Topic: Mance Lipscomb Lyrics

[cru423]

One of my favorites off the Arhoolie album. I'm filling in a lyric given in an interview he gave on the source for this song which was left out of the recording. I wonder if there are any others.

 

Freddie

Lord, Freddie's woman she done somethin'
She had never done before
She was in the bed, with another man
Made Freddie's pallet on the floor

He got mad, he got bad
With his gun, in his hand

Freddie's woman saw him comin'
Went and fell down on her knees
I could hear her cryin', "Now Freddie,
spare my life if you please,

I know you're mad, you got bad,
With your gun in your hand"

Freddie meets the policeman
With his big gun in his hand;
"Freddie, I heard you done killed your woman"
He said, "Yes, I'm lookin' for that man,

He made me mad, I got bad,
With my gun, in my hand"

Freddie said, "Look-a here Judge,
Judge, wouldn't-a you got mad
If you come home and find your woman
With another man in your bed?

You'd got mad, you'd got bad,
With your gun, in your hand"

Freddie said, "Now mama,
Mama you got to let me go,
Cause the woman mistreated me
And I had to shoot her so...

I got mad, I got bad
With my gun, in my hand"

Now Freddie say he lay down
Tried not to pay her no mind
But a-while 'fore day Freddie a-woke
Heard some springs...(cryin': from interview)

He got mad, he got bad
With his gun, in his hand

Freddie's papa told Freddie
"Son, here's what you done wrong:
When you found out that woman won't-a treat you right,
son, why didn't you let her alone?"

You got mad, you got bad,
With your gun, in your hand

Freddie said, "Look-a here papa,
Papa, wouldn't-a you got mad,
If you come home and find mama
With another man in your bed?"

You'd got mad, you'd got bad,
With your gun, in your hand

Freddie's papa said, "Yes,
son I'll tell you what I'm gonna do,
If the judge give you forty years,
I'll have him pardon you,

For being a bad man,
With your gun, in your hand"

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Mance Lipscomb's version of "Frankie and Albert" was released for the first time on "Mance Lipscomb-"Captain, Captain!", Texas Songster, Vol. 3", Arhoolie 465, never having been put out in the LP era.  Mance plays his version out of C position in standard tuning.  Melodically, it is probably closest to Big Bill Broonzy's version, of the versions of the song that have been posted thus far, but it is different enough to be considered a different melody.  Mance phrases the melody on the guitar right under his singing, as he so often did.



Frankie was a good woman, evahbody knows
Paid forty-one dollar for Albert, a suit of clothes
"That's my man, but he done me wrong."

Frankie walked up to the bartender, called for a glass of beer
Say, "Look-a here, bartender, ain't Albert, my man been here?
That's my man, goin' to kill him, sure."

Bartender say, "Now Frankie, ain't gonna tell you no lie.
Albert left here about an hour ago with a woman called Alice S. Blye.
That's your man, but he done you wrong."

Frankie walked down the streets, weren't gone very long
Under Frankie's ap'on, lot of Colt's .41
"That's my man, goin' to kill him, sure."

When she first shot Albert, fell down to his knees
He say, "Look-a here, Frankie, spare my life if you please.
I'm your man, but I done you wrong."

"Roll me over, doctor, roll me over slow.
Where Frankie done shot me, it is killing me, sure."
I'm her man, but I done you wrong."

All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Mance Lipscomb recorded his version of "Casey Jones" on his "Trouble in Mind" album, on the Reprise label.  He accompanied himself out of F, and the song's melody sits and flows beautifully working out of that position.  The melody he sings is the one you probably sang if you learned the song in elementary school; it was used for a Good 'n'Plenty commercial years ago:  Charlie says, "Love my Good 'n' Plenty", etc.
Mance never sings a full refrain, choosing instead to treat that portion of the song mostly as an instrumental opportunity with words here and there.  There's one line in the first refrain I'm completely stumped by, and I would appreciate help with that and any other place I've got it wrong.

Come all you rounders if you want to hear
Story about a brave engineer
Casey Jones, it was the rounder's name
On a six-eight wheeler, well, he won his fame

Caller called Casey just 'bout half past four
Kissed his wife at the station door
He mounted to the cabin with his order in his hand
Takin' a farewell trip a-to the Promised Land

REFRAIN: (guitar)
Mounted to the cabin
(guitar)
Casey Jones
(guitar)
Takin' a farewell trip a-to the Promised Land

Casey said, just before he died,
"Fix all the cars so the bums can't ride
If they ride, they got to ride the rod,
They put their hopes in Jesus and their trust in God."

REFRAIN SOLO

Haul in your water, shovel in your coal
Stick your head out the window, watch the driver roll
"Gon' run this train 'til it leaves the rail
'Cause I'm eight hours late a-with the western mail."

