Topic: Blind Blake Lyrics

[Johnm]

Hi Ross,
The verse after the Prohibition verse might be:

   Thought I'd catch her when I walked in
   Found her kissing my brother Jim
   STOPPED THE DOOR, that ever-lovin' gal of mine

I think she tried to jam the door shut.

All best,
Johnm

[One-Eyed Ross]

That makes more sense to me than what I had....I'll put that in, unless someone else can hear something better....

[lindy]

Early Morning Blues is one of several songs I am revisiting after not playing them for several years.

I remembered that when Ari taught it at PT, he showed us more than one guitar break, so I came here looking for info on where to find alternative takes. GhostRider got an answer to the same question a long time ago. While looking around, I was surprised to find that no one had posted the lyrics here, at least as far as I can tell. If I'm wrong, let me know and I'll delete these.




Early Morning Blues
Blind Blake -- 1926[?]
Key of C

Early this morning, my baby made me sore.
Early this morning, my baby made me sore.
I?m going away to leave you, ain?t coming back no more.

Tell me pretty mama, where did you stay last night?
Tell me pretty mama, where did you stay last night?
(Spoken: Tell me where did you stay last night?)
It ain?t none of your business, Daddy since I treat you right.

When you see me sleeping, baby don?t you think I?m drunk.
(Spoken: No I?m not drunk, not a bit of it.)
When you see me sleeping, baby don?t you think I?m drunk.
I got one eye on my pistol, and the other on your trunk.

BREAK
(Spoken: Play that thing [low? long?] and lonesome, boy.)

I love you pretty mama, believe me it ain?t no lie.
(Spoken: I mean it ain?t no lie.)
I love you pretty mama, believe me it ain?t no lie.
The day you try to quit me, baby that?s the day you die.

Lindy

[Johnm]

Hi all,
"Bad Feeling Blues" is a beautiful piece that Blake played in dropped-D tuning.  It is an unusual rendition for Blake by virtue of having no guitar solo (though the guitar plays a lot of fancy fills throughout the course of the piece).  Here is Blake's rendition:



INTRO

I've got the bad feeling blues, keeps me worried all the time
I've got the bad feeling blues, keeps me worried all the time
I can't get along with that high brown gal of mine

Looky-here, mama, done throwed your papa down
Looky-here, mama, you done throwed your papa down
I wouldn't hate it so bad, but the news is all over town

Looky-here, mama, what you want me to do?
Looky-here, mama, what you want me to do?
I work all the time, bring my money home to you

Lord, Lord, your papa done gone astray
Lord, Lord, your papa done gone astray
I ain't never thought you would treat your daddy this-a-way

I've got the bad feeling blues, keeps me so low-down
I've got the bad feeling blues they keep me so low-down
I'm gon' pack my grip, leave this lonesome town

All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Blind Blake played "Detroit Bound Blues" out of C position in standard tuning.  The song was later covered (though not copied) by Bob Campbell, who called his version "Starvation Farm Blues".  Roger Hubbard has been doing a wonderful job with the song for years.  Blake's lyrics are interesting in that they are notably not "personal", and show him singing of his audience's life rather than his own (except for the last verse, possibly).  Blake was really in top form, and the piece abounds in felicitous touches.  Here it is:



INTRO

I'm goin' to Detroit, get myself a good job
I'm going to Detroit, get myself a good job
Tired of stayin' 'round here, with these starvations mobs

I'm gon' get me a job, up there in Mister Ford's place
Gon' get me a job, up there in Mister Ford's place
Stop these eatless days from starin' me in the face

I'm goin' to Detroit, get me a barrelhouse flat
Goin' to Detroit, get me a barrelhouse flat
I'm gon' take my baby, but I don't know where she's at

When I start to makin' money, you don't need to come around
When I start to makin' money, you don't need to come around
'Cause I don't want her now, Lord, I'm Detroit bound

They got wild women in Detroit, that's what I want to see
They got wild women in Detroit, that's all I wanta see
Wild women and bad whiskey, will make a fool out of me

All best,
Johnm

[Jørn Bonne]

Wabash Rag

Hi everybody! I'm a new member. Have been lurking for a month or so and found lots of good stuff here - great place!.

Not being a native English speaker myself I have been wondering about Blake's spoken aside at the end of Wabash Rag: "Everybody set 'em" or possibly "Everybody's had 'em". Is this a dance promt or something else?

He repeats "set 'em" in a rythmic fashion during instrumental breaks in the song. This has had me puzzled for years - hope weenies can help clear it up.

Thank you
JB

[Johnm]

Hi Jorn,
Welcome to Weenie Campbell.  In fact, I don't know the answer to your question, but it could be that Blake was telling a bartender to keep setting up drinks, and keep the liquor pouring, as in the repeated command, "Set 'em!".  Like I said, it's just a guess.
All best,
Johnm

[Jørn Bonne]

Thanks John.

