Topic: John Jackson Lyrics

[Rivers]

I hear "steamin' hack" also, as in a hard ridden horse. But I believe the preposition is "your", not "the"

Bring out your rubber tired buggy, bring out your steamin' hack

[Johnm]

Thanks for the catch, Rivers.  I re-listened and right you are.  I've made the change.  Thanks!
All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
John Jackson recorded "Steamboat Whistle Blues", accompanying himself out of Vestapol tuning, on his first Arhoolie album.  The song is a 16-bar blues, very much in the "K. C. Moan" family.  John varied some phrase lengths as he went along, especially in his solo, and utilized occasional "breath-catcher" bars, too.  Here is "Steamboat Whistle Blues":



INTRO SOLO

Lord, I hate to hear that steamboat whistle blow
Say, I hate to hear that steamboat whistle blow
Lord, I hate to hear that steamboat whistle blow
Lord, she blows like she never blowed before

Now, I'm goin' where the chilly winds don't blow
I'm goin' where the chilly winds don't blow
Now I'm goin' where the chilly winds don't blow
Say, I'm goin' where the climate suits my clothes

SOLO

Say I'm goin' away, but I ain't never comin' back
Say I'm goin' away, but I ain't never comin' back
Say I'm goin' away, but I ain't never comin' back
Them doggone bloodhounds now is on my track

Lord, I hate to hear that steamboat whistle blow
Said, I hate to hear that steamboat whistle blow
Say, I hate to hear that steamboat whistle blow
She blows like she never blowed before

SOLO

Lord, I hate to hear that steamboat whistle blow
I hate to hear that steamboat whistle blow
Said, I hate to hear that steamboat whistle blow
Yes, it blows like she never blowed before

SOLO

All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
John Jackson's "Bear Cat Blues" was the opening track on his second Arhoolie album. It is a real guitar showpiece which he played in G position, standard tuning, borrowing Blind Blake's signature lick from "Police Dog Blues" and transposing it to G, where it sits very naturally. Much of his rendition is devoted to solos, and I was able to observe at the Port Townsend Country Blues Workshop, decades after John recorded the tune, the extent to which he played it as a set piece, sticking very closely to the piece as he played it on the recording even after all that time had elapsed. Here is "Bear Cat Blues":



INTRO

Said bear cat, wild cat, stayed home last night
Said bear cat, wild cat, stayed home last night
Says all he'll do is nothin' but fuss and fight

SOLO

I'm leavin' here runnin', walkin' is too slow
I'm leavin' here runnin', walkin' is too slow
I'm leavin' you, mama, never come back no more

SOLO X 3

Says tell me, mama, honey, where you stay last night
Said, tell me, mama, said, where you stay last night
Your clothes all tangled, clothes ain't fittin' you right

SOLO

All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Here is John Jackson's version of "Railroad Bill", from his Alligator CD, "Front Porch Blues", from 1999. Like most other players, he chose to play the song out of C position in standard tuning. Here is "Railroad Bill":



INTRO SOLO

Railroad Bill, he said that he will
He never worked and he never will, let him
Ride, you Railroad Bill

Railroad Bill, he rode out West
He shot brass buttons off the sheriff, his vest, let him
Ride, you Railroad Bill

Theodore McKinley, he shot so fine
He shot nine holes through a silver dime, let him
Ride, you Railroad Bill

A cementery [sic] buggy and a cementery hack
Gon’ take old Caleb to the graveyard and ain’t gon’ bring him back let him
Ride, you Railroad Bill

SOLO X 2

Some give a nickel, and some give a dime
I wouldn’t give five dollars for that girl of mine, let her
Ride, you Railroad Bill

Wash my jumpers, starch my overhall
Poor boy come home, on that Cannonball, let him
Ride, you Railroad Bill

SOLO

Railroad Bill, he said that he will
He never worked and he never will, let him
Ride, you Railroad Bill

CODA

All best,
Johnm

[Blues Vintage]

Brownskin Woman


I’m having a hard time deciphering some of John’s Virginia drawl.
The video might not play in the UK. The recording is from John’s 1979 Rounder LP “Step It Up And Go”.

