Topic: Buddy Boy Hawkins lyrics

[dj]

And a few on "A Rag" – I could have sworn we all talked about a transcription of this tune years ago but I can't find it on the site.

Yes.  I would swear in court that we'd gone over A Rag and come up with what you have, Chris.  But I'll be danged if I can find the discussion.

I think he mis-speaks on BVDs and inserts that extra D sound at the front end of it

Could be, John.  Before you suggested that, I was assuming that the "D" was a bowlderization of "Damned".

[banjochris]

Those both sound spot on to me, John, and I agree, he definitely stumbles at the beginning of BVDs.
Chris

PS – dj I know we had some threads disappear a few years ago when someone got annoyed and left the site and that person had started the threads. Might have been one of those. And I also remember we definitely hadn't come up with "chock-house" for that one bit, which is a great hearing of that.

[Johnm]

Thanks for the corroboration, Chris. I think we've got both those tunes about as close as I would hope to get them. I think I heard that chock-house because I've been writing a Lemon Jefferson book and reviewing his tunes, titles and lyrics.

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Buddy Boy Hawkins recorded "Number Three Blues" at a session in Chicago around April of 1927. He played it in Spanish tuning, as he did all of his recorded numbers. What a beautiful tone he had on the guitar! It's not a quality that was all that common in early blues recording. His concept for playing in Spanish tuning was all his own, too. Here is "Number Three Blues", and I'd appreciate help with anything I'm missing or have wrong.



INTRO

I done lost all my money, I ain't got nowhere to go
I say I done lost all my money, ain't got me nowhere to go
I believe to my soul, I'm 'bout to lose my brown

All these women gets mad, 'cause I wants twa, twa, twa, twa
All you women gets mad, 'cause I wants twa, twa, twa, twa
All these women gets mad, Buddy Boy, 'cause, I want dee dat dat dah

I say I flagged Number 4, mama, she kep' on easin' by
I flagged Number 4, she kep' on easin' by
I couldn't do anything, partner, but fold my little arms and cry

Here come Number 3, with her headlights turned down
I said here comes Number 3, with her headlights turned down
I believe to my soul, she's Alabama bound

Apples on my table, peaches on my shelf
Apples on my table, peaches on my shelf
I've got to stay there, to eat 'em all by myself

CODA

Edited 4/6 to pick up corrections from banjochris and Blues Vintage

All best,
Johnm


 

[banjochris]

I think there's some jokey euphamisms going on in verse 2 – Charley Jordan had a song "Twee Twee Twa" and I think Tampa Red had something similar.

I would transcribe verse 2 as

All these women gets mad, 'cause I won't twa, twa, twa, twa,
All you women gets mad, 'cause I won't twa, twa, twa, twa,
All these women gets mad, Buddy Boy, 'cause I won't dee dat dat dah.


4.3 I couldn't do ANYTHING, PARTNER, BUT fold my little arms and cry.


there's an alternate take of this on the Document Too Late Vol. 3 (given as Take 1) with verse 2 sung as verse 4 and a few little lyrical differences. He seems to lose his place just a bit on that verse and has to cram "All these women get mad" into the space of about two syllables.

Found it on YouTube:

[Johnm]

Thanks very much for the help, Chris. There was absolutely no chance that I would have figured out those line endings in verse two on my own--they've only had me baffled for about fifty-five years!

[Blues Vintage]

I agree with Chris,  "Cause" after Buddy Boy  (2.3)

All these women gets mad, Buddy Boy, 'cause


It sounds like "won't" but Hawkins possibly sings "want" or "wants".
It makes better sense as "twa" seems to refer to the female genitalia.

I remember that song by Charley Jordan with Peetie Wheatstraw on piano (last verse):

She's got these great big legs and also big whoppin' thighs (2x)
She got something in her twee twee twa, will make a blind man open his eyes

[Johnm]

Hi Blues Vintage,
I agree that "want" makes more sense than "won't" in the context, and it is what I had originally. I'll re-listen again, but I'm inclined to make that change. thanks!

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Buddy Boy Hawkins recorded "Snatch It Back Blues" at the same session at which he recorded "Number Three Blues", and it was his first session. Like "Number Three Blues" it has beautiful, relaxed time and an expanded chordal vocabulary. I'd very much appreciate help with these lyrics and the spoken introduction, wherever I have missing places or mistakes. Buddy Boy Hawkins had a vocal mannerism here of drawing out the last syllable in the first half of the first line of each verse and messing with it. I've played this for years without ever really figuring out the lyrics. Here is "Snatch It Back Blues":



INTRO (SPOKEN: Listen here, peoples--these are my blues I brung all the way from Birmingham. You know when they feels good to me, it's bound to get good for you. Now let's see how you like that?

I'm gon' lay my head, down on some railroad track
I say, I'm gon' lay my head, mama, down on some railroad track
Boy, when that train come along, (train whistle effect) I'm gonna snatch it back

Tell me, brownskin mama, where did you stay last night?
I said, tell me, mama, where did you stay last night?
With your hair all down, your face ain't never washed

I say I love you, pretty mama, I don't care what you do
I say I love you, mama, I don't care what you do
You go to your black man, mama, I'll stick to my gal

I say if you don't need your black woman, you didn't have to carry no heavy stall
If you don't want me, mama, you ain't got to carry your heavy stall (Spoken: How come I say that?)
Because I can get more jet-black women than a, Southern freight train can haul

I say oo-oo-oo-oo, twa, twa, twa, twa, twa twa, twa
I say hey-ey, mm-mm-mm-mm
Oo-oo-oo, oo-oo-oo-oo

CODA

Edited 4/7 to pick up corrections from Blues Vintage
Edited 4/15 to pick up corrections from banjochris

All best,
Johnm


 

[eric]

I really like Buddy Boy Hawkins playing and singing. It's unique and instantly recognizable when you hear him. Good tone and a cool signature turnaround.

[Johnm]

Yup, I agree, Eric. And while I particularly like his slower, lyrical songs, he also did some great up-tempo numbers, like "A Rag", "Snatch It And Grab It" and "Raggin' The Blues".

[Blues Vintage]

Some suggestions:

your face ain't never wiped -white-

I'll steer -stick- to my gal

lovin' -southern- freight train can haul

[Johnm]

Thanks for the suggestions, Blues Vintage. I'm going to stick with "wiped"--"white" makes no sense, since he's already identified her as brownskin. I'll change to "stick" and Southern" as you suggested.

[Blues Vintage]

"White" would indicate innocence (especially since he identified her as brownskin in the same verse).

I've never encountered the word "wiped" in a blues song. That doesn't mean Hawkins didn't sing it.
I can live with "wiped" too. I find it hard to hear what Hawkins sang there.

[Johnm]

I find most of it hard to hear! I wish I could hear it better, though.