Since y'all have mentioned the song Lucy Mae Blues in some recent posts, I thought I'd post these lyrics for Cecil Barfield's version, which were all but totally incomprehensible to me when I first heard the song as part of the George Mitchell collection.
I take very little credit for this one. Ari did most of the hard work, and I found a version by Buddy Guy of all people on YouTube. The one place where we disagreed was on the spelling of "Lucy Mae do" versus "Lucy may do" in the tag line. Since I'm the one posting this, I get to choose.
One blank space, good luck filling it.
Lucy Mae Blues
That Sunday woman, she bring me the news That Monday woman, boys, I?m telling you, Better not let my good gal catch you here Ain?t no telling, man, what poor little Lucy Mae do
That Tuesday woman, she took my pocket change That Wednesday woman, she wanna do the same Better not let my good gal catch you here Ain?t no telling, man, what poor little Lucy Mae do
That Thursday woman, she knocked in my door That Friday woman, boys, they gotta go Better not let my good gal catch you here Ain?t no telling, man, what poor little Lucy Mae do
That Saturday woman she, took a gatling gun, Cut you if you stand, she will shoot you if you run. Better not let my good gal catch you here Ain?t no telling, man, what poor little Lucy Mae do
She left one --------- came back that afternoon Next time I saw her boys, was the 19th of June Better not let my good gal catch you here Ain?t no telling, man, what poor little Lucy Mae do
Bye bye little woman now, if you call that gone Better leave your things, baby, thinking all day long Better not let my good gal catch you here Ain?t no telling, man, what poor little Lucy Mae do
« Last Edit: July 06, 2020, 06:37:33 AM by Johnm »
I've spent a lot of time on my 45 minute commutes trying to decipher what he is singing but I'm still mostly guessing in several places. The words or lines enclosed by asterisks represent where I had the most difficulty transcribing accurately.
Love Blues
I love my baby mama believe pretty gal I do Come back pretty baby don't send nobody else over
The girl I'm lovin' mama, the one I crave to see Given up the loving she had turned her back on me
Run here baby hold me in your loving arms *more like you do baby they do lie me down by your line*
Good God poor mama your ways have been my *craze* (or crave) The kind of woman babe gonna take me to my grave
My baby got something mama know that the poor men crave *Rider I got something kill him and the men make me do this*
Run here mama now you darling I ain't mad with you girl *Both like body want you to* hold me in your lovin' arm
*Let her go in the morning cried is the rider done gone?* *Some died knowin baby had you rider been had*
Bye bye baby girl if you call it going Had no lovin' baby since my rider went away.
« Last Edit: July 06, 2020, 06:38:27 AM by Johnm »
I'm hearing "When you leave here, think [possibly thinkin'] baby, thinkin' you all day long". It doesn't help that one of the channels on the recording seems to drop out at this exact point.
Hi all, George Mitchell recorded Cecil Barfield singing an a capella number, "Captain Had A Bulldog". Here it is:
Well, Captain had a bulldog, and he weighed four hunderd [sic] Every time he bark, he roll like thunder
Captain had a little bulldog, and he barked like thunder Every time he barked, he rolled like thunder
Well, Captain had a bulldog, he weighed four hunderd And every time he barked, he rolled like thunder
Well, he loved the bulldog, he loved him so 'Til one day he went out, the bulldog laid down and died
You know what he said, never happened to him Like it happened that day
Well, Captain had a bulldog, he weighed four hunderd Every time he barked, he rolled like thunder
Now, look-a-here, peoples, have you every had a dog that you loved so well? You loved him so well, the poor dog fell dead
So, Captain had a bulldog, he weighed four hunderd Every time he bark, Lord, he rolled like thunder (Spoken: Looky here)
Now, Captain had a bulldog, he weighed four hunderd Every time he barked, Lord, he rolled like thunder
You know, my thunder roll, and it sounds so loud Every time lightin' flash, it begin to pop that thunder right on
So, Captain had a bulldog, he weighed four hunderd Every time he barked, Lord, he rolled like thunder Every time he barked, Lord, he rolled like thunder
Well, Captain had a bulldog, he loved him fine He kept his dog, he walked through vines Every time he walk, he walked in the dark
So, Captain had a bulldog, he rose over a hunderd Every time he barked, he rolled like thunder
Hi all, George Mitchell recorded Cecil Barfield playing "Big Legged Woman", accompanying himself out of E position in standard tuning pitched a little sharp of F#. Melodically, at least, Cecil Barfield's rendition seems to come from Johnny Temple's recording of the same title. I think Cecil Bartfield's playing here lays to rest the notion that he was just some kind of musical eccentric--he plays the hell out of this tune and it abounds in interesting and original licks and ideas, including a signature lick with descending bass in E that is one of the coolest ever. His acceleration over the course of the rendition really adds to the excitement, too. It's always seemed to me that this title should be written "Big-Legged Woman", she is not a big woman who is also "legged". I'd appreciate help with any of the lyrics that I'm missing or have wrong. Here is "Big Legged Woman":
INTRO SOLO
Big-leg woman, now you, pull off your gown, look and see what you got makes a bulldog, hug a hound, Lord, Big woman, please pull off your gown, because, You got somethin', make bulldog hug a hound
Big-leg woman sure got, somethin' good, don't b'lieve ask an'body in your, neighborhood, Lord, Big-leg woman, sure got somethin' good, then if, You don't b'lieve that, then, anybody in your neighborhood
She roll her belly like she roll her dough, lets it down so easy until you want some more-- She roll her belly like, she roll her dough, she lets you Down so easy, until you want some more
SOLO
Big-leg woman sure got, somethin' good, don't believe, ask an'body in your neighborhood, Lord, Big-leg woman, sure got something good, then if, You don't b'lieve that, then, anybody in your neighborhood
Tell the big-leg woman, "Now you, lift your gown.", 'til some of you men here now will, run her down, oh, See that woman, when you lift your down [sic], then if, You don't b'lieve that, then, anybody in your neighborhood (Spoken: Get it out there!)
SOLO
Big-leg woman now, peel out your gown, look and see what you got make a bulldog, hug a hound, oh, Big woman, (guitar) up your gown, Let me see what you got'll make a bulldog hug a hound
Big-leg woman, now, peel out your gown, you got somethin' make a bulldog hug a hound, oh (Guitar) please get out your gown, because, You got somethin' make a, bulldog hug a hound
CODA
Edited 9/16 to pick up correction from Old Man Ned
All best, Johnm
« Last Edit: September 17, 2022, 04:29:37 PM by Johnm »