Topic: Big Maceo Lyrics

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I've been listening a lot recently to a 2-CD set of Detroit Blues and noticed that every time a Big Maceo track came on, I was so happy to hear his music.  For "County Jail", Big Maceo played piano out of Bb and was joined by Tampa Red.  What a beautiful cut!  I feel like there's much to be learned from this cut, in the sense that neither player is going for anything consciously innovative in what he is doing--rather they are speaking and communicating comfortably in their own ways of expressing themselves in the style.  And that is more than enough, it is a treat in every way.  I love everything about Big Maceo's singing, including note choices, and he sets up such a rock solid groove on the piano, heavy time, and is perfectly willing to let Tampa Red handle all of the fills and solo space, something Red was certainly perfectly qualified to do.  They rock to a V7 chord in the second bar of the form, something you run into a bit less often than rocking to a IV7 chord, and it is a nice touch.  Here is the track:



They picked me up and put me in the county jail
They picked me up and put me in the county jail
They wouldn't even let my woman come and go my bail

Now I'm in prison, but I've almost did my time
Now I'm in prison, but I've almost did my time
They give me six months, but I have to work out nine

Course, I know my baby, she's gonna jump and shout
I know my baby, she's gonna jump and shout
When that train roll up, and I come walkin' out

SOLO (Spoken: Now play 'em, Mr. Tampa)

So take these stripes from 'round me, chain 'way from 'round my leg
These stripes from 'round me, and these chains from 'round my leg
Well, these stripes don't hurt me, but these chain gonna kill me dead

All best,
Johnm

[Stuart]

Good choice, John. Here's a collection:

http://www.arhoolie.com/blues/big-maceo-merriweather-the-king-of-chicago-blues-piano.html?sl=EN

One of my favorites is "Maceo's 32-20" -- A toss up between an ode to domestic violence and/or tender love poetry:


I  first heard it back in the late 60s-early 70s on one of the LP anthologies and I was hooked.

[Johnm]

Yes, Stuart, "32.20" was my intro to Big Maceo's music, too.  I remember it was on RBF on "The Country Blues, Vol. 2", one of the early re-issues curated by Sam Charters.  I remember the same album had Luke Jordan's "Church Bell Blues" and Bo Carter's "I'm An Old Bumble Bee", along with Henry Townsend's "She's Got A Mean Disposition".  Talk about a lot of meat and not many potatoes!
All best,
Johnm

[Stuart]

...Talk about a lot of meat and not many potatoes!

Sam certainly knew how to package the good stuff--And corrupt the youth of America in the process!

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Here is the performance that Stuart alluded to, "Maceo's 32-20", for which he is once again joined by Tampa Red.  Maceo plays the song in G, and Tampa Red accompanies him in G position without a slide, and on an electric guitar, rather than a National.  Maceo's descending signature lick on this rendition is so powerful.  Here it is:



I walked all night long, with my 32-20 in my hand
I walked all night long, with my 32-20 in my hand
Looking for my woman, well, I found her with another man

When I found that woman, they was walkin' hand in hand
When I found that woman, they was walkin' hands in hand
Well, she didn't surprise me, when I found her with another man

She started screaming, "Murder!", and I had never raised my hand
She started screaming, "Murder!", babe, and I had never raised my hand
Terrible, she know I had them covered, 'cause I had the steel right there in my hand

SOLO

I ain't no bully, and I don't go for the baddest man in town
I ain't no bully, and I ain't the baddest man in town
When I catch a man with my woman, I usually tear his playhouse down

All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Big Maceo composed and recorded one of the most covered of Blues songs, "Worried Life Blues".  It's an 8-bar chorus blues, and the combination of strong lyrics an audience can identify with and a good melody proved an irresistible combination.  The fact that Big Maceo could sing the way he did certainly didn't hurt the song either!.  Tampa Red once again shows himself to be a wonderfully sympathetic playing partner.  Most of the covers of the song that I have heard change the lyric of the refrain to "But someday, baby, you ain't gonna worry my life any more".  I much prefer Big Maceo's lyric--it's much more hopeless, and has an emptiness to its promise of better times ahead that is more wrenching than the changed lyric.



Oh Lordy-Lord, oh Lordy-Lord,
It hurts me so bad for us to part
REFRAIN: But someday, baby, I ain't gonna worry my life any more

So many night since you been gone
I been worried and grievin', my life alone
REFRAIN: But someday, baby, I ain't gonna worry my life any more

So many day since you went away
I had to worry both night and day
REFRAIN: But someday, baby, I ain't gonna worry my life any more

SOLO (Spoken before solo: No, boy, I ain't gonna worry my life no more.  Yeah, yeah!)

You on my mind every place I go
How much I love you, nobody knows
REFRAIN: But someday, baby, I ain't gonna worry my life any more

So that's my story, this is all I got to say to you
Goodbye, baby, and I don't care what you do
REFRAIN: But someday, baby, I ain't gonna worry my life any more

All best,
Johnm

[eric]

[For some reason,the link didn't work for me, but I found the cut on Youtube.]

I really like Big Maceo.  Blues Classics put out that great double LP back in the day that got a lot of play here; I'm gonna have to dig that out.  Thanks for posting that.

