Topic: Walter Rhodes Lyrics

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Walter Rhodes had two titles released that he recorded in Memphis on December 10, 1927, and for which he and his accordion were accompanied by "Pet" and "Can" (Richard "Hacksaw" Harney and Maylon Harney). Walter Rhodes sounds as though he may have been an oldster at the time he recorded, for he sang with the heavy vibrato that characterized the singing of other older musicians like Frank Stokes and Charlie Kyle. For "Leaving Home Blues", the higher guitar part, presumably played by Hacksaw, is played out of G position in standard tuning, capoed up, while the lower guitar part is played out of C position in standard tuning. I would very much appreciate help with any of the lyrics in bent brackets. Here is "Leaving Home Blues":



(First verse started by instruments)
Well, I dreamp' a dream, never dreampt before
Well, my baby told me that I couldn't eat Tommy no more

I laid down happy, woke up this morning cryin'
Well, I laid down happy, up this morning cryin'
I didn't have no blues, but I's just dissatisfied

I know my baby, sure don't know I'm here
Know my baby, sure don't know I'm here
Well, if she did, she would surely feel my care (Spoken: She don't care about you no-ways!)

I wonder will my suitcase hold my clothes
Well I wonder will my, suitcase hold my clothes
I ain't got so many, but I got so far to go (Spoken: What you ain't got, you can put 'em in your pocket and walk!)

(Accordion starts verse)
Well my Mama's dead and, Papa well to be
For the life I'm livin', honey, it's killin' me

Well you used to know me, but you just don't know me now (Spoken: You ain't got no money.)
Well you used to know me, just don't know me now
Eh, used to know me, but you just don't know me now

Oh, Mama told me and Papa told me, too
Well, Mama told me, Papa told me, too,
"Well, the life you're livin', honey'll be the death of you."

Edited 10/4 to pick up corrections from waxwing
Edited 10/4 to pick up corrections from Harry

All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
For "The Crowing Rooster", Walter Rhodes was once more accompanied by "Pet" and "Can", each playing in the same tuning and playing position as he had used for "Leaving Home Blues". This song was later covered, with a completely different rhythmic feel and accompaniment treatment, by Charlie Patton, who recorded a surprising number of covers. Here is "The Crowing Rooster":



INTRO (w/rooster imitation)

Gon' buy me a rooster, put 'im in my back door
Gonna buy me a rooster, put 'im in my back door
See a stranger coming, he'll flop his wings and crow

What you want with a rooster, he won't crow for day? (crowing)
What you want with a rooster, he won't crow for day?
What you want with a woman, won't do nothin' she say?

What you want with a hen won't, cackle when she lay?
What you want with a hen won't, cackle when she lay?
What you want with a man, won't do nothin' he say?

Gonna take my picture, hang it up against the wall
Gonna take my picture, hang it up against the wall
And if I'd asked you what's about it, tell him, "That's all, that's all." (Spoken: Go) (crowing)

Hang my picture, put it in a frame
And take my picture, put it in a frame
So if I die, you can see me just the same

I know my dog anywhere I hear him bark
I know my dog anywhere I hear him bark
I can tell my baby if I see her in the dark

Edited 10/4 to pick up corrections from Harry

All best,
Johnm

[waxwing]

Hi Johnm,

In Leaving Home Blues, v5, Patton sings the exact same line in Jim Lee Blues part one as:"My momma is dead and my father well to be". That's pretty much what I hear Rhodes singing, substituting "papa" and pronouncing the "to" as "tuh". Meaning "might as well be".

Thanks for posting these so quickly. I'm sure I'm not the only one who was curious from Harry's recent post.

Wax

[Johnm]

Thanks very much for that line, Wax. I will make the correction. Can you hear the missing part of the tagline to the first verse? Thanks!

[Blues Vintage]

I honestly like the Pearl Dickson songs a lot more.


Some suggestions for "Leaving Home Blues",

1.3 I hear "meet"

3.1 - 3.2 Sure don't knows instead of know

5.2 Well For the life I'm livin'

6.3 And you used to know me, but you just don't know me now


"The Crowing Rooster",

4.3 And if I I'd asked you

5.2 I hear and not uh

[Johnm]

Thanks for the suggestions, Harry. I'm okay with "meet" in 1.3 of "Leaving Home Blues". In 3.1 and 3.2 of that song, he does not sing "knows" where you have it---he sings "know" followed by an intervallic "r", so it sounds like
"know rhyme". I'm leaving that as is. The "for" is correct, but I don't think he sings "and" at the beginning of 6.3, it sounds more like "eh"--there's is no "n" and no "d". I think both of the corrections in "Crowing Rooster" are good. I've made the changes. Thanks!
Incidentally, I prefer the Pearl Dickson cuts too, especially in the guitar parts, but I really like Walter Rhodes' singing. Playing with an accordion is tough, because of its sustain, it's really hard to cut through that. You can hear Maylon just pounding away at those licks in the bass.
All best,
Johnm

[waxwing]

In Leaving Home, I was. wondering if "tow-mee" or maybe "tow-min" might be a specific culinary dish (whether a sexual innuendo or not). To me it sounds like "couldn'eat" with the "n" sound at the end of "couldn'" elided into "eat" and sounding like "meet".

It made me listen to Yank Rachel's Texas Tommy, which Yank also pronounces with the long "O" sound, more like "Tony". He sings "Texas Tony, I can ball the jack, indeed, oh lord". I've always assumed it was a rare use of a song specific pseudonym or assuming a character in blues, but now I wonder if, like "ballin the jack", it is something Yank is promising to do (innuendo) or barbecue(?), to "do anything, oh lord, sure thing, to get my woman back."

Anyway..., I can't make any other sense from what I'm hearing.

Wax

[Johnm]

Apropos of your observation, wax, I know when I was a kid we used to go to a diner where one of the items on the menu was a "Texas Hot Dog", which was a hot dog with all of the fixings, which I've also heard called a "Texas Tommy". For what it's worth . . . . EDITED TO ADD: I re-listened, and am changing it to "eat" which is what I had originally. Thanks!
All best,
Johnm