Topic: Blind Lemon Jefferson lyrics

[uncle bud]

The little woman said to me "it's all the world weary blues"

I had seen it transcribed elsewhere as this, and just didn't hear it. After repeated listenings to that line, I'm more open to it, although he seems to pronounce 'weary' more like 'worried'. I'm not sure. Will have to do some deep headphone listening.

'cause of me commentatin' etc etc

Makes more sense...

[Bunker Hill]

The little woman said to me "it's all the world weary blues"

I had seen it transcribed elsewhere as this, and just didn't hear it. After repeated listenings to that line, I'm more open to it, although he seems to pronounce 'weary' more like 'worried'. I'm not sure. Will have to do some deep headphone listening.

'cause of me commentatin' etc etc

Makes more sense...

"headphone listening" is just what I've done and as you suggest it could be "worried", though I wonder why it sprung so immediately to mind. I was an avid follower of the Bob Groom BLJ series of transcription in Blues World (1968-1970) and perhaps it was my memory visualising rather than hearing.

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Good for you, Uncle Bud, for starting this thread!  I agree, Lemon's lyrics are often really great and often really hard to hear, both.  I don't have anything to contribute right now, because I'm away from my Lemon recordings, but I'm looking forward to getting a pile of his songs transcribed.
All best,
Johnm

[GhostRider]

And again, for those of us w/o the complete BLJ, and .mp3 would be handy.

Alex

[Bunker Hill]

These here women want these men to act like [some ox from dawn]
I said these women want these men to act like [some ox from dawn]
Grab a pick and shovel and roll from sun to sun

This is a real ear bender. After repeated listening I think he's trying to sing 'like some oxen drawn'. There's definitely an 'ox' sound there. If that's so I can't fathom the imagery nor the link with the final line.

Going back to Dry Southern, listening to that first verse I think he's singing "My mind leads me.." but the last words of the stanza baffle me, sounds like he's naming a location.

[dj]

"Some ox from dawn" sounds right to me.

If that's so I can't fathom the imagery nor the link with the final line.

I think the imagery is this:  oxen would have been used for really heavy work, hauling loads that mules couldn't handle.  So to "act like some ox from dawn" would be to start doing really heavy hard work from the moment the sun comes up.  Which would be the same as grabbing a pick and shovel and working from sun [up] to sun [down].  (Please forgive me if I'm just stating the obvious here, or if I'm missing something equally obvious.)

[banjochris]

These are from memory and I'll give another listen when I'm home, but I'm pretty sure about these, except the first one:

Take a trip down south and stop at a [fatmouth's house?]
Take a trip down south and stuff the (or "your," can't remember) fatmouth out.

The little woman [ ] me [I saw it?s the Fort Worth blues]
The little woman sent me a saucerful of worried blues.

And a mouth full of lip [pronounced leep?], I guarantees it's everywhere.
Can't vouch for the last couple of words, but she has a mouth full of Levi Garrett, a brand of spittin' tobbaccy. Still being made.

Chris

[uncle bud]

Bunker Hill - re. the first line of Dry Southern, I agree it sounds like "leads" in the first line, although I'm still hearing an "n" in the repeated line. This is probably an elision between the "n" sound of "mind" and the dropping of the "l" in "leads". Or maybe the "l" is there in the 2nd line and I'm just not hearing it.

Banjochris - that's really great. I definitely think you've nailed the "saucerful of worried blues" line. I don't quite hear "sent",  and if I was to go by what I thought I was hearing, without regards to sense, I'd guess something like "slugged". "The little woman slugged me a saucerful of worried blues." Like I said, little sense.

Likewise "mouthful of Levi Garrett". Excellent. That line would then go something like "And a mouthful of Levi Garrett [??ee] is everywhere". Not being a chaw aficionado, that would have taken me years. Here's a link to a page about the evil products (says the fellow trying to quit smoking still) http://www.cwdlp.com/ourCompany.htm, and attached is a jpg of a bag of Levi Garrett.

I'll make all of these changes.

[attachment deleted by admin]

[waxwing]

Could the line in Dry Southern Blues be:

The little woman served me a saucerful of worried blues

If it was pronounced "suvved" it might sound a lot like "slugged" especially if he kinda got hung up on the "s" for a sec.

All for now.
John C.

[uncle bud]

I think you're right, John C. Served/"suvved" certainly makes sense. I'll listen a bit more but believe you've got it.

Alex, while we've certainly included mp3s in threads for individual songs that people are working on (usually for performance/playing, i.e. educational, purposes) and will continue to do so, for these more comprehensive threads I don't think we can start posting mp3s for all the songs discussed and transcribed. For one thing, in this thread alone, there is the potential for 90+ transcriptions eventually (not that we'll get there anytime soon). Aside from space issues, there's the issue of moving too close onto the turf of the reissue labels we want to encourage.

Dry Southern Blues is available on the (essential IMO) Best of Blind Lemon Jefferson CD from Yazoo, and of course on Document vol 1, and as part of the (very cheap!) JSP set. And while it's not necessarily practical for transcription purposes, it is on the Juke for anyone who doesn't have it and wants to listen to the song under discussion.

Hope that makes sense.

[Bunker Hill]

Can't vouch for the last couple of words, but she has a mouth full of Levi Garrett, a brand of spittin' tobbaccy. Still being made.

Yeah, Levi Garrett, brilliant well done - and I can hear it being mentioned in another pre-war blues song but from a pianist I think....any offers?

[Baird]

Here's the best I could do on Blind Lemon Jefferson's 'Beggin Back'.



Beggin' Back

   oh my baby take me back
   wa wa wa wa take me back

   listen here mama i'll be good
   make your fire and cut your wood

   when i had you, it wouldn't do
   i got another and i don't want you

oh go on old joker, everytime it get cold
you come in to beggin me to take you back
you know i don't care anything for you
why do you worry me so?
you treats me like, like you uhh just believe me now
baby, i wants to tell you, you ain't been actin right for the last thirty days
now and  when i come home afternoons my meals are not ready
and you know i'm a man who can't stand such as that
i want to eat when eating time comes
and shu sugar, now listen here, you sure is worrying my mind
i want you to stop that because you gon, you gonna find everything outdo'

   every evening half past eight
   i'm laying around  rich mans gate

   working and studying, thinking out the plan
   how to get that biscuit out that rich mans hand

   rich man's hand, rich man's hand
   trying to get that biscuit out that rich man's hand

listen women, tell me what in the world is a matter with you
you is acting awful funny gal, you acting so naughty
now listen, i'm gonna tell you one thing, i ain't gonna tell you no mo'
you gotta use a new system baby from the way you been acting the last thirty days
now, if you don't, tonight when you come home you'll find a moving wagon
at yo' gate and your clothes at the front gate
and a man sitting up there lord he wont quit
and.... honey that's all

   you gonna thank me. won't you black?
   i ain't gonna beg you to take me back

   i went walking down the line
   people this women changed her mind

   she turned round two three times
   take you back, jelly what a jive

[onewent]

...that's cool, baird, one of my favorites of many Lemon favorites ... one comment, I think in the very last line I hear 'take me back in the winter time'

[uncle bud]

I hear "take me back in the winter time" as well. Many thanks for this Baird! Nice job.

[banjochris]

Nice transcription. I've got a couple of suggestions in the spoken part (definitely the hardest part to decipher):

you come in to beggin me to take you back
you commence to beggin' me to take you back

you treats me like, like you uhh just believe me now
you treats me like, like you uhh fixin' to leave me now

Chris