Topic: Blind Blake Lyrics

[GhostRider]

I got my Blues Images calendar today and have been listening over and over again to Miss Emma Liza this evening and thought I might as well transcribe it. What a great song; I wish Blake had recorded a lot more like this.

Interesting. I have been doing the same, but to the other BB cut on this CD, "Dissatisfied Blues". A great one.

Alex

[uncle bud]

I got my Blues Images calendar today and have been listening over and over again to Miss Emma Liza this evening and thought I might as well transcribe it. What a great song; I wish Blake had recorded a lot more like this.

The record is pretty whupped, but I think I pretty much have it except for one word which sounds like "breeds" or "breeze" but I don't think is either. The first line of each section I'm also not 100% sure of; originally I had: "Who's got that loveliness?"


Miss Emma Liza

Who brought that lovely miss?
Who mean "no" when she say "yes"?
But that sweet, Miss Emma Liza, Miss Emma Lize

Who's that beyond the door,
All the [] are looking for?
But that sweet Miss Emma Lize.

Who do go to parties, and stays until four,
And who always tell you "Good night - hee hee hee" at the door,
Who's the one still chewing gum?
Nice and pretty but not so dumb,
But that sweet Miss Emma Lize.

Who is brought that lovely miss?
Who mean "no" when she say "yes"?
But that sweet, Miss Emma Liza, oh Miss Emma Lize

Who's the one beyond the door
All them [] are looking so for
But that sweet Miss Emma Lize

I say who do go to parties, and stays until four,
And who always tell you "Mmmm-mmmm hee hee hee" at the door,
Who's the one still chewing gum?
Nice and pretty but not so dumb,
But that sweet Miss Emma Lize

scat chorus

Who's that brought that lovely miss?
Who mean "no" when she say "yes"?
But that sweet, Miss Emma Liza, Miss Emma Lize

Who's the one beyond the door
All the [] are looking so for
But that sweet Miss Emma Lize

Who do go to parties, and stays until four,
And who always tell you "Hmm-mmm hee hee hee" at the door,
Who's the one still chewing gum?
Nice and pretty but not so dumb,
But that sweet Miss Emma Lize.

Thanks for transcribing this, Chris. Just got my calendar and did much the same as you, listened to Miss Emma Liza repeatedly. It really is a great number. I don't remember Blake slapping the guitar like that before, but perhaps am wrong.

Unfortunately, I cant help you with the lyric. I hear everything you've got and agree it sounds like "breeze" or "breeds" but is likely something else.

Just wanted to say great tune!

[townes]

Hi all! sittin here trying to play and sing Baby lou blues but I have som trouble figuring out the lyrics.

This is what I got. Could use some help with it though.



1.
Lookin' at that train, as it passes by
Lookin' at that train, as it passes by
It gives me the blues and makes me want to cry

2.
Thinkin' about my baby, that went away last fall
Thinkin' about my baby, that went away last fall
Sometime I think she never coming back at all

3.
She went to see her(...), live down in Alabam
She went to see her(...), live down in Alabam
(...), and she knows how blue I am

4.
I flirt with other women, just like old men do
I flirt with other women, just like old men do
(...)

5.
Everytime I hear that, old train whistle blow
Everytime I hear that, old train whistle blow
Make me wanna follow my baby, everywhere she go

[Prof Scratchy]

She went to see her folks;
I know when she comes home. ...
But there ain't nobody that takes the place of my Baby Lou

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk

[koenjacobs1987]

Blind Blake:  Black Dog Blues



Let me tell you mama, what my black dog done done to me.
Let me tell you mama, what my black dog done done to me.
He chased me from my regular, now he's after my used to be.

Black dog, black dog, you caused me to weep and moan.
Black dog, black dog, you caused me to weep and moan.
You caused me to leave my sweet old happy home.

Black dog, black dog, you're forever on my mind.
Black dog, black dog, you're forever on my mind.
If you'll only let me see my baby one more time.

So long, black dog, I'm quittin' your hard luck town.
So long, black dog, I'm quittin' your hard luck town.
Cause you've got the best dog, leavin' papa poodle to frown.

[Andy M]

Prompted by a couple of posts about the Blues Calendar's issue of Blind Blake's Miss Emma Liza and Dissatisfied Blues, I've been listening to Dissatisfied Blues and this is the best that I can make of the lyrics so far:

Last night I fell down on my knees and cried x 2
My baby ?. and I wasn?t satisfied

Stop and listen what I?m trying to say 
My baby have left me and I been blue all day

solo

If she don?t come back I don?t know what I?ll do x 2
I got to find somebody to give my lovin? to

solo

It seems like my baby is getting? tired of me x 2
But I been just as good to her as any man can be

[joebanjo]

Hello friends, I'm not able to find the lyrics for this one elsewhere on the site, so I'm guessing they haven't been transcribed here yet. Have really been loving the guitar part, which John Miller has transcribed and shared with me--routinely amazing guitar playing, still wondrous even though it's entirely unsurprising given the player:



?Hard Road Blues?

Blind Blake

Keep on walkin and walkin, talkin to myself.
Keep on walkin and walkin, talkin to myself.
Gal I love ? with somebody else.

I got the hard road blues, walkin on down the line.
Got the hard road blues, walkin on down the line.
Maybe someday?my gal will change her mind.

It?s a hard hard road, when your baby done throws you down.
Hard hard road, when your baby done throw you down.
Gon? keep on walkin ? from town to town.

It?s been a long, long time  since I seen my baby?s face.
It?s been a long, long time  since I seen my baby?s face.
And I go to see her joker ? that took my place.

