Topic: Dallas String Band's "Hokum Blues"

[banjochris]

Does anyone have any idea what the response line is to the first verse of the Dallas String Band's "Hokum Blues"? I've never been able to make it out.  Here is the Dallas String Band's "Hokum Blues":




Woke up this morning, same thing on my mind, babe
Woke up this morning, same thing on my mind, babe
??

Some folks say that the worried blues ain't bad, babe,
Some folks say that the worried blues ain't bad, babe,
Well it must not a-been the worried blues I had.

Any help much appreciated,
Chris

[Gumbo]

Great Intro!


something something it's so gonna run me blind?

[dj]

"That no good lovin' babe is sho' gonna run me blind" maybe?

[jrn]

Woke up this morning same thing's on my mind, babe 2x
Woman thinks I'm crazy, sure is a runnin' me blind

Some folks say the worried blues ain't bad, babe 2x
Must not have been the most worried they had



First Guy: Hey Coley! (referring to Coley Jones the mandolin player) Can you sing?
Coley: No!
First Guy: Why?
Coley: I lost my voice in jail. I'm always behind a few bars and could never get a key!

[dj]

Thanks for the help with "woman" and "crazy", jrn.  With those words, I think the whole line in the Dallas String Band's version is:

"That woman run me crazy, sho' gonna run me blind"

[jrn]

Glad I could help! Yeah I think that's real close dj. More i listen to it, I believe I'm hearing.......

"If that woman don't run me crazy, sho' gonna run me blind"

Then again, "if it don't run me crazy, it's sho' gonna run me blind", sounds pretty