Topic: Frank Stokes Lyrics

[uncle bud]

...because I don't think it's bullyin', I hear bully steamers, I did point that out in a later post. If a chorus of anguish descends on ma heed I will amend! Bullyin' just plain don't scan and is altogether too... white!

You're interpreting the printed word too literally. It scans the same as "bully" because he pronounces it quickly as a two-syllable "bull-yin". And if anyone can defy conventional scansion, it's Mr. Stokes!

[Rivers]

Andrew, I will go under the headphones tonight and see what I can hear, and fully prepared to eat my words. I think you may have been mindsetted (to noun a verb, as Americans love to do) by the Wilkins usage. Great work figuring it out anyway.

[jeandavidblanc]

Hi...

I've been trying to figure out the "tain't nobody's business" lyrics for some time now... (Creator of the Memphis Blues, Yazoo 1065).. Like I've said in an other forum, I'm not a native english speaker which makes this song quite difficult to understand... I've just written down what I hear even though a few sentences don't make any sense to me... I'd really appreciate any help... Cheers... Jean-David   



Tain't nobody's dirty business

I?m goin? ?.. Tennessee
Where the girls down there take the like of me
Though I want an other place to go

Now leave not my baby, be good an? kind
You mistreat me all the time
Nobody?s business but mine

Ain?t nobody?s business baby,
Nobody?s business but mine
It ain?t nobody?s business honey,
Where in the world I spend (find) my money
Nobody?s business but my own

My little baby always been told me
14 years before you wrote me
. some other place to go

Chorus

I laid my head in the """corn and the fence"""
"""The greatest body treated me with everything"""
Nobody?s business but my own


I?m going back to ??.., Tennessee
Where the gals round here always stayed on me
Nobody?s business but mine

"""I been given a lot""", stayed home,
I?ve been """choked""" ever since you?ve been gone
Nobody?s business but my own

Chorus

[uncle bud]

Bonjour Jean-David,

I'll take a much-needed break to engage in my favourite pastime, figuring out what the hell Frank Stokes is talking about.  Having English as a first language helps, but not enough. 

The version you're asking about is Tain't Nobody's Business If I Do Part 2 (take 2). There is also a Part 1 and a Part 2 (take 1), all of which have different lyrics. The lyrics on the other two takes are even more complicated than this one to figure out, IMO. Here's my take, places where I'm unsure marked by square brackets.


Tain't Nobody's Dirty Business Part 2 (take 2) ? Frank Stokes


I?m goin? stay round in Tennessee
Where the girls round here take a like to me
Though I won?t have no other place to go

Now listen to me baby, be good and kind
You mistreat and leave me all the time
Ain?t no-body?s business but mine

Ain?t nobody?s business baby,
Nobody?s business but mine
It ain?t nobody?s business honey,
Where in the world I spend my money
Nobody?s business but my own

Now listen baby you oughta been told me
Fourteen years before you wrote me
So I?d have some other place to go

I laid my head in the [corner of the fence]
Said crazy ?bout [her treatment ever since]
It ain?t nobody?s business but my own

Nobody?s business baby, nobody?s business baby,
Nobody?s business but mine
Nobody?s business honey,
Where in the world I find my money
Nobody?s business but my own

I?m going back to Memphis, Tennessee
Where the gals round here always stay round me
Ain?t nobody?s business but mine

I been careful, I stay at home,
I?ve been troubled ?bout you ever since you?ve been gone
It ain?t nobody?s business baby but mine

It ain?t nobody?s business honey,
Where in the world I spend my money
Nobody?s business but mine
Nobody?s business, kid,
Where in the world I got my money hid
Said it ain?t nobody?s business but my own

[Rivers]

Here's what I got: (I see Uncle Bud beat me to it, but I'll post this anyway)

It Ain't Nobody?s Business if I Do, Part 2, take 2

I'm goin' stay 'round in Tennessee
Where the girls down there take a like to me
Though I won't have no other place to go
Now listen at me baby, be good an? kind
You mistreat me lately all the time
Ain't nobody?s business but mine

Ain?t nobody?s business baby,
(blank line)
Nobody?s business but mine
It ain?t nobody?s business honey,
Where in the world I spend my money
Nobody?s business but my own

(instrumental verse)

Now listen baby you ought've been told
Be 14 years before you wrote me
So I may have some other place to go
I laid my head in the corner of the fence
They're crazy 'bout a treat?? makes every sense
It ain't nobody?s business but my own

(chorus variant:)
Nobody?s business baby,
Nobody?s business baby,
Nobody?s business but mine.
Nobody?s business honey,
Where in the world I find my money
Nobody?s business but my own.

(instrumental verse)

I?m going back to Memphis Tennessee
Where the gals round here always stayed on me
They nobody?s business but mine
I been careful, I've stayed home,
I?ve been trothe' like you *** since you?ve been gone
Nobody?s business but mine

It ain?t nobody?s business honey,
Where in the world I spend my money
Nobody?s business but mine
Nobody?s business kid,
Where in the world I've got my money hid
Still it ain't nobody?s business but my own

(2 instrumental verses and out)

*** Theory: 'trothe' could be an old usage, cross between 'true' and 'betrothed'. He says "trothe' like you", probably means "trothe' by you"

[Rivers]

Interesting... but I'm too exhausted to comment, other than to point out we both transcribed every chorus variant!

