Good God, why doesn't that man yodel and be done with it? - A woman in the audience commenting on Peetie Wheatstraw's signature "ooh, well well", recounted by Teddy Darby, quoted in Paul Garon's The Devil's Son-In-Law
Hi all, Guitar Shorty (John Henry Fortescue) recorded "Don't Cry, Baby" for his Trix album, "Guitar Shorty-Alone In His Field". He accompanied himself in EAEGBE tuning, as he did for all of his songs. Shorty could be really funny and entertaining on occasion, and like other musicians who could be funny (Furry Lewis comes to mind), I think there can be a tendency to underrate his musicianship and musical gifts. In fact, he was a very strong, accomplished and original guitarist and he utilized and discovered a lot of ideas and possibilities in EAEGBE tuning that had not been found by previous guitarists who had utilized that tuning. Moreover, he had the ability to improvise lyrics and expressed himself with great freedom in the blues. "Don't Cry, Baby" does sound like many of the lyrics Shorty sings are arriving in the moment. That last verse is amazing. Here is "Don't Cry, Baby":
INTRO
Baby, don't moan, don't cry, baby Don't cry, baby, baby don't, please don't cry on my shoulder Baby, you cry so much, darlin', honey, you know I don't know what to do
Said, I'm go home, and I ain't gon' stay here no more No, I ain't gon' stay here, ain't gon' stay here no more You know the ways I got, baby, gonna make me lose my mind
Tell me I'm gon' put on my highway shoes, I'm gon' get on down the road Yeah, I'm gon' put on my highmay [sic] shoe, I'm gonna get on down the road You know the womens up North, they don't care nothin' 'bout me
I say, hey, hey, ain't it a low-down dirty shame? Ain't, and it's a low-down dirty shame, boy, there the way I gotta travel by myself? You know, I'm gon' take my guitar, baby, I'm gonna take my bar, carry my business on
Yes, you ever darlin', try to ever treat me like a friend Oh babe, (Spoken: Aw, I got the blues!) don't you ever treat me like a friend You know the way that I got, baby, hooo-well, I'm tryin' to lose my own weary mind
CODA
Edited 11/4 to pick up corrections from Blues Vintage
All best, Johnm
« Last Edit: November 04, 2023, 04:11:02 PM by Johnm »
Said, I'm go home, and I ain't gon' stay here no more (Lord)-No-, I ain't gon' stay here, ain't gon' stay here no more You know the ways I got, baby, gonna make me lose my mind
I hear "no stay" for verse 2. "Bad" english but it works with Shorty's weird/improvised lines.
4.2 Ain't, (ain't)-and it is- a low-down dirty shame
Clsoing line - I'm tryin' to lose my -own- weary mind
Hi all, Guitar Shorty's "Workin' Hard" comes from his Trix album, "Alone In His Field", and he accompanied it in EAEGBE tuning as he did all of his songs. The song is pretty clearly improvised both instrumentally and lyrically, and he changes the form as he goes to suit the arrival of his ideas. I'd appreciate help with the bent bracketed passages and anything else I have wrong. Shorty was clearly aggrieved here and was seeking justice, musically at least. I suspect the scenario he outlines in the song was not at all uncommon. Here is "Workin' Hard":
I been working hard, just working hard Working hard, I been working hard, for that Man, gonna let me down
I been working hard, gonna let me down, sure gonna let me Down, when I work, I Can't get my pay, 'til I want it
I done worked all night, for my pay Ain't this a crime, she left enough I worked, though, and I'll work 'til the day I die
I work, I'm a working, working man I'm a wor-, I'm a working, working man When I started to workin' for the man, he don't want to give my pay I gotta run that man down for to get my money
I gotta run that man down for to get my money I gotta run, run that man, get my money When I find that man, he's somewhere that's hidin' inn the bushes to hide from me You better stop it, better stop it, your hiding from me
Look: One man told me last night, "Shorty, don't you need to worry, You gonna have some money." As Long as you live, a-don't you never, a-run and hide a man as long you live, don't you Run, don't you run, behind that man
INTERLUDE
Don't you never, run behind man, for your money I'm a-say, "And there's that man, I done begged him every night." I said, "Mister, have my money, a-ready for payday."
He's gonna have my money for payday, I'm gonna stop that man as soon as I change, I done Told that man, "Have my money, when I get there."
INTERLUDE
"Please now, mister, have my money, when I get there."
Look: I'm gon' tell you, a-what that man say, "Shorty, you stay drunk all the time.", I said, "You lied to me, yes you lied to me, Lied to me, 'cause I don't stay drunk every day."
He said, "Where you get your money?", I said, "Don't you worry 'bout that! Man, Good Lord above give me my money so I can have my strength, That's my money! I say, that's my money! Don't you worry 'bout that, 'cause Good Lord fixin' to get my money."
"You don't have to pay me nohow. You're gonna pay me some day. You better watch out. Good Lord gon' pay me my money."
HUMMING (Spoken: Play it, Shorty, go on now. Yeah!)
And the Good Lord gonna take my life from me You don't give me, don't a-pay you my money He'll pay you my money, gon' pay my money, here's somebody goin' in the ground
I take my arm, use my arm go to work I lift a hundred fertilize' bag, I lift it up and put in the truck I kill myself for y'all, and y'all don't want to even pay my money Come on, give me my money, 'fore y'all die
INTERLUDE
Don't want you give me my money, give me my money, afore I die
You can't give it to me, a-give it to my wife I love Yes, give me my money, a-give it to my wife, I love
Y'all don't want to pay me my money, don't want to pay me my money nowhere
I'll get in the field, working just as hard as I can be I'll get in the field, I'll work my money on out You gon' tell me some lie, and there sure, Guitar Shorty, Good God, some lyin'
You done lie to me! You just a-lyin' to me! You're just a-lyin' to me. You're just a-lyin' to me (Spoken: Aww, ain't that somethin', go on, boy!) You just a-lyin' to me, Guitar Shorty ain't lyin' to nobody else.
INTERLUDE (Spoken: Yeah! Go on, boy! All right)
CODA (Spoken: Guitar Shorty)
Edited 5/8 to pick up corrections from Blues Vintage, banjochris and Johnm
Thanks very much for the help, Blues Vintage and banjochris. The line-by-line was super helpful, Chris. Musically, Guitar Shorty strikes me as a sort of East Coast version of Smoky Babe. Both players had tremendous rhythmic drive and an ability to come up with lyrics on the fly--I think Smoky Babe's "Hottest Brand Goin'" has a very similar feel to "Workin' Hard" though in "Hottest Brand Goin'" Smoky Babe is bragging about his workplace rather than registering a complaint.