John Jackson – Vocals, Guitar

May, 1978
Newton, Massachusetts

C position





INTRO SOLO

I got a brownskin woman, she don't pay me no mind
Brownskin woman, she don't pay me no mind
She finds her lovin’, out on her Daddy’s farm

Say, brownskin woman, where you get your sugar bun?
Brownskin woman, where you get your sugar bun?
Says, I find my sugar, out on my Daddy's farm

I got a brownskin woman, she lives up on that hill
Brownskin woman, she lives up on that hill
She got ways like tiger, can’t keep her body still

SOLO

Change in the ocean, change in deep blue sea
Change in the ocean, change in deep blue sea
Says, change in my woman, be no change in me

I got a brownskin woman, she don't pay me no mind
Brownskin woman, she don't pay me no mind
She got ways like tiger, can’t keep her body still

[Johnm]

Hi Blues Vintage,
I'll try to get what I hear.

   1.1 I got A brownskin woman . . .
   1.3 . . . OUT on her daddy's farm

   2.1 . . . WHERE you get your sugar BUN
   2.2 . . . WHERE you get your sugar BUN
   2.3 Says, I FINDS my sugar, OUT on my daddy's farm

   3.1 I got A brownskin woman . . .
   3.3, 5.3 She got ways like TIGER . . .

[Blues Vintage]

Thanks, John.  I took them all except 2.3.
I had "tiger" originally but thought that could't be right. Very weird speech there.
I guess he just changed Fuller's "tadpole" to "tiger" and "plum" to "bun".  Alright by me.

[Johnm]

Hi all,
John Jackson played "You Ain't No Woman" out of C position in standard tuning with a common raggy progression and characteristic asymmetrical phrasing. Lyrically, this seems like one teen-ager or pre-teen addressing another, and melodically it seems like a kids' song, too. Here it is:



INTRO SOLO

You ain't no woman, you nothin' but a chile'
If you want me to love you, have to wait a little while

SOLO

You make good coffee, you make good tea
You make the best pork chop, that ever did eat

SOLO

You ain't no woman, you nothin' but a chile'
If you want me to love you, have to wait a little while

SOLO

You make me happy, you make me sad
But now you the best friend that I ever had

SOLO

You ain't no woman, you nothin' but a chile'
-- me to love you, have to wait a little while

SOLO

All best,
Johnm

 

[Johnm]

Hi all,
John Jackson played "Going Down In Georgia On A Horn" out of G position in standard tuning. I believe in an earlier discussion on-site, uncle bud pointed out that a train engine was sometimes referred to as a "hog", and there was some surmise that this is what John Jackson meant in his title. Without being able to ask him, there's no way of knowing at this point. I'm not at all sure I have the third verse right, after the opening "Oh Lord" and would appreciate correction or corroboration. Here is the song:



INTRO SOLO

I'm going down in Georgia on a horn
Going down in Georgia on a horn
Oh Lordy me, troubles that I see
Going down in Georgia on a horn

I ain't had my right mind today
I ain't had my right mind today
Oh Lordy me, troubles that I see
I ain't had my right mind today

SOLO

Oh Lord, won't please come down here
Oh Lord, won't please come down here
Oh Lordy me, troubles that I see
Oh Lord, won't please come down here

SOLO

Says I ain't had my right mind today
I ain't had my right mind today
Oh Lordy me, troubles that I see
I ain't had my right mind today

SOLO

I'm going down in Georgia on a horn
Going down in Georgia on a horn
Oh Lordy me, troubles that I see
Going down in Georgia on a horn

All best,
Johnm



 

[Old Man Ned]

Sounds like "Oh Lord, won't please come down here" to me. The only word I'm having trouble hearing is 'won't', but I can't think what else it could be.
All the Best,
Ned

[Blues Vintage]

I find John Jackson really hard to understand at some words even if the recording is crystal clear.

In "You Ain't No Woman" I hear a quick "I" before "ever".

You make the best pork chop, that I ever did eat

Not sure about "eat" but with his accent that could be right.

[Johnm]

Thanks for the suggestions, Old Man Ned and Blues Vintage. I think I'll leave both transcriptions as they are. I think if he snuck in a quick "I" in that line in "You Ain't No Woman", Blues Vintage, you'd hear some sort of blending of vowel sounds from "I" and "ev" in "ever" and I'm hearing only the vowel sounds of "ev".

[Johnm]

This doesn't pertain to his lyrics, but every time I return to John Jackson's music I'm reminded what a beautiful tone he had on the guitar--such a big, open, rich and balanced sound. Gibson should have given him an endorsement deal.