Topic: Leola B. Wilson Lyrics

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Leola B. Wilson recorded "Down The Country" at a session in Chicago in November of 1926, accompanied by Blind Blake, playing in Vestapol tuning. Blake's playing is wonderful here, certainly similar to his playing on "Police Dog Blues", but perhaps a little looser. Leola Wilson sounds a thorough professional. I'd very much appreciate help with the first two lines of the third verse--what I have approximates the sound, but doesn't make enough sense to make me think it's right. Here is "Down The Country":



INTRO

'D'you ever wake up, just 'bout the break of day
'D'you ever wake up, just 'bout the break of day,
With your arms around the pillow where Mr. So-And-So used to lay?

I'm goin' away, baby, won't be back until Fall
I'm goin' away, baby, won't be back until Fall
If I don't win no money, I won't be back at all

I heard this crackin', early this morn
I heard this crackin', early this morn
If you don't think I'm leavin', count the days that I'll be gone

If the river was liquor, and I was a duck
Mmm-mmm-mm, and I was a duck
I would go to the bottom, and I would never come up

I'm leavin' this town, got on my last pair of shoes
I'm leavin' this town, got on my last pair of shoes
Walkin' away from here with those down the country blues

CODA

Edited 5/30 to pick up corrections from MarkC, Stuart and Blues Vintage

All best,
Johnm

[MarkC]

John -
I’m hearing “our levee’s moan” as “early this morn’”.

[Johnm]

Re-listening, I heard it that way too, Mark. It sounds perfectly clear now. Thanks for the help, and I will make the change.

[Stuart]

Hi John:

Where you have, "If I don't get no money," I hear, "If I don't win no money."

I listened several time with headphones. I hear "early this morn" as well. I agree--It's some fine playing by Blind Blake.

[Johnm]

Thanks for the catch, Stuart. I have made the change.

[banjochris]

Worth mentioning here that Leola B. Wilson is also Coot Grant of Grant and Wilson, who recorded a bunch of titles including the classing "Lollypop" – she lived until 1970! I love her records with Blake, "Down the Country" most of all.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coot_Grant

[Blues Vintage]

I don't hear "just" in 3.3

If you don't think I'm leavin', just count the days that I'll be gone

[Johnm]

Right you are, Blues Vintage, thanks for the catch. I will make the change. Apropos of banjochris's biographical note on Leola Wilson I found earlier when I googled her it took me to the Coot Grant page.

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Leola Wilson recorded "Wilson Dam" at the same session at which she recorded "Down The Country" and was once again accompanied by Blind Blake, this time playing in G position in standard tuning. Blake's rhythmic imagination and execution are on full display here; the surety of what he played in what was almost certainly at least a semi-improvised context is amazing. I'm not at all sure of the end of the opening lines of the first verse and would appreciate help with that if any of you hear it better than I do. Here is "Wilson Dam":



INTRO

Come, seven-eleven, I hear my daddy cry
Come, seven-eleven, I hear my daddy cry
I need some money to buy some shoes for that baby of mine

Way down South, where I were a babe
Way down South, where I were a babe
Where them Saturday night payrolls always waited for me

House is on fire, blaze is getting thick
House is on fire, blaze is getting thick
Women on the dam, holl'in', "Daddy, save my wig!"

I'm moanin' and groanin', just like a morning dove
Mmmm, just like a morning dove
I ain't moanin' for money, just for that man I love

Train blowin' from Memphis, don't stop at Birmingham
Train blowin' from Memphis, don't stop at Birmingham
Keeps goin' straight through, down to Wilson Dam

Edited 5/30 to pick up corrections from Blues Vintage
Edited 5/31 to pick up corrections from banjochris

All best,
Johnm

[Blues Vintage]

I hear my daddy cry  for the first verse

[Blues Vintage]

I need some money to buy some shoes for that baby of mine

Could be "juice" instead of "shoes' and both make sense but can't decide....


My man's -Where there's a- Saturday night payroll is always waitin' for me

Possibly "houses" instead of "house" as multiple women are hollerin'.


It -Keeps- goin' straight through, down to Wilson Dam

[Johnm]

Thanks, Blues Vintage, that was fast! I'll make the change.

[Johnm]

Hi Blues Vintage,
I think it's definitely "shoes" in the first verse--it's a craps common usage: "Daddy needs a new pair of shoes."

I'm sticking with "my man's". There are not enough syllables for it to be "Where there's a" and the consonant sounds are wrong.

I made the change to "houses", and agree with "keeps" in the last verse. Thanks for all the help.

[banjochris]

Couple suggestions on Wilson Dam, another one of my all-time favorite Blake accompaniments.

I hear a few lines this way:

Way down South, where I were a babe,
Way down South, where I were a babe,
Where them Saturday night payrolls, always waited for me.

House is on fire, flames is getting thick,
House is on fire, flames is getting thick,
(I hear 3.3 same as you have – "flames" to me is lot clearer on the repeat)

Hard to hear as she trails off at the end of lines quite a bit.

[Johnm]

Thanks for the help, Chris. Re-listening, I took your hearing of the second verse intact. In verse three, I'm still hearing "blaze" rather than "flames". I'm finding Leola Wilson really tough to hear--don't know if it's the recording or her enunciation. If anyone else wants to take on "Backbiting Bee Blues", be my guest.