[blueshome]

Love Maceo. Also love Lightnin's early version of Worried Life:

[Lignite]

Here is Lightnin's earliest recorded adaptation of Worried Life Blues recorded for Aladdin in 1947. Notice how he freely changed the verses but kept the refrain and claimed authorship of the song.
http://picosong.com/XdAv

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I recently found Big Maceo's recording of "Poor Kelly Blues", from 1941, on youtube and was surprised to discover that R. L. Burnside's "See What My Buddy Done" was a cover of it.  For Big Maceo's recording, he was joined by Tampa Red, and hearing those two musicians work together, I find myself thinking that they are the equal of any piano/guitar blues duet that ever recorded.  The song has a striking set of lyrics and a pretty unusual phrasing scheme.  For most verses, the flow is: A for the first four bars, the first half of A for the second four bars and the second half of A for the final four bars.  It's an indication of the seriousness with which the duo took that song and the story it tells that they chose not to interrupt the flow of the song with a solo.  Here is "Poor Kelly Blues":



INTRO

I went up on the mountain, to see what poor Kelly done, he killed his woman, and didn't even 'tempt to run
Up on the mountain, just to see what poor Kelly done
Well, he killed his woman, and he didn't even 'tempt to run

When I found poor Kelly, he was standing in the door, with a .32-20, and a .44
When I found poor Kelly, he was standing in the door
With a .32-20 and a hard-hitting .44

I asked him, was he sorry, he said, "No, buddy, no, just can't stand the way she was treatin' me anymore.
Just couldn't stand the way she was doin' me, anymore.
She's a dirty mistreater.  She won't jive me no more."

He said, "I know I love her, better than I did myself.  She misused me for somebody else.
She know I loved her better than I did myself.
Still, she tried to misuse me for somebody else."

"I know they gonna get me,", he said, "but I know I don't care.  They may even send me to the electric chair.
I know they gonna get me, but, baby, I don't care.
There's one consolation, they won't leave my woman here."

All best,
Johnm     

[Lignite]

I now realize that Messin' Up recorded  by Lil Son Jackson for Imperial in 1955 is also a cover of this great blues song.

[Johnm]

Good find, Lightnin'!  I had actually transcribed the lyrics to "Messin' Up" a couple of years ago when I was on a Lil Son Jackson transcribing binge, but had completely forgotten about the song since then.  I wouldn't be surprised if there were some more covers of "Poor Kelly Blues" out there that we haven't discovered yet.
All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
For "Kid Man Blues", Big Maceo was joined by Tampa Red on guitar and Melvin Draper on drums.  The song has an irresistible trucking rhythm with Tamp Red, for the most part, playing a moving bass line, eight-to-the-bar.  the way the song goes to a V7 chord in the second bar makes it sound like it is going to be an 8-bar blues, but Big Maceo foxes us and goes for the 12-bar form.  I sure love Big Maceo's singing.  Here is the song:



I had a woman, I had a woman, had a mouthful of shiny gold
I had a woman, had a mouthful of shiny gold
This woman made trouble everywhere she go

She had a man, on her man, and a kid man on her kid
She had a man on her man, and a kid man on her kid
She had some many men, until she couldn't keep it hid

I left that woman, one mornin', just about, break of day
I left that woman one mornin', just about the break of day
You know, I packed my suitcase, made my get-away (Spoken: Yeah, man!)

PIANO SOLO

Here I am, in Chicago, and I'm doin' very well
Here I am in Chicago, and I'm doin' very well
I don't find the woman I love, I just live alone, by myself

Baby, you're gonna weep, and moan, fall down on your knees
You're gonna weep and moan, fall down on your knees
You gonna tell the whole world, how you mistreated me

All best,
Johnm
 

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Wow, I just found a sensational number by Big Maceo from 1942, "Anytime For You", for which he was joined by Tampa Red and a drummer.  Each verse begins with a lyric break, and when Maceo takes a solo (something he didn't do all that often), it is hilariously exciting, one of the rockingest things you're ever likely to hear.  When someone plays the piano like that, it can make a guitar seem like a little toy.  Here is the cut:



INTRO

I trusted in you, right from the start, you messed around until you broke my heart
REFRAIN: Any time for you, and all the time for me
Some day you're gonna be sorry, the way you treated me

You leave me in the morning, come home late at night, but have the nerve to tell me that you treated me right
REFRAIN: Any time for you, and all the time for me
Babe, you're gonna be sorry, the way you treated me

You is a liar and a cheater, too.  The things you do to me is coming home to you
REFRAIN: Any time for you, and all the time for me
You're gonna be sorry, the way you treated me (Spoken: Pick 'em, boy, pick 'em!)

SOLO

Pack up your clothes and get out of my flat, and let my doorknob hit you in your back
REFRAIN: Any time for you, and all the time for me
You're gonna be sorry, the way you treated me

All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
For his "Big Road Blues", recorded in 1945, Big Maceo was joined by Tampa Red on guitar.  Their duo is surely one of the finest piano-guitar pairings ever recorded in the blues.  Tampa Red, especially in his fills, sounds really modern here, with some beautiful distortion on his electric guitar.  Here is the song:



INTRO

Babe, I ain't going down, that big road all by myself
Baby, I ain't going down, that big road all by myself
If I can't take you, baby, I'll just have to take somebody else

I love you, baby, and I want you by my side
I love you, baby, and I want you by my side
If I don't love you, baby, well, I declare I hope to die

Whoo-ee, baby, please come and go with me
Whoo-ee, baby, please come and go with me
If you go with me, baby, I'll try and be as kind as I can be (Spoken: Lay it on me, boy!)

GUITAR SOLO (Spoken during solo:  I hear you, Tampa, I hear you, man.)

Hey, baby, it's a long old lonesome road
Hey, baby, it's a long old lonesome road
If you can't go with me, baby, somebody else will have to go

All best,
Johnm