Topic: Blind Lemon Jefferson lyrics

[uncle bud]

Hi Wolf,

That tremolo is pretty free. Sounds to me like he just plays it till the opening "Maaaaan..." is done, but it's pretty loose. This line is a bitch to hear on Lemon's tunes that follow this progression. The tremolo is one of the easier ones to hear! I play this Lemon theme with a thumbpick, using the thumbpick like a flatpick at certain points.

Re. the V chord section, he goes from the A7 after sitting on it longer than expected to what seems to me to simply be an F note on the first fret, first string, i.e., the 7th of a G7, instead of a chord, or maybe hitting the open B string as well, then does the two classic Lemon end riffs. There is also no V/V7 chord (D7), as you might expect in getting from A7 to G7. Paul Geremia adds the D7 in his versions of this tune and Booger Rooger.

[uncle bud]

Here's my attempt at the lyrics:

Maaan, sitting in my kitchen, mosquitoes all around my screen?
Last night in my kitchen, mosquitoes all around my screen?
About all ready to get the mosquito [bomb], I'll be sitting?[can't decipher this]

I'm goin' sleep [with my tent up], try my best to grab their/they bills
I believe I'll keep my tent up, try my best to grab their/they bills
Well mosquitoes so bad in this man's town, keep me away from my whisky still

I love my whisky, better than some people likes to eat
I say I love my whisky, better than some people likes to eat
Mosquitoes bothering me so, I can't hardly stay on my feet

I brought a spray last night, and I sprayed all over my house
I brought a spray last night now, sprayed all over my house
Mosquitoes all around my door, won't leave nobody come out.

Mosquitoes all around me, mosquitoes are everywhere I go
Mosquitoes all around me, mosquitoes everywhere I go
No matter where I go,?they stick their bill in me?

[I would say gabber nipper], these [gabber nippers] bites too hard
[I would say gabber nipper], them [gabber nippers] bite too hard
I set back in my kitchen, and they [spraying up in my back yard].


Re. the last verse. There's a type of mosquito called the American Gall nipper which is supposedly the largest mosquito in the world.

I'm attaching an m p3.

Edited to change balm to bomb.

[attachment deleted by admin]

[Wailing Wolf]

Thanks for posting the MP3 Uncle Bud.  I suspect it might have been a bit too technical for me to do successfully, particularly the reducing of the file.

I think you hit the nail on the head with the Gall Nipper and the bits about bills-I didn't even know it was called a bill!

[frankie]

About all ready to get the mosquito [bomb], I?ll be sitting?[can't decipher this]

I hear "seldom seen" rather than "sitting"...

I'm goin' sleep [with my tent up], try my best to grab their/they bills
I believe I?ll keep my tent up, try my best to grab their/they bills
Well mosquitoes so bad in this man?s town, keep me away from my whisky still

This is the second song I've run across lately that describes insects as having a "bill".? Can't say I've heard that usage anywhere else...? The other song is Blind Willie McTell's "Boll Weevil":

Boll weevil, boll weevil
Where'd you get your great long bill
I got it from Texas
Got it from that western hill

[I would say gabber nipper], these [gabber nippers] bites too hard
[I would say gabber nipper], them [gabber nippers] bite too hard
I set back in my kitchen, and they [spraying up in my back yard].


Re. the last verse. There's a type of mosquito called the American Gall nipper which is supposedly the largest mosquito in the world.

Nice one!

[Slack]

Maaan, sitting in my kitchen, mosquitoes all around my screen?
Last night in my kitchen, mosquitoes all around my screen?
About all ready to get the mosquito [bomb], I’ll be sitting [can't decipher this]

FWIW, I hear Sittin' in my kitchen.

I'll be sitting 'sweet' (with a lisp?  .. tough one)

Yeah, great job on the 'gabber nipper'  - 

cheers, 

[uncle bud]

Paul Geremia sings for that last line, 1st verse:

"About all ready to get a mosquito bomb, or I'll be seldom seen."  So Frank's ears are on target I'd say - that's what I hear now.

He also sings the first line as "Rats are in my kitchen, mosquitoes all around my screen", which isn't right but is nice.

[frankie]

Here's what I have for the lyrics, although I've never been able to make out the end of the third verse.? I sing that as "my baby" just because it fits in context.? Sounds like he sings "If I don't find [parts dealer]"? but you know that ain't right!



