I was trying to recreate the lyrics to Bama Stuart's "I'm going home" from the album "The land where the blues began". Seeing I had some trouble making out some of the words, I googled it and ended up here on this forum. I was wondering if some of you might be able to help me. I've put everything I have so far written down underneath in the next post. The words or sentences I'm not sure of, are marked with question marks. I've also censored out some particular words which some people might find offensive.
Please excuse me for my poor English in this post and the next, as I'm not a native speaker.
Any help is much appreciated!
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I like the ol' pianer, and I like the fiddle too, that ol' guitar makes music awful sweet! But when I pick the ol' banjo, my heart is mighty free, the banjer am the instrument for me!
Last year was no good crop year And everybody knows it Grandpa raised the Some black rascal stole it
I?m goin? home son, I?m goin? home I?m goin? home son, I?m goin? home
Jaybird pullin? the Sparrow pullin? the You gonna pull it today big boy And I?m gonna pull it tomorrow
I?m goin? home son, I?m goin? home I?m goin? home son, I?m goin? home
Lost my gal the other day While you rang I found her Way down in that old corn field Fifteen boys around her
I?m goin? home big boy, I?m goin? home I?m goin? home son, I?m goin? home
on n****r with the black boots on I sure do wish to I take this chain here And run you stone crazy
I?m goin? home big boy, I?m goin? home Talking: Yeah you like that I?m goin? home son, I?m goin? home
Grandma had an old bulldog She swore he?s double-jointed She sent that dog to the blacksmith shop And had his nose
I?m goin? home big boy, I?m goin? home I?m goin? home boy, I?m goin? home
Girl bring me my shotgun Rifle ain?t got no trigger We goin? down to party tonight Might meet another n****r
I?m goin? home big boy, I?m goin? home I?m goin? home son, I?m goin? home I?m goin? home big boy, I?m goin? home Talking: Boy she like that I?m goin? home gal, I?m goin? home I?m goin? home big boy, I?m goin? home
Talking: What else song boy
Last year This year I didn?t make no cotton and corn I?m goin? home to Julie
I?m goin? home Lord, I?m goin? home I?m goin? home big boy, I?m goin? home
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I like the ol' pianer, and I like the fiddle too, that ol' guitar makes music awful sweet! But when I pick the ol' banjo, my heart is mighty free, the banjer am the instrument for me!
Welcome to WeeniCampbell, Niels. I've added the missing bits, taken from the liner notes to Prison Songs Vol 2: Don'tcha Hear Poor Mother Calling? Corrections are in caps, as is our standard practice around here. The notes point out that this is a "yahoo song".
"This was Bama's version of a 'yahoo song.' In Delta Black parlance, 'yahoo' was a disparaging term for poor whites, like 'peckerwood.' Although the lyrics were often so heavily coded as to be basically intelligible only to blacks, it was considered extremely dangerous to sing them while whites were around. Lomax noted that the preceding lies and stories had so amused the guard [on the preceding track from the CD, "Lies"] that Bama seemed to feel he could get away with singing this masked satire of racial inequity. Bama sings in the first person in two different characters, the first a white farmer, the second a 'black rascal' who can't be caught."
I've added Lomax's "decoding" of the lyrics in square brackets below. If Lomax is correct, Bama must have been made of some tough stuff, singing that in front of a white prison guard.
Last year wasn't no good crop year And everybody KNOWED IT Grandpa raised A BUSHEL OF CORN Some black rascal stole it
I'm goin' home, son, I'm goin' home I'm goin' home, son, I'm goin' home
[Thinking of the poverty stricken rednecks scratching in their sand patches in the hills, Bama in effect tells the guard, "Sonny boy, I'll leave you behind; there's nothing you and yours can do to me."]
Jaybird pullin' the TURNIN' PLOW Sparrow pullin' the HARROW You gonna pull it today, big boy, And I'm gonna pull it tomorrow
I'm goin' home, son, I'm goin' home I'm goin' home, son, I'm goin' home
[Thinking of the unequal division of labor in the South, and how some day the tables may be turned.]
