Author Topic: Al Miller Lyrics (Read 4291 times)

Fkeller · « **on:** November 12, 2009, 02:06:11 PM »

I've been plugging away at this one for a while and I could sure use another ear or two on a few lyrics. I've searched the forum and couldn't find anything but if I've missed it, please enlighten me so I don't waste anyone's time. Thanks!

Here's what I got so far:

My grandma asked my daddy did he love his wife
Yes I love my daughter all my life

Now ain't that a mess
Aw ain't...
Said I don't mean no harm just showing her what to do

My uncle and my mama never saw no (green?)
Where they wanted my uncle had to ....

Now there's old sister Sal she's my sister too
My mother caught my brother showing her what to do

My grandma she was always crazy sad?
Cause my sister had taken from her bad?

My uncle and my daddy got in a fight
Cause my uncle caught my daddy with ma that night

Got a little brother he's a ...? too
Caught him showing my daddy just what to do

Richard · « **Reply #1 on:** November 12, 2009, 02:21:47 PM »

Can you post an mp3?

Fkeller · « **Reply #2 on:** November 12, 2009, 02:54:30 PM »

Ok I feel stupid, but after checking a sticky in another forum I'm still not sure how to convert my 2.5MB mp3 file of this into a <1MB file. I've got Audacity but haven't had luck so far. Can't find a setting on Win. Media to rip it smaller either. Sorry to be a pain--any suggestions?

Stuart · « **Reply #3 on:** November 12, 2009, 05:23:36 PM »

I Googled "Al Miller Ain't That a Mess" and the first thing to come up was a free listen via Lala.com. I turned on Freecorder (http://applian.com/sound-recorder/) which captured it, and I listened to it using iTunes (so there's your workaround).

My ears aren't what they used to be (of course, they never were), but it sounds like "peace" and "niece" as rhymes for the first line in question (which fits with the "family values" theme). I'll listen more later when I have a chance.

uncle bud · « **Reply #4 on:** November 12, 2009, 06:55:16 PM »

Hi fkeller - Using Audacity, and assuming you have the Lame encoder, you would go to File --> Preferences --> File Formats --> MP3 Export Setup --> Bit Rate and set the bit rate to 32. Then export as mp3. That should get a file small enough, I think.

Fkeller · « **Reply #5 on:** November 12, 2009, 07:11:15 PM »

Uncle Bud--Bingo! You may consider adding that as a sticky somewhere. If you do, then the "preferences" is under the "edit" menu on the PC version of Audacity. Once I got that it was smooth sailing.

Here's the squished mp3 then. Thanks!

[attachment deleted by admin]

uncle bud · « **Reply #6 on:** November 13, 2009, 12:06:40 PM »

Re. Audacity. Mine's likely an older version.

I agree with Stuart on piece/niece.

Then possibly:

My grandma she was always RAISING SAND
Cause my sister had taken from her [BAG]

Can't get the last verse. Perhaps sharper ears will.

dj · « **Reply #7 on:** November 13, 2009, 12:49:04 PM »

Some suggestions:

My uncle and my mama never saw no PEACE
WHEN they wanted my uncle had to FIND MY NIECE

My grandma she was always RAISING SAND
Cause my sister had taken from her MAN

Got a little brother he's WIZARD/WHIZZER too
Caught him showing my daddy just what to do

Fkeller · « **Reply #8 on:** November 13, 2009, 01:27:22 PM »

DJ--thanks! Those make a lot of sense and they really seem to fit. I love the groove of this tune but I must admit to still being a bit in the dark as to what it's about. I've got some ideas and it seems to be chock full of double entendres but the familial aspect of it is odd to me.

