Topic: Hambone Willie Newbern Lyrics

[Alexei McDonald]

I've been idly searching for information on this song today.   I found a couple of things of interest in decrypting Hambone Willie's diction.



Exhibit #1

A 1916 recording by Billy Murray and Irving Kaufman

http://www.archive.org/download/BillyMurrayIrvingKaufman/BillyMurrayIrvingKaufman-WayDownInArkansaw.mp3

Exhibit #2

The 1915 sheet music by James White

http://www.letrs.indiana.edu/cgi/b/bib/bib-idx?&g=sheetmusic&c=starr&c=devincent&view=reslist&type=simple&q1=Way%20down%20in%20Arkansaw&rgn1=title

With these it's pretty easy to grasp the choruses, but the verses as printed aren't the ones used by Hambone Willie.   Does anyone have any clues where those came from, or a better ear for his diction than I have?

[Johnm]

Hello, Alexei,
I will give the piece a listen and see what I come up with.  I've been meaning to post about this song for some time on the "Harmony and Hearing Chord Changes" thread, for Hambone Willie's harmonization of the melody on this song is in a class with Leadbelly's "Dancing With Tears In My Eyes" for weird choices.  I realize you're asking for something altogether different.
All best,
Johnm

[Alexei McDonald]

That would be interesting to see as well ; I've loved this song, at least in the way Hambone Willie performs it, ever since I heard a very rough sounding copy of it on one of Paul Oliver's Songsters and Saints LPs back in the 1980s.

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Here's what I ended up with for "Way Down In Arkansas".  My favorite phrase from it is "the new-born hay".

   Way down yonder in old Arkansas, where you find the turkey in the straw
   Can hear the roosters crowin' 'bout the break of day, old hen a-layvin' (sic) in the new-born hay
   There's where my Great Grandma, first met up-a with my Great Grandpa
   Well, they settled down together, how they loved each other, way down in Arkansas

   Now, way down yonder in old Arkansas, where you find the turkey in the straw
   Can hear the roosters crowin' 'bout the break of day, old hen a-layrin' (sic) in the new-born hay
   There's where my Great Grandma, first met up-a with my Great Grandpa
   Well, they settled down together, how they jawed with each other, way down in Arkansas

   I can hear the darky moanin' at the old barn door, can see the ladies tippin' 'cross the kitchen floor
   When you get your coffee it'll be 'foreday, see that turkey slippin' out through the hay

   Now, way down yonder in Arkansas, where you find the turkey in the straw,
   Now, when you make your money, when you see your honey, way down in Arkansas

   Way down yonder in Arkansas, where you find the turkey in the straw
   Can hear the roosters crowin' 'bout the break of day, old turkey slippin' out the new-born hay
   There's where my mother-'n-law first met up-a with her brother-'n-law
   Well, we went around together, how we 'joyed each other, way down in Arkansas

All best,
Johnm
   
   
   
   
   
   

[Stuart]

Had a listen and heard the following:

old hen a-layin' in the new-born hay

I can hear the donkey moanin' at the old barn door

It's possible that these variations from Johnm's transcriptions are a result of my being pre-disposed by the barnyard imagery. It's not at all clear cut.

[Alexei McDonald]

The word sounds like lay-vrin to me when I listen to it, which is no help I know, or maybe lay-ring.   Not sure at all.

But brother-in-law and mother-in-law in the last verse!   I could never hear that for myself in a million years, but once John had transcribed it that way, it makes perfect sense.   Many thanks, John & Stuart.

[Johnm]

Hi Alexei and Stuart,
I went back and listened to the song again after reading your suggestions.  I think the intent with the hens is "laying" as you both suggest.  In the first verse, it sounds like Hambone Willie combined "layin'" with "livin'".  In the second verse, it seems a pretty clear "layin'", with the letter r inserted between consecutive syllables that end and begin with vowel sounds, as you encounter pretty often.  It still sounds like "darky" rather than "donkey" in that interlude, I think.  I will make the changes.  Thanks!
All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Hambone Willie Newbern accompanied himself out of Spanish tuning with a slide for his very influential recording of "Roll and Tumble Blues".  I hadn't listened to the recording for some time and had forgotten how closely Robert Johnson copied him for "Traveling Riverside Blues" (though Johnson takes his song at a much slower tempo).  Willie Newbern looks as though he thought of the song as a guitar showpiece, devoting time for three solos in the course of his performance.  Here is Hambone Willie's rendition:



And I rolled and I tumbled and I cried the whole night long
And I rolled and I tumbled and I cried the whole night long
And I rose this mornin', mama, and I didn't know right from wrong

SOLO

Did you ever wake up and find your dough-roller gone?
Did you ever wake up and find your dough-roller gone?
And you wring your hands and you cry the whole day long

And I told my woman, Lord, 'fore I left the town
And I told my woman just before I left the town
"Don't you let nobody tear the barrelhouse down."

SOLO

And I fold my arms, Lord, and I walked away
And I fold my arms and I slowly walked away
Says, "That's all right, sweet mama, your trouble gonna come some day."

