Topic: Frank Hutchison lyrics

[Johnm]

Thanks for the help, Gumbo, I believe you nailed it.  I was certainly stumped.  I'll make the change.
All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Frank Hutchison recorded "All Night Long" at a hugely productive session (15 tunes!) he had in New York City on January 28, 1927.  For the song, Frank backed himself out of C position in standard tuning, and his accompaniment shows an interesting similarity to Henry Thomas's playing out of that position, in that when going to his IV chord, F, Hutchison, like Thomas, does not bother to flatten out his index finger to fret the first fret of the first two strings, and frets only the second string.  Leaving the first string open this way leaves him with a sort of "found" F major seventh chord that is really pretty and gives the accompaniment a nice sound there.
This version of "All Night Long" goes a lot of different places lyrically.  The refrain is unusual.  There are a fair number of words I'm not sure of and which I've put in bent brackets; what I have as "that's" in the chorus may be "since".  "Snoozin'" would make sense, but it really sounds like he's saying "noozlin'"  I'd appreciate correction or corroboration of those problem areas.



   My sweetheart went away last night, that's why she's so unkind
   Every time she goes away she's always on my mind
   All night long, well it's all night long

   REFRAIN:  All night long, that's I've been dreaming
   All night long, from midnight on
   All night long, ever returning
   Mama's sweet baby cryin' all night long

   My sweetheart went away last night, I don't know what to do
   Every time she goes away I feel so awfully blue
   All night long, all night long

   REFRAIN:  All night long, that's I been dreaming
   I'm dreaming of you all night long
   All night long, ever returning
   Mama's sweet baby cryin' all night long

   Well, I went to the dance last night and I walked up to the hall
   I peeped into the window, there's another man in my stall
   All night long, all night long

   REFRAIN:  All night long, that's I been dreaming
   I'm dreaming of you all night long
   All night long, ever returning
   Mama's sweet baby cryin' all night long

   Yella gal sleeps in a foldin' bed, the fair brown slept the same
   My gal made her a pallet in the floor, she's noozlin' just the same
   All night long, all night long

   REFRAIN:  All night long, that's I been dreaming
   All night long, my honey girl
   All night long, ever returning
   Mama's sweet baby cryin' all night long

   Yella gal, she rides in an automobile, the fair brown rides the same
   My gal rides an old oxcart, she's ridin' just the same
   All night long, well it's all night long

   The yella gal smells like fresh perfume, the fair brown smells the same
   My gal smells like an nasty goat, she's smellin' just the same
   All night long, well it's all night long

   REFRAIN:   All night long, that's I been dreaming
   All night long, all night long
   All night long, ever returning
   Mama's sweet baby cryin' all night long

Edited 6/10 to pick up corrections from Gumbo
Edited 6/10 to pick up corrections from Lyle Lofgren
Edited 6/11 to pick up correction from uncle bud.

All best,
Johnm
   

[dj]

Hi, John.  I don't have this song to listen to, but reading the lyrics, I wonder if "My gal made her a pallet in the floor, she's noozlin' just the same" should be "My gal made her a pallet in the floor, she's OOZLIN' just the same".  Oozlin' seems to have been a slang word meaning something like "wanting sex" or "ready for sex" - see Bob Wills' Oozlin' Daddy Blues. 

By the way, does anyone have a better definition of oozlin'? 

[Gumbo]

Lovely song this one.

i guess that first line (shy) is a typo.
i don't hear the 'L' in noozlin' so it sounds like 'noozin' to me

my gal smells like an apricot ...?

[Johnm]

Thanks for the help, dj and Gumbo.  At first, I thought Frank Hutchison sang "snoozin'", but there is no "s" at the front end.  It really does sound like "noozlin'" to me, since it has the clear "n" at the front, and a light "l" later.  Maybe he combined "snoozin'" and "oozlin'"?  What he sings later sounds sort of like "smells like a mountain goat", but "mountain" is not right.  I'll keep listening.  You were right about the misprint in the first verse, Gumbo, and I made that change.
All best,
Johnm

[Gumbo]

fwiw i hear [that's] all the way through.

i hear Fresh perfume and as best as i can decipher it the goat sounds like apticoat which doesn't show up as a breed on Wikipedia. It is however surprising to go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goat and see our pet goat (Horny by name) as the archetypal representative of all his cousins! See the first pic on the right. That oak tree behind him is now about ten inches across.

