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Author Topic: Charley Lincoln Lyrics  (Read 8809 times)

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Offline Johnm

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Re: Charley Lincoln Lyrics
« Reply #15 on: August 11, 2006, 08:40:48 PM »
Hi all,
Charley Lincoln recorded "Mojoe Blues" (unusual spelling) at his first session.  While a thoroughly professional performance, I think it comes the closest to being a run-of-the-mill rendition of any of his tunes, at least by his standards.  The second verse is one of his favorites, appearing in a high percentage of his performances.  Here is "Mojoe Blues":



   LAUGHED:  Ha, ha, ha, ha!

   Oh, the mojoe blues, mama, crawlin' 'cross the floor
   Oh, these mojoe blues, mama, crawlin' 'cross the floor
   Some hard-luck rascal done told me I ain't here no more

   I'm leavin' here, mama babe, cryin' won't make me stay
   I'm leavin' here, mama, cryin' won't make me stay
   Honey, the more you cry, further I'm goin' away

   Oh, she went to the hoodoo, she went there all alone
   She went to the hoodoo, she went there all alone
   'Cause every time I leave her, I have to hurry back home

   Says, I love you, sweet mama, but I sure ain' no fool about you   
   Says, I love you, sweet mama, but I ain't no fool about you
   How I can get another kidgal, just like I got you

   When I leave here you can pin crepe on my door
   When I leave here you can pin crepe over my door
   Said, I won't be dead, just ain't comin' here no more

   Some people tell me, honey them blues ain't bad
   Oh, some people tell me, honey, them blues ain't bad
   That must not been them low-down things I've had

All best,
Johnm
« Last Edit: April 16, 2020, 04:13:20 PM by Johnm »

Offline Johnm

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Re: Charley Lincoln Lyrics
« Reply #16 on: August 11, 2006, 08:55:22 PM »
Hi all,
Charley Lincoln recorded "Depot Blues" at his next-to-last session, along with "Gamblin' Charley".  It is odd that all of his sessions, apart from his first, which produced six sides, resulted in only two sides per session.  "Depot Blues" is an exceptionally strong take.  In slightly less than one year since his first session, Charley has jettisoned the "said" and "says" he so often used as phrasing ballast in his first session.  The result is a crisper phrasing, which is helped all the more by Charley's intense singing; he really sounds like something is at stake.  Instrumentally, the piece is strong as well.  His lyrics are expecially strong and original (at least as far as I know), too.  Here is "Depot Blues":



   Standing at the station, waiting for my train to come (2)
   Singing, "Hurry up moonlight, let the morrow come."

   You can drive me to the station, but you can not make me ride your train
   You can drive me to your station, but you can not make me ride your train
   And if you treat me mean, mama, you sure, Lord, see it again

   Do not call myself leavin', but you are driving me away
   Do not call myself leavin', but it's you are driving me away
   Says, when my blues are over, you gon' be sorry some sweet day

   She got up last night, she crawled around my bed (2)
   SPOKEN:  Wonder what's the matter now?
   "I'm gonna love you a long time, daddy, else I will see you dead."

   Hmmm, Hmmmm
   Hmmm, Hmmmm
   That gal I love won't act right at all

   I woke up this morning with the blues three different ways (2)
   Had two minds to leave you, only one to stay

   I left my kidgal, standing in the door (2)
   Hollerin', "Daddy, daddy, you ain't obliged to go."

   'D'ruther drink muddy water, go sleep in a hollow tree
   I'd rather drink muddy water, go sleep in a hollow tree
   Than to hear my kidgal, says she don't want me

All best,
Johnm


 
   
« Last Edit: April 16, 2020, 04:15:15 PM by Johnm »

Offline Johnm

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Re: Charley Lincoln Lyrics
« Reply #17 on: August 21, 2006, 01:51:59 PM »
Hi all,
Charley Lincoln recorded "Ugly Papa" at his second session, on April 11, 1928, and the only other tune to come from the session was "If It Looks Like Jelly, Shakes Like Jelly, It Must Be Gelatine".  It is interesting that both of these tunes employ a narrative format different from that of the rest of Charley Lincoln's recorded repertoire; in some ways, they sound as though they would be more at home as performed by a vaudevillian like Sloppy Henry than a Country Blues musician like Charley Lincoln, though Charley does a great job on them.
Like many of Charley Lincoln's songs, "Ugly Papa" (the title phrase never appears in the song) employs a fluid phrasing format.  In the first two verses, as the story is set up, the song employs a twelve-bar verse with a four-bar refrain.  After the second verse, though, Charley switches to a combined 8-bar verse/refrain form.  I have some missing lyric patches here.  As usual, they are enclosed by bent brackets and I would appreciate any help with them (you out there, dj?).  This is the last song Charley Lincoln recorded that we don't have lyrics transcribed for--I sure wish there were more.  Here is "Ugly Papa":



