Topic: Tom Nelson, T C Johnson and Porkchop Lyrics

[beljum]

Questionable lyrics are in brackets and ...

Just thought I'd add (9/19/2011) found this out on the Weenie...

they cut G. Burns Is Gonna Rise Again, a parody of a religious song, Dese Bones Gwine To Rise Again. In the preamble, one of them mentions the �miss meal cramps� that Alec Johnson would sing about in the following November. Whether the name �G. Burns� had any contemporary significance isn't known.

I changed lyrics "missed" to "Miss"


G. Burns Gonna Rise Again
(Johnson, Nelson and Porkchop)

Ah looka here Tom, what y?all doin? layin around here in Memphis?
Around here in Memphis Tennessee?
Yeah.
Why, we?re just thinkin? about goin? down to the One Minute House to get a meal.
Yeah, I thought y?all had the missed meal cramps.
Missed meal cramps?
Yeah.
It looks like you got some kind of cramps. We never see you down in Sandy Bottom anymore.
You know the reason I don?t come down in sandy bottom cause every time I come down there, the first thing that I can hear when I get in the Bottom is:

I know.........I know.......I know                                    (G. Burns gonna rise again)

Way down yonder  [?? Tappin??] Lake                        (G. Burns gonna rise again)
Bullfrog died with a belly ache.                                    (G. Burns gonna rise again)

I know.........I know.......I know                                      (G. Burns gonna rise again)

I gotta gal and she just a card                          (G. Burns gonna rise again)
Worked over ?dere in the white folks yard.               (G. Burns gonna rise again)
When she killed a chicken, she give me the ham            (G. Burns gonna rise again)
Don?t give me the ham I don?t give a ......                     

              (ha ha ha.....)
I know.........I know.......I know                                          (G. Burns gonna rise again)

Went to the river and couldn?t get ?cross.                       (G. Burns gonna rise again)
Jumped on the alligator thought he was a horse.               (G. Burns gonna rise again)
Alligator sittin?, [] sittin? on the sand.                       (G. Burns gonna rise again)
He took me ?cross to the Promised Land.                          (G. Burns gonna rise again)

              (ha ha ha.....)
I know.........I know.......I know                    (G. Burns gonna rise again)

My old mistress promised me                        (G. Burns gonna rise again)
When she dies gonna set me free                    (G. Burns gonna rise again)
She lived so long til her head got bald            (G. Burns gonna rise again)
She grabbed her a notion not dyin? at all.         (G. Burns gonna rise again)

              (ha ha ha.....)
I know.........I know.......I know                    (G. Burns gonna rise again)


9/27/2011 added banjochris corrections

[banjochris]

Here are some suggestions:

One Minute House to get a FEED.

1.1 there's a TAPPAN LAKE in Ohio

2.1 I'VE GOT A a gal AND SHE JUST AS CARD (I think he means "just a card" and the "s" is accidental here)
2.2 over DERE in the white folks' yard

3.3 Alligator SHIFT? or SHIPPED? TO THE SITTIN' OF the sand (I think this is a play on 'setting of the sun,' but I could be wrong)
3.4 He took me 'CROSS to the Promised Land.

4.1 He mumbles, but it's usually MY OLD mistress

[mr mando]

Hi,

Pan posted a tune in the Blues in Minor/With Minor Chords thread that I never heard before, "In the Mornin'" by Tom Nelson, TC Johnson and Porkchop (I only knew their "G. Burns is gonna rise again"). It sounds like it's played out of C/Am position with a Capo on the 4th fret.



I don't  get parts of the lyrics, so I'd like to ask you all for your help.

