Topic: Cecil Augusta / Augusta Crawford's "Stop All The Buses"

[Rob Hutten]

Hi all,

I see an ancient post here about Cecil Augusta (real name: Augusta Crawford) and his remarkable 1959 recording of "Stop All The Buses" recorded by Alan Lomax:



I'm trying to transcribe Mister Mouthful O' Marbles' lyrics and this is as far as I've gotten. Anyone with better ears than me?
Stop all the buses, darlin’ [ ] streetcar [on the line]
[Start me off and move], let me find that little girl of mine
   I’ve got the blues about my baby
   My baby oughta have the blues about me
   She don’t treat me no better, baby
   Why in the world won’t she let me be

Start right now, baby, quit your doing me wrong
Stop your fightin’ ways, little woman, bring your clothes back home
   I’ve got the blues about my baby…

[… ] the country, darlin’, nobody else around
There must be my little baby, god knows, trying to put me down

Fare you well, baby, I ain’t got no more to say
[…]want you to have your way

[banjochris]

Yeah that is a challenge that I'm not up to this evening, but I do have one suggestion:

2.2 STOP YOUR FAST WAY OF LIVIN', WOMAN AND bring your clothes back home

Will try to listen again later!

[Rob Hutten]

Thanks, I think you nailed it on 2.2. Appreciate the help.

[Johnm]

Hi Rob,
Here's what I'm hearing for the first verse and chorus:

   Yes, stop all the buses, darlin', streetcars on line, just drop me off, sugar, don't move, babe, let me find that little girl of mine
   CHORUS: I've got the blues about my baby, my baby oughta have the blues 'bout me
   Yeah, don't treat me no better, baby, mmm, why in the world you let me be?
     

[Blues Vintage]

Pretty tough

1.2 Stop New York Central, don't move, babe, let me, find that little girl of mine

3.1 {Gettin' slow across} the country

4.2 {Let Mister So-and-So take me ?}

[Johnm]

I should say that in my hearing of the long first line of the first verse, in the word "just", the "ju" is not pronounced, just the little bit of "st" before "drop".