Topic: Banjo Ikey Robinson lyrics

[mr mando]

Wow, I've been way off the track in almost all the verses!! Shame on me! And thanks banjochris for your help with this. Excellent hearing!! Do you listen with headphones?? I agree with your transcription completely.

Anyway, it seems like BIR's lyrics for "Without a Dime" are highly original except for the more traditional lines in verse 4. My understanding of the first two lines of the last verse is that he's really determined to be at the station in time to really catch the train, but I don't get the connection with the tag-line, so maybe I'm wrong.

I think it's time now to post the next bunch of lyrics. Ikey Robinson recorded and toured heavily for the rest of 1929 up to February 1930. After "Without A Dime", he did 15 sides with Jabbo Smith's Rhythm Aces, probably about 10 sides as one of the Hokum Boys, a couple with Alex Hill under the moniker "Down Home Boys", he was backing Hilda Alexander & Mamie McClure, Bertha ?Chippie? Hill, and possibly David Cross on one or two sides each and ended the year as banjo-player and singer in Sammy Stewart's touring band. After recording with Alex Hill's band in late 1929 and early 1930, he moved with Sammy Stewart's band from Chicago to New York playing one nighters on the way. At one point he was forced to pawn his expensive Bacon & Day Montana banjo to pay for the repair of the band's bus, so he arrived in NY with just his National Tricone tenor guitar. It didn't seem to take him long to earn enough to get his banjo back, though, because when he started to record again under his own leadership with a hokum trio called "Hokum Trio", he definitely played a tenor banjo. The "Hokum Trio" consisted of BIR on banjo and vocals, Alex Hill on piano (he's also the lead vocalist on take 1 of "I?m Havin? My Fun") and Cecil Scott on clarinet. On May 1st, 1930, this band recorded four songs, doing at least two takes of two songs. The songs were "I?m Havin? My Fun", "You?ve Had Your Way" (I mentioned the Chicago recording of this song above), "He Wouldn?t Stop Doing It" and "You?re Bound To Look Like A Monkey". The songs were either composed by Hill or Robinson. The songs are differently structured. "I?m Havin? My Fun" is a 32 bar tune in Eb, "You?ve Had Your Way" is a 16 bar tune (without the 16 bar introductory verse he recorded in Chicago), "He Wouldn?t Stop Doing It" is a 12 bar blues with a minor progression in the first 3 bars (similar to Rev. G. Davis' "Hesitation Blues") and "You?re Bound To Look Like A Monkey" is a 16 bar tune in F.
When listening to "I?m Havin? My Fun", it's interesting to consider that these lyrics were written six months after the big Wall Street crash of 1929. 

I'm fairly confident that my transcriptions are very close to the recordings, but still four (or more) ears are better than two, so I put them up for discussion.

I?m Havin? My Fun (Take 1)

I?m mighty glad I?m living and I?ve really just begun
every day is my thanksgiving, I?m having my fun

And I?m always in a hurry when my day?s work is done
and I never have a worry, I?m having my fun

The one I love is always waiting with a smile to greet me
And all my troubles have to wait when she runs out to meet me

And early in the morning I?m up to greet the sun
seems the world was made just for me, I?m having my fun


I?m Havin? My Fun (Take 3)

I?m mighty glad I?m living and I?ve really just begun
every day is my thanksgiving, I?m having my fun

And I?m always in a hurry when my day?s work is done
and I never have a worry, I?m having my fun

The one I love is always waiting with a smile to greet me
And all my troubles have to wait when she runs out to meet me

And early in the morning I?m up to greet the sun
seems the world was made just for me, I?m having my fun


You?ve Had Your Way

Now you had your way pretty baby you?ve had your way mama mama all the lovin? time
Someday I?m going to leave you sweetheart you can have your way and I?ll have mine

Every cloud baby don?t you know it has a silver lining, mama why don?t you try and wait til until the lovin? sun shine I mean baby shine through
You can find you somebody else then sweetheart I?ll try to find me somebody too

Scat


He Wouldn?t Stop Doing It (Take 1)

Now history tells it bout old black Joe he walked bent over with his head bowed low
Cause he wouldn?t stop doing it, cause he wouldn?t stop doing it
He chopped too much cotton but he?ll stop doing it now

Our neighbour?s rooster kept chasin? our hen, we told him not to never let him do it again
But he wouldn?t stop doing it, cause he wouldn?t stop doing it
Llast night we had stew and he?ll stop doing it now

Old Aunt Jane she?s got a pain in her back her face looks just like a funeral pack
Cause she wouldn?t stop doing it, cause she wouldn?t stop doing it
She lifted too many ash cans but she?ll stop doing it now


He Wouldn?t Stop Doing It (Take 3)