When I was a young man, 't was ninety one years ago
Now I am the old man and my back is bent and low

Was fishing on this (levee?) for a many years
But now I got the fever and I can not fish no more

Oh oh in the morning oh oh all at dawning
Oh oh in the morning down in Mississippi all day long

Standing down on (Furrell) street no shoes at my feet
         three times a day I don't ever get no pay

Oh oh in the morning oh oh all at dawning
Oh oh in the morning down in Mississippi all day long

When I come down to Mississippi town, down on Washington street
To stop right by old Joe's caf? then I get you some to eat

When you call out you walk right in an ?
Where they shoot dice and play pool    ?? men

Oh oh in the morning oh oh all at dawning
Oh oh in the morning down in Mississippi all day long

I went to see my gal one day ?
Car broke down in the middle of the street right there where I stood and cried

Oh oh in the morning oh oh all at dawning
Oh oh in the morning down in Mississippi all day long

[Pan]

Hi Mr Mando

It's a cool tune allright! 

Some posiibilities:

4:
CORNBREAD AND MOLASSES three times a day I don't ever get no pay

9:
I went to see my gal one day, AND DIDN'T HAVE NO WAY TO (A?) RIDE

As always, let's hope our native friends confirm, correct and fill in.

Cheers

Pan

[mr mando]

Pan, I think you're right in both instances. I think he sings 'lasses instead of molasses

When I was a young man, 't was ninety one years ago
Now I am the old man and my back is bent and low

Was fishing on this (levee?) for a many years
But now I got the fever and I can not fish no more

Oh oh in the morning oh oh all at dawning
Oh oh in the morning down in Mississippi all day long

Standing down on (Furrell) street no shoes at my feet
Cornbread and 'lasses three times a day I don't ever get no pay

Oh oh in the morning oh oh all at dawning
Oh oh in the morning down in Mississippi all day long

When I come down to Mississippi town, down on Washington street
To stop right by old Joe's caf? then I get you some to eat

When you call out you walk right in an ??
Where they shoot dice and play pool    ?? men

Oh oh in the morning oh oh all at dawning
Oh oh in the morning down in Mississippi all day long

I went to see my gal one day and didn't have no way to ride
Car broke down in the middle of the street right there where I stood and cried

Oh oh in the morning oh oh all at dawning
Oh oh in the morning down in Mississippi all day long

[Johnm]

Hi mr mando,
I think I have a couple of the mystery lines and a few possible minor changes.  What a tremendous song and performance!

   1.2 Now I am the old man, and my back is BENDIN' low

   2.1 BEEN fishin' on this LEVEL,

   REFRAIN 1.  Oh, oh, in the mornin', oh, oh, oh in the dawnin'
                      Oh, oh, in the mornin', WAY down in Mississippi
                      All day long

   3.1 Standin' down on PEARL Street, no shoes ON my feet
   3.2 Cornbread and molasses three times a day, I don't ever get no PIG

   REFRAIN 2, line 2  Oh, oh, hear me talkin', WAY down in Mississippi

   5.1 When YOU come down to Mississippi TOWNS, down on WASHING' Street
   5.2 Just stop right by ROSE TOLAN'S cafe, then YOU get you somethin' to eat
   5.3 When you GET DONE, YOU'LL walk right in THAT POOLROOM, AND THEN,
   5.4 Where they shoot dice and play pool, GOT A ? FROM THE NIGHTHAWK MEN

   REFRAIN 3, line 1 Oh, oh, in the mornin', oh, oh, EARLY DAWNIN'

   6.1 I went to see my gal one day and didn't have no way to ARRIVE
   
   REFRAIN 4, add WAY before "down" in the second line.

I would love to know the origins of this song.

All best,
Johnm

 

[mr mando]

Hi Johnm,

thanks so much for your help. Now everything's starting to make sense! He pretty much swallows what you get from the nighthawk men, but maybe somebody will find that out too.

I would love to know the origins of this song.

Me too. Somehow it sounds like another parody of a spiritual, as they did with "G. Burns is gonna rise again".