[jeandavidblanc]

Bonjour, bonjour everybody... Thanks to the both of you... I can finally make sense out of those tricky sentences and start singin' it... best regards..  Cheers

[Rivers]

Andrew I still hear 'bully steamers', not 'bullyin' steamers'. I've tried listening to it loud, soft, every which way but standing on my head. Perhaps a few others here could listen to it and chime in.

[uncle bud]

Andrew I still hear 'bully steamers', not 'bullyin' steamers'. I've tried listening to it loud, soft, every which way but standing on my head. Perhaps a few others here could listen to it and chime in.

I'm still hearing "bullyin'" though it leans towards bull'in'. My Wilkins reference for this line is not the one that probably pops into most people's heads from Alabama Blues -- "Saw a bullyin' alligator doin' the shivaree" -- but from Long Train Blues which has almost the same verse as Sweet to Mama and goes:

It's two bullyin' freight trains runnin' side by side
It's two bullyin' freight trains runnin' side by side
They done stole my rider and I guess they's satisfied

Wilkins clearly says bullyin'. First line is more like bull'in' but the second line is clearly bullyin'. I guess I just don't see why Stokes would have a different usage. Plus I hear it.

Stokes recorded Sweet to Mama in 1927, Wilkins did Long Train Blues in '29. I suppose either could have got the verse from the other, although it seems to me to be a stock (perhaps stock Memphis?) verse. Anyone have any other occurrences of "bullyin'" in a lyric from any prewar artists, particular Memphis players?

[uncle bud]

BTW, while going over my lyrics for Sweet to Mama recently in my own files, I finally corrected the errors I had in the line, "My baby, the blues ain?t nothin? but a woman want to see her man" thanks to this thread. For years, I had this as "the blues ain't nothin' but a woman want to be your man" which I knew was wrong (though perhaps a blues-inducing situation as well).

Now, a few corrections to "Nobody's Business":

Rivers' has things right I believe when he transcribes:

(1st verse) I'm goin' stay 'round in Tennessee
Where the girls down there take a like to me
 
and:

(3rd verse) Now listen baby you ought've been told
Be 14 years before you wrote me


A minor refinement from my own version (change in itals):

(4th verse) I laid my head in the [corner of the fence]
Been crazy ?bout her treatment ever since

I think it's (almost) definitely "Where the gals round here always stay round me" and "I?ve been troubled ?bout you ever since you?ve been gone" in the final verses.

[Johnm]

Hi all
Frank Stokes recorded "Frank Stokes Dream" in 1929 as a solo number.  It starts out as an 8-bar blues in E, somewhat similar to Furry Lewis's "Dryland Blues" or Carl Martin's "Old Time Blues".  Frank alternates his sung verses with instrumental solos, and after his second verse, Frank switches to a twelve-bar form for his solo.  He sticks with the 12-bar form for the remainder of his solos, and sings the last two verses with a 12-bar form too.  He employs a nifty move over the first four bars of the 12-bar form that Charley Patton also used in "Green River", moving from the 12th fret of the first and third strings to the ninth fret on the same strings, then to the seventh fret and from there to the fourth fret, and then to the IV chord.  It would be interesting to find out where this break first appeared on a recording.
I could certainly use some help with the bent bracketed word or words in the third verse.



   And I'm goin', I'm goin', and your cryin' won't make me stay
   'Cause the more you cry, gal, the further you drive me 'way

   When I leave your house, pin the black crepe on your door
   Tell your man ain't dead, he ain't comin' back here no more

   Ever dream that you're lucky and wake up cold in hand?
   I wouldn't have-a my last dollar to give your house-rent man

   Take me in your arms, rock me good and slow (2)
   So you can hear them Frank Stokes blues anywhere on earth you go

   SPOKEN, DURING SOLO:  Ah, it's so easy to be easy when you are easy!

   And I'm leavin' you, mama, this is the last time I'm ever gon' go
   And I'm leavin' you, the last time I'll ever go
   When the Frank Stokes blues come around I've got a place to go

Edited, 6/4 to pick up correction from Rivers

All best,
Johnm

[Rivers]

Tricky. Sounds literally like 'motless dollar', could be a mispronounce of 'modest' or perhaps some archaic usage? The recording's clear as a bell which is a very pleasant change.

[Johnm]

Thanks for your post, Mark.  I agree that the sound of what Frank Stokes says in the place in question is "motless".  I have no idea what he actually says though.  It's a tough one.
All best,
Johnm 

[Rivers]

Waking up from a power nap, cold in hand naturally, it suddenly hit me, motless is 'my last' and the whole line is:
"I wouldn't hand over my last dollar to give your house rent man"

The pronunciation is interesting but I'd put my last dollar on it.

[Johnm]

That is excellent, Mark!  Thanks and I will make the change.  Way to get at the context and not get hung up on pronunciation.
all best,
Johnm