REFRAIN: Casey Jones
(guitar)
Casey Jones
(guitar)

When Casey was goin' up Reno Hill
He blowed for the crossing, with an awful shrill
Switchman knowed by the engine moan
Man's at the throttle must be Casey Jones

SOLO

Looks at his watch and his watch was slow
Looked at the water and the water was low
He turned to the fireman and then he said,
We will fix broke, but we'll all be dead

REFRAIN: (guitar)
Casey Jones
(guitar)
Casey Jones
(guitar)
Takin' a farewell trip a-to the Promised Land

When he died, he went to Heaven from here
Told St. Peter he's a brave engineer
St. Peter said, "Casey, 'cause you're brave and bold,
I'm gonna send you down yonder, where you can shovel coal."

Edited 12/19 to pick up corrections from ScottN

All best,
Johnm


 

[ScottN]

Hi John,

I hear mounted to the cabin in the refrain.  In post 52 of this thread I have my take on it.  Last verse I think is brave and bold vs in the world.

Thanks,   
              Scott

[Johnm]

Oops, I forgot that you had transcribed Mance's version of "Casey Jones", Scott.  "Mounted to the cabin" sounds right on, as does "brave and bold".  I re-listened, and that later place where you have "fix broke", it is certainly what Mance sang, so I'll fix that, too.  Thanks for the help and I will make the changes.
All best,
Johnm

[ScottN]

Current inventory of transcribed ML songs 4/28/14

Weeniepedia:
Boll Weevil
Casey Jones
Frankie and Albert
Tell Me Where You Stay Last Night
Willie Poor Boy

In thread at various stages:
Silver City (DVD) reply no 6
Silver City (cd) no 7
You Got To Reap What You Sow no 13
Night Time Is The Right Time no 15
Ella Speed no 18
Goin Down Slow no 25
Captain Captain no 25
Blues In G no 28
Evil Blues no 33
Blues In The Bottle no 40
Meet Me In The Bottom (Cabale) no 42
Alcohol Blues (Whiskey Blues) no 48
Jack Of Diamonds no 53
Freddie no 60

[ScottN]

From You Got To Reap What You Sow



The Titanic

Spoken: That was a very stressful time out on the ocean when the Titanic struck the iceberg and went down. All those people had to drown. And main part 'at was so sorry the womens had to you know look at their mens go down on the ocean. And they put out the lifeboat just [ta try] an save the womens and let the men went down. So we're gonna play you The Titanic.

Intro

On the fourteenth day of April year of nineteen twelve
When the Titanic struck the iceberg almost too sad to tell
God move
God move
God move
Oh the people had to run and pray

When the Titanic was sinking they put lifeboats all around
Says let's save the women and children even if the mens go down
God move
God move
God move
Whoa the people had to run and pray

When the lifeboat got to the landing women looked around
Say look out on that ocean look at our men go down
God move
God move
God move
Whoa the people had to run and pray

Captain he was laying down
Sleep 'cause he was tired
But he woke up in a great fright
'Cause the men had [gun shot him fired]
God move
God move
God move
Whoa the people had to run and pray

Jacob (P)Astor was a millionaire had plenty money to spare
But when the Titanic was sinking Lord he could not pay his fare
God move
God move
God move
Whoa the people had to run and pray

Solo / outro


Thanks,
            Scott

[Johnm]

Thanks for doing all the recent lyric transcriptions, Scott.  I haven't had a time to listen to the Pink Anderson songs and don't currently have the recordings at home.  I'll have to fetch them the next time I'm in Seattle.
The post listing the status of the different Mance Lipscomb transcriptions in progress is a great idea.  On "God Moves On the Water", I think the last line of the fourth verse before its refrain is:
   "Cause the MANY guns shot AND fired"

All best,
Johnm 

[cru423]

?cause the mate his gun shot and fired?. The Newport live recording is the one I?m going by.

[ArthurBlake]

Hi all, Years ago I bought a Mance Lipscombe CD which was the very first CD released by Arhoolie according to the serial number. On there the first tune was Big Boss Man and I liked his variation of the lyrics he had compared to the Jimmy Reed version which looked a bit sparse on paper. I also like the guitar playing which I found easily accessible and not hard to sing while playing it. I noticed that Mance's version was not here so I decided to write what I think he is singing on it, there are a few spots I am not sure of so please add or adjust my translation (if that's the right word for it). I also like the way his first verse is short, starting on the IV chord.



                                     BIG BOSS MAN . - Mance Lipscombe

     1.   I got a big boss man, just won't treat me right
           Works me hard all day, lord, I can't sleep at night

     2.   He's standing on his turnrow, with his pistol in his hand,
           he done whooped that woman, goin' to kill that man.
           'Cos he's a big boss man, just won't treat me right
           Works me hard all day, I can't sleep at night.

