Topic: Bo Carter Lyrics

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Bo Carter recorded "So Long, Baby, So Long" at a session in New York City on June 5, 1931, accompanying himself out of DGDGBE tuning. It's one of the relatively rare chorus 8-bar blues played in that tuning, and Bo was really in top form on guitar. Oddly, he doesn't ever take a solo and squanders a lot of lyrics. It occurs to me that the song is a sort of back-handed cover of Leroy Carr's "How Long, How Long Blues". Here is "So Long, Baby, So Long":



INTRO

I got a sweet, little girl, she really don't mean me no good
REFRAIN: For so long, oh, so long, baby, so long

She got so dirty, so low-down, she had to leave the neighborhood
REFRAIN: For so long, oh, so long, baby, so long

I know, she don't love me, I can tell the old low-down ways she do
REFRAIN: For so long, oh, so long, baby, so long

You caused, me to be here, and this the old low-down ways she do
REFRAIN: For so long, oh, so long, baby, so long

Don't you never, get tired of, baby, treatin' me like a dog?
REFRAIN: For so long, oh, so long, baby, so long

I've been, your little puppy, ever since I entered your door
REFRAIN: For so long, oh, so long, baby, so long

I'm going, to the Nation, the next and the territo'
REFRAIN: For so long, oh, so long, baby, so long

So won't you love, me over, sweet baby, you won't see poor boy no more
REFRAIN: For so long, oh, so long, baby, so long

Now won't you tell, me, sweet baby, what's really gon' become of poor me?
REFRAIN: For so long, oh, so long, baby, so long

You treat me, so dirty, you just as mean as you can be
REFRAIN: For so long, oh, so long, baby, so long

CODA

All best,
Johnm

[banjochris]

Anyone have ideas for filling in the lyric gaps in this old raggy Bo Carter tune?



What You Want Your Daddy To Do - Bo Carter - C - capo 1?

Spoken: Aw I just want to tell you something about that little old angel child
                 I believe she's the sweetest thing in this whole wide world


I got a sweet little old girl she's a sweet little old angel child
I believe she's the sweetest thing in this whole wide world
Ah tell me baby now what do you want your Daddy to do?

Says my sweet little old baby, she treats me just right
She good and kind to me, there to love me every night
Ah tell me baby now what do you want your Daddy to do?

Says my little old baby got ways that I do understand
She don't give me trouble 'bout lovin' other men
Ah tell me baby now what do you want your Daddy to do?

Says she's a little old woman, it lightnings when she smiles
Four foot and ten inches she's just good lovin' size
Ah tell me baby, what do you want your Daddy to do?

Says my baby she's got ways like [ a heavy? rollin? ?.?]
She keep me on Easy Street always sitting down
Ah tell me baby now what do you want your Daddy to do?

Now here come that girl steppin' with her red pajamas on
She got good loving' ways just as sure as you?re born
Ah tell me baby now what do you want your Daddy to do do do ah do do do do.

Going back to this post from 2014 I think it was, I think I have a reading for the second-to-last verse, let me know what you think. Bo's pronunciation is a little odd, deliberately I think, and I think he's singing in 5.1

Says my baby she got ways like a HEAVY ROARIN' OLD LION

Chris

[waxwing]

Well, I can hear what you are hearing, but I think I have the same, 'not quite sure' feeling. It's kinda like he is morphing 'lion' to rhyme with 'down'.

What I do think, tho' is that he speaks and sings INDIA child, not angel child. I don't know whether he is abbreviating 'Indian', meaning Native American, or actually a child from India, but I don't hear an 'n' at the end either time.

Wax

[Blues Vintage]

One more suggestion,

Says she's a little old woman, it shed lightnings when she smiles

[banjochris]

I still hear "angel" and Harry, that's a great suggestion – there's definitely more there than just "it's" and I don't like the suggestion I had back years ago.

[Johnm]

Hi Chris,
I also hear "angel" in both places. I think that in the verse prior to the solo, Bo says "it lightnings when she smiles", but sticks an intervallic "h" in the front of "it" so that it sounds like "hit lightnings when she smiles"--I don't hear the "sh" sound you would need for "shed" at all, and I don't think the vowel sound is right for "shed" either.. That intervallic "h" isn't as common as the intervallic "r", but when it does show up, it almost always precedes the word "it". Re the "heavy old roarin' lion", I guess it sounds as much like that as anything else--which isn't saying much, because it sure doesn't sound like anything I can think of! In terms of the sense of the mystery phrase, it's hard to see how that would lead naturally into "She keep me on Easy Street, always sitting down". I don't think it's one of Bo's finer lyrical efforts.
All best,
Johnm

[banjochris]

Listening again I think you're right about "(h)it" John, common enough to voice that "h" there. Also agree about the lyrics, and even the performance is a bit disorganized – not the greatest number for Bo to end his recording career on!
Chris

[dj]

Re "like a heavy old roarin' lion", I hear the first part of the line to be "like 'er head is...".  Unfortunately, I have no idea what the rest is.

[Lyndvs]

I reckon he`s saying clown,for some reason he`s clipped off the C.
"Heavy rollin`ol` `lown"

[Johnm]

"Heavy rollin'" does makes sense of the next line, too, Lyndvs, in that her hard work would keep him on Easy Street as the line says. Well done! I think you've got it.
All best,
Johnm

[banjochris]

"Clown" with no "C" seems to me to be a huge stretch – "heavy rollin" I could just about go with but I don't hear the L sound there at all. Something weird is going on with his enunciation for sure.

