Topic: Emery Glen Lyrics

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Does anyone know where Emery Glen hailed from?  We probably know where he recorded, but that's not really the same thing.  In any event, he was a careful-sounding 12-string guitarist and singer with four titles to his credit, I believe.  For "Fifth Street Blues", he accompanied himself out of A position in standard tuning.  Here is his performance:



Has anybody seen my good gal walking down Fifth Street?
Has anybody seen my good gal walking down Fifth Street?
I want to tell all you people to let that good gal be

She didn't receive no letter, but she received a telegram
She didn't receive no letter, she received a telegram
"Don't you worry, sweet mama, papa be home some day."

Blue, baby, won't leave me too
I'm blue, baby, Lord, she leave me too
My Mama's baby, and I, sure ain't gonna leave me here

Is anybody seen my good gal walkin' down Fifth Street?
Has anybody seen my good gal walkin' down Fifth Street?
I'm going to tell all of you people, "You must let that good gal be."

I gets up every mornin', sets down, 'side of her bed
I gets up every mornin', sets down, 'side of her bed
Well now, yesterday she puts them jinx on me

I got the Fifth Street Blues, I don't know what to do
I got the Fifth Street Blues, I don't know what to do
And now it makes me sad, mama, she makes me moan and cry

She just like a watermelon vine, runnin' all over this town
She just like a watermelon vine, runnin' all over this town
But when I goes away, baby, I don't know what to do

All best,
Johnm
 

[Bunker Hill]

Hi all,
Does anyone know where Emery Glen hailed from?  We probably know where he recorded, but that's not really the same thing.  In any event, he was a careful-sounding 12-string guitarist and singer with four titles to his credit, I believe. 

For what it's worth here is Glen's entry from Blues A Regional Exploration, Greenwood 2013 (LeBlanc & Eagle). Make of it what you will. 

Blind Emery Glenn ([sic]: per files) (Emery Glen) (v/12-string-g) (possibly Pittman, Madison County, May 1898?
[Emory Glenn] Fulton County, January 9, 1942). He may be Emroy Glenn [sic], born May 1898, a son of Hardey A.
Glenn and Mariah Glenn, who was residing in Pittman District (near Sanford), Madison County, in 1900.

[Johnm]

Thanks for that citation, Alan.  It appears that this would be in Florida.  Odd that they wouldn't think the state name was relevant in describing a location!
All best,
Johnm

[Rivers]

Right... there must be a dozen Madison Counties in the US. Half of my farm in upstate NY is in Fulton County!

[Stuart]

Possibly Madison County, Georgia? The town names (Pittman District, Sanford) seem to line up, as does Fulton County.

http://tinyurl.com/q9d33k7

[Johnm]

Thanks for that, Stuart.  It looks like it is Georgia, after all.  Thanks!
All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Emery Glen accompanied himself out of G position in standard tuning for "Blue Blazes Blazes".  He goes long on his fourth verse and the ending of the song is lopped off.  Here is his performance:



I got the blue, blue blazes blues, they burns all night long
I got the blue, blue blazes blues, they burns all night long
I sits up wondering because my good gal's gone

Smoke go up the chimbley, black clouds hanging low
Smoke goes up the chimbley, black clouds hanging low
Where in the world did my good gal go?

Papa love Mama, Mama do love men
Papa love Mama, Mama do love men
Mama's in the graveyard, Papa's in the pen

You would have the blue, blue blazes blues, they burns all night long
You got the blue blazes blues, they burns all night long, if you had treated your good gal wrong
Well, you can't mistreat 'em and keep 'em, too, why she left me no one ever knew

SOLO

Papa love Mama, Mama do love men
Papa love Mama, Mama do love men
Well, Mama's in the graveyard, Papa's in the pen

Blue, blue, blue
She's blue, she don't know what to do
My baby, when she leaves here, she don't know what to do

I got the blue blazes blues, I don't know what to do

All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
For "Back Door Blues", Emery Glen once again accompanied himself out of G position in standard tuning, playing an accompaniment substantially the same as the one he played for "Blue Blazes" Blues".  This is an odd set of lyrics for sure, and it took a lot of listening.  Here is Emery Glen's performance:



I went to bed last night with nothing on my mind
I felt the good world, it was treatin' me kind

I dreamed I saw my mama tell me goodbye
Well, I dreamed that I saw my mama tell me goodbye
And then around the back door, I saw her tie another man's tie

Aaa, mama, you can't double-dog me
Hey, mama, don't you double-dog me
'Cause if you want me to love you, just let me carry your back door key

'Tain't no woman, ah, and back-door me
There 'tain't no woman, ahh and back-door me
For I'm yours, one-and-all, or else your used-to-be

I got up this morning, 'vestigating on my mind
Well, I got up this morning, 'vestigating on my mind
I wanted to see if mama was the right kind

Sometime these dreams just like being awake
There's sometime these dreams just like being awake
I saw another man eating up my chocolate cake

Ah, cain't no woman, ah, and double-dog me
Ah, there cain't no woman, ah, and double-dog me
For if you want me to love you, have to let me carry your back door key

Well, there cain't no woman, ah, and back-door me
Ah, there cain't no woman, ah, and back-door me
I'm yours, one-and-all, or else your used-to-be

All best,
Johnm