Topic: 2.16 Blues Blanche Johnson lyrics???

[cru423]

This is a difficult song to transcribe. Has anyone some insight on the missing lyrics?  Here is "216 Blues":



2.16 Blues Blanche Johnson

The big Kate Adams, done like the 'Bama Jane
The big Kate Adams, done like the 'Bama Jane
It takes on water just like a passenger train

My man is long and tall
Shape like a willow tree
My man is long and tall
Shape like a willow tree
I believe to my soul,
He put those jinx on me

Two sixteen that carried my man away
Two sixteen that carried my man away
That's alright, he'll come back someday

The train he rides don't burn no coal at all
The train he rides don't burn no coal at all
Don't burn nothing but 'homa black cedar???

I thought I heard that two sixteen whistle blow
I thought I heard that two sixteen whistle blow
I wonder what's the matter?
It never been late before

[banjochris]

The song sounds ridiculously sped up to me; sounds much more natural slowed down some.

Line 4.3 still has me stumped, but here are some suggestions:

1.1-3
The big Kate Adams lord, done like the 'Bama Jane.
The big Kate Adams lord, done like 'Bama Jane.
It takes on water just like a passenger train.


5.3 I wonder what's the matter, it never been late before.
("the" is pronounced somewhat oddly)

[Cleoma]

Cru243, would you please post the recording so that those of us who don't have it can try our hand at transcribing?
Thanks!

[cru423]

Hey, that's great banjochris, I swear I heard, "takes on water" there but couldn't connect it up with those sunken ships (I guess those were two famous ships of war).  I'll have to think about the missing line, usually it ends with , "the train I'm riding, everybody says the cannonball". Kind of sounds like, " 'homa cactus oil", yet still doesn't make sense.

Cleoma, I'm attaching a copy:

[dj]

I swear I heard, "takes on water" there but couldn't connect it up with those sunken ships (I guess those were two famous ships of war).

They're riverboats.  They're taking on water, like a steam train does, to generate steam to drive the engines.

[cru423]

Well, in the case of the Kate Adams, it has another significance because it sunk when it caught fire 1927, and sunk in a Memphis harbor. I'm not sure about the Bama Jane though, but the way it's sung here in these lyrics, I'd assume the other meaning too.

http://www.memphismagazine.com/Blogs/Ask-Vance/May-2011/The-End-of-quotThe-Lovin-039-Kate-quot-mdash-the-SS-Kate-Adams/

[cru423]

It's conceivable she is talking about "Oklahoma black cedars" for fuel in that line,

"it don't burn nothing but 'homa black cedar".

I'm aware that there are cedar groves in Oklahoma, but does the species of 'black' cedar grow there, and was it known as fuel for wood burning trains? Scarce documentation, really.