Fkeller · « **Reply #9 on:** July 10, 2010, 09:34:45 AM »

By comparing the two versions (21061 and C-3083) on Document-5306 (Complete Recorded Works...), I've come up with this. Parentheses indicate differences between the 2 versions. Biggest question I have is the final verse

Now the little old pig said to the big fat sow
Come on mama and feed me right now

She said I would if i could
I would if I could
I'm doing the best I can, baby what I can

Now I had a gal boy her name was dirty moore
I gave her (everything) all I had but she still wanted more

A real black couple trying with all their might
A gal wanted a baby but it had to be white

I got a gal boy she's seven foot tall
she got sore because we couldn't live (stand) in the hall

(I have a gal tall and thin
She quit me because I couldn't buy gin) verse not in 21061

Now a dog tame a cat up in the cellar
come on kitty and be a real good fella

I seen a trick it sure was bold
Trying to put a 2 x 4 in a 2

?

Thanks for any help. I can post a sound file later if necessary. I apologize but I just don't have time this moment.

dj · « **Reply #10 on:** July 10, 2010, 10:33:45 AM »

Trying to put a 2 x 4 in a TWO INCH HOLE

By the way, I think the second line of verse 5 on take C-3083 is:

She got sore because we couldn't in the hall

banjochris · « **Reply #11 on:** July 11, 2010, 12:17:58 PM »

And the last verse on 21061 is

I had a mule, kept him in the barn,
Fed him on meal 'cause I couldn't buy corn

Fkeller · « **Reply #12 on:** July 13, 2010, 08:04:01 AM »

Thanks, DJ and banjochris! Chris, yeah, I realized I'd left that line out. Duh! But I'm glad you added it because I was hearing "peaches" (??!) instead of meal. Meal makes more sense.

Stumblin · « **Reply #13 on:** March 21, 2011, 04:10:02 PM »

This great little ditty just cropped up on Weenie Juke Radio.
Having just googled for info re. this song and having found that most of the first results page refers to Weenie Campbell and having read this discussion from soup to nuts in the last half an hour, I think dj is probably either absolutely, or very nearly correct in his interpretation of the lyrics. I'm going to bung a version of this together and sing it at people, whether they like it or not.
Thanks

maddoggirl · « **Reply #14 on:** March 22, 2011, 09:07:11 AM »

This song is as weird as all hell. I know what they say about us country folks, but this is ridiculous! Can't deny it has a great swing, though...

I like 'MAN' for the fourth verse, although I can sort of hear a B sound too.

Cleoma · « **Reply #15 on:** October 20, 2012, 12:08:49 PM »

I went back to the source of this song to listen again (I did some listening when the Todalo Shakers worked it up) and am completely stumped by the last verse. Here's what I have:

Don?t Be A Fool ? Al Miller

I waked up thought my wife was asleep
I got up to make a fore-day creep, she said:
Don?t be no fool, don?t be no fool
Now every time I shut my eyes I ain?t asleep
So don?t be no fool.

Old man Drake slipped up on Miss Duck
Jumped right up and said you out of luck, don?t be no fool?

Grandpa caught grandma, laying there in the bed
Grandma said to grandpa, get away from my head, she said don?t be?

I kept a gal up til half past three
Thought she was asleep but she said to me, don?t be no fool?

Old tom cat thought kitty was asleep
He jumped on her back with all 4 feet, don?t be?

With heavin? and pullin?, over me joe (

? this can't be right!)
I told you once, ain?t gonna tell you no more

[attachment deleted by admin]

Pan · « **Reply #16 on:** October 20, 2012, 03:56:57 PM »

I can't really help you with the lyrics, Cleoma, but would like to thank you for presenting a song with an interesting chord progression!
One thing though, that might be totally misleading -or not? Could he be singing "thieving" instead of "heaving"? Just a thought.

Cheers

Pan

Rivers · « **Reply #17 on:** October 20, 2012, 04:24:34 PM »

Quote

With heavin? and pullin?, over me joe (? this can't be right!)

I think you have it right, the recording and diction are clear as bell.

