Topic: Leola B. Wilson Lyrics

[David Kaatz]

I'll give it a go. Crowd sourcing lyrics is great.

Blake's playing sounds like his typical Drop D moves.



Leola Wilson, Back Biting Bee Blues

Early this morning heard somebody calling me
Early this morning heard somebody calling me
It wasn't my baby, that black, back biting bee

Gonna take my razor, cut my honeysuckle vine
Take my razor, cut my honeysuckle vine
Some black bee done stole that honey of mine

Rather have my head in alcohol, my body on the railroad track
Gonna have my head in alcohol, my body on some railroad track
Than to have that black bee, bitin' me in my back

solo
mmm, mmm, mmm, mmm
mmm, mmm, mmm, mmm

It's rainin' in my kitchen, lightnin' on my walls
It's rainin' in my kitchen, lightnin' on my walls
I know by that, some mule is kickin' in my stall

coda

Edited 5/31/23 to pick up suggestions from Blues Vintage and banjochris.

[Blues Vintage]

It wasn't my baby, that black, black -back- biting bee

rather Gonna have my head in that box -alcohol-, my body on the railroad tracks

Gonna -than to- have that black bee, bitin' me in my back

[Blues Vintage]

re-listening not sure 'bout "alcohol".

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Leola Wilson recorded "Ashley Street Blues" at an earlier session, accompanied by Blind Blake, playing in C position in standard tuning. Blake's playing is remarkable, even by his standards, and one can sense how liberating it was for him simply to play and not to have to worry about remembering lyrics and having to accompany himself. His solo is so loose; have you ever heard anybody else do what he did at 2:05--2:07? Me neither!  I feel like Leola Wilson is easier to hear and de-cipher on this cut, despite it being pretty whupped. That remains to be seen, I guess. Here is "Ashley Street Blues":



INTRO

I don't want none of you women, to be frettin' and cryin'
I don't want none of you women, to be frettin' and cryin'
If you ain't got no man, I'll give you one of mine

My mama told me, before I left home
My mama told me, before I left home
"You better let them Jacksonville men alone."

Some women want a yalla, and some women want brown
Some women want a yalla man, and some women want brown
I know a black man will beat you but he sure won't th'ow you down

SOLO

Please let me ride your train, I know you worry, too
Please let me ride your train, I know you worry, too
I'm a heartbroken woman, with the Ashley Street blues

CODA

Edited 5/31 to pick up correction from Blues Vintage

All best,
Johnm

[David Kaatz]

re-listening not sure 'bout "alcohol".

Thanks Blues Vintage, I have mostly taken your suggestions. It sure sounds like "alcohol" on the second line to me, now, so I put it on the first as well.

Dave

[Blues Vintage]

Please let me ride your train, I know you want it, too     I know you worry too ?

[Blues Vintage]

re-listening not sure 'bout "alcohol".

Thanks Blues Vintage, I have mostly taken your suggestions. It sure sounds like "alcohol" on the second line to me, now, so I put it on the first as well.

Dave

I'm quite sure on "rather", Dave, but not 100 %, it sure fit the context better.
A lot of blues have a similar line like that.  I'd rather be the devil....

[banjochris]

Here's how I hear those Back Biting Bee verses:

1.3 It WAS my baby, that black BACK biting bee
(pretty confident this is WAS with the M of baby stuck to it, not WASN'T)

2.1 and 2.2 I hear VINE both times

3.1 RATHER have my head in ALCOHOL, my body on SOME railroad TRACK
3.2 Gonna have my head in ALCOHOL, my body on some railroad TRACK
3.3 THAN to have...

(I hear RATHER only on the first time through, then "gonna" on the repeat – "alcohol" clear to me both times)

4.3 ...SOME mule is kickin' in my stall

Chris

[David Kaatz]

re-listening not sure 'bout "alcohol".

Thanks Blues Vintage, I have mostly taken your suggestions. It sure sounds like "alcohol" on the second line to me, now, so I put it on the first as well.

Dave

I'm quite sure on "rather", Dave, but not 100 %, it sure fit the context better.
A lot of blues have a similar line like that.  I'd rather be the devil....

Ahh, yeah, I get you. I missed that you said "rather". The way you edit existing posts here, you can't see the posts that came after it while editing, so I couldn't refer to your suggestions.

[banjochris]

Agree with Blues Vintage on "worry" for Ashley St. – that F lick really is something else. Interestingly his first verse is a little tribute to Sylvester Weaver, and then he's Blake for the whole rest of the piece!

[Blues Vintage]

OK, to get it more perfect, I hear "wall" not "walls" in that last verse.

[David Kaatz]

Here's how I hear those Back Biting Bee verses:

1.3 It WAS my baby, that black BACK biting bee
(pretty confident this is WAS with the M of baby stuck to it, not WASN'T)

2.1 and 2.2 I hear VINE both times

3.1 RATHER have my head in ALCOHOL, my body on SOME railroad TRACK
3.2 Gonna have my head in ALCOHOL, my body on some railroad TRACK
3.3 THAN to have...

(I hear RATHER only on the first time through, then "gonna" on the repeat – "alcohol" clear to me both times)

4.3 ...SOME mule is kickin' in my stall

Chris

Thanks Chris, but I'm sticking with "Wasn't". Otherwise it sounds like "was-mm my baby", with the "mm" very distinct from "my", which makes no sense to me. I think I incorporated the rest of your suggestions.

[Johnm]

Hi Blues Vintage and Chris,
I agree with "worry" in the final verse of "Ashley Street Blues", though the vowel sound is weird, more like "warry". I'll make the change. Thanks.

[Johnm]

In "Back Biting Bee Blues" I'm hearing "honeysuckle's" in the second verse, which makes more sense, metaphorically speaking, and is really grisly.

[banjochris]

In "Back Biting Bee Blues" I'm hearing "honeysuckle's" in the second verse, which makes more sense, metaphorically speaking, and is really grisly.

I can hear that too, John, and yeah that adds (or maybe subtracts) a whole new dimension!