   Once I was crazy 'bout a girl, had the only talk of our chance
   One day I met her father in the street, here's what he said to me, said
   "I like you, big boy, just all right, but if I catch you with my daughter it's gon' be too tight."
   REFRAIN:  'Twon't be long, I mean, 'twon't be long

   Next day passed by, I've got the news, her mother 'n' father both was gone
   My chance was so slim to see her, over there, I was goin'
   We was sittin' in the room talkin' what we's gon' do, heard somebody push that middle door to
   REFRAIN:

   It was her mother and father, sister and brother, too, all have made a bogus move on you
   REFRAIN:

   Old man he jumped, he grabbed a gun, son-of-a-gun said, "Don't you run!"
   REFRAIN: 

   Old lady jumped in the hall, said, "Don't get rough, 'cause I'm the best in town on struttin' my stuff."
   REFRAIN:

   Girl looked at me, begin to smile, I looked at the window and I shed both lights
   REFRAIN:

   I coulda have stayed, made a little bluff, the men in Georgia dyin' out fast enough
   REFRAIN:

   I love that girl 'cause she's so neat, I'm just wild about my pigmeat
   REFRAIN:

Edited, 8/21 to pick up corrections from dj
Edited, 8/8/08 to pick up corrections from Lefty Strat

All best,
Johnm

   
 
« Last Edit: April 16, 2020, 04:16:20 PM by Johnm »

Offline dj

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Re: Charley Lincoln Lyrics
« Reply #18 on: August 21, 2006, 03:50:09 PM »
Hi, John.  Well, since you asked...

I think the first line is: "Once I was Crazy 'bout a girl, heard the only talk about Jane".  I think that's definitely "heard", though Charley pretty much swallows the r.

And for the 6th verse, I get "Girl looked at me, began to smile, I looked at the window and I shed both lights", which doesn't make a lot of sense, but I'll comment on that below.  Actually, it makes a bit of sense, as each individual pane of glass in a window is a "light", and Charley may have been implying that he knocked both panes out of the window as he jumped out.

For your last set of brackets, I think "enjoy to dine out, thanks enough" is correct.

John, in my (very humble) opinion, your comment about the lyrics sounding as if they would be more at home with a vaudevillian is dead on the money.  All the bracketed phrases have the earmark of something that's been heard but either not clearly understood or misremembered or both.  It seems like the end of the first verse should have been "I could only talk about Jane", and the end of verse 6 "I jumped out the window and I ran a mile", which would make more sense and preserve the rhyme with "smile".  (I have no idea what the end of the 7th verse may have originally been.)  One wonders if Charley had heard this performance at a theater, or on a record, or even if he'd been recruited to back a passing vaudeville singer at a local performance, and picked up the song but imperfectly remembered the lyrics.

Offline Johnm

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Re: Charley Lincoln Lyrics
« Reply #19 on: August 21, 2006, 05:22:25 PM »
Hi dj,
Thanks so much for the help.  For the end of the first line, I had written "had the only coat of our Jane", but it was so nonsensical that I saw no point in posting it.  Your suggestion makes more sense, though, as you say, it is still awkward.  For the window verse, I had "shet both fight", which I could make no sense of.  I am satisfied that the "dine out" verse is what he says, however much sense it makes.  I will make the changes you suggested.
Incidentally, I really like this song.  The set-up of the interrupted courtship is the kind of thing that happens a lot in old ballads.
All best,
Johnm

Offline LeftyStrat

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Re: Charley Lincoln Lyrics
« Reply #20 on: August 08, 2008, 04:43:05 AM »
Sincerest apologies for bumping a seemingly ancient thread, but I saw this and would like to get some opinions about what I hear at points in this tune (one of Mr. Lincoln's best, IMO) that may differ from what's already here.


Once I was crazy 'bout a girl, heard the only talk about Jane

not sure where I get it, but I hear "....and we always talked of our chance" Perhaps Charlie and his girl always talked of their chance to be together alone, given the next few lines?
   
Quote
  Girl looked at me, begin to smile, I looked at the window and I shed both lights


Here, I hear "...shut both eyes"  Not sure I could explain it offhand, unless maybe he's trying to think up an escape plan :)

Quote
  I coulda have stayed, made a little bluff, the men enjoy to dine out, thanks enough

Here, I get "I coulda have stayed, made a little bluff, but the men in Georgia dyin' out fast enough"

Meaning perhaps that he didn't wanna risk being killed if he hung around? :)


Again, apologies for the bump of such an old thread, but being a fan, the discussion interested me and I thought I'd throw my ideas out there to further it.

