Topic: boot it

[rbuniv]

Hi John;

That's my thought also; a seed broadcaster.

Thanks; RB

[Stuart]

As we're on the subject of Bo's "delicate love poetry set to music" in general, and "broadcasting" specifically, I just listened to "Bo Carter Special." He does reference the radio and by extension the associated sense of "broadcasting." Bo is well known from going from the non-entendre to the multiple-entendre, so IMHO we shouldn't be projecting any artificial limitations onto the man's artistic genius.

P.S. It is available over at Juneberry78s.com in their "The Vintage Blues & Gospel Music Listening Room" (http://juneberry78s.com/sounds/index.htm) if you don't have a copy at hand.

[Chezztone]

Johnm and Wax, thanks for getting specific with your thoughts on "boot it" meaning! And yes, I agree that it is not Bo doing the spoken asides, although I have no theory on who that is. He has a very nice mellow, older-sounding, suggestive voice. Getting back to "boot it," yes, it does seem that he is directing her through various foreplays in the early verses, working his way up to the main event. However, I have interpreted the "love me, babe" in final verse as the direction to copulate (not to fall in love). Therefore I thought "boot it" was still some other sex act he wanted as a preliminary. But yeah, going by Carter's other "Boot It" song, and Kokomo's "Busy Bootin'," that would seem to favor Waxwing's idea. And "booting it" may have also been a dance step, and be used in that sense in Roosevelt Sykes' number, although of course with a wink from Roosevelt, who also had a great way with suggestive words and images. Taizz and I have been listening a lot lately to his "Hard Lead Pencil," which includes these verses:

I'm just like a squirrel, leaping from limb to limb (2x)
I got a brand new pencil, ain't never been trimmed.

I ain't gon' let these women use my hard lead pencil night and day (2x)
'Cause my lead is too valuable just to be trimmed away.

You got to love it, huh? A literate squirrel leaping around with a pencil.

[Chezztone]

Oh, and maybe we should start a separate thread for Lemon's "crocheting all the time" woman. I tend to read that one literally. She crochets all the time, ignoring him.

[blueshome]

I don't know what it means in the US, but crocheting over here is a form of knitting involving only one implement.

However, I suspect the BLJ verse refers to his girl self-pleasuring.

[Dr. G]

Waxwing's got my vote on this "bootin'" thing. (BTW, doesn't Georgia Tom howl, "Oh, you're bootin' that thing!" in a raucous rendition of "Tight Like That"? -- if memory serves me.)

And Blueshome's got my vote on the "crocheting" thing (-- never occurred to me before, but the "lose her mind" worry is major (historically relevant) circumstancial evidence....

BTW, speaking of early-century dance crazes -- and suggestive metaphors -- has anyone ever heard of a dance, or dance step, referred to as "Lightnin' strike"...or have a clue as to any other meaning of same? I am convinced that Cryin' Sam Collins sings "I can lightnin' strike, I can ball the jack...." in his wonderful (and wonderfully garbled) rendition of "Hesitation Blues". (I have intended to devote a thread to Collins' barely-scrutable lyrics -- but thought I might get a jump start on it here because it seems related to all these other colorful and insinuating metaphors.) Appreciate any thoughts.

Dr. G

[Bunker Hill]

BTW, speaking of early-century dance crazes -- and suggestive metaphors -- has anyone ever heard of a dance, or dance step, referred to as "Lightnin' strike"...or have a clue as to any other meaning of same? I am convinced that Cryin' Sam Collins sings "I can lightnin' strike, I can ball the jack...." in his wonderful (and wonderfully garbled) rendition of "Hesitation Blues".

It's been years since I've listened to it but can hear in my head something like "I can line the track and I can ball the jack". If that's so can't say I've ever heard of a dance craze of that name!

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I'm slow to get back on this one because I've been away over Thanksgiving.  I think your interpretation of "Boot It" wins the prize, John C.  The sense of "I'm Busy Bootin' And You Can't Come In" clinched it for me.  It seems far more convincing than mine, which strikes me as too literal and too obscure at the same time.  Good work!  These related questions probably each deserve individual threads.
All best,
Johnm