SOLO

Edited 7/11/20 to pick up correction from islandgal

All best,
Johnm

[jpeters609]

Man, what a great song. And so pervasive! Lyrically, Garfield Akers' "Dough Roller Blues" is a word-for-word copy of Hambone Willie Newbern's "Roll and Tumble Blues," although played without slide in Akers' unmistakable style. (The Garfield Akers version remains my favorite of all the Rollin' and Tumblin' recordings out there. But the Baby Face Leroy Trio's two-part version and Robert Johnson's "If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day" are up there!)

[Johnm]

Yes, those are great ones, Jeff, and I'm also really partial to a few of the non-slide versions, from Joe Callicott, Rosa Lee Hill and R. L. Burnside.
All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Hambone Willie Newbern recorded "Hambone Willie's Dreamy-Eyed Woman's Blues" accompanying himself out of C position in standard tuning, using substantially the same accompaniment as he used for "Shelby County Workhouse Blues".  He was really a strong player, and versatile, too.  Something about his right hand touch reminds me of Mance Lipscomb's touch.  Here is the song:



I got a dreamy-eyed woman, live down on Cherry Street
I got a dreamy-eyed woman, live down on Cherry Street
And she laughs and talk with every brownskin old man she meet

Says, I told her last night and all the night before
And I told her last night and all the night before
Said, "If you don't quit so much runnin', baby, you can't be mine no more

SOLO

Put both hands on her hips, and these is the words she said
Put both hands on her hips, and these is the words she said
Says, "Big boy, I couldn't miss you if the Good Lord told me you was dead."

SOLO

I'm gonna leave here walkin', chances I may ride
I'm gonna leave here walkin', chances I may ride
'Cause I got the blues, baby, and I can't be satisfied

Hollerin', mmmmm, baby, what more can I do?
Hollerin', mmmmm, baby, what more can I do?
Want me to cut my throat, baby, tryin' to get along with you

SOLO

All best,
Johnm 

[TempeRed]

Hello!  They're in the "New-Mown Hay", not the "new-born hay"....

Anyone got the changes on this fun tune?

[Johnm]

Hi TempeRed,
"New-mown hay" makes more sense, but what Hambone Willie sings is "new-born hay", the "b" sound is quite clear, as is the "r" sound.
The song is in C, but he starts in a G chord, walking the melody up the first and sixth strings from the fifth fret to the third fret.  Then to F for "where you find the turkey in the straw", to G  up until "the break of day", then A for "old hens, etc.", resolving to G, then starting over.  He was operating under the assumption that whatever note was in the melody was the root of the chord under it.
All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I thought I would try to get the lyrics to Hambone Willie Newbern's "Shelby County Workhouse Blues".  He played the song out of C position in standard tuning, and utilized the same accompaniment he played for his "Dreamy-Eyed Woman Blues", as noted earlier in this thread.  I was only able to figure out the name of Marked Tree by reading some of the comments on the attached youtube video.  Hambone Willie Newborn really sang some strong intervallic "rs" on this song, connecting words that end in vowels with words that begin with vowels, as in "my arms" in the second verse.  Here is "Shelby County Workhouse Blues", and I'd very much appreciate correction/corroboration of any of the lyrics:



I left old Memphis, Tennessee on my way back to Marked Tree
I left old Memphis, Tennessee on my way back to dear old Marked Tree
I'm out in the gumbo mud, baby, says jam up above my knee

Says, I fold my arms, I didn't have but one word to say
And I fold my arms, I didn't have but one word to say
Cast my eyes to the Lord, say, "You please have mercy on poor me."

Well, I left old Marked Tree, goin' back to Memphis, Tennessee
And I left old Marked Tree, on my way back to Memphis, Tennessee
No sooner I got at the bus station, Lord, the police, he arrest poor me

Lord, the police 'rest me, carried me 'fore the judge
Police 'rest me, take me 'fore the judge
Well, the lawyers talked so fast, didn't have the time to say not nary word

Well, the lawyer pleaded, and the judge he turned and wrote it down
Lawyer pleaded and the judge, he turned and wrote it down
Says, "I'll give you ten days, buddy, out in little old Shelby town."

And they carried me up, and stared me up in the face
And they stood me up, stared me in the face
Guard said to the trustee, said, "Put the shackles", says, "around his leg."

Hollerin' mmmmmmmmmm, Lawdy, Lawdy Lawd
Mmmmmmmmm, Lawdy, Lawdy Lawd
Lord, the guards all treated me like I was a low-down dog

OUTRO

Edited 7/9 to pick up corrections from banjochris and Johnm
Edited 7/10 to pick up correction from harry

All best,
Johnm

 

[banjochris]

This one has driven me nuts for a long time, John, that third line in the first verse especially. I think I've finally gotten it. He uses an expression that Sleepy John Estes uses in "Mary Come On Home":

1.3 I'M OUT IN THE GUMBO MUD BABY, SAYS JAM UP ABOVE MY KNEE

5.1 and 5.2 I think it's: he DONE wrote it down
(Just pronounced very oddly)
5.3 I think Shelby is probably right, but also pronounced very oddly

6.1 And they CARRIED me up, and STARED me up in the face
6.2 And they STOOD me up, STARED me in the face
6.3 GUARD said to the trusty...

Chris