Topic: Walter Roland Lyrics

[uncle bud]

Come On Down is not your typical Walter Roland tune, but I like it. It sounds like a song I should be able to find elsewhere, i.e. perhaps traditional or perhaps based on a pop source, but haven't had any luck yet. And damned if I can get the last line of the lyric. Any opinions?



Come On Down - Walter Roland

...be a jubilee in Nashville [town]*
Honey dear, listen hear
What a grand time it's gonna be
Say you can dance with your honey with a pocket full of money
Let's go to 'Manda Lee's

It's come on down, come on down
Gonna be a jubilee in Nashville town
Honey dear, listen hear
Holler out the window and tell Miss Corinda to
Come on to (what for), barbecue
What a grand time it's gonna be
Say you can dance with your honey, boys, if you ain't got no money
Let's go to 'Manda Lee's

It's come on down, come on down
Gonna be a jubilee in Nashville town
Honey dear, listen hear
What a grand time it's gonna be
Say you can dance with your honey with a pocket full of money
Let's go to 'Manda Lee's

It's come on down, come on down
Gonna be a jubilee in Nashville town
Honey dear, listen hear
Holler out the window and tell Miss Corinda to
Come on to (what for), barbecue
What a grand time it's gonna be
You can dance with your honey with your pockets full of money
Let's go to 'Manda Lee's

* recording starts as they're playing and there's a skip in the 78

[dj]

It sounds like a song I should be able to find elsewhere

I know what you mean Uncle Bud.  But maybe, like Leroy Carr, Walter Roland just had a fair hand for writing a pop song.

If I may suggest, I'd transcribe MANDA LEE as 'MANDA LEE, as Manda is almost certainly a contraction of Amanda.   

[uncle bud]

Thanks, dj. I'll go with 'MANDA LEE as you suggest.

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Walter Roland's "No Good Biddie" has him working much the same territory, instrumentally, as he did on "Overall Blues" which was recently in the "Miller's Breakdown" thread.  Once again, he is playing out of C position in standard tuning, capoed up, and his backing guitarist, Sonny Scott, sounds to be working out of F position in standard tuning, tuned low.  The lyrics have him apparently chastising a woman he attempted to set up in business.  His attitude softens as the song goes along, thankfully.  Here is the performance:



I took you down to camps, baby, you couldn't make a dime
I take you down to camps, baby, you couldn't make a dime
You keep me worried, baby, all the time

I put you in a house, baby, way last Fall
I put you in a house, baby, way last Fall
And you let a man stay there, baby, for nothin' at all

SOLO (Spoken:  Play it.  Play it!)

I don't know what it is that makes me love you so
I don't know what it is that makes me love you so
When I'm where you at, I don't want to go

I come home this mornin' and you was out and gone
I come home this mornin', you was out and gone
You left a note on my table, say, "Papa, I got your waters on."

SOLO (Spoken:  Play it, Man!  You don't have nothin' but a no good biddie nohow.)

All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
For "T Model Blues", Walter Roland, an ace pianist, once again chose to accompany himself on guitar, working out of E position in standard tuning.  It is one of his only guitar performances I've found thus far in which he played by himself, without Sonny Scott seconding him.  He is long in his phrasing in an odd way in the third bar of the first two lines of his first couple of verses.  I am not at all sure I have the bent bracketed section in the last verse right and would very much appreciate some help with it.  Here is the track:



INTRO

Says it's mmmm, baby, mmmm, baby, oooo
Says it's mmm, baby, mmm, baby, oooo
Say, you know you do not love me, like I say I love you

Say, you know these here women, sure do treat me mean
Oooo-oooo, these here women, sure do treat me mean
You know, I asked one for a drink of water, she give me gasoline

Says, mmmm-mm-mm, baby, you won't do nothin' you say
Says, mmmmm, baby, you won't do nothin' you say
You know, you told me you loved me, but what about that man, I seed with you with the other day?