What you gonna do when they send your man to war?
What you gonna do when they send your man to war?
What you gonna do when they send your man to war?
I'm gonna dring muddy water, gonna sleep in a hollow log

Ain't got nobody, I'm all here by myself
Got nobody, all here by myself
Got nobody, all here by myself
Well the women don't care but the men don't need me here

Well I'm goin' to the river, gonna walk it up and down
Goin' to the river, walk it up and down
Goin' to the river, walk it up and down
I don't find [] [], gonna jump overboard and drown

If I could shine my light like a headlight on some train
If I could shine like a headlight on some train
If I could shine like a headlight on some train
I would shine my light in Colorado Springs

Well they tell me that southbound train had a wreck last night
Lord, that southbound train had a wreck last night
Lord, that southbound train had a wreck last night
Sugar, the Texas foremen ain't treating your railroad right

Well, the girl I love and the one I crave to see
Woman I love, one I crave to see
Woman I love and the one I crave to see
Well, she livin' in Memphis and the fool won't write to me

I said "Little woman, what have I said and done?"
"See mama,? what I've said and done?"
"See mama,? what have I said and done?"
You treats me like my trouble have just begun

[uncle bud]

I always thought it was a woman's name that I couldn't make out for some reason. Ending in "ine" or "ina"?

FWIW, Sackheim in The Blues Line has it as Corinna, which I don't hear at all.

I hear "Well these women don't care"

Sackheim has "section foreman, they ain't treatin' your railroad right"

BTW, enjoyed your Back Porch version of this. Nice and nasty sounding.

[Slack]

FWIW, Sackheim in The Blues Line has it as Corinna, which I don't hear at all.

phonetically I hear "qua-dina"  ...which is no help of course, so "Corrina" seems like a good substitute.

[Johnm]

Sounded like a woman's name to me, too. ?Maybe Martine, as in
 ? Don't find Martine I'm gonna jump overboard and drown.
It actually sounds more like Partine to me. ?It's tough to hear.

That minor IV chord is all the more effective when the 16-bar form has you repeat it. ?What a beautiful song.
All best,
Johnm

[frankie]

I've always liked the song - it makes me want to try and sing Last Kind Words, too, since there's a weird similarity there.

Sounds kinda like "par-teeter" or something.

Listening to the guitar part again, I think I have the action over the V chord wrong - doesn't sound like much of a V chord at all in any case...

[Alexei McDonald]

I hear Cortina, which can't be right either.   I can't really make out "Colorado Springs" in the next verse either, though, so I reckon I have cloth ears.

[frankie]

I can't really make out "Colorado Springs" in the next verse either, though

Hi Alexei - welcome to the board!  Lemon has a bit of an accent & pronounces it as "col-oh-ray-duh".  Even "springs" sounds more like "sprangs" to me and my yankee ears.  I occasionally have to relate to these things by imagining how Yosemite Sam might have said them.

[uncle bud]

I occasionally have to relate to these things by imagining how Yosemite Sam might have said them.

One for the quote generator, I think.     I wonder if Lemon ever used the word varmint in a lyric...

Also - Welcome, Alexei!

 

[uncle bud]

I'm working on this one and can't decipher some of the lyrics. Tricky spots marked as usual with square brackets and copious question marks. Any help appreciated.



Easy Rider  Blind Lemon Jefferson

Now tell me where my easy rider's gone
{Won't ya] Tell me where my easy rider's gone
[My easy ridin' women] always in the wrong

Well easy rider died on the road
And the easy rider died on the road
I'm a poor boy here and ain't got nowhere to go

Oh there's gonna be the time when a woman don't need no man
Well there's gonna be a time when a woman don't need no man
Said baby shut your mouth and don't be raisin' sand

Train I ride don't burn no coal at all
Train I ride don't burn no coal at all
The coal [I's burnin'] everybody [says is] the cannonball

I went to the depot
I mean I went to the depot set my suitcase down
The blues overtake me and tears come rollin' down

Woman I love she must be out of town
Woman I love, man she's out of town
She left me this morning with her face in a terrible frown

I got a gal cross town she crochets all the time
I got a gal cross town crochets all the time
Sugar if you don't quit crocheting you goin' to lose your mind

Said fair brown what's the matter now
Said fair brown what's the matter now
You tryin' your best to quit me woman and you don't know how