When I was a young man, 't was ninety one years ago
Now I am the old man and my back is bendin' low

Been fishing on this level for a many years
But now I got the fever and I can not fish no more

Oh oh in the mornin' oh oh oh in the dawnin'
Oh oh in the mornin' way down in Mississippi
All day long

Standing down on Pearl street no shoes on my feet
Cornbread and molasses three times a day I don't ever get no pig

Oh oh in the mornin' oh oh oh in the dawnin'
Oh oh hear me talkin' way down in Mississippi
All day long

When you come down to Mississippi towns, down on Washing' street
To stop right by Rose Tolan's caf?, then you get you somethin' to eat

When you get done you walk right in that poolroom and then
Where they shoot dice and play pool, got a ? from the nighhawk men

Oh oh in the mornin' oh oh early dawnin'
Oh oh in the mornin' way down in Mississippi
All day long

I went to see my gal one day and didn't have no way to arrive
Car broke down in the middle of the street right there where I stood and cried

Oh oh in the mornin' oh oh oh in the dawnin'
Oh oh in the mornin' way down in Mississippi
All day long

[Cleoma]

I listened to this song and my husband Eric pointed out the similarities between it and the song "Roustabout" from the Disney movie "Dumbo" - I suspect some common ancestor.  Both pieces of the lyrics and the melody and harmonization are similar.  Wonderful song!

[dj]

To stop right by Rose Tolan's caf?...

I don't think Rose is correct there.  There's an "r" sound, but I think it's the r that was habitually placed between two distinct vowel sounds, as in "Norah's dove".  In this case, the r separates the y of "by" and the o of "old".  I think the correct transcription would be "To stop right by ol' [Toler's?  Tolan's?] cafe...."

...my husband Eric pointed out the similarities between it and the song "Roustabout" from the Disney movie "Dumbo" - I suspect some common ancestor.

It strikes me that this song is a parody of, or at least steals the melody of, and old Jubilee song.  I can't think of what that song is right now.  Perhaps the notes to the Document CD shed some light on this.  If nobody beats me to it, I'll check when I get home.

[dj]

It strikes me that this song is a parody of, or at least steals the melody of, and old Jubilee song.  I can't think of what that song is right now.

Got it.  the song I'm thinking of is "Poor Mourner's Gone Home At Last", recorded by the Fisk University Jubilee Quartet in 1911 as "Po' Mo'ner's Got Home At Last".  The melody of the chorus in both "In The Mornin'" and "Po' Mo'ner" are virtually identical, while T. C. Johnson, Tom Nelson, and Porkchop simplified the verse melody a bit.

It's interesting to note that the trio's other recording, "G. Burns Gonna Rise Again" is also taken from a Jubilee song, "These Bones Gonna Rise Again". 

 

[thickpete]

A silly topic for my first post - but this is driving me nuts....

Is the meaning of "G. Burns" still unknown???


Been googling around plantation names like Panther Burn and C. Burrus, trying to think of related slang for sex or indigestion that might fit, even went so far as to try and figure out when Burns and Allen started on radio. Nothing...

Still a mystery???


This site is the most amazing resource - thank you all!

[dj]

I think the lake in verse 1 might be TER'PIN (i.e. Terrapin).

In 3.3 I almost agree with Chris:  Alligator SHIFT TO THE SIT 'IM ON the sand

I think the "the" in "the sit 'im on the sand" is extraneous, and just sort of fell in to keep the rhythm of the lyrics going.  I don't think the line is a play on "setting of the sun", though.  As I see it, the singer jumped on an alligator in the water because he thought it was a horse, the alligator swam over the river to the sandy shore on the other side, but he'd eaten the singer on the way, thus carrying him "over to the Promised Land". 

[banjochris]

dj -- I think you've definitely got it with Terrapin

In 3.3 how about "Alligator shift to the siftin' of the sand"?

[bayrum78]

What I'm hearing:

2.1 I'VE GOT A GAL AND SHE JUST DID CROSS ( SHE DIED AND CROSSED THE RIVER)
2.3 WOULDN'T KILL THE CHICKEN, SHE GAVE ME THE HAM

3.3 ALLIGATOR SHIP (OR SAID) BETTER SIT HIM ON THE SAND

4.1 HAD A LITTLE MISTRESS
4.4 SHE GRABBED A NOTION

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I merged the "G. Burns Rise Again" and "In The Mornin'" lyric threads since both of those songs were recorded by this obscure trio.  Except for the first post in the thread, all of the posts of kept their original title headings for ease of following the discussions.
All best,
Johnm