Yup, I agree, Eric. And while I particularly like his slower, lyrical songs, he also did some great up-tempo numbers, like "A Rag", "Snatch It And Grab It" and "Raggin' The Blues".

Hi all,
Buddy Boy Hawkins recorded "Snatch It Back Blues" at the same session at which he recorded "Number Three Blues", and it was his first session. Like "Number Three Blues" it has beautiful, relaxed time and an expanded chordal vocabulary. I'd very much appreciate help with these lyrics and the spoken introduction, wherever I have missing places or mistakes. Buddy Boy Hawkins had a vocal mannerism here of drawing out the last syllable in the first half of the first line of each verse and messing with it. I've played this for years without ever really figuring out the lyrics. Here is "Snatch It Back Blues":



INTRO (SPOKEN: Listen here, peoples--these are my blues I brung all the way from Birmingham. You know when they feels good to me, it's bound to get good for you. Now let's see how you like that?

I'm gon' lay my head, down on some railroad track
I say, I'm gon' lay my head, mama, down on some railroad track
Boy, when that train come along, (train whistle effect) I'm gonna snatch it back

Tell me, brownskin mama, where did you stay last night?
I said, tell me, mama, where did you stay last night?
With your hair all down, your face ain't never washed

I say I love you, pretty mama, I don't care what you do
I say I love you, mama, I don't care what you do
You go to your black man, mama, I'll stick to my gal

I say if you don't need your black woman, you didn't have to carry no heavy stall
If you don't want me, mama, you ain't got to carry your heavy stall (Spoken: How come I say that?)
Because I can get more jet-black women than a, Southern freight train can haul

I say oo-oo-oo-oo, twa, twa, twa, twa, twa twa, twa
I say hey-ey, mm-mm-mm-mm
Oo-oo-oo, oo-oo-oo-oo

CODA

Edited 4/7 to pick up corrections from Blues Vintage
Edited 4/15 to pick up corrections from banjochris

All best,
Johnm


 

I agree with Chris,  "Cause" after Buddy Boy  (2.3)

All these women gets mad, Buddy Boy, 'cause


It sounds like "won't" but Hawkins possibly sings "want" or "wants".
It makes better sense as "twa" seems to refer to the female genitalia.

I remember that song by Charley Jordan with Peetie Wheatstraw on piano (last verse):

She's got these great big legs and also big whoppin' thighs (2x)
She got something in her twee twee twa, will make a blind man open his eyes

I think there's some jokey euphamisms going on in verse 2 – Charley Jordan had a song "Twee Twee Twa" and I think Tampa Red had something similar.

I would transcribe verse 2 as

All these women gets mad, 'cause I won't twa, twa, twa, twa,
All you women gets mad, 'cause I won't twa, twa, twa, twa,
All these women gets mad, Buddy Boy, 'cause I won't dee dat dat dah.


4.3 I couldn't do ANYTHING, PARTNER, BUT fold my little arms and cry.


there's an alternate take of this on the Document Too Late Vol. 3 (given as Take 1) with verse 2 sung as verse 4 and a few little lyrical differences. He seems to lose his place just a bit on that verse and has to cram "All these women get mad" into the space of about two syllables.

Found it on YouTube:

Thank you all for listening to it! I really enjoy playing all of these tunes and wanted to make sure there was a good mix of new and old, and a variety of tunings.