Originally posted by Lcwx2 on 08-02-2002 02:16
at http://www.guitarseminars.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/001898.htmlOK, I've decided to help out anyone who needs info on this artist. I've only been able to locate two sources for info on Geechie, alternatively spelled 'Geeshie'. The two sources (well, three if you count the document disc) are Yazoo's cd 'Mississippi Masters' in which there is some info on some songs and some biography, and 'Chasin' That Devil Music' by Gayle Dean Wardlow, in which Ishmon Bracey is quoted as having met her. I will first give the info from the book, then the cd liner notes, and then I will present my own song analyses, including lyrics and chords. I will minimize material that would be redundant:
Book:
Bracey: 'She lived 'round there on John Hart Street for a while. Charlie McCoy got her for his old lady. She could play on the guitar as good as on that record [Eagles On A Half, Pm 13074]. She said she was from Natchez; close by Natchez was her home. She didn't stay here long, couple of months and she done left.'
Bracey said he was not confusing Wiley with Rosie Mae Moore. He said McCoy lived with both of them at different times. He said Wiley played guitar and accompanied herself when she sang. [Her 'Last Kind Words Blues' was prominently used by Terry Zwigoff in his documentary film on Robert Crumb.]
The four tunes (actually six) that Wiley recorded solo and with Elvie Thomas for Paramount in 1930 and 1931 establish her as one of the greatest female blues artists. According to Ishman Bracey, she hailed from the vicinity of Natchez. In the 1920s she spent three months in Jackson as a resident of John Hart Street; while there, she played in a medicine show. 'She could play a guitar, but she had a guitar player with her,' Bracey said. 'She'd play a guitar, and a ukulele too.' While in Jackson, she took up with Charlie McCoy.
A woman matching the description of Elvie Thomas was remembered as living near Palmer's Crossing, a small community outside of Hattiesburg. No other information is available.
CD liner notes:
Other than a report of Robert Wilkins (and Bracey's recollections) seeing her in eastern Mississippi around 1930, her name elicited no further response among her contemporaries.
She represents when black secular music was coalescing into blues. Her repertoire includes raggy pieces like Over To My House and Pick Poor Robin Clean. Last Kind Words probably predates WWI, but is handled with a blues sensibility. Her guitar technique is unusual: her use of an A minor chord is rare.
Wiley apparently came up to record with Elvie Thomas. Motherless Child Blues is in E. It shows traces of a northern Mississippi influence, but the B7th section is without parallel in rural blues. A very similar arrangement is used on Skinny Leg Blues. Wiley's masterpiece, Last Kind Words Blues is played in the key of E. The lyrics date it to WWI, but it's bar structure is probably older. The opening A minor chord that leads directly into the same A riff employed by Texas artists is unique, and the thumb rolls in the B7th part echo Patton Green River Blues.
OK, now for my analyses of her music. First, unless it's already been mentioned, I will give the chords to each song, then the lyrics, then a bit about what the lyrics might mean. Lyrics in parentheses could be mistaken. I've tried to do as good a job as I can. Enjoy.
Last Kind Words Blues by Geechie Wiley
(Guitar Intro)
The last kind word I heard my daddy say
Lord the last kind word I heard my daddy say
If I die, if I die in the German War
I want you to send my body, send it to my mother-in-law
If I get killed, if I get killed, please don?t bury my (soul) (sword)
I (p?fer) just leave me out, let the buzzards eat me whole
When you see me comin?, look ?cross the (rich man?s) (Richland) field
If I don?t bring you flour, I?ll bring you (?)
(Guitar Solo)
I went to the depot, I looked up at the sign
Cry some train don?t come, there?ll be some walkin? done
My momma told me, just before she died
Lord, (since the dawn, I thought you?d be so wise) (I brought you a piece of ?)