Now history tells it bout old black Joe he walked bent over with his head bowed low
Cause he wouldn?t stop doing it, cause he wouldn?t stop doing it
He chopped too much cotton but he?ll stop doing it now

Now our neighbour?s rooster kept chasin? our hen, we told him not to never let him do it again
But he wouldn?t stop doing it, cause he wouldn?t stop doing it
Now last night we had stew and he?ll stop doing it now

Now old Aunt Jane she?s got a pain in her back her face looks just like a funeral pack
Cause she wouldn?t stop doing it, cause she wouldn?t stop doing it
She lifted too many ash cans but she?ll stop doing it now


You?re Bound To Look Like A Monkey

I can tell by your face you belong to the monkey race
So you?re bound to look like a monkey when you get old
When you get old, when you get old, oh Lord
You?re bound to look like a monkey when you get old

I can tell by your hair you got a monkey in you somewhere
So you?re bound to look like a monkey when you get old
When you get old, when you get old, oh Lord
You?re bound to look like a monkey when you get old

I can tell by your feet that you ain?t had much to eat
So you?re bound to look like a monkey when you get old
When you get old, when you get old, oh Lord
You?re bound to look like a monkey when you get old

I can tell by your jaw that a monkey must a been your pa
So you?re bound to look like a monkey when you get old
When you get old, when you get old, oh Lord
You?re bound to look like a monkey when you get old


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[mr mando]

He Wouldn?t Stop Doing It (Take 1) & (Take 3) and You're Bound To look Like A Monkey

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[mr mando]

The 2nd line in this 2nd verse begins "You don't wanna rock...", but the ending is tricky. I don't hear "rubbin' kind".

The ending of this line in "Rock Me Mama" is indeed tricky.

"You don?t wanna rock you?re just a rotten kind" or is it "...rotter kind" or even "a-rather kind" Help with this missing bit would really be appreciated!!

[uncle bud]

Hi mr mando - I haven't had time to go through some of the recent Banjo Ikey Robinson lyrics you've posted, but will get to them one day in the not too distant future, I hope. Just wanted to thank you for starting this thread as I'm learning about a musician of whom I knew little.

[mr mando]

Banjo Ikey Robinson re-recorded two of the songs from his May 1st, 1930 session three weeks later with a Clarence Williams led group, but obviously his band work kept him busy enough not to enter a studio for almost nine months. On February 6th, 1931, though, he turned up as the leader of an outfit called "The Pods Of Pepper", consisting of two unknowns on piano and drums, a kazoo player called Ralph Anderson and Ikey himself on vocals, tenor banjo and tenor guitar. Four sides were recorded, among others the instrumental "Get Off Stuff" (well, almost instrumental; there's a vocal interjection: "Get off stuff! Play it!") and another re-recording of "You?ve Had Your Way".

This time, "You?ve Had Your Way" is played even faster, and again, the verse section is omitted. Instead, ample room is given to tenor banjo and kazoo solos. BIR adds lots of n-sounds to the words.

You?ve Had Your Way

Hey you?n have your way pretty baby you?n have your way all the time
But someday I?m gonna leave, goin? leave you sweetheart?n you can have your way I?ll have mine

Every cloud, baby, needs silver lining, why don?t you wait, mama, until the sun shine through-loulouloulou
You?n find you somebody else sweetheart I?ll try to find me somebody too



"Gee I Hate To Loose That Girl" is a 32 bar pop song with a 16 bar verse section before the main form. The last 8 bars of the 32 bar chorus are used as introduction. This is one of the very few BIR lyrics (maybe the only one) where he's definitely not happy! The sound of the instrument Ikey's playing is completely different from the banjo sound of "You?ve Had Your Way" from the same session, but also from the National tricone tenor guitar sound of his Chicago recordings. I'm convinced that he's using a steel bodied National Triolian tenor guitar for this recording.

Gee I Hate To Loose That Girl

You feel good, I feel bad, things I know makin? me sad
You don?t know what makes your little daddy feel blue
Have your way, have your sayin?, blues will find you out some day
You will lose your pal like I have


I gave her everything that I could get made lots of promises that wouldn?t quit
Although she?s gone away and left me blue. Gee I hate to lose that gal

I tried to make her think that I was wrong I tried to make her stay but now she?s gone
I know the way I feel I can?t live long. Gee I hate to lose that gal

When she was leaving here?s what she said ?Daddy don?t you feel bad,
Just stop your grieving lift up your head, there?s plenty of a thing that you can do instead?

