Well as a man he was a good natured fellow to meet, very kind. Well thought of and everybody liked him, wouldn't do nobody no harm at all. He do like most blind men do when they have a family or wife, do all they can to take care of them - Rev. Gary Davis describes Blind Boy Fuller, in Oh, What A Beautiful City
Regarding all the retitling and reissuing of the George Mitchell session Stefan has kindly provided a matrix toward the bottom of his discography http://www.wirz.de/music/calicfrm.htm
Yes, very handy to see what song appears where. Thanks Stefan.
There will be a little further title confusion between one or two songs when comparing George Mitchell and Blue Horizon recordings, where Laughing to Keep From Crying becomes You Don't Know My Mind for example. Not sure if there are others at the moment.
« Last Edit: March 29, 2011, 10:23:01 AM by uncle bud »
Ah, so perhaps "brand new 'stream" is best. Is this is reference heard elsewhere?
I'm going back a long ways, Andrew, but I think that "'Stream" (capitalization owing to it being a proper noun?) was--and maybe still is--just shortened slang for Airstream. Maybe someone more connected with the RV crowd would know. Google didn't turn up anything, other than that a "Toad" is slang for a "towed" trailer. We learn something new everyday.
When Ry Cooder's first LP came out, there was some discussion about the cover and the connection with the "France Chance" lyrics. I can't remember any specifics because it was so long ago. As for other occurrences of "'Stream" in lyrics, I don't know of any.
I'm wondering if someone has all the lyrics for Joe Calicott's ? I cannot understand everyting and I guess there are mistakes in my vers. It's played in key of G.
Lonesome Katy Blues
I
O-uu O-uu - worried long o-uu, baby I won't be worried long When I 'm worried, I won't be worried long
II
She loves me, o-uu in my arms She's a little bitty woman, I hold her in my arms She's a brownskin baby, ??
III
She wished to the trouble train was run I wished to the trouble train was run Lord, I take my troubles where I came form
IV
You can always, o-uu braging about You can always tell sweet girls I can find She's always slipping out of the town (?)
V
So I wished to Lonesome Katy blow I hate to hear Lonesome Katy blow Well, she blow this nornink like se won't blow no more
VI
Well, I'm worried, soaked, wet When your women biring (her?) suitcase and went (??) What about Corrine, I ain't seen her yet
VII
Well, I'm sittin' and thinkin' 'bout that woman all the time
Is there any sense in these words? My native language is not english.
I think the key to figuring out the first line, is to figure out the second one first. On the first line Calicott drops out words, and the falsetto singing makes it difficult to figure out what he's saying.
I'm not a native speaker either, but while we are waiting for one to chime in, I'd offer the following suggestions. Unfortunately a lot is still left unclear.
I MM-HMM WORRIED, WON'T BE worried long WELL I'M WORRIED baby, won't be worried long WELL I 'm worried, won't be worried long
II
She loves me, HOLD HER in my arms She's a little bitty woman, hold her in my arms She's a brownskin baby, ??
III
She wished A TROUBLED(?) train WOULD run SAID I wished to GOD SOME TROUBLED(?) train WOULD run WELL, I take my trouble RIGHT WHERE I GOT 'EM FROM
IV
You can always, BABY, LURKING(?) AROUND You can always tell sweet girl LURKING(?) AROUND She's always slipping out ON THE EDGE OF town (?)