The Mississippi River, you know it?s deep and wide
I can stand right here, see my (babe) (face) from the other side
What you do to me baby, it never gets out of me
I mean I?ll see you, after I cross the deep blue sea
Obviously, this song is about a guy that went off to war in WWI. It's interesting that he'd want his body sent to his mother-in-law and eaten by buzzards. If anybody knows more than I do about WWI, maybe you could help fill in the blanks, or give corrections? Skinny Leg Blues by Geechie Wiley
(Guitar Intro)
And I?m a little bitty Mamma, baby and I ain?t built for speed
Cryin? I?m a little bitty Mamma, baby and I ain?t built for speed
Ah, and I ain?t built for speed
I?ve got everything that a little bitty Mamma need
I?ve got little bitty legs, (he puts his old bull (nobble) ?twine)
I?ve got little bitty legs, (he puts his old bull (nobble) ?twine)
Ah, (he puts his old bull (nobble) ?twine)
I?ve got somethin? that (a?needs jelly, works like a bull won?t cry)
And when you see me comin?, pull down your window blind
And when you see me comin?, pull down your window blind
You see me comin?, pull down your window blinds
So your next door neighbor, sure can hear you whine
I?m gonna cut your throat baby, gon? look down in your face
I?m gonna cut your throat babe, gon? look down in your face
Ah, I?ll look down in your face
I?m gonna let some lonesome graveyard, be your restin? place
This song is pretty brutal. Geechie seems to be saying that I'm a cute little girl with whom you can copulate, and then I'm going to kill you. I say that because I think the second verse is very sexual in nature; however, it's possible that I'm missing some metaphors there that could be more threatening than I could hear. Help me out on this one, would ya? Motherless Child Blues by Geechie Wiley and Elvie Thomas
My mother told me just before she died
My mother told me just before she died
My mother told me just before she died
My mother told me just before she died
Oh daughter daughter please don?t be like me
Oh daughter daughter please don?t be like me
Oh daughter daughter please don?t be like me
To fall in love with every man you see
But I did not listen what my mother said
But I did not listen what my mother said
But I did not listen what my mother said
That?s the reason why I?m driftin? here today
Baby now she?s dead, six feet in the ground
Baby now she?s dead, she?s six feet in the ground
Baby now she?s dead, she?s six feet in the ground
And I?m a child, and I am driftin? ?round
Do you remember the day baby, you drove me from your door?
Do you remember the day baby, you drove me from your door?
Do you remember the day you drove me from your door?
?Go away from here woman, and don?t come here no more.?
I walked away and I wring my hands and cryin?
I walked away and I wring my hands and cryin?
I walked away and I wring my hands and cryin?
Didn?t have no blues, I couldn?t keep tarryin? aroun?
This one seems pretty self explanatory. She's saddened by a breakup and many before, and remembers what her mother told her, advice which she never heeded. Dig the beauty of Elvie's voice on this one. Wow.
Over To My House seems to be in Em. I've never heard a raggy piece done this way that I can think of, and everybody should hear this one. From what I get, the chords are: Em-B7-Em-B7-Em-Am-Em-B7-Em-B7-Em. Of course she doesn't just strum these, and she pulls plenty of punches in filler notes, etc. That goes for all of the chords I'll be giving; for instance, in Pick Poor Robin Clean, the D7 is often a D, etc. Over To My House Geechie Wiley and Elvie Thomas
(Guitar Intro)
Come ?round over to my house, ain?t nobody here but me
I been listenin? for the last six months, and I could not see
Cause you can shake it, you can break it, you can hang it on the wall
Throw it out the window, run and catch it ?fore it falls
On over to my house, ain?t nobody here but, I?m cryin?, ain?t nobody here but me
Come ?round over to my house, cause there ain?t nobody here but me
I?ve been listenin? for the last six months, and I could not see
I said you need not think because you?re little and cute
I?m gonna buy you a (fox-black) suit
Come on over to my house, ain?t nobody here but, I?m cryin?, ain?t nobody here but me
(Guitar Solo)
Come ?round over to my house, cause there ain?t nobody here but me
I?ve been listenin? for the last six months, and I could not see
When I was sittin? in my parlor, just a strummin? and playin?
I wasn?t too drunk to hear the backdoor slam
Come ?round over to my house, ain?t nobody here but, I?m cryin?, ain?t nobody here but me
Come ?round over to my house, cause there ain?t nobody here but me
I?ve been listenin? for the last six months, and I could not see
I?m gonna grab me a picket off of my back fence
Gonna whip ?em at your head until you learn some sense
Come ?round over to my house, ain?t nobody here but, I?m cryin?, ain?t nobody here but me
Come ?round over to my house, cause there ain?t nobody here but me
I?ve been listenin? for the last six months, and I could not see
I cried ashes to ashes, and sand to sand
Every married woman?s gotta backdoor man
On over baby to my house, ain?t nobody here but, I?m cryin?, ain?t nobody here but me
I love these lyrics, and they're very cleverly executed. This song gives you the feeling that old Geechie might have been a hard woman to live with: infidelity, assault, murder. The list goes on.