I'm not saying I'm convinced 100% by roaring or lion, but I'm less convinced by this one...
Chris

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Bo Carter recorded "Howling Tom Cat Blues" at a session in New York on June 5, 1931, accompanying himself out of A position in standard tuning. His performance sounds to be very much a set piece, for he doesn't vary the first line of any of his verses one iota in their repetitions in the second line. Here it "Howling Tom Cat Blues":



INTRO

Mmm-mmm mama, I'm beggin' at your door
Mmm-mmm mama, I'm beggin' at your door
I'm beggin' you, mama, don't treat me this way no more

I been howlin' all last night, ain't stopped howlin' today
I been howlin' all last night, ain't stopped howlin' today
But if you give me what I want, I'll quit howlin' and walk away

Mmm-mmm-mmm baby, I'm knockin' at your back door
Mmm-mmm-mmm baby, I'm knockin' at your back door
But if I get what I want you won't hear me knock no more

SOLO

Ever since I left you, mama, I been bunkin' by myself
Ever since I left you, mama, I been bunkin' by myself
It seems like, sweet mama, I can't find me nobody else

Mmm-mmm-mmm mama, hear my howl, if you please
Mmm-mmm-mmm mama, hear my howl, if you please
I done howled so long, I b'lieve it's done give me the heart disease

I'm at your door, mama, howlin' like an old tom cat
I'm at your door, mama, howlin' like an old tom cat
Now, most any man'll howl, 'bout that thing you've got

CODA

All best,
Johnm

[banjochris]

Since John transcribed "Howling Tom Cat" I thought I'd do the Bluebird version so it's right next to it here on the site. It was recorded March 26, 1934, in San Antonio.



Now don’t you hear me mama, I’m beggin’ at your door,
Says don’t you hear me mama, I’m beggin’ at your door,
Now I’m beggin’ you mama now don’t, treat me this way no more.

Says I’m here beggin’ mama, down on my bended knees,
I’m here beggin’ mama, down on my bended knees,
I’m beggin’ you now mama, don’t treat me this way no more if you please.

Says can’t you hear me mama, rappin’ on your back door,
Says don’t you hear me mama, rappin’ on your back door,
But if I get what I want mama, I won’t rap no more.

SOLO

Now don’t you hear me mama, howlin’ at your door
Says don’t you hear me mama, howlin’ at your door
But if you give me what I want mama, you won't hear me rap no more.

Ahhh listen here mama, treat me in a low-down way,
Say listen here mama, treat me in a low-down way,
But if I get what I want mama, you’ll see me walk away.

I’m at your door howlin’, like an old tom cat (Meow!),
I’m at your door mama, howlin’ like an old tom cat,
But most any man now’ll howl ‘bout somethin’ like that.

CODA

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Bo Carter recorded "The Ins And Outs Of My Gal" at a session in New Orleans on October 15, 1936, accompanying himself out of A position in standard tuning. I was surprised to discover yesterday that this song had not been transcribed previously in this thread and entered in Weeniepedia. It bears a slight resemblance instrumentally to Bo's "All-Around Man". The song has an unusual 16-bar structure I don't recall having heard before:

   |   I7    |    I7    |    I7    |    I7    |

   |   IV7  |   IV7   |   IV7   |   IV7   |

   |   I7    |    I7    |    I7    |    I7    |

   |   V7   |   IV7   |    I7    |    I7    |   

In the last verse, Bo pronounced "iron" like "ahn". Here is "The Ins And Outs Of My Gal":



INTRO

Says my baby got something, I don't know what it is
I mean the gal got something, I don't know what it is
I mean my baby got something I don't know what it is
I mean every time she love me, man, you know I can't be still

She got something like a stingaree
I mean she got something like a stingaree
I mean the girl got something like a stingaree
She can stand in Memphis, man, and put the checks on me

What she got now, it is surprise
Eh, what she got is really surprise
Eh, what she got now is surprise
I mean what she got, man, surely will appetize

SOLO

She told me things that was a fac'
I mean, she told things that was a fac'
I mean, she told me things that was a fac'
She said, "Man, if you love me you surely will trot along back."

She got something that I really do love
I mean, she got something that I really do love
I mean, she got something that I really do love
It ain't in her stockin', man, you know it's just above

I told her things that I want her to iron
I mean, I told her things that I want her to iron
Ey, I told here things that I want her to iron
Says, "I want you to come and do my lovin' in my own home, a-home."

CODA

Edited 11/10 to pick up correction from Blues Vintage
Edited 11/11 to pick up correction from waxwing

All best,
Johnm

[lindy]

John--

I remember that we took a collective stab at these "Ins and Outs" lyrics a long time ago:

https://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=1702.msg79649#msg79649

I've been working on this song recently, so I've been listening to it closely. I agree with SuzyT's idea that the last line ends with "want her to OWN," and DJ's comment that Bo's pronunciation of "own" is closer to "on," but the "own" meaning is there.

If you visit the page I'm linking to, scroll up and down a few comments from Suzy's input for ideas from DJ, banjochris, and Chezztone.

And you're right, the lyrics we came up with were not added to Weeniepedia.

Lindy