I?m gon? find my baby?don?t say she can?t be found.
I?m ?on find my baby?don?t say she can?t be found.
Gon? walk this hard hard road until my?mustache drags the ground.


Love to hear any corrections you might have--the final line of the second to last stanza is the most questionable to my ears. That's all folks!

P.S. I would love to embed a version from Youtube but can't figure out why the embed code don't work:

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/D5noEJMVc_E" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[eric]

The trick is to drop the "s" from https in the link. 



I think you got the lyrics right, except in the 3rd verse, I hear "throwed" instead of "throws" and "throw."

[Lawh]

Hey, couldn't find lyrics for this song. I wish to add it to my repertoire, but want to be sure of what he's saying. I mark the uncertain bits as (...), and wont even post my guesses since I don't want to give people ideas and have them

"I went to see a married woman the other day, (....)
I won't do that no more, I tell everybody I won't do that no more.

I didn't know that woman was lying, when she said her husband works all the time,
I won't do that no more, I tell everybody I won't do that no more.

I saw a man when he hit his wife in the face, said don't you know that's a disgrace,
Ain't gonna say that no more, I tell everybody I won't say that no more.

I said to a great big bully (..), why don't you pick on someone your size,
I ain't gonna say that no more, I tell everybody I ain't gonna say that no more.

I got my car and was gonna drive to the bank, dropped a match in the gasoline tank,
I ain't gonna do that no more, I tell everybody I ain't gonna do that no more.

A friend of mine said if you wanna raise (...), (...)
Never listen to that no more, I'm gonna tell everybody, I never listen to that no more.

I went to the bar and said (...), going out the door and ain't coming back,
I never say that no more, I tell everybody I never say that no more.

I met a woman named (...), she says (...),
I never listen to that no more, I'm gonna tell everybody, I never listen to that no more

I took her to dinner you should've seen the day, I ain't through paying for that dinner yet,
I'll never do that no more, I tell everybody I'll never do that no more."

This is how much I've got for certain, though if I'm mistaken please do correct me.

Thanks!

[One-Eyed Ross]

"I went to see a married woman the other day, went in walking didn't come out that way"

"I said to a great big bully, I'm surprised, why don't you pick on someone your own size"

"A friend of mine said if you want a raise in pay, go to the boss and have your say"

"I went to the boss said If you don't give me more jack, goin' out the door and I ain't comin' back"

"I met a woman named Anna Wynn, she says she's on diet, gonna get thin"

"I took her to dinner, you shoulda seen the check, I ain't through paying for that dinner yet"

(I used this youtube....it was the one that had the least static, to my ears, anyway.  Great song, great lyrics, I'm with you - need to add this to the song list!)


edited to add JohnM's correction

[One-Eyed Ross]

Is there someone else who can listen to this?  I'm fairly certain I have it down except for one word, in the line "I went to the boss..."  I know it isn't jive or dice, but not sure what the word is that he is asking to get more...  I suspect it is something that rhymes (more or less) with "coming back" but I can't make it out.

[Johnm]

Hi Ross,
I think the line is:
   I went to the boss, said, "If you don't give me more jack, goin' out the door and I ain't comin' back."

All best,
Johnm

[One-Eyed Ross]

Thanks, John.  Makes sense, lyrically and figuratively.  Good ears to hear that!

[Lawh]

"I went to see a married woman the other day, went in walking didn't come out that way"

"I said to a great big bully, I'm surprised, why don't you pick on someone your own size"

"A friend of mine said if you want a raise in pay, go to the boss and have your say"

"I went to the boss said you're goin' give me more jive(? dice?) going out the door ain't coming back"

"I met a woman named Anna Wynn, she says she's on diet, gonna get thin"

"I took her to dinner, you shoulda seen the check, I ain't through paying for that dinner yet"

(I used this youtube....it was the one that had the least static, to my ears, anyway.  Great song, great lyrics, I'm with you - need to add this to the song list!)

This is awesome guys thank you so much!

I can hear him sing this now and it is obvious now that its written down.

Awesome song!

[One-Eyed Ross]

So, this is what I have so far, and seems about right (thanks to JohnM)

Ain't Gonna Do That No More

I went to see a married woman the other day,
went in walking didn't come out that way
I won't do that no more,
I won't do that no more
I tell everybody I won't do that no more.

I didn't know that woman was lying,
when she said her husband works all the time,
I won't do that no more,
I won't do that no more
I tell everybody I won't do that no more.

I saw a man when he hit his wife in the face,
said don't you know that's a disgrace,
Ain't gonna say that no more,
Ain't gonna say that no more
I tell everybody I won't say that no more.

I said to a great big bully I'm surprised,
why don't you pick on someone your size,
I ain't gonna say that no more
I ain't gonna say that no more,
I tell everybody I ain't gonna say that no more.

I got my car and was gonna drive to the bank,
dropped a match in the gasoline tank,
I ain't gonna do that no more,
I ain't gonna do that no more
I tell everybody I ain't gonna do that no more.

A friend of mine said if you wanna raise in pay,
go to the boss and have your say
Never listen to that no more,
I'll never listen to that no more
I'm gonna tell everybody, I never listen to that no more.

I went to the boss, said, "If you don't give me more jack,
I'm goin' out the door and I ain't comin' back."
I'll never say that no more,
I'll never say that no more
I tell everybody I never say that no more.

I met a woman named Anna Wynn,
she says she's on diet, gonna get thin
I'll never listen to that no more,
I'll never listen to that no more
I'm gonna tell everybody, I never listen to that no more

I took her to dinner you should've seen the check,
I ain't through paying for that dinner yet,
I'll never do that no more,
I'll never do that no more
I tell everybody I'll never do that no more."