Topic: Blind Boy Fuller Lyrics

[waxwing]

I know how hard it is to keep these kind of repetitive shouts straight, Johnm. (I'm thinking of Fishin' Blues where you got the a'goin's and a'fishin's spot on). anyway I noticed one reversal:

2.1 Oh Ananias (Ananias), OH Ananias (Oh Ananias), tell me what kind of man Jesus is

Aside from that they are all correct, I think. There is also a spoken (or shouted) "Amen" after the first "Ananias" in 1.2:

1.2  Ananias (AMEN)(Ananias), Ananias (Ananias), oh what kind of man this Jesus is

You are just tearing through these BBF songs! Thanks!

Wax

[Johnm]

Thanks for the help, wax, I have made those changes. Thanks!

[Johnm]

Hi all,
For "Good Feeling Blues", recorded March 7, 1940 in New York City, Blind Boy Fuller accompanied himself out of E position in standard tuning and was joined by Sonny Terry on harmonica and Bull City Red on washboard. Here is "Good Feeling Blues":



INTRO SOLO

You got a little woman, she won't treat you right, sweet in the day, you whup at night
REFRAIN: She got to love me with a feelin', well, love me with a feelin'
She ain't love me with a feelin', gonna let me a new mama move in

Then I called her this mornin' 'bout half past one, "Wake up, baby, lovin' has just begun."
REFRAIN: You got to love me with a feelin', well, love me with a feelin' (Spoken: Yeah!)
She ain't love me with a feelin', gonna let me a new mama move in (Spoken: Play it for me, now!)

SOLO

Then I know my little woman, gon' change my mind, when she walks she reels and rock behind
REFRAIN: You've got to love me with a feelin', well, love me with a feelin'
She ain't love me with a feelin', gonna let me a new mama move in

Says I told my baby, 'bout half past two, "Wake up, mama, lovin' ain't near through."
REFRAIN: You got to love me with a feelin', well, love me with a feelin' (Spoken: Yes, you is!)
Got to love me with a feelin', gonna let me a new mama move in

SOLO

Says my woman, she quit me, keep me worried and blue, "Take me in your arms and love me like you used to do."
REFRAIN: You got to love me with a feelin', well, love me with a feelin'
Y'ain't love me with a feelin', gonna let me a new mama move in

Then I called her this morning, 'bout half past ten, "Wake up, mama, lovin' is just begin."
REFRAIN: You got to love me with a feelin', you got to love me with a feelin'
Y'ain't love me with a feelin', gonna let me a new mama move in

CODA

All best,
John

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Blind Boy Fuller recorded "I Want Some of Your Pie" at a session in Memphis on July 12, 1939, accompanying himself out of E position in standard tuning and backed by Sonny Terry on harmonica and Bull City Red on washboard. Fuller's accompaniment would be re-used, in large part, for "Good Feeling Blues", recorded the next year. Here is "I Want Some of Your Pie":



INTRO SOLO

Says I'm not jokin', ain't gwonna tell you no lie, I wants a piece of your custard pie
REFRAIN: You got to give me some of it, you got to give me some of it
You got to give me some of it, 'fore you give it all away

I'm not braggin' but it's understood, everything I do, I try to do it good
REFRAIN: You got to give me some of it (Spoken: Yeah!), you got to give me some of it
You got to give me some of it, 'fore you give it all away

Now your custard pie looks good and nice, when you cut it please save me a slice
REFRAIN: You got to give me some of it (Spoken: Yes, you is), you got to give me some of it
You got to give me some of it, 'fore you give it all away (Spoken: Play it now! Play it for Uncle Bud.)

SOLO

Says I don't care, for them right 'cross that street, you cut that pie, please save me a piece
REFRAIN: You got to give me some of it, you got to give me some of it
You got to give me some of it, 'fore you give it all away (Spoken: Play it for me.)

SOLO (Spoken: Yes! Yes!)

Now if it's good for a man, eighty-three, you know good and well it's good enough for me
REFRAIN: You got to give me some of it, yeah, give me some of it
You got to give me some of it, 'fore you give it all away

SOLO

Edited 1/18 to pick up correction from Blues Vintage

All best,
Johnm

[Blues Vintage]

4.1 Says I don't care, if ever I for them right cross that street,  you cut that pie, please save me a piece

[Johnm]

I knew that wasn't right and you nailed it, Blues Vintage. Thanks!

[Johnm]

Hi all,
For "I'm Going To Move (To The Edge Of Town)", Fuller accompanied himself out of E position and was backed by Sonny Terry. The take was recorded on December 16, 1937, in New York City, and DG&R has Fuller and Terry as the only musicians on the song. I'm hearing a second guitar backing Fuller out of G position in standard tuning and believe it was Floyd Council, who was in the studio the day prior and had seconded Fuller for a couple of songs then. See if you can hear Council. I believe this song was first recorded by Big Bill Broonzy as "I'm Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town". Here is "I'm Going To Move":



I'm gonna take my baby, gwonna move out on the edge of town
Yes, I'm gonna take my baby, gonna move on out your town
'Cause I don't want nobody, always hangin' around

Now, the reason why now, baby, I don't want you to stay here, I don't need no iceman, I'm gon' get me a Frigidaire
That's what I'm gwonna do, mama, when I move on out your town
Says and I don't want nobody, always hangin' around

Then I'm gon' heat with gas, mama, and not with coal, I ain't gon' have no coal boy stoppin', and holl'in', "Coal!"
That's why, mama, gwon' move on out this town
'Cause I don't want nobody, always hangin' around

Then I'm gwonna bring my grocery, baby, myself every day, that's gon' keep that grocery boy, out'n your way
That's what I'm gonna do, when I move on out your town
'Cause I don't want no grocery boy, always hangin' around

Says, I may be funny, mama, funny as I can be, if we raise any babies, I want them all to look like me
That's why, gwonna move on out your town
'Cause I don't want nobody, always hangin' around

Edited 1/18 to pick up corrections from Blues Vintage

All best,
Johnm   

[Blues Vintage]

2.2 That's what I'm gwonna do, woman mama, when I move on out your town

2.3 'Cause Says and I don't want nobody, always hangin' around

3.1 Then I'm gon' use the gas Then I'm gon' heat with gas, mama, and not with coal, I ain't gon' have no coal boy stoppin', and holl'in', "Coal!

