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...cause Papa don't allow no new ideas here - Sixto Rodriguez, Inner City Blues

Author Topic: Buddy Boy Hawkins lyrics  (Read 10125 times)

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Offline Johnm

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Re: Buddy Boy Hawkins lyrics
« Reply #45 on: April 30, 2018, 04:59:39 PM »
Hi all,
"Yellow Woman Blues" was started a little way back in this thread, but never exactly finished off.  Like all of Buddy Boy Hawkins' songs, it was accompanied by him in Spanish tuning.  I need some help on this one, and would sure appreciate any help.  The song abounds in spoken asides, every bit as many as some Charlie Patton or Tommy McClennan records.  Here is the song:



INTRO

High yellow woman, she have poison like a rattlesnake
I'm talkin' 'bout a yellow woman, boy, I, she have poison like a rattlesnake
And when they get started, boys, there's no puttin' on no brake

(Spoken: I'm gon' tell your boys!) Some people scream for trouble, and not satisfied with peace
Some people scream for trouble, and not satisfied with peace (Spoken: I know that's right.)
Just get you a high yalla', and trouble won't never cease

(Spoken: Listen here, boys!) Trouble and worries have killed more people than eve'ything else (Spoken: I know that's right!)
I'm talkin' 'bout troubles and worries, partner, will kill you quicker than eve'ything else (Spoken: How come I know?  'Cause it killed my Ma.)
And if it get over to you, don't blame nobody else but yourself (Spoken: Now listen here!)

Boys, if you hear this song again, and don't take my egvice [sic] (Spoken: I'm talkin' 'bout, and don't take my egvice.  You better take my egvice, too!)
If you hear this song, boys, and don't take my egvice (Spoken: What I want you to do?  How come?)
'Cause it might cause you, partner, to lose your life

OUTRO

Edited 5/1 to pick up corrections from Gumbo, Prof Scratchy, Alexei McDonald and banjochris

All best,
Johnm



 
« Last Edit: May 01, 2018, 09:47:09 AM by Johnm »

Offline Gumbo

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Re: Buddy Boy Hawkins lyrics
« Reply #46 on: May 01, 2018, 02:50:44 AM »
Hi Johnm
this is what I'm hearing
1.1 she have POISON like a
1.2 I'm talking' 'bout a yellow woman, boy, I, she have POIS' like a rattlesnake
1.3 I agree with Brakes

2.1 and possibly 2.2
and not BE satisfied with

that 3.3 is tough. syllables sound like
how does he ell or hard as he yell or how to see ell

EDITED to add 1.3
« Last Edit: May 01, 2018, 06:49:11 AM by Gumbo »

Offline Prof Scratchy

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Re: Buddy Boy Hawkins lyrics
« Reply #47 on: May 01, 2018, 05:03:15 AM »
I hear ?poison? too at 1.1.


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Offline Alexei McDonald

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Re: Buddy Boy Hawkins lyrics
« Reply #48 on: May 01, 2018, 05:04:02 AM »
And if it get hold to you, don't blame nobody expect [sic] yourself =>
And if it get hold to you, don't blame nobody else but yourself

Offline Gumbo

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Re: Buddy Boy Hawkins lyrics
« Reply #49 on: May 01, 2018, 07:08:45 AM »
Nice catch on 3.3 ELSE BUT, Alexei.

on a fresh listen I think it could be 'if it get HOME to you' in there rather than hold

Offline Johnm

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Re: Buddy Boy Hawkins lyrics
« Reply #50 on: May 01, 2018, 09:46:29 AM »
Thanks very much, Gumbo, Prof Scratchy, Alexei and banjochris, earlier in the thread, for help with "Yellow Woman Blues".  I do think it is "poison" in the first two lines of the first verse--I out-smarted myself there.  So many blues lyrics mentioning rattlesnakes speak of them being in a "curl" or "coil" that I convinced myself that that was what Buddy Boy Hawkins was saying.  I don't hear the word "be" preceding "satisfied" in either of the first two lines of verse two.  In the tagline of verse three, "else but" is surely right.  I replaced "hold" in that tagline with "over", which banjochris suggested in the earlier discussion of this lyric.  For the spoken comment following verse three, I am going with "Now listen here".  Thank you all for help--I really find transcribing Buddy Boy Hawkins' lyrics challenging, and the transcription is considerably more accurate because of your suggestions.  Thanks!
All best,
Johnm

Offline Johnm

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Re: Buddy Boy Hawkins lyrics
« Reply #51 on: May 01, 2018, 10:32:45 AM »
Hi all,
For "Awful Fix Blues", Buddy Boy Hawkins used a stammering phrasing archetype in the first four bars, much as did William Harris in his "Bull Frog Blues".  Once again, I'd very much appreciate help with any blank spots or mis-hearings I have entered.  Here is the song:



