Topic: Lyrics: "Earliest Black Vocal Quartets"

[joebanjo]

Folks,

I am continuing to spend time with this fantastic collection from Document:

http://www.document-records.com/fulldetails.asp?ProdID=DOCD-5061

I'd greatly appreciate any help you can bring so far as transcribing the lyrics for this fantastic song:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/so-qCjkUIUo?list=PL1469B011E5338B14" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

?When De Corn Pone?s Hot?

There?s times in life when nature seems to slip a cog and go
Just a'rattlin' down creation like an ocean's overflow.
When your cup of joy is flowing, and it seems about to plop,
When your mammy says the blessing and the corn pone?s hot.

   Then you feel just like a racer that?s been training for a trot,
   When your mammy says the blessing, and the table am ready [and hot.]
   While the ?lectric light of heaven seems to settle on de spot,
   When your mammy says the blessing and the corn pone?s hot.


When you sit down at your table, kinda weary, kinda sad,
Perhaps a little tired, and perhaps a little mad,
Then your gloom turn into gladness, and it soon drive away the doubt,
When the oven door is open and the smell come oozin? out.

   Chorus

When that cabbage pie am boiling, and that bacon?s good and fat.
And the chitlins just a'sputterin', just to show you what is at.
Take away your soda biscuts, take away your cakes and pies
For the glorious time is coming, and it 'pproaches very nigh.

   Chorus twice

[Alexei McDonald]

It's actually a poem by :-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Laurence_Dunbar

And here's the text from:-

http://www.bartleby.com/269/7.html

When de Co?n Pone?s Hot
 
Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872?1906)
 
 
DEY is times in life when Nature   
  Seems to slip a cog an? go,   
Jes? a-rattlin? down creation,   
  Lak an ocean?s overflow;   
When de worl? jes? stahts a-spinnin?           5
  Lak a picaninny?s top,   
An? yo? cup o? joy is brimmin?   
  ?Twell it seems about to slop,   
An? you feel jes? lak a racah,   
  Dat is trainin? fu? to trot?           10
When yo? mammy says de blessin?   
  An? de co?n pone?s hot.   
 
When you set down at de table,   
  Kin? o? weary lak an? sad,   
An? you?se jes? a little tiahed           15
  An? purhaps a little mad;   
How yo? gloom tu?ns into gladness,   
  How yo? joy drives out de doubt   
When de oven do? is opened,   
  An? de smell comes po?in? out;           20
Why, de ?lectric light o? Heaven   
  Seems to settle on de spot,   
When yo? mammy says de blessin?   
  An? de co?n pone?s hot.   
 
When de cabbage pot is steamin?           25
  An? de bacon good an? fat,   
When de chittlins is a-sputter?n?   
  So?s to show you whah dey?s at;   
Tek away yo? sody biscuit,   
  Tek away yo? cake an? pie,           30
Fu? de glory time is comin?,   
  An? it?s ?proachin? mighty nigh,   
An? you want to jump an? hollah,   
  Dough you know you?d bettah not,   
When yo? mammy says de blessin?           35
  An? de co?n pone?s hot.   
 
I have hyeahd o? lots o? sermons,   
  An? I?ve hyeahd o? lots o? prayers,   
An? I?ve listened to some singin?   
  Dat has tuck me up de stairs           40
Of de Glory-Lan? an? set me   
  Jes? below de Mastah?s th?one,   
An? have lef? my hea?t a-singin?   
  In a happy aftah tone;   
But dem wu?ds so sweetly murmured           45
  Seem to tech de softes? spot,   
When my mammy says de blessin?,   
  An? de co?n pone?s hot.   
 

[jostber]

Thanks for the recommendation for the Vocal Quartets CD. Ordered it from Document now together with the two Narmour & Smith CDs.

[joebanjo]

Wow, thanks Alexei--much appreciated!

[joebanjo]

In searching for the "Pussy Cat Rag" I found a clear antecedent for the Old South Quartette's performance of the song. Hear the Peerless quartet sing it here:

http://www.loc.gov/jukebox/recordings/detail/id/3587/

This helped me greatly with deciphering the lyrics--there's just one word I am hoping someone can help me with, although of course I'd appreciate any other corrections you can provide for the Quartette's version of the lyrics:

'Pussy Cat Rag'

   Here, kitty kitty kitty kitty kitty kitty
   Kitty kitty kitty kitty kitty kitty
   Meow, meow, (c?mon puss!)
   Just a little bit?that?s enough of it!
   Kitty kitty kitty kitty kitty kitty
   Kitty kitty kitty kitty kitty kitty
   Meow meow meow meow,
   That?s the pussy cat rag.

I have an old maid sister,
She?s crazy over cats,
She wears her hair just pasted down
?cause she?s afraid of rats.
She?s got the neighbors talking
and they don?t think she?s right,
For you can hear her holler ?Cat!?
At any time of night.

   Chorus twice

Well right underneath my window
at twelve o?clock at night,
They either serenade the moon
Or else they?ll have a fight.
Out come my old maid sister,
And calls each one by name,
Some day she?ll lose her pussycat
If she keeps up that game.

   Chorus twice

[Alexei McDonald]

The sheet music gives the line as :-

"She wears her hair all pasted down, For she's afraid of rats"

http://www.rtpress.com/sheets/PussyCatRag%28Allen&Daly,1910%29.pdf