5.1 Says, I may be funny, mama, funny as I can be, if we raise any babies, I want one that looks like me I want them all to look like me


Could be that he starts verse 3 and 4 with "sayin" instead of "then" but I find it very hard to hear.
The end of 4.1 is very hard to hear too.

[Johnm]

Thanks for the help, Blues Vintage. I agree with all of your suggestions and made the changes.

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Blind Boy Fuller recorded "Jivin' Big Bill Blues" at his July 12, 1939 session in Memphis, accompanying himself out of E position in standard tuning and backed by Sonny Terry on harmonica. I'm hard put to think of another blues song of that era in which one musician spoke of another in the way Fuller addresses comments to Big Bill in these lyrics. Here is "Jivin' Big Bill Blues":



Been your dog, ever since I entered your door, leavin' you this mornin', woman, I ain't gonna be your, dog no more, I said
REFRAIN: Lord have mercy, what am I to do?
Says I love my woman, yeah, you keep me so worried and blue

Now she leave me all night long, I cannot help myself, if she don't do better I'm gwine find me, someone else, I said
REFRAIN: Lord have mercy, what am I to do?
Says I love my baby, yeah, she keep me so worried and blue

Says I went down in that old town, that you call Tennessee, Big Bill's women went crazy, over me, I said
REFRAIN: Lord have mercy, Big Bill what you goin' to do?
Says I love my baby, yeah, that make you so worried and blue

Now look-a-here, woman, buy you a lock and key, that's the only way, boy, you gonna keep your little, woman from me, I said
REFRAIN: Lord have mercy, what am I to do?
Says I love my woman, yeah, she keep me so worried and blue (Spoken: Ah play it f' me a long time now!)

SOLO (Spoken: Yeah! Yeah!)

Now I'm gwinea ask you now, Big Bill, what you got on your mind, I done took your woman and I, know it grieves your mind, I said
REFRAIN: Lord have mercy, Big Bill, what you gwine to do?
Says I done took your woman, I done put that old thing on you

CODA

Edited 1/20 to pick up correction from David Kaatz

All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Blind Boy Fuller, accompanying himself in E position, standard tuning with Sonny Terry on harmonica and Bull City Red on washboard recorded "Bus Rider Blues" at a session in New York City on June 19, 1940. The song is a re-working of "Flying Airplane Blues", and shares the very same melody, structure and phrasing, but with a different set of lyrics. . Here is "Bus Rider Blues":



INTRO SOLO

Gwonna catch that old Greyhound, gwonna catch that old Greyhound, gwinea ride from town, gwinea ride from town to town
Then I'm gwonna find my little woman, don't think she can be, don't think she can be found

Now Mr. Redcap Porter (Spoken: Yeah!), Mr. Redcap Porter, won't you help me with my heavy, won't you help me with my heavy load?
Says now, my woman, she done and quit me, she's further on down the, she's further on down the road

Then I know my little woman (Spoken: Yeah!), then I know my little woman, she bound to love, she bound to love me some
Then she throws her arms around poor me, like the circle 'round the, like the circle 'round the sun

SOLO

It's the day before Christmas, it's the day before Christmas, lemme bring your present, lemme bring your present tonight
Then I will be your Santa Claus, says even if my whiskers, says even if my whiskers ain't white

CODA

All best,
Johnm

[David Kaatz]

John,
Just a typo, I think, in the last verse of Big Bill Blues, you wrote "don't took your woman", but it is clearly "done took" as you have it in the last line.

[Johnm]

Thanks for the catch, Dave, I have made the change.

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Blind Boy Fuller recorded "Bye Bye Baby" at a session in New York City on June 19, 1940, backed by Sonny Terry on harmonica. Fuller accompanied himself out of E position in standard tuning for the song, which is not a re-recording of his "Bye Bye Baby Blues", which he had recorded earlier, but rather an altogether different song. Fuller really channels Buddy Moss in what he plays over his IV chord in this song. Here is "Bye Bye Baby":



Here I is now, baby, I'm on your hands again
I said here I is now, baby, I'm on your hands again
Hey-hey, you must remember, woman, I once have been your friend

Said one mornin', baby, when that clock be strikin' four
I said one mornin', when that clock be strikin' four (Spoken: What' gon' happen, boy?)
Hey, make me down a pallet, Great God, and let me in your door

Said I lied down last night laughin', woke up this mornin' screamin' and cryin'
Said I lied down last night laughin', woke up this mornin' screamin' and cryin'
Then I know it must be something goin' wrong, baby, with my worried mind (Spoken: Play it for me now, boy! Play it a long time!)

SOLO

I said bye bye, baby, got to leave you now behind
I said bye bye, baby, got to leave you now behind
Hey, you done cause me to quit you, Great God, and it sure does grieve my mind

Said bye bye, baby, got to leave you by yourself
Bye bye, baby, leave you by yourself
Says, you done cause me to quit you, I got to get me someone else

Edited 1/21 to pick up corrections from Blues Vintage

All best,
Johnm








 

[Blues Vintage]

1.3 Yeah Hey hey, you must remember, one woman, I once have been your friend

3.3 Then I know it must be something goin' on wrong