Since baby went away things have been so blue gee how I miss that gal, does she miss me too
And if she don?t came back Lord what will I do? Gee I hate to lose that gal


"I Was A Good Loser Until I Lost You" is another verse - chorus pop song, but with a different structure than "Gee I Hate To Loose That Girl". Here, we have a 16 bar structure for the verse and 18 bars (16 + 2 bar tag) for the chorus. Neither BIR nor Ralph Anderson are singing, so maybe it's the drummer or the piano player. Ikey is playing his probably newly acquired National Triolian tenor again. I'm not so sure with the transcription of the verse and would appreciate any kind of help.

I Was A Good Loser Until I Lost You

Looks like you see me [], I watch you night and day
You have done me wrong and now you must pay
No use denying no need of crying you always had your way
And now that we?re through good-bye good luck to you
Believe me

I was a good loser till I lost you, you left me feeling awfully blue
I tried to please you in every way, night and day so you say
I stayed home every night no place to go I even played the part of Romeo
I spent my money like a millionaire until I lost you
Baby until I lost you

I stayed home every night no place to go I even played the part of Romeo
I spent my money like a millionaire honey until I lost you
Baby until I lost you




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[banjochris]

Hey Mr Mando - thanks for more Banjo Ikey!

Couple of of things -- the 'n sounds in the first and fourth lines are actually the word "can" -- he's just swallowing it a bit.

And the missing bit in "I Was a Good Loser" -- the first line begins:

Looks are deceiving, seeing is believing...
Chris

[mr mando]

Hi mr mando - I haven't had time to go through some of the recent Banjo Ikey Robinson lyrics you've posted, but will get to them one day in the not too distant future, I hope. Just wanted to thank you for starting this thread as I'm learning about a musician of whom I knew little.

You're welcome! Actually I want to thank you for the contribution so far. I just created an artist page for BIR in weeniepedia (click here) and a BIR lyrics page too(click here). I added all the lyrics we worked out so far, including "Rock Me Mama", where I marked the part we're not sure about. I'll edit it as soon as we solve the mystery.

[mr mando]

Hey Mr Mando - thanks for more Banjo Ikey!
Couple of of things -- the 'n sounds in the first and fourth lines are actually the word "can" -- he's just swallowing it a bit.
And the missing bit in "I Was a Good Loser" -- the first line begins:
Looks are deceiving, seeing is believing...
Chris

banjochris, thanks again for your help with Ikey's lyrics! Please check out the BIR artist page and lyrics page that I added to weeniepedia (links are in the post above) and let me know what you think. I was aware of the meaning of the 'n sounds, but thought it might be of interest that Ikey not only changed the meaning of the lyrics slightly, but also his approach to singing. This slight change in style (the influence of the big apple??) also shows up in the next two songs I'll post as soon as I have the mp3s ready.

[mr mando]

Hi all,
after his studio session with the "Pods of Pepper", Ikey Robinson kept being busy with gigs in Harlem and small tours that led him out of town. Apart from an appearance as a vocalist on a Fletcher Henderson side, "Take Me Away From The River" (if you think psychedelic music was invented in the 60s, listen to this!) on March 10th, 1932, Ikey didn't enter a studio for almost two and a half years. On July 17th, 1933 though, he recorded two sides with pianist Herman Chittison under the "Ivory Chittison and Banjo Joe" moniker (some discographies say it was "Ivory Chittison and Banjo Ikey", I've never seen a label scan of Vo 25011, so I'm not sure). One side was a remake of "My Four Reasons", the other one being a new composition called "Unlucky Blues". Despite its name, "Unlucky Blues" is a 32 bar pop song with a remarkable vocal that seems to be an imitation of Cab Calloway. There are more than one contemporary reports, though, indicating that indeed Calloway was inspired by Robinson's vocal style.

The recording of "My Four Reasons" from this session, bursting with sheer exuberance, is one of my favorite recordings ever. Both Chittison and Robinson were at the top of their abilities, swinging like hell and having a good time. 44 years later, when Bob Rusch asked Ikey in an interview for Cadence magazine: "Over your whole career, what have you enjoyed the most, if you could do it again?", Ikey answered: "I'd like to be able to make some more records with Clarence Williams, I enjoyed working with Clarence and Eva Taylor. And I would enjoy doing a duo like I had with Mike McKendrick (Ike and Mike) and with Herman Chittison."

Below are the lyrics for everybody to check against the mp3s I've added.

Unlucky Blues ? Ivory Chittison & Banjo Joe

So sad, so sad, so sad, so sad, so saaaaaaaad,
He?s sad, so sad, so sad, so sad, so sad,
Sad, so sad, so sad, so sad, so sad,
He was sad, so sad, so sad, so sad,

Why am I so unlucky, what did I ever do?
I guess I?m just unlucky, just unlucky blue

Why should I have trouble, and have some misery too?
I guess just because I?m unlucky, just unlucky blue

Why should I have trouble, what makes me lonely and blue?
Ten years? time and I can?t keep from cryin?, wonderin? why I?m downhearted too.