There are two reasons I had thought it could have to do with dancing, apart from the fact that Blake was known to have done quite a bit of playing for dances, even before he started to record in 1926:
1) As a child in Denmark in the '50s I remember older folks dancing what was called 'formation dances' at bigger country parties. A 'prompter' would call the different sections of the dance, when to move to the left or right in a ring of dancers, when and how to change partners etc.
2) In Samuel Charters interview with Lightnin' Hopkins in 1959 Lightnin' relates that his father was a 'prompter' at country dances and briefly explains what that entailed.

Well, the "set 'em" bit in Wabash Rag may have nothing to do with this, like you said - just a thought I have pondered over the years.

Best
J?rn

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Blind Blake recorded "Tampa Bound" at a session in Chicago in October of 1926, accompanying himself out of G position in standard tuning. As with many of his slowish medium tempo tunes, he chose to accompany it with an underlying triplet feel, though it was not a shuffle, despite a shuffle also having the underlying triplet feel. Blake's feel is more straight-up-and-down, and doesn't have the "leaning forward" quality that a shuffle has. When I haven't listened to him for a while and I return to his music, I have the pleasant experience of being re-awed by his musicianship and originality. God, what a player! The lyric break he goes into after the second verse was stolen by a lot of subsequent lyricists. Here is "Tampa Bound":



INTRO

I'm going back to Tampa, to that girl I left behind
I"m going back to Tampa, to that girl I left behind
I'm going back to Tampa, just to cure my worried mind

Did you ever lie down at night, thinkin' about your brown?
Did you ever lie down at night, thinkin' about your brown?
You commenced rollin' and tumblin', I guess I'm Tampa bound

The bridge washed out, the wires all down, my gal is in the flood, and I'm Tampa bound

SOLO (Spoken: Play that thing, Mr. So-and-so. You know you can play.)

I got up this mornin', put on my walkin' shoes
I got up this mornin', put on my walkin' shoes
I"m going back to Tampa, just to cure my low-down blues

CODA

All best,
Johnm
 


 

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Blind Blake recorded "One Time Blues", accompanying himself out of A position in standard tuning at a session in Chicago around March of 1927. A position was very seldom recorded in by Blind Blake, but you would never guess that from the caliber of his playing on this track. It seems like the tagline to the next-to-last verse should have started with "You", rather than "I". Here is "One Time Blues":



INTRO

Ahhhhhh, the rising sun goin' down
Ahhhhhh, the rising sun goin' down
I ain't got nobody, since my baby blowed this town

Ahhhhhh, mama, love me one more time
Ahhhhhh, mama, love me one more time
You give me a little chance, maybe you will change your mind

I done called you, 'til I almost lost my mind
I done called you, mama, 'til I almost lost my mind
I ain't gon' call no more, good man is hard to find

Ahhhhhh, mama, who can your reg'lar be?
Ahhhhhh, who can your reg'lar be?
I ain't got no reg'lar, baby, please take me

Take me, mama, I'll tell you what I'll do
Take me, mama, I'll tell you what I'll do
I'll get up every mornin', work hard all day for you

CODA

Edited 6/28 to pick up correction from banjochris

All best,
Johnm
 

[banjochris]

I wish he had done more in A, D and especially open D! Couple suggestions on "One Time" – first, if you think of the last line of the second to last verse as a reply from her to him it makes sense with the "I" – doesn't matter too much there!

second, I think 2.3 is
You give me A LITTLE chance...

Chris

[Johnm]

Thanks for the 2.3 fix, Chris, I have made the change. I thought about that tagline being her response to his query, but the rest of the lyrics imply that he's the one having to do the selling on the idea of him being her regular. Plus, everyone else I've heard sing that verse begins the tagline with "you".

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Blind Blake recorded "Steel Mill Blues" at a session in Chicago in October of 1927, accompanying himself out of G position. While he doesn't take any solos after his intro, his accompaniment is ever-changing, and he has enough material for about three songs in his accompaniments. The way he goes between the prevailing underlying triplet feel and a deeper duple subdivision of the beat is masterful (and no surprise). Here is "Steel Mill Blues":



INTRO

Working in the steel mill, making pig iron all day
Working in the steel mill, making pig iron all day
When I come home, mama, have somewhere for me to lay

Get my dinner ready, don't let my coffee be cold
Have my dinner ready, don't let my coffee be cold
Don't forget, mama, please save my sweet jellyroll

When I look into that blast furnace, it's all red hot with ore
When I look into the blast furnace, it's all red hot with ore
If I catch you stealing, ain't going back no more

Every payday, mama, when I get my check
Every payday, mama, when I get my check
After I pay your bills, I'm a nervous wreck

Pig iron and bills, eatin' out all of my shoes
Pig iron and bills, eatin' out all of my shoes
That's the reason why I got those low-down steel mill blues

CODA

Edited 5/27 to pick up corrections from Blues Vintage

All best,
Johnm

[Blues Vintage]

4.3 I've gotta After I pay your bills

Possibly with ore instead of "this ore"

[Johnm]

I re-listened, Blues Vintage, and agree with both of the suggestions you made and have made the changes. Thanks!