Good day,
Lefty
 


   
 


« Last Edit: August 08, 2008, 04:51:59 AM by LeftyStrat »
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Offline Johnm

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Re: Charley Lincoln Lyrics
« Reply #21 on: August 08, 2008, 07:06:39 AM »
Hi LeftyStrat,
No need to apologize for posting in a dormant thread.  I've never been happy with some of the lyrics that were posted in "Ugly Papa".  I've listened several times to the changes you suggested.  The last one, "the men in Georgia dyin' out fast enough"is dead on the money--thanks!  I will make that change.  In your first suggestion, I think "of our chance" is correct, though I still hear "only", and I don't really hear "talk" or "talked", more like something that begins with a hard C sound.  I think "shut both eyes" may possibly make sense, but I can hear the l in "lights" very clearly. 
Thanks for the new input, and I will modify the posted lyric to reflect your suggestions.
All best,
Johnm
« Last Edit: September 21, 2008, 11:18:45 AM by Johnm »

Offline LeftyStrat

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Re: Charley Lincoln Lyrics
« Reply #22 on: August 08, 2008, 02:42:11 PM »
Hey John,

Thanks for the input, and I'm more than happy to help.  I'll definitely give this track a few listens when I get a minute and see what I can make of it. The lyrics I've listed that you question always come out somewhat fast, and seem a bit garbled to my ears...either that or I'm too busy singing along to *really* listen, and just go with an approximation of what I hear. Should I find anymore that merits discussion, I'll post.

:::running to find my Charlie Lincoln disc::::

Lefty :)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Rather than double post, I figured I'd edit this last one to add something else that I missed before.

In the Chorus of "Jealous Hearted Blues", I've always heard "...Jealous as I can be" in the last line, like John mentioned, although you're right about the "s" that seems to sneak in there a time or two, so I'll hafta puzzle on this one for a bit.

Also, the spoken intro sounds like: "I hate to tell ya Mama, but I'm sho' ill."  "Ill" in this case meaning angry or in a bad mood, as I've often heard it used in this area.

Any takers?
« Last Edit: August 08, 2008, 03:44:23 PM by LeftyStrat »
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Offline banjochris

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Re: Charley Lincoln Lyrics
« Reply #23 on: August 10, 2008, 12:37:33 AM »
I think that spoken intro to "Jealous Hearted" is "I hate to tell you Mama, but I'm sho' is." Is jealous, in other words.
Chris

Offline Johnm

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Re: Charley Lincoln Lyrics
« Reply #24 on: April 21, 2020, 09:21:17 AM »
Hi all,
I added links to all of Charley Lincoln's songs in this thread, so if you'd like to listen to him, the songs are here now.
All best,
Johnm

Offline banjochris

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Re: Charley Lincoln Lyrics
« Reply #25 on: April 21, 2020, 10:16:52 AM »
John, was going back and listening to a couple of these this morning, and came across something rather odd. Listening to "Mama Don't Rush Me" I was perplexed because on the YouTube video, the song is a) very obviously in Spanish, not Vestapol, and b) has a spoken introduction and starts with the second verse that's transcribed. I know in a lot of cases you posted those videos long after the original lyrics were transcribed, so I'm not sure what your source album was.

I went back to my Document CD of Charley and Willie Baker and see that there are two Mama Don't Rush Mes, one by Charley and one by Willie, right next to each other, and the one you transcribed is listed by Lincoln on the CD but the video has the Willie Baker version. Mystery solved!

And I had one lyric suggestion on the transcription that is there:
2.1 PAID MY RENT in half past ten

Here are the two tracks:

Vestapol (Lincoln):


Spanish (Baker):
« Last Edit: April 21, 2020, 11:30:21 AM by Johnm »

Offline banjochris

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Re: Charley Lincoln Lyrics
« Reply #26 on: April 21, 2020, 10:57:39 AM »
Apologies if anyone read any of my earlier posts today before I finished saving and fixing everything; I was sort of in a muddle this morning!
Chris

Offline Johnm

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Re: Charley Lincoln Lyrics
« Reply #27 on: April 21, 2020, 11:34:47 AM »
Hi Chris,
Thanks very much for that catch of the incorrect link and also for the lyrics catch.  I have replaced the Willie Baker with the correct Charley Lincoln track back in the thread and re-listened and made the lyric correction, too.  Thanks for back-stopping me!  That's bad, to have the wrong link.
All best,
John
« Last Edit: April 21, 2020, 04:07:24 PM by Johnm »

Offline banjochris

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Re: Charley Lincoln Lyrics
« Reply #28 on: April 21, 2020, 03:13:26 PM »
Easily done, with two titles that are exactly the same and a picture of Charley Lincoln on both of them! I almost have a suspicion that Document swapped those tracks, and that Charley is playing the one in Spanish and Willie in Vestapol. But their voices are so similar it's impossible for me to tell. Someone with the original 78 could figure it out!
Chris

 


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