers Harry - just been learning the lyrics to sing with friends, and your efforts have been a good time saver - thanks! :-)

[Blues Vintage]

Cheers Harry - just been learning the lyrics to sing with friends, and your efforts have been a good time saver - thanks! :-)

I saw it on Youtube, sounds good.

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Volume 1 of the recently released 2-disc set "Ann Arbor Blues Festival--1969" opens with Roosevelt Sykes performing "Dirty Mother For You".  I was at the festival, and have always remembered how much I enjoyed his performance of this song, and hearing it again, I can tell you my memory of it did not exaggerate how great his performance of it was.  The spoken intro alone is worth the price of admission, but his playing is so terrific, with such heavy time, and his singing, wow!  He had a voice like a horn, and he delivers the song with such panache and excitement, it is really a treat.  I just checked and this particular performance of the song was put up on youtube two months ago, so here it is:



SPOKEN INTRODUCTION:  Oh yeah!  Now ladies and gentlemans, this is one of my own compositions here, fixin' to do now.  Some people call it suggestive, some call it smutty, some say it's corruptible.  But I recorded this tune in nineteen-thirty-four on the Decca Record, and it passed the censors.  Actually, I have no control of your thoughts.  But I'm sayin' the title of the song is "Dirty Mother For You".  Listen to the words so you won't get the wrong understandin'.  Actually what I'm sayin' is "dirty mother for you, don't you know".

INTRO

Squeeze me tight, don't let me fall, put my mule a-kickin' in your stall, it's gon' be a
REFRAIN: Kickin' mother for you, don't you know.  Gon' be a jumpin' mother for you, don't you know
It's gon' be a kickin' mother for you, and I would not tell a-you no lie

Now, I'm crazy 'bout that gal, now, and that's a fact.  I'm gon' raise some sand if she don't take me back, I'm a
REFRAIN: Dang'ous mother for you, don't you know.  A tricky mother for you, don't you know
And I could be a dirty mother for you, and I wouldn't tell a-you no lie (Spoken: Mercy!)

Now, there was a blind man by the name of Del.  Now he couldn't see, but he really could smell
A fishman passed his house the other day.  He thought it was a gal, hollered, "Hey!  I'm goin' your way!"
REFRAIN: A smellin' mother for you, don't you know.  He was a smellin' mother for you
A very close-smellin' mother for you, and I would not tell a-you no lie

Now mama, I got a hot dog, and it ain't cold, it's just right to fit your roll, it's a
REFRAIN: Fittin' mother for you, don't you.  It's gon' be a tight
It's a fittin' mother for you, and I would not tell a-you no lie (Spoken: Mercy!  Let it ride now!)

SOLO (Spoken: Mercy, mercy!  Go 'round!  Yeah, fine)

Now when a man's chin get hairy, you know he need a shave, get kind of musty, you know he needs a bathe
REFRAIN: A stinkin' mother for you, don't you know.  A b.o. mother for you, don't you know
He's a stinkin' mother for you, and I would not tell a-you no lie

Now I don't want the gal no more, I'll tell you the reason why: She filled my pants full of Red Devil Lye, I was a
REFRAIN: Burnin' mother for you, I was a hot mother for you, don't you
I was a mis'able mother for you, and I would not tell a-you no lie (Spoken: Mercy!)

Now there sits a man look like he's sour lemons, got a mouth like a 'possum, look like he been eatin' persimmons
REFRAIN: Persimmon-eatin' mother for you, don't you, a persimmon-eatin' mother for you
He's a persimmon-eatin' mother for you, and I would not tell a-you no lie (Spoken: Mercy!)

Sittin' in a man's house, I was just teasin' with his wife, he made a pass at me like he want to take my life
Ice was on the ground, six feet deep, I land on my yas-yas-yas instead of my feet, I was a
REFRAIN: Slidin' mother for you, a skatin' mother for you, don't you
And I was a scared mother for you, wouldn't tell you no lie

All best,
Johnm





   
     

[Johnm]

Hi all,
This recording of Roosevelt Sykes doing "Poor Boy Blues" was just posted on youtube. It was recorded in Chicago, on November 16, 1929, and on the cut, Sykes is accompanied by himself on piano, playing in F, with Harry Johnson on guitar, a player unfamiliar to me, working out of D position in standard tuning. I know that Roosevelt Sykes loved to phrase his vocals in front of the beat, but on this song he is so far ahead of the beat sometimes that he sounds like either he was not accompanying himself or he was a musical novice and didn't know when to come in with the next phrase, neither of which was the case. Phrasing is such a matter of personal feel, I reckon. I'd very much appreciate help with the bent bracketed portion of the tagline of the second verse. Here is "Poor Boy Blues":



INTRO

Lord, I'm a poor boy, I'm goin' to and fro
Lord, I'm a poor boy, I'm goin' to and fro
What's on my mind, don't nobody know

SPOKEN: What' on my mind, partner, you really don't know. It only keep them watchin' me, wonderin' what that old boy's gonna think about, I'm not gon' tell you. And even if you were watchin' me, you ain't gonna know that I can tell you, and that's the reason why I ain't gonna tell you. Yes, sir.

Lord, I am disgusted, and heartbroken, too
Lord, I am disgusted, heartbroken, too
Lord, without you, mama, nothin' else I can do

SOLO (Spoken during solo: I'm-a really is a poor boy. I can play about a few of my friendboy around here. Yes, sir.

Poor boy, poor boy, ain't got no friends at all
Poor boy, poor boy, ain't got no friends at all
Lord, I'm just like a rat, runnin from stall to store

Dear 'ord, have mercy on me, please
Dear Lord, have mercy on me, please
Lord, I just wants you, give this poor boy's heart some ease

CODA

Edited 2/8 to pick up corrections from Harry

All best,
Johnm


 

[Blues Vintage]

Some suggestions but I find it very difficult to hear. Although I think Sykes was a terrific singer.

Sounds like "mama" in 2.3

3.3 Could be stall to store

4.3 Lord, I just wants you, hear this poor boy's heart from me give this poor boy's heart some ease

[Johnm]

Thanks very much for your suggestions, Harry, they were all right on the money, and I have made the changes. In 2.3 I figured out that preceding "mama" was "without you" rather than "with a few", which I previously had. Thanks!

[Blues Vintage]

Jet Black Snake


I posted both the Sykes and Arnold (slower) version from Document Records. It’s exactly the same song. I’m not sure which version runs at the accurate speed.
My guess is that the Sykes version runs at the correct speed (key of F). It also sounds more natural to my ears.


Roosevelt Sykes – Vocals, Piano
Kokomo Arnold – Guitar

New York City, New York
February 18, 1936

Piano in F








It’s a jet black snake that caused me to be blue today
It’s a jet black snake that caused me to be blue today
It’s a jet black snake that stole my sweet woman away

So now I ain’t got nothing for a jet black snake to do
Lord I ain’t got nothing for a jet black snake to do
He will poison your woman and she won’t have no more love for you

Jet black snake what have you got and what in the world have you done
Jet black snake what have you got and what in the world have you done
I believe you have done more than suckin’ my sweet woman’s tongue

That jet black snake done something that no one else hasn’t ever done before
That jet black snake done something that no one else hasn’t been able to do before
He made my woman tell me she really couldn’t use me no more