Topic: Homesick James Lyrics

[Johnm]

Hi all,
"Lonesome Train", recently posted on the Weenie Campbell YouTube channel, comes from the Trix album, "Goin' Back Home". Homesick James (James was his given name, not his surname), played the song in a boogie style in Spanish tuning, derived from John Lee Hooker's playing but with some nice original touches and beautiful control of touch, tone and dynamics. Here is "Lonesome Train":



INTRO SOLO

Yes, and the train left the station makin' two hour lonesome, people
Yes, it blowed when it blowed like it wasn't gonna blow no more

Yes, and I love my babe then I'll tell the world I do
I don't b'lieve she love me, I didn't know she loves someone else

Yes, when you catch two women runnin' in hand in hand
Yes, if you catch two women, runnin' hand in hand
Yes, you know by that, something's goin' on wrong

SOLO (Spoken: Yeah!)

Yes, I'm goin' away, baby, and I, won't be back no more
Yes, I'm goin' away, baby, and I, won't be back no more
I've got sick and tired of you always doggin' me around

SOLO

CODA

Edited 9/25 to pick up correction from Blues Vintage


All best,
Johnm


 

[Blues Vintage]

There's something between "I" and "know" possibly "didn't" (real soft under his breath) but not sure.

I don't b'lieve she love me, I didn't know she loves someone else

[waxwing]

I would also suggest an 'n' sound before the second 'I' in that line:

I don't b'lieve she love me 'n'I didn'(t) know she loves someone else

As indicated I also think he elides from the 'didn't' into the 'know' without a 't', but that could be confusing to the reader.

Wax

[Johnm]

I believe you got it with "I didn't know she loves someone else", Blues Vintage, and I have made the change.

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Another song posted on the Weenie Campbell channel from Homesick James' "Goin' Back Home" Trix CD is "Keep Your Hands To Yourself". Homesick James accompanied himself in G position in standard tuning for the song, and I find what his picking hand was doing on the song to be very mysterious--he keeps a shuffle going in the bass, sometimes hitting open strings, while soloing and playing melodic fills in the treble with the tone of a modern electric blues player, but on an acoustic guitar. I suppose he could be using a flat pick in the bass and getting the treble via hybrid picking, or he could be using a thumbpick in the bass and fingers for the treble, or no picks or a thumbpick and fingerpicks. I sure can't tell! However he was doing it, he sounded great and his tone in the treble and control of his bends was masterful. Despite the uptown sound of his leads, Homesick James is still pretty country-sounding in his phrasing, for he varies phrase lengths as he feels the phrases, not sticking to a "12 bars of 4 beats each" approach. Here is "Keep Your Hands To Yourself":



INTRO SOLO

Oh yeah, please keep your hands to yourself
Hey yeah, please keep your hands to yourself
May put your hands on somethin', baby, and it may belongs to me

Hey yeah, keep your hand off of my little girl
Oh yeah, please keep your hand off of my little girl
You may touch somethin' belong to me, and somethin' may bad happen to you

SOLO

Oh yeah, please keep your hands to yourself
Oh yes, please keep your hands to yourself
You may touch somethin' belong to me, somethin' may happen to you

SOLO X 3

All best,
Johnm