INTRO

Hey mama, tell me what have I, tell me what have I, 'tain't no lie
Hey mama, tell me what have I done
Because seem like you're tryin' to ease your lovin' self on down

You gonna wake up one of these mornings, brownskin mama, and I'll be, baby mama, and I'll be, 'tain't no lie, tell the truth,
You gonna wake up one of these mornings, mama, said, and I'll be gone
And you may not never, mama, see me in your town no more

'Cause I'm a stranger in here, woman, I just blowed in your, I just blowed in your, mamlish town
Though I'm a stranger to you brownskins, mama, I just blowed in your town
And if I ask you for a favor, mama, please ma'am, don't turn me down

If you get one old woman, boys, you better get you five or, you better get you five or,  I mean, six
If you gets one more woman, you better get you five or six
So if that one happen to quit you, it won't leave you in a awful fix

When I had you, pretty mama, you know, I was tryin' to do the best I, I mean could, baby, wasn't no lie
I say, when I had you, little black woman, I was tryin' to do the best I could
Now your little daddy's gone, now who you gonna get to chop your wood?

Edited 5/1 to pick up correction from banjochris

All best,
Johnm   
 
« Last Edit: May 01, 2018, 01:56:43 PM by Johnm »

Offline banjochris

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Re: Buddy Boy Hawkins lyrics
« Reply #52 on: May 01, 2018, 11:40:35 AM »
That missing bit sounds to me, John, like it could be "ease your lovin' self on down."
Chris

Offline Johnm

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Re: Buddy Boy Hawkins lyrics
« Reply #53 on: May 01, 2018, 01:58:02 PM »
Thanks for the help, Chris, I was not hearing that bit at all.  I have made the change, and am satisfied with the rest of the transcription.  Thanks!
All best,
Johnm

Offline Johnm

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Re: Buddy Boy Hawkins lyrics
« Reply #54 on: May 30, 2018, 06:02:52 PM »
Hi all,
There was some work done on a transcription of Buddy Boy Hawkins' "Workin' On The Railroad" back in this thread, but it has been a while, so I thought I would start over, while picking up ideas from what was posted before.  He played the song, like all of his recorded repertoire, in Spanish tuning.  Here it is:



INTRO

Workin' on the railroad, boys, sure will give you the blues
I'm talkin' 'bout workin' on that railroad bend, it sure will give you the blues
Just walk up inside the track, until you wear out your shoes

Now when you hear the Captain call you men, "Let's move that rail."
When you hear the Captain call you men, "Let's move that rail."
And if you don't do what he say, you have to get somebody else to go your bail

My black woman, she needs the money, that's why I work so hard
Boys, my black woman, she needs the money, that's why I work so hard
And if I don't keep on rollin', she'll have another black man in my yard

When your black woman starts playin' home, partner, railroad is all you know
When that woman starts playin' at home, Buddy Boy, railroad is all you know
Just get out on the hot track, and work your hands to the crow

OUTRO

Edited 5/31 to pick up changes from Johnm,

All best,
Johnm




 
 
« Last Edit: May 31, 2018, 01:43:55 PM by Johnm »

Offline Johnm

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Re: Buddy Boy Hawkins lyrics
« Reply #55 on: March 12, 2021, 10:23:37 PM »
Hi all,
Buddy Boy Hawkins recorded "How Come Mama Blues" at a session in Richmond, Indiana on July 14, 1929, and played it, as he did all of his recorded numbers, in Spanish tuning. His intro is so beautiful and unexpected. He like to accelerate on his up-tempo numbers. Boy, does this song have a lot of lyrics! Here is "How Come Mama Blues":



INTRO

How come you do me like you do, baby, what make you do me like you do?
H-how come you try to make me feel so blue? Mama, you know I ain't done nothin' to you
Now you know you left home at seven, come back at eight, you got another big fat man, slam up to my gate
What makes you treat like me you did last night? You know I ain't done nothin' to you, I says, baby
I ain't done nothin' to you

How come you try to make me feel so blue, what make you do me like you do?
How come you try to make me feel bad? Mama, you know I ain't done nothin' to you
You know you hugged and kissed him, said, "Daddy, you sure was fat." I stuck my head out the window, mens holler, "Who in the world is that?"
What makes you do me like you do, do, do, what make you do me like you do?