SOLO

These here women what call theirself a Cadillac, ought to be a T Model Ford
Say, you know these women what call theirself a Cadillac, ought to be a T Model Ford
You know, they got their shape all right, but they can't carry no heavy load

Say, you know I'm gonna sing this here verse now, ain't gon' sing no more
Say, you know I'm gon' sing this here verse now, ain't gon' sing no more
'Cause you know I'm got to go home and get ove' my old lady 'cause she won't come back no more

Edited 12/21 to pick up corrections from Banjochris and Harry
Edited 12/23 to pick up correction from dj

All best,
Johnm

[banjochris]

Say, you know I'm gonna sing this here verse now, ain't gon' sing no more
Say, you know I'm gon' sing this here verse now, ain't gon' sing no more
'Cause you know I've got to go home and [keep on] my old lady 'cause she won't come back no more

It sounds like "get on" or "get over on" to me, John, for what that's worth. Not sure either makes a lot of sense.
Chris

[Johnm]

It's funny, Chris, I originally had "get on", but in multiple re-listenings, it really sounds more like "keep", especially the ending of the word, which seems a pretty clear "p" sound to me.  I think I'll stick with it.

[banjochris]

Sounds good, I was hearing it different ways myself, none of which seemed terribly satisfactory to me!
Chris

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Walter Roland backed himself on guitar out of C position in standard tuning for his performance of "Red Cross Blues, No. 2".  What's interesting is that on his recording of "Red Cross Blues", he accompanied himself on piano.  Here is his performance of the song:



INTRO

Say, you know I had a dream last night that I hadn't ever dreamt before
I dreamt about the head clerk down in the Red Cross Store
REFRAIN:  And I told him, "No, Great Lord, says, girl, I can't go.
Says, I can not go to Hill's, but I can go to the Red Cross Store."

Said, you know that woman I got now, you know, she won't treat me right
Every time I go home now, she want to fuss and fight
REFRAIN:  And I tell her, "No, Great Lord, I can't go.
Says, you know I can not go to Hill's, but I can take you to that Red Cross Store."

Said, you know they give you somethin' to eat at the Red Cross, you have to go get it 'fore 11:00
They done moved over to Seventeenth Street, to 1307
REFRAIN:  And I told 'em, "No, Great Lord, says, girl, I can't go.
Says, you know I can not go to Hill's, but I can go to that Red Cross Store."

Says, I done told you once now, says, I'm sure gon' tell you twice
Says, I don't want you keep up with me about the Red Cross rice
REFRAIN:  And I told her, "No, Great Lord, girl, I can't go.
Say, you know I can not go to Hill's, but I can take you to that Red Cross Store."

Say, you know I'm gon' sing this here verse now, and I'm soon ain't gon' sing no more
'Cause my wife and children is hungry, and I expect I'm gonna have to go
REFRAIN:  And holler, "Oh, Great Lord, I'm gon' have to go.
Say, you know I just well as to go home to get my croker sack, go up yonder to that Red Cross Store."

But, you know there is one thing is certain, is that all these people see
The Red Cross don't give you everything you want, they'll give something you need
REFRAIN:  And I told 'em, "No, Great Lord, says, I can't go.
Says, you know I can not go to Hill's, I've got to go to the Red Cross Store."

All best,
Johnm   

[Johnm]

Hi all,
For "Man, Man, Man", Walter Roland played out of C position in standard tuning, capoed up, while Sonny Scott seconded him out of F position in standard tuning.  The song is a kind of cover of "Mister Man Blues", a duet by Papa Charlie Jackson and Ida Cox that had been recorded several years earlier.  Sonny Scott really shines on this one, in his response lines, shown in parentheses.  Here is the song:



INTRO SOLO

Says, I tried to love you, woman, but you would not treat me good (Aw, man, man, man, man, man)
Says, I tried to love you, woman, but you would not treat me good (It's darn man, man, man)
'Cause you treat me worser, anybody in my neighborhood (Oh, man, man, man)