Fate was so unkind, tell me what can I do
I guess I?m just unlucky, just unlucky blue

Scat

My Four Reasons ? Ivory Chittison & Banjo Joe

I hate a girl who?s full of ?Nos?, hits the jug and uses joe
That?s one of my four reasons

Who rolls her own below her knees, and flirts with those and flirts with these
That?s two of my four reasons

And when she chews that garlic, and eats Limburger cheese
I get an awful weakness far down below my knees

Now folks I told you this and that, my mind?s at ease
That?s all of my four reasons

Scat


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[mr mando]

Before I post the remaining lyrics from the Banjo Ikey Robinson JPCD-Document CD during the next couple of weeks, I thought I bump this thread to the top of the list and remind you all that there is still one unclear spot in the lyric transcriptions, "Rock Me Mama" in the 6th line.

And could somebody please check my transcription of "Unlucky Blues" in the post just above? I'll move it to the BIR lyrics page at weeniepedia as soon as it's confirmed by another poster.

[uncle bud]

Mr. mando - A couple things:

Unlucky Blues

Intro: I'd say the end of the first line is a "waaaaaa..."  

3.1 Why should I have trouble, and LOTS OF misery too?
3.2 I guess IT'S just because I?m unlucky, just unlucky blue

4.1 Why should I have trouble, what makes me lonely and blue?
4.2 SITTIN' HERE SIGHIN' and I can?t keep from cryin?, wonderin? why I?m downhearted too.

5.1 Fate IS so unkind, tell me what can I do
5.2 I guess I?m just unlucky, just unlucky blue

[mr mando]

Thanks uncle bud! I agree with all your changes and have added Unlucky Blues to the Banjo Ikey Robinson lyrics page at weeniepedia.

[mr mando]

After the duet sides with Herman Chittison, Ikey started to record once more with Clarence Williams in late summer and autumn of 1933 and autumn of 1934. There were 13 sides released as by ?Clarence Williams Jug Band? and another 8 sides by the ?Alabama Jug Band?. For the Alabama Jug Band sides Ikey used an alias of ?Hambone Jackson?, but if he had not confirmed his participation later on, he would still be recognized immediately because of his singing. On most of these sides, Ikey also plays tenor guitar solos, probably on his National Triolian tenor, which have earned him favorable comparison with Eddie Lang?s playing.
Late autumn of 1934 saw Ikey back in Chicago, having moved back following his girlfriend Tressie Mitchell. Tressie started to sing with Ikey?s small swing band and it?s the same band that recorded 4 sides on July 2, 1935, three of which were instrumentals. This is the first recording session to feature Ikey?s clarinet playing.
If you ever have a chance to pick up the unfortunately out of print Ikey Robinson Document CD on JPCD-1508-2, the tune ?A Minor Swing? alone is worth the price of a CD.
The fourth recorded tune at the mentioned date is a 32-bar pop song, which features Ikey?s lucky-go-happy lyrics sung by Tressie Mitchell and Ikey?s scat vocal. I don?t agree with Tom Tsotsi?s opinion (published in Joslin's Jazz Journal) that Big Mike McKendrick is the guitarist here. The guitar intro is clearly played by Ikey on a national tenor, not on a six string archtop as Big Mike would have used since his sessions with Cleo Brown. The guitar accompaniment during Ikey?s scat chorus is rhythmically synchronized to his singing, especially with the triplets in the final 8 bars. During the unaccompanied piano bridge, Ikey has plenty of time to switch to clarinet for the riff part and, surprise, there?s no guitar anymore.
Here are the lyrics for you all to check:

Sunshine - Ikey Robinson and his Windy City Five

I heard the rose say to the dew, oh I?m so happy how ?bout you
Every little sunbeam added to the sunshine makes just a little bit more

I heard the birdies sing in the trees I saw a leave breaking the tree
Every little sunbeam added to the sunshine makes just a little bit more

Now old man thunder said to the rain let?s make a whoopee today
And then Mr. Sunshine said to them both oh why don?t you go your way

I heard a robin singing this song I saw the clouds rolling along
Every little sunbeam added to the sunshine makes just a little bit more

Scat

Every little sunbeam added to the sunshine makes just a little bit more


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[dj]

I think the first line of the second verse is "I heard the birdies sing in the trees I saw THE LEAVES BREAK IN the TREES"

[mr mando]

dj, I think you're right! I'll wait a couple of days if anybody else has any comments and then will transfer the lyrics to the Banjo Ikey Robinson lyrics page.