How come you done me like you did last night? I ain't done nothin' to you (Spoken: Listen here, woman!)
I bought a pistol, I bought it today, now I got the undertaker waitin' just to haul yous away
What make you treat me like you did, brownskin little woman, you know I ain't done nothin' to you, talking' about you, baby
I ain't done nothin' to you

How come you treat me like you did last night, how come you dos me like you do?
How come you try to make me feel so awful blue, when I ain't done nothin' to you?
Now you kept on talkin' about, that you wanted to get my goat, I had a brand new razor, woman, just to slit your throat
What makes you treat me like you do, sweet baby? I ain't done nothin' to you, I say
When I ain't done nothin' to you

How come you try to make me feel so blue, what make you do me like you do?
How come you try to make me feel bad, mama? I ain't done nothin to you (Spoken: Listen here, boys!)
"You know a nickel is a nickel, a dime is a dime, a woman get tired of one man all the time."
How come you do me like you do, sweet baby, what make you do me like you, talking' about you, mama
How come you do me like you do (Spoken: Now look here)

SOLO (Spoken during solo: Listen at that guitar, y'understand it? Ain't that pretty?)

How come you try to make me feel so blue, what makes you do me like you do?
How come you try to make me feel bad? I ain't done nothin' (Spoken: Lis' here, boys!)
Now if you try to give these womens everything they needs, 'til you have to make the winter, one of your D BVDs
What makes you do me like you do, do, do? Skeedle-up, bee-dup, skeedle-up, oh

Edited 3/13 to pick up corrections from waxwing and Harry
Edited 3/15 to pick up corrections from banjochris and Johnm
All best,
Johnm
« Last Edit: March 15, 2021, 12:39:11 PM by Johnm »

Offline waxwing

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Re: Buddy Boy Hawkins lyrics
« Reply #56 on: March 13, 2021, 01:04:13 AM »
Hi Johnm,

Some suggestions:

1.4 What makes you treat ME like you did last night?

2.3. You know you're huggin' and kissin', said, "Daddy, you sure was fat." I stuck my head out the window, mens holler, "Who IN THE WORLD is that?"

3.3. What make you treat me like YOU did, now I ask (YOU?), little woman,

6.3 I think in the spoken aside he is trying to squeeze in "LISTEN here boys" but just gets in "LIS' here boys"

Even tho it's generally a 16 bar blues, I think the lyrics might be better expressed as 5 lines with an AABBA rhyme scheme. Your call.

Wax
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Offline Blues Vintage

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Re: Buddy Boy Hawkins lyrics
« Reply #57 on: March 13, 2021, 05:37:58 AM »
4.3 Now you kept on talkin' to Bob You know you kept on talkin' to Bob

Not sure if he says "to Bob". Could be talkin 'about.

Offline Johnm

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Re: Buddy Boy Hawkins lyrics
« Reply #58 on: March 13, 2021, 06:30:46 AM »
Thanks very much for the help, Wax and Harry, I incorporated all of your suggested changes to the lyrics. My problem was data entry--all but two of the corrections I heard right but entered wrong--doh! I needed the help for sure though, so thanks!
As for formatting, Wax, I don't like having some lines of four bars and some of two bars, which is why in 12-bar chorus blues I never format the first four bars in two lines. What I've done is in the verses that have the Al Jolson-like tag at the end of the form (all but verse two and the last verse), I now give the tag its own line. Weeniepedia can accommodate longer lines than the regular site's threads, too.
All best,
Johnm
« Last Edit: March 13, 2021, 08:59:12 AM by Johnm »

Offline Johnm

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Re: Buddy Boy Hawkins lyrics
« Reply #59 on: March 13, 2021, 09:20:51 AM »
Hi all,
Buddy Boy Hawkins recorded "A Rag Blues" on the same day as he recorded "How Come Mama Blues, July 14, 1929, and both records were released under the name Walter Hawkins. ( I was surprised to find in DG&R that the title, as recorded, is actually "A Rag Blues", and not "A Rag", as Buddy Boy announced it.) The piece is a real instrumental tour-de-force, and ventures into a lot of harmonic areas into which I don't believe any of the other early players in Spanish ever ventured. It's also a showcase in the picking hand, at various time using Flamenco-ish techniques. I suppose it's kind of nutty to transcribe his spoken commentary, but I have a particular fondness for instrumentals with commentary, like William Moore's "Old Country Rock", or Blind Blake's "Seaboard Stomp". I'd be amazed if I had this all right, so if you hear something that you think I have wrong, please let me know, and thanks.  Here is "A Rag":



SPOKEN: Now this here's "A Rag" I'm playin'. This here's my rag. I brought all the way from Jackson, Mississippi. Some people don't know what this rag is, after all, I'm the only man that can play this here rag, called that "A Rag". Tell me what makes the Jackson girls shimmy-wobble. That's called that chock-house. Here what makes all the girls feel good. Listen here, let me do this here, listen to this run. Now listen here again. That's what you call that "Terrible Rag", I'm got now. I lost the other rag. Here we'll get happy now. Gettin' happy. What you call that Jackson "A Rag".

Edited 3/13 to pick up correction from David Kaatz
Edited 3/15 to pick up corrections from banjochris

All best,
Johnm   
« Last Edit: March 15, 2021, 12:56:47 PM by Johnm »

 


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