Topic: Bumble Bee Slim Lyrics

[-]

 

I think I've got most of it, but the words in [ ] are unclear to my ears. 

If you notice anything else wrong, please let me know.  Any help is much appreciated.  Thanks!

Lyrics so far:

I?m goin in [hand?] can?t get nothing here
Goin in [hand?] can?t get nothing here
I?m hungry as a hound I can?t travel no where

I can?t have but to worry how my good friend done
And have but to worry how my good friend done
And my money [bout?] a dollar now won?t give me nickel one

Mother told me times and times again
Mama told me times and times again
Anybody laughs in my face just can?t be my friend

Lord look down on poor me pity my worried case
Lord look down on me pity my worried case
Help me do right once more I?m gonna change my free hearted ways

Yes give me one friend to keep me from feeling so sad
Yes give me one friend keep me from feeling so sad
Cause you know I want a friend like the one heart Adam had

[Blind Arthur]

"Heaven", instead of "hand"?

[LB]

This is how I hear so far. I hear DONE in one line then GONE in the next. He's also not saying heart, he's kinda saying "that" but with an H. I've heard that type of slang before. Hope this helps and doesn't add confusion.


I cant help but to worry how my good friend Done
Cant help but to worry how my good friend Gone
And my money BY THE dollar, now wont give me nickel one

Mah-mah told me times and times again
Ah Mama told me times and times again
Anybody laughs in my face just can?t be my friend

Yes give me one friend to keep me from feeling so sad
Yes give me one friend keep me from feeling so sad
Cause you know I want a friend like the one that Adam had

[dj]

I Can't make out that word in the first verse, but I have some minor corrections for the last verse:

JES' give me one friend to keep me from feeling so sad
JES' give me one friend keep me from feeling so sad
Cause you know I want a friend like the one WHAT Adam had

[LB]

Ah that does match dj, good ear on that one. Funny how you can hear it so clearly once the right word is found.

[dj]

The first verse is:

I?m COLD IN HAND can?t get nothing here
COLD IN HAND can?t get nothing here
I?m hungry as a hound I can?t travel nowhere
 

[dj]

On further thought, I wonder if Slim isn't singing "I cant help but to worry how my good friend GONE" in both of the first two lines of the second verse.  I assume his good friend who's gone is his luck.

[-]

Great job guys!  Thanks so much.

I?m cold in hand can?t get nothing here
Cold in hand can?t get nothing here
I?m hungry as a hound I can?t travel nowhere

I cant help but to worry how my good friend done
Can't help but to worry how my good friend done
Had my money by the dollar now won?t give me nickel one

Mama told me times and times again
Yes mama told me times and times again
Anybody laughs in my face just can?t be my friend

Lord look down on poor me pity my worried case
Lord look down on me pity my worried case
Help me do right once more I?m gonna change my free hearted ways

Jes' give me one friend to keep me from feeling so sad
Jes' give me one friend keep me from feeling so sad
Cause you know I want a friend like the one what Adam had

[Johnm]

Great job on hearing "cold in hand", dj!  It's a common enough phrase in lyrics of the time, but I sure wasn't hearing it.  Well done.
All best,
Johnm

[banjochris]

Pretty sure he's singing DONE both times in lines 1 and 2 of the second verse, which makes a lot more sense when the third line is (as I'm also pretty sure it is):

HAD my money by the dollar, now won't give me nickel one.
Chris

[LB]

Great job on this folks! This is coming together. Assemble a new-improved version?

[Rivers]

Go for it LB, it's nice to have the definitive transcription for when it gets put it into weeniepedia.

[LB]

Rivers, thanks, after careful review I have to agree with all the changes and this is basically the same as what Tom posted above. I used studio monitors. Although I can clearly hear the word GONE in verse two, line 2, I have to say, this should likely have been pronounced DONE and this could be a slight mistake he made when singing it. I agree with JM saying the "cold in hand" was the gem. I also clearly hear "Had my money" with these monitors. This also helped me have a lot more respect for this Ga artist. Great stuff!

FINAL VERSION

I?m cold in hand can?t get nothing here
Cold in hand can?t get nothing here
I?m hungry as a hound I can?t travel nowhere

I can?t help but to worry how my good friend done
Can't help but to worry how my good friend done
Had my money by the dollar now won?t give me nickel one

Mother told me times and times again
Mama told me times and times again
Anybody laughs in my face just can?t be my friend

Lord look down on poor me, pity my worried case
Lord look down on me, pity my worried case
Help me do right once more I?m gonna change my free hearted ways

Jes' give me one friend to keep me from feeling so sad
Jes' give me one friend keep me from feeling so sad
Cause you know I want a friend like the one what Adam had

[Pan]

Hi all

I'd appreciate it if someone could look through my transcription of this tune. It was recorded in 1935 with Black Bob on piano, Big Bill Broonzy on guitar, and probably Washboard Sam on washboard, according to Dixon and Godrich. The tune is in the key of B flat, and it sounds to me, like Broonzy is playing out of the G position with a capo on 3rd fret. Can anyone confirm this?
Corrections welcome. I don't know if I was able to transcribe the nonsense scat singing in any intelligible way. 




I?M NEEDING SOMEONE (EXACTLY LIKE YOU )                          -Bumble Bee Slim

Travelled this whole wide world through,
I stopped by here to tell you,
I?m needing me someone
exactly like you.

Please don?t drive me away, Babe,
take me back once more, do,
I?m needing me someone
exactly like you.

Oh, it makes me feel so blue,
when I?m away from you.
Here?s my heart, here?s my hand,
can?t you understand?

I can?t live much longer,
make my heart go stronger,
I?m needing me someone
exactly like you.

Wah-di-ah-di-ah-ta-da-tah, 
Wah-di-ah-di-ah-ta-dah,
Wah-dah, wah-dah,
Yah-di-ah-di-ah-ta-dah

Wah-di-ah-di-ah-ta-da-tah, 
Wah-di-ah-di-ah-ta-dah,
Wah-dah, wah-dah,
Yah-di-ah-di-ah-ta-dah

Oh, it makes me feel so blue,
when I?m away from you.
Here?s my heart, here?s my hand,
can?t you understand?

Wah-di-ah-di-ah-ta-da-tah, 
Wah-di-ah-di-ah-ta-dah,
Wah-dah, wah-dah,
Yah-di-ah-di-ah-ta-dah

(spoken) I stopped by here to tell you,
that I travelled this whole wide world through,
Now I?m needing me someone
exactly like you.

(spoken) Please don?t drive me away, Babe,
take me back once more, do,
I?m needing me someone
exactly like you.

(spoken) It makes me feel so blue,
when I?m away from you.
Here?s my heart, take it, here?s my hand, shake it,
can?t you understand?

(spoken) I can?t live much longer,
make my heart go stronger,
?cause I?m needing me someone
exactly like you.

instrumental

instrumental

Oh, it makes me feel so blue,
when I?m away from you.
Here?s my heart, here?s my hand,
can?t you understand?

I can?t live much longer,
make my heart go stronger,
I?m needing me someone
exactly like you.




Cheers

Pan

[dj]

it sounds to me, like Broonzy is playing out of the G position with a capo on 3rd fret. Can anyone confirm this?

That sounds correct to me.  The chords sound right and the riffs fit naturally under my fingers when played like that.

I think your lyrics are correct, too.