Topic: Peg Leg Howell Lyrics

[Johnm]

Hi dj,
I think the line you propose is plausible, but works better in terms of the sound if it concludes:
   SOME dissension there
I don't hear either the b for "'bout" or the concluding t.
All best,
Johnm

[dj]

I think you've got it, John.  "Some dissension there" sounds right to me.

[banjochris]

I don't think "some dissension there" is right – that really sounds like a stretch to me, logically and a little bit phonetically.

[lindy]

Folks,

I'm messing around with Howell's "Skin Game Blues" this evening, and I'm curious about this lyric:

Gambled all over Missouri
Gambled through Tennessee, babe,
Soon as I reached old Georgia
The n_____s carried a handcuff to me

The n_____s carried a handcuff to me, babe,
The n_____s carried a handcuff to me, lovin' babe,
And the n_____s carried a handcuff to me

What does it mean to "carry a handcuff to someone"?

My assumption is that it's just a slang expression for "I was handcuffed," not with real handcuffs used by police, but in the sense of "I wanted to do something, but I was handcuffed by circumstances."

If there's another meaning that I'm missing, please explain.

Lindy

[banjochris]

Lindy, I always thought it meant that they framed him for something, set him up, did something to cause him to be arrested. And I suspect that's all Papa Peg, not any kind of common expression.
Chris

[lindy]

Thanks, Chris. I also thought (pure guesswork) that even though the singer gambled in Missouri and Tennessee, the locals in Georgia were suspicious of him and wouldn't let him play, or caught him trying to use his usual gambling tricks. Most likely a one-off, but thought I'd test our collective knowledge in case it showed up elsewhere. 

L

[Stuart]

Hi Lindy:

The thought crossed my mind that it might mean they shut him down--shut down his game simply because they were better at it.

[lindy]

We're on the same page for the shut-him-down idea, the reason why is anyone's guess--suspicion of an outsider, caught him cheating, being better at it, all possibilities.

L