Country Blues > Country Blues Licks and Lessons
Big Bad Bill Is Sweet William Now
Bill Roggensack:
Rivers:
Here's what I have been playing. I'll be interested to see how your "jazzier" version sounds. This version comes (with a some simplifying approximations) from Leon Redbone's version. Ry's is definitelty tastier, but I was being realistic about my 'abilities' when I decided to learn this one.
Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now)
by Milton Ager (1893-1979) and Jack Yellen (1892-1991), written in 1924
In the [C] town of [A7] Louisville,
They [D] got a man they call Big Bad Bill.
I [G] wants to tell you, he sure was [C] tough,
And he sure did [G7]strut his stuff.
He had [C] whole town scared to [A7] death,
When [D] they walked by, they all held their breath.
He was a [D7] fighting man, sure e-[G7] nough.
Now [G7] Bill took himself a wife
Now [D] he leads a different [G7] life
Big Bad [C] Bill is [G7] Sweet William, [C] now.
Married life done changed him, some-[C7] how.
Well, [F] he's the man they all [F7] used to fear,
Now they [C] all call him "Sweet Poppa, [A7] Willie Dear"
[D] Stronger than Samson, I declare,
'Til a [G] brown-skinned mama [G7] bobbed his hair.
Big Bad [C] Bill don't [G7] fight any-[C] more, [C7] (No he don't)
[F] Doing the dishes, mopping up the [E7] floor, (Yes he is)
Well, he [F] used to spend his evenings, [F7] looking for a fight,
But [C] now he's got to see his mama [A7] every night.
[D] Big Bad Bill is Sweet [G7] William [C] now.
Aside: Ah.. play it boys, I likes that jazz.
Now he used to [F] spend his evenings, [F7] looking for a fight,
Now he [C] gots to see his mama [A7] every night.
[D] Big Bad Bill is Sweet [G7] William [C] now. [A7] (Doin' them dishes)
[D] Big Bad Bill is Sweet [G7] William [C] now. [A7] (Moppin' them floors)
[D] Big Bad Bill is Sweet [G7] William [C] now. [C7]
Note: Yellen and Ager also wrote such popular songs as "Ain't She Sweet" (1927), "Happy Days Are Here Again" (1929), and "Happy Feet".
I'm going to give your version a try - it will surely sound quite different.
Rivers:
Hi Richard, I look forward to seeing the German take on it.
Hi Bill, not sure about the interval on the first two changes in your intro, from C I would go to an E then A...
I was inspired to jazz it up for a couple of reasons. I find it much easier to sing with a chordal melody, helps me to carry the tune. Mainly though I've been working hard on swing chord progressions, having had a musical breakthrough in that area.
Using closed partial shapes starting from a I chord 6th, with the bass on either the sixth or fifth string, you can play in any key, no sweat. Once you've nailed the cute I6 - I#o - 2m7 - V9th progression (see the intro vamp) it's starting to sound vaguely Django-ish and you get inspired to join up the other dots.
Funny you should mention Ain't She sweet, I've been playing this using these ideas. Also into some old country / western swing tunes, Bob Wills and Hank Williams, Stay All Night, Deep Water, Roly Poly, Hey Good Lookin'.
It ain't country blues but it's a style I think is directly related, complementary and very accessible for an audience. Most of all it's a whole lot of fun and lets me play in keys that suit my voice. There's only one of those for any given tune in my case.
Richard:
Right, sitting comfortably as this has come from all the way Australia to Germany to Uk to you lucky people...
Each chord symbol is obviously a bar and it's in F just for fun
Big Bad Bill is Sweet William now
Chorus
F C7 F Dm
F F A7 A7
Bb Bbm F D7
G7 G7 C7 C7
F C7 F Dm G7 C7
F F A7 A7
Bb Bbm F D7
G7 C7 F F
Verse
F A7 D D7
G7 C7 F Dm G7 C7
F F#o C A7
C G7 C C7
Is it any help ???
Rivers:
Hmmm.... that Dm seems a bit odd, like a different tune. I must search out the original recording, must be a comp CD of early jazz with it on. I'm stuck with my version now, seems like a lot of chords but they're pretty easy changes once you've played it a thousand times, poor Cheryl...
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