Topic: Henry Spaulding Lyrics

[Chezztone]

Henry Spaulding's Cairo Blues, which also was associated with the late Henry Townsend -- anyone understand the lyrics in the part where I have the () below? Here's what I hear:



Cairo Blues
Henry Spaulding

Cairo, Cairo is my baby?s home
Cairo, Cairo is my baby?s home
Goin? to Cairo, baby and it won?t be long

?Cause I know she take my lovin? arms
Knows my babe she will take my lovin? arms
Know by that I swear won?t be here long

Oo hoo, oo hoo mmm hmm
Oo hoo, oo won?t be here long

Women in Cairo will treat you nice and sweet
Women in Cairo will treat you kind and sweet
Get your hand and knock you off your feet

Kick you and knife you, beat you and cut you too
Kick you and knife you, beat you and cut you too
Then they?ll ()

Oo babe, Cairo is my baby?s home
Cairo, Cairo is my baby?s home
I?m going home, I swear it won?t be long.

[banjochris]

Here's how I hear it, with the occasional aid of the magic slowdown software:

Cairo, Cairo is my baby?s home
Cairo, Cairo is my baby?s home
Goin? to Cairo, baby and it won?t be long

?Cause I know she take my lovin? home
Know my babe she will take my lovin? home
Know by that I swear I won?t stay here long

Oo hoo, oo hoo mmm hmm
Oo hoo, oo won?t be here long

Women in Cairo will treat you nice and sweet
Women in Cairo will treat you kind and sweet
Get you right and it take you off they feet

Kick you and knot you, beat you and cut you too
Kick you and knot you, beat you and cut you too
They have stole your daddy 'fore they through

Oo babe, Cairo hmm babe
Cairo, Cairo is my baby?s home
I?m going home, I swear it won?t be long.


The part I'm least sure of is "knot you," but there's definitely a "ch" sound in there that would be natural from putting those two words together, and it makes sense in terms of tying someone in knots.
Chris

[dj]

The part I'm least sure of is "knot you,"

I'm in agreement with you, Chris - I think it's "knot".  Henry Townsend sings "knot" on his post-war recordings of the song. 

[JasonE]

I swear I remeber hearing the line "Take you to the grave yard and dance with you" in the Henry Townsend that is on "Legends of Country Blues" DVD.


JasonE

[tenderfoot84]

is it "kick you, knock you."?

and then "catch you ridin' they'll take you off their feet"?

i usually sing this last line as "off your feet" though.

if memory serves me correct henry townsend sings something like

"kick you, knock you, beat you and cut you too (x2)
they'll take you to the graveyard when they're through with you"

but he kind of tails off on the dvd. it's fun to sing this way though.

[banjochris]

"Kick you, knock you" would make more sense, but I don't see how the "ch" sound in Spaulding's recording would fit in with that. It's been a while since I've seen the video of Townsend so he may well sing "knock you." I'll listen again and see if I hear "catch you ridin'."
chris

[Coyote Slim]

I've been messing around in cross-note tuning and therefore been trying out a few Townsend songs and listening intently to the CD "Cairo Blues."  He definitely says "knock you" and the "catch you" line to me sounds like "catch you ramblin', take you off your feet."

[dingwall]

Possibles to consider?

Verse 2.1/2   take my lovin' on.

5.3   Drag you until you's ready for the grave.

[Dr. G]

Great suggestions, all!

Not to stir the pot, but I've always heard (Spaulding): "notch" you.

Perhaps he MEANT "notch" you...as is cut you, or stab you.

In addition to intriguing lyrics, this song has great chords...anybody figured them out yet? Is this in open-G (which is where I'm fooling around with it right now)?

Dr. G

[dj]

Hi, Dr. G.  I think Spaulding plays "Cairo Blues" in standard tuning, E position.  He's capoed somewhere around the fourth fret, if I recall correctly.  The accompaniment has a lot of affinities with Lane Hardin's "Hard Time Blues".

[Coyote Slim]

I haven't heard the Spaulding version in a while, but I remember hearing it and thinking it was a wonderful example of the St. Louis style guitar and singing.  Henry Townsend, another musician who played in this style, also played this tune and his guitar playing was strictly in the cross-note tuning (open E minor or D minor -- the actual pitch can vary, of course -- you could get up to G with a capo).  Check out the "Key to the Highway" section for more examples of this tuning.

[banjochris]

Actually, Slim, Townsend played "Cairo" in E position standard tuning, just as Spaulding did. There's a video of him on one of the Stefan Grossman tapes playing it.
Chris

[Coyote Slim]

Blasphemy!

 

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Henry Spaulding recorded "Biddle Street Blues" at the same May 9, 1929 session in Chicago at which he recorded "Cairo Blues".  While "Biddle Street Blues" may not exactly have the magic that "Cairo Blues" has, it's still a superb piece.  Henry Spaulding played it out of E position in standard tuning.  He is one of those two-hit wonders like Rube Lacy, Bobby Grant or Lane Hardin.  I'd appreciate help with the bent bracketed portion of the tagline in verse one.



   Yes, Biddle Street's the thing that's easin' down on me
   Yes, Biddle Street's the thing that's easin' down on me
   'Cause my best baby have quit me and no one to care for me

   Now, will youse please be kind, babe, let me speak just one more time
   Will youse please be kind, babe, let me speak just one more time
   'Cause I have somethin' to tell you, baby, will ease your trouble in mind

   SPOKEN DURING SOLO:  Aw, babe, aw, baby

   Now I'm going back to Biddle Street, to worry youse off my mind
   Now I'm going back to Biddle Street, to worry youse off my mind
   'Cause I have another woman on Biddle Street, will treat me nice and kind

   Biddle Street, Biddle Street, now, is only twenty-six blocks long
   Biddle Street, Biddle Street, now, is only twenty-six blocks long
   And the women on Biddle Street just won't leave me alone

   That's why I'm going back to Biddle Street, I swear, and it won't be long
   That's why I'm going back to Biddle Street, I swear, and it won't be long
   'Cause I know my baby's there, she will take my lovin' on

Edited 12/20 to pick up correction from banjochris

All best,
Johnm

[banjochris]

John -- it's
'Cause my best baby have quit me and no one to care for me.

Chris