I don't know what it means but it sounds vaguely obscene! Which would fit right in.

uncle bud · « **Reply #18 on:** October 21, 2012, 12:40:11 AM »

It sounds like:

WHAT'S heavin' and pullin' over me, Joe

I would interpret this to be some flapperish/hipster lingo. Al Miller certainly had more of that in his songs. Meaning unclear to me, though wild guesses might include "what's on my mind" or "what's bugging me".

dj · « **Reply #19 on:** October 21, 2012, 04:16:43 AM »

I agree with uncle bud's hearing of the line, but not necessarily with his interpretation of it. "What's heavin' and pullin' over me, Joe" could well have had some flapperish/hipster meaning back in the 1920's, but if so, there's certainly a double meaning to the line, which, to me, is obviously the collective females in the previous verses responding to the male that's just hopped on top of her, thinking she's asleep, and started "heavin' and pullin'".

Cleoma · « **Reply #20 on:** October 21, 2012, 04:25:22 AM »

Al Miller, master of the single entendre. At least Bo Carter makes an attempt at metaphor.

uncle bud · « **Reply #21 on:** October 21, 2012, 07:36:27 AM »

Clearly you all are more smutty-minded.

But I would agree.

mr mando · « **Reply #22 on:** October 22, 2012, 01:40:29 AM »

Thanks for bringing up this song. I can't believe how it didn't jump at me when I was repeatedly listeneing to the Al Miller document CD. Apart from the lyrics, I especially like the half bar pick up to the chorus and the bVI7 chord. The tune is played in F on the mando, right??

mr mando · « **Reply #23 on:** October 26, 2012, 06:05:49 AM »

While I was figuring out the mandolin part of the introduction during the last couple of evenings (it's not tricky, but trying to play along in sync is still a challenge), I started to hear the first verse differently:

I LAYED DOWN thought my wife was asleep
I got up to make a fore-day creep, she said

Goes along with Cleoma's "master of the single entendre" observation.

mr mando · « **Reply #24 on:** October 27, 2012, 02:50:15 AM »

Sorry to be obnoxious (hopefully not as obnoxious as the A/Ab double stop in the mandolin part of this tune), but now that I transcribed the mandolin part, I'm also hearing the start of 2.2 and the first word in 6.1 differently:

THE DUCK GOT up and said you out of luck

QUIT heavin? and pullin? over me, Joe!

And then, there's an additional SHE SAID after 5.2 and he doesn't sing NOW in chorusses 3 to 6.
So here are the complete lyrics with my (hopefully correct) corrections.

I layed down thought my wife was asleep
I got up to make a fore-day creep, she said
Don?t be no fool, don?t be no fool
Now every time I shut my eyes I ain?t asleep
So don?t be no fool.

Old man Drake slipped up on Miss Duck
The duck got up and said you out of luck
Don?t be no fool, don?t be no fool
Now every time I shut my eyes I ain?t asleep
So don?t be no fool

Grandpa caught grandma, laying there in the bed
Grandma said to grandpa, get away from my head, she said 
Don?t be no fool, don?t be no fool
Every time I shut my eyes I ain?t asleep
So don?t be no fool

I kept a gal up til half past three
Thought she was asleep but she said to me
Don?t be no fool, don?t be no fool
Every time I shut my eyes I ain?t asleep
So don?t be no fool

Old tom cat thought kitty was asleep
He jumped on her back with all four feet, she said
Don?t be no fool, don?t be no fool
Every time I shut my eyes I ain?t asleep
So don?t be no fool

Quit heavin? and pullin? over me, Joe?
I told you once, ain?t gonna tell you no more
Don?t be no fool, don?t be no fool
Every time I shut my eyes I ain?t asleep
So don?t be no fool

Johnm · « **Reply #25 on:** December 16, 2013, 07:19:03 AM »

Hi all,
I merged three threads on different Al Miller songs into a single Al Miller Lyrics thread. Only the title of the oldest post was changed, all others have remained intact, for ease of following the lyric discussions.
All best,
Johnm

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Author Topic: Al Miller Lyrics (Read 4291 times)