When people from Australia or Japan or Italy say, 'Oh, I love the blues,' they're not talking about the Southwest blues styles, the Georgia 12-string players, ragtime Piedmont styles or whatever. It's the Delta blues. If you say, 'Who do you like?' they'll name Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Howlin' Wolf, Son House - Dick Waterman, to Francis Davis, quoted in Davis' book
I really like Buddy Boy Hawkins playing and singing. It's unique and instantly recognizable when you hear him. Good tone and a cool signature turnaround.
To my ear BBH played with the old-fashioned non-opposing right hand style, similar to Patton, Henry Thomas, Richard "Rabbit" Brown, Jim Jackson, William Harris and pretty much anyone else who covered Kansas City Blues. This would include Brownie McGhee and there is a YouTube video of him demonstrating how he originally played KCB as his first song on guitar, clearly in the non-opposing style, and then how he changed it to a new modern two finger style with pinching. He slips back into it as he continues the song. Hard to get that driving syncopated rhythm while limited to pinching, or only upstrokes with the finger.
"White" would indicate innocence (especially since he identified her as brownskin in the same verse).
I've never encountered the word "wiped" in a blues song. That doesn't mean Hawkins didn't sing it. I can live with "wiped" too. I find it hard to hear what Hawkins sang there.
Back from vacation!
I'm pretty sure the word in question there at the end of the second verse is "washed" – Hawkins tends to turn his A's into I's a bit. Also in the intro I would suggest "Now let's see" instead of "Honestly" – Chris
Thanks for the help, Chris! There was no danger of me getting either one of those fixes, but after re-listening a couple of times, I can hear they're both spot on. Changes have been made.