[Johnm]

Thanks for the continuing listening, Gumbo.  I agree that it is "that's" in the refrain all the way through, and I think "fresh" rather than "French" perfume is correct.  I'll make those changes.  If we can get the goat we've got it.
All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Sounds like Frank Hutchison may be saying "aftercoat", like a final coat of paint.  I'm going to put that in tentatively, pending a more plausible solution.
All best,
Johnm

[Gumbo]

that's an interesting one, John, and at least as plausible as the oxcart being full of apricoats  

EDIT one of the reasons i like appricoats in the oxcart is that he really likes this girl and doesn't say anything remotely offensive about her at all in the rest of the song, so it seems possible that she smells nice!

[Lyle Lofgren]

Uncle Willie had some problems making out the words to this one, also. Main differences:

In verse 4, he heard "snoozin'" instead of "noozlin'", which makes some sense. But he wrote it in pencil, meaning he wasn't positive.

In verse 6, the girl smells like a "nasty goat." He wrote that in ink.

Lyle

[Johnm]

Thanks for the help, Lyle.  I agree "snoozin'" makes the most sense, but it doesn't match the sound the best.  I like "nasty goat"--it matches sound and sense much better than anything I've come up with in that spot.  I will make that change.
All best,
John

[uncle bud]

I hear "noozlin'" as well. Perhaps just "noozin'", but I think the light L sound is there are John says. I agree with "nasty goat".

In the refrain I hear

MAMA'S SWEET baby cryin' all night long

I hear that all the way through.

[Johnm]

That's a great catch on the beginning of the final line of the refrain, uncle bud.  I re-listened to the song with your suggestion in mind and it is sure enough "Mama's sweet baby".  Thanks for the help.  I think we've got it now.
All best,
Johnm

[Lynda]

My dad sang a different version of The Boston Burglar. And I must say he sounded better than the 20 or more versions that I listened to on You Tube. I am just in the process of converting some of the songs he recorded on an 8 track in 1976. We made about 8 copies in all. He was 70 years old at the time and didn't realize that he didn't have to record each 8 track separately. I might be a bit prejudiced but he had an incredible voice.

These are the lyrics he sang.

The Boston Burglar

as sung by my dad

Oh I was born in Boston city, a place you all know well
Brought up by honest parents, and the truth to you I'll tell
Brought up by honest parents, and reared most tenderly
Till I became a sporting man at the age of twenty three

My character was taken and I was sent to Jail
My friends found it was in vain to get me out on bail
The jury found me guilty, and the clerk he wrote it down
The judge then passed my sentence, I was sent to Charlottetown

Last time I saw my  father, he was standing at the bar
Last time I saw my mother she was combing out her hair
She was combing out those old grey locks while the tears came rolling down
"Son, dear son, what have you done, you are sent to Charlottetown."

I was put on board an eastbound train that cold December day,
At every station I would pass I'd hear the people say
"There goes that Boston Burglar, in strong chains he is bound,
Some cried to the others, he is bound for Charlottetown."
 
I have a girl in Boston city, a girl that I love well,
And if ever I get my liberty, along with her I'll dwell,
If ever I get my liberty, bad company I'll shun,
Like wise, night walking, gambling, and the drinking of bad rum.

Now boys you have your liberty, pray keep it if you can
And don't go out on the streets at night, and break the law of man
For if you do, you'll surely rue, you'll find yourselves like me
Serving out  your twenty-one years, in the penitentiary







 
 

[Johnm]

Hi Lynda,
Welcome to Weenie Campbell.  The lyrics you posted seem closest to those sung by the Hickory Nuts as "The Louisville Burglar", with place names changed.  I remember the New Lost City Ramblers recorded it on their Vol. 2 recording.  Did your Dad sing a lot of songs like this?  It's great that you have some recordings of him singing them.
All best,
Johnm