Lost my gal the other day WHERE you RECKON I found her? Way down THERE in THE old corn field Fifteen boys around her
I'm goin' home, big boy, I'm goin' home I'm goin' home, son, I'm goin' home
[Now moving on to a fantasy about a promiscuous white woman, carrying out her forbidden desires for black lovers.]
Go on, old nigger with the black boots on I sure do wish IT WAS SLAVERY I'd take THIS TRACE CHAIN here And run you stone crazy
I'm goin' home, big boy, I'm goin' home Talking: Yeah, you like that ALL RIGHT, BOSS? I'm goin' home, son, I'm goin' home
[The cracker wishes he could drive off the superpotent black with unchecked violence. Conscious of the real difference between a slave and a free man, he consoles himself with the fantasy murder of a Negro casually encountered. Bama answers again, "look sonny, you can't hold me, because I'm goin' home, big boy, I'm goin home."]
Grandma had a old bulldog She swore he's double-jointed She sent that dog to the blacksmith shop And had his nose POINTED
I'm goin' home, big boy, I'm goin' home I'm goin' home, boy, I'm goin' home
Girl, bring me my shotgun Rifle ain't got no trigger We goin' down to party tonight Might meet another nigger
I'm goin' home, big boy, I'm goin' home I'm goin' home, son, I'm goin' home I'm goin' home, big boy, I'm goin' home Talking: BOSS, YOU like that ONE ALL RIGHT? I'm goin' home, gal, I'm goin' home I'm goin' home, big boy, I'm goin' home
Talking: What else GO WITH THAT song, boy?
Last year I PLOWED A HORNY OX This year I PLOWED A MULIE I didn't make no cotton and corn I'm goin? home to Julie
I'm goin' home, Lord, I'm goin' home I'm goin' home, big boy, I'm goin' home
TALKING: That's enough of that, eh, boss?
« Last Edit: September 14, 2019, 08:58:27 AM by Johnm »
Thank you very much uncle bud, I've been trying to understand the lyrics and meaning to this song for quite a while now. I knew it was a pretty risky song back in those days, but I had no idea of the true meaning. I'll be sure to check "Prison Songs" out as well!
Thank you too Richard, for the welcome.
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I like the ol' pianer, and I like the fiddle too, that ol' guitar makes music awful sweet! But when I pick the ol' banjo, my heart is mighty free, the banjer am the instrument for me!
I see you are in Belgium. How do you fancy coming over to England for the Euroweenie Weekend at the beginning of April? We are trying to attract people from mainland Europe, but without much success. All it costs is the travel and hotel bill - we don't even pay the hotel for use of the conference room.
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"I ain't good looking, teeth don't shine like pearls, So glad good looks don't take you through this world." Barbecue Bob
Thank you kindly for that invitation, and although I'd love to come, I'm unable to travel that time because of my final exams. Also, thank you for that welcome in my own language!
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I like the ol' pianer, and I like the fiddle too, that ol' guitar makes music awful sweet! But when I pick the ol' banjo, my heart is mighty free, the banjer am the instrument for me!
I stumbled onto this forum while trying to figure out how to play “I’m goin home” . Instead I found an explanation of the symbolism in the song and decided I’d ask to stay. XD. I would love some input on the chords but certainly thank you for adding me.
Hi Dale, The obvious answer is that "I'm Going Home" has no chords, at least as 'Bama Stuart sang it. Here is his version:
If you want to put chords to it, you could do the following:
VERSE: | I | I | I | V7 | | I | I | I V7 | I |
CHORUS: | I | I | I | I | | I | V7 | I | I |
Plug in the chords that are appropriate for whatever key you're comfortable singing the melody in. If you were playing this on the banjo, clawhammer style, you wouldn't need to play any chords at all, just play the melody and let the open strings drone. I hope this helps.. all best, Johnm
« Last Edit: September 14, 2019, 08:39:23 AM by Johnm »