V
So I wished to Lonesome Katy blow WELL/LORD(?) I hate to hear Lonesome Katy blow Well, she blow this MORNING like se won't GOING TO(?) blow no more
VI
Well, I'm worried, soaked, wet When your women biring (her?) SOAKED AND WET (??) What about CORRINA, I ain't seen her yet
VII Huh WELL I WAS DOWN, HONEY DIDN'T HAVE A DIME Well, I'm sittin' DOWN and thinkin' 'bout that woman all the time
Hi JRO and Pan, I'll add what I came up with for "Lonesome Katy". I think one thing that makes the lyrics tricky is that Joe Callicott is doing a stammering archetype on the first line, kind of like William Harris' "Bullfrog Blues", and leaving out strategic words in that first line. Some stuff I don't have any good idea for, but here goes:
I'm worried, won't be worried long Well, I'm worried, baby, won't be worried long Well, I'm worried, won't be worried long
She's a little bit, hold her in my arms She's a little bitty woman, hold her in my arms She's a brownskin baby, chocolate to the bone (bone is really swallowed)
See, I wish to, trouble train would run Said, I wish to God some trouble train would run Well, I take my troubles right where I got 'em from
You can always, baby, lurking around You can always tell, sweet girl's lurking around She's always slippin' out on the edge of town
Says I wants to, to, Katy blow Now, I hate to hear lonesome Katy blow Well, she blowed this mornin' like she wasn't gonna blow no more
Well, bring me your, bring it soakin' wet Well now, bring me your towel, bring it soakin' wet Well, about Corinna, I ain't seen her yet
Well, down, I didn't have no name Well, I was down, I didn't have a dime Well, I's settin' down thinkin' 'bout the woman all the time
Edited 7/21 to pick up corrections from uncle bud
All best, Johnm
« Last Edit: July 21, 2011, 05:51:45 AM by Johnm »
4.1 You can always, baby, lurkin' around 4.2 You can always tell, sweet girl's lurking around
7.1 Well, down, I DIDN'T have no [name] (sounds like name, though he sings dime the next time so dime would be logical. Maybe a lyric flub?) 7.2 Well I was down, I didn't have a dime
Thanks for the help, uncle bud, I was missing "lurking" altogether, and couldn't hear "dime" either. It's pretty cool the way Joe Callicott gets "I Will Turn Your Money Green" in G standard. all best, Johnm
Johnm taught this one at the Port Townsend workshop. Joe Callicott played "Roll and Tumble" (Fat Possum title) or "I Rolled and I Tumbled" (Arhoolie title) out of Spanish tuning, pitched around G sharp. It's a hypnotic version with a typically great vocal from Joe. I am having a couple trouble spots in the lyrics, so any help appreciated.
Roll and Tumble - Joe Callicott
Well I rolled and I tumbled, I cried the whole night long Well I rolled and I tumbled, I cried all night long I didn't have nobody to teach me right from wrong
It may be two, three days, may be a month or more It may be two, three days, may be a month or more Oh well the good book [said it teach] you got to reap just what you sow
Well I called my baby, called her to the door Well I called my baby, I called her to the door Said if you [want I'll tell you woman I] don't, don't need you no more
Well I rolled and I tumbled, cried the whole night long Well I rolled and I tumbled, I cried the whole night long Says, I didn't have nobody to teach me right from wrong
Hi all, Joe Callicott recorded a different "Fare Thee Well Blues" than the one uncle bud transcribed earlier in this thread. Joe first recorded the song at a session in Memphis on February 20, 1930, backing himself out of D position in standard tuning. This version of the song seems related both to the song Johnnie Head recorded as "Fare Thee" and several versions of "The Titanic", which have a "fare thee" refrain. Joe has a favorite signature lick that he uses on this song at the conclusion of verses that is really exceptional, for it is six beats long, but he phrases it in a 4 beat meter so that it keeps flipping over on itself. Listen for it the next time you hear the song, it's really a treat. Joe pronounced "hoist", "heist".
Told me, early last Fall, you never had no man at all Fare thee, baby, fare thee well Told me, early Fall, you never had no man at all Well, you got more men than a two-ton truck can haul
You told me, to my face, that a good man in my place Fare thee, baby, fare thee well You told me, to my face, that a good man in my place Fare thee, baby, fare thee well
Told me, it was early Spring, when the birds begin to sing Fare thee, baby, fare thee well Told me, early last Spring, when the birds begin to sing Well it's the last chance, gettin' to be my gal with me
I told you early in that June, when the flowers begin to bloom Fare thee, baby, fare thee well I told you early in June, when the flowers begin to bloom You don't do no better, 'nother good girl can take your room
Go and hoist your window, let your curtain down Fare thee, baby, fare thee well Go and hoist your window, let your curtain down Well, you can't tell there might be some joker around
Go and put on your nightgown, baby, let's we go lie down Fare thee, baby, fare thee well Go and put on your nightgown, baby, let's we go lie down Well, it's the last chance, shakin' in the bed with you
SOLO
Edited 12/13 to pick up correction from Stuart
All best, Johnm
« Last Edit: December 13, 2012, 10:47:11 PM by Johnm »