Pick Poor Robin Clean is probably a pretty old piece. Luke Jordan does a beautiful rendition of it on Document's 'The Songster Tradtion', from which one can exptrapolate it's vintage. The chord progression is a fairly standard rag progression: C-A7-D7-G7-C. It's a really fun piece, but I'd recommend switching some lyrics around before playing it in public. Pick Poor Robin Clean by Geechie Wiley and Elvie Thomas
Spoken: ?Hello there, Geechie!?
?Hello there, (Smack)!?
?What are you doin? down here??
?Oh I?m just down here tryin? to play these barn blues about Robin!?
?Let me hear it, then!?
I picked poor Robin clean, I picked poor Robin clean
I picked his head, I picked his feet, I woulda picked a spider but he wasn?t fit to eat
But I picked poor Robin clean, picked poor Robin clean
And I?ll be satisfied, having a family
Lord, in that Jaybird land, where I can pick poor Robin clean
Poor Robin clean, pick poor Robin clean
Lord, in that Jaybird land, where I can pick poor Robin clean
Then I?ll be satisfied, having a family
(Guitar Solo)
Get off my money, and don?t get funny
Cause I?m a nigger, don?t cut no figure
Gamblin? for Sadie, she is my lady
And I?m a hustling coon, that?s just what I am
You better pick poor Robin clean, pick poor Robin clean
Picked his head, picked his feet, I woulda picked a spider but he wasn?t fit to eat
But I picked poor Robin clean, picked poor Robin clean
And I?ll be satisfied, having a family
Spoken: ?Yeaah! Won?t be long now!?
(Guitar Solo)
Scat: Ahh, dah dah-dah-lah di-di-dah, dah dah-dah-lah dah dah
dah dah-dah, dah dah-dah dah
Ahh, dah dah-dah-lah di-di-dah, dah dah-dah-lah di-di-dah
dah dah-dah, dah dah-dah dah
Picked poor Robin clean, picked his head, picked his feet
I woulda picked a spider but he wasn?t fit to eat
I picked poor Robin clean, picked poor Robin clean
Said I?ll be satisfied, having a family
This song is about gambling and stealing, possibly to the extent of taking someone else's spouse. As always, it's sung with lots of spirit, giving one the impression that, given the opportunity, Geechie might just take all you've got; and why not? You'd probably be dead by then anyway.
Eagles On A Half is a really great piece in A, in which Geechie employs some licks used by Willie Brown when accompanying Patton on Moon Goin Down, as well as a D riff later used by Robert Johnson. Here's the progression: A-D7-A-E-D7-A. And the lyrics: Eagles On A Half by Geechie Wiley
(Guitar Intro)
It?s a low, it?s a low, low, low down dirty shame
It?s a low, it?s a low, low, low down dirty shame
I?ve got a brownskin man but I?m scared to call his name
I?ve to squat low Pappa, let your Mamma see
I?ve to squat low Pappa, let your Mamma see
I wants to see that whole business, please don?t worry me
(Guitar Solo)
I twisted and I tumbled, I roll the whole night long
I twisted and I tumbled, I roll the whole night long
I didn?t have no Daddy to, hold me in his arms
(Guitar Solo)
I said get back Rider, don?t care how you lay
I said get back Rider, don?t care how you lay
I wanna tell you I, can?t stay here today
I said eagles on a half dollar, babe ain?t gotta be cruel
I said eagles on a half babe, I ain?t gotta be cruel
I love you Daddy, what?s your dollar for?
This one gets pretty racy, and if I'm right about the last verse, we've finally stumbled upon something that Geechie wouldn't do: prostitute herself to her own man! My, the awe-inspiring virtue! However, if I screwed up the last verse, it could mean that she's just not willing to settle for a half-dollar, but would do it for a whole dollar, in which case we're right back where we started. In any case, Geechie is undoubtedly one of Mississippi's greatest artists, and definitley (in my opinion) it's greatest female blues singer. If you like acoustic blues, you must get to know her work. It's unparalleled in both skill and beauty. Happy listening and, please, if you've got better ideas as to my parethetical lyrics, let us know. One more treat. Go here, and you can learn to play her masterpiece; every acoustic blues player should know it: http://www.guitarseminars.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/001041.html Bye for now.
Jon