     3.   I told my wife last night, just pack up our things and go.
           I ain't gonna work for that, mean boss man no more.
           'Cos he's a mean boss man, knows me when he hear's me call,
           Well you ain't so big, you just tall that's all.

     4.   Standin' on the corner, with his hat on his head,
           Gets mad when you can't, underrstand what he said.
           'Cos he's a mean boss man, just won't treat me right.
           Works me hard all day, I can't sleep at night.

     5.   Next boss I get (or git as he says), gonna do right to me,
           When i go to him, he gonna let me be.
           'Cos he's a mean boss man, just won't treat me right,
           Works me hard all day, I can't sleep at night.

      6.   ( Mance plays a solo here until he reaches the V chord part then sings there :......)
            Well you ain't so big, You Just tall that's all <<< V Chord (C7)

      7.   Next boss man I work for, He got to treat me right
            He can work me all day, and let me sleep at night (?? maybe Can't work me all day etc,)
            'Cos he's a, big boss man, don't you hear me call ?
            You ain't so big, you just tall that's all.


First query : Is Mance saying Turnrow in 2nd verse and if so, what is a turnrow ? being Australian may be why I don't get this word.

           Mance plays this in E position either tuned up a half step to F. or capoed at first fret I am not sure which.

[dj]

Is Mance saying Turnrow in 2nd verse  and if so, what is a turnrow ?

Yes, it's turnrow.  A trunrow is a strip of land at either side of a plowed and planted field perpendicular to the plowed furrows.  When you're plowing, it's where you turn the plow at the end of a furrow to go back down to do the next furrow.   

[jphauser]

     2.   He's standing on his turnrow, with his pistol in his hand,
           he done whooped that woman, goin' to kill that man.
           'Cos he's a big boss man, just won't treat me right
           Works me hard all day, I can't sleep at night.


First query : Is Mance saying Turnrow in 2nd verse and if so, what is a turnrow ? being Australian may be why I don't get this word.

           

I found this definition in Merriam -Webster's online dictionary:
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/turnrow

a strip of usually uncropped land at the side or end of a field upon which a plow may be turned at the end of the furrow


Bruce Jackson gives the following definition in the glossary of his book Wake Up Dead Man which collected work songs from Texas prisons.
--a road around a large planted area

Jim

[ArthurBlake]

Thanks fellas, now I understand it, my grandfather was a grazier of sheep mostly but never did the crop thing and besides we Aussies have different terminologies about most things farming to what is used in America, cheers. I hope my lyrics above will help somebody someday, if I find any more tunes I have written down that are not yet in Weenie's lyrics archive I shall gladly put them up.

Now I await someone to do the song Mance style on Back Porch so I can enjoy.

[jphauser]

                                     
           He's standing on his turnrow, with his pistol in his hand,
           he done whooped that woman, goin' to kill that man.
           'Cos he's a big boss man, just won't treat me right
           Works me hard all day, I can't sleep at night.

          One last thing about Lipscomb's version of "Big Boss Man" that might be of interest to some.   On Jimmy Reed's record, Luther Dixon and Al Smith have been creditied as composers of the song.  But according to Lipscomb, it was written in the fields out of the workers' complaints of mistreatment.  This is in his oral autobiography titled I Say for Me a Parable.   If I remember correctly, the book doesn't mention Dixon and Smith or Jimmy Reed's version.

Regarding the lyric "He's standing on the turnrow with a pistol in his hand," Lipscomb said that the laborers in the fields were actually watched over by bosses who were armed just as was done on the prison farms. 

Jim

[ArthurBlake]

                                     
           He's standing on his turnrow, with his pistol in his hand,
           he done whooped that woman, goin' to kill that man.
           'Cos he's a big boss man, just won't treat me right
           Works me hard all day, I can't sleep at night.

          One last thing about Lipscomb's version of "Big Boss Man" that might be of interest to some.   On Jimmy Reed's record, Luther Dixon and Al Smith have been creditied as composers of the song.  But according to Lipscomb, it was written in the fields out of the workers' complaints of mistreatment.  This is in his oral autobiography titled I Say for Me a Parable.   If I remember correctly, the book doesn't mention Dixon and Smith or Jimmy Reed's version.

Regarding the lyric "He's standing on the turnrow with a pistol in his hand," Lipscomb said that the laborers in the fields were actually watched over by bosses who were armed just as was done on the prison farms. 

Jim

Yeah I have felt ever since hearing Mance play this the first time that his version was an earlier version and not an adaptation but can't prove it because Jimmy got it recorder first. As for the armed guards that does figure, in fact he states in the lyric "with his pistol in his hand" which sorta sounds like prison to me so maybe Mance learned the tune from an ex-con. I love the song, both Jimmy's and Mance's versions are great. When I play the song but, I do Mance's version if I am the one singing but if someone else sings it at a jam it is invariably Reed's version.