Says, I'm gonna get a gun (Yeah!), better live good to me (Ain't that a mess?)
Says, I'm gonna get a gun, better live good to me (Aw, man, man, man)
'Cause you know, these here women, they won't-a let me be (Oh, man, man, man)

Said, mmmmmmmm, baby, mmmmmm, won't you treat me nice?
Mmmmmm, baby, baby, won't you treat me nice? (Aw, man, man, man)
I says, I'm gonna ast you, please, to be my wife (Oh, man, man, man)

You know, it was early this mornin', baby, 'bout a-four o'clock (Mister man, man, man, man, man)
Says, it's early this mornin', baby, 'bout four o'clock (It's darn man, man, man)
You know, my good girl done somethin', I declare to God it sure wouldn't stop (Aw, man, man, man)

But sure will sing this here verse, ain't gonna sing no more (Aw, man, man, man, man, man)
Then gon' sing this verse (Gonna sing that thing, man!), ain't gon' sing no more (Aw, man, man, man)
Say, you know if you'll be mine (uh-huh), I'll let these here other girls go (Aw, man, man, man)

Says, take me back now, baby, (Yes!) 'clare now that-a I'll be good
Says, take me back now, baby, 'clare, says, that I'll be good (Aw, man, man, man, man, man)
Says, I'll treat you better than anybody in your neighborhood (Oh, man, man, man)

All best,
Johnm
 

[Blues Vintage]

Walter Roland - Big Mama

I think this is a 10 bar blues with a lyric structure usually found in a 16 bar blues. It could also belong in the "Blues Forms and Vocal Phrasing" thread.


New York August 2, 1934





Hollerin’ hey big mama
Hollerin’ hey big mama
Hollerin’ hey big mama
Hollerin’ hey big mama take your big legs offa me

She got some great big legs she got some whopping thighs
She got some great big legs whopping thighs
She got some great big legs whopping thighs
And every time she leave me you know it makes me cry

Every time she call me you know she makes me mad
Every time she call me you it makes me mad
Every time she call me you it makes me mad
But I ain’t never told her about that man she had

You know she makes me mad when she calls my name
She makes me awful mad when she calls my name
She makes me awful mad when she calls my name
But you know I ain’t never told her she could not shake that thing

[Johnm]

That's a good one, Harry!  It has the same structure (and some of the lyrics) as Memphis Minnie's "Frisco Train" or "Frisco Bound", I can't remember the title.  In the second verse, rather than "walking size", it is "whopping thighs".
All best,
Johnm

[Blues Vintage]

Cold Blooded Murder


Walter Roland - Vocals,  Piano
Josh White - Guitar

New York City, New York
March 18, 1935

Piano In Bb





You’s a cold blooded murder when you want me out your way
You’s a cold blooded murder when you want me out your way
That’s alright  baby you will need my help someday

And you say you gonna put me Lord in my lonesome grave
And you say you gonna put me Lord in my lonesome grave
And you know you’ll be sorry cause once I have been your slave

You’s a cold blooded murder when you know that your chance is good
You’s a cold blooded murder when you know that your chance is good
But that’s alright baby I’ll be the same way if I could

Give me the money baby I’ll catch the train and go
You don’t have to kill me  because you don’t want me no more
I said gimme the money baby and I’ll catch the train and go
And you don’t have to kill me just because you don’t want me no more

Right now baby I’m sleeping by myself
And if you don’t want me I don’t want nobody else
I said right now baby sleeping by myself
And if you don’t want me Lord I don’t want nobody else

[dj]

Sorry to be almost 4 years too late in commenting on the T Model Blues transcription, but I really think the last line of the last verse is:

'Cause you know I've got to go home and git o'er my old lady 'cause she won't come back no more

The phonetics are a little crushed because Roland is packing so many syllables into the line, but I think what I have best fits both the phonics and the sense of that line.

[Johnm]

Thanks for the suggestion, dj, I agree now that "keep" is not right. I think "git on", has the right consonant sound at the front end of the verb and the right vowel sound in the middle. At the tail end, it sounds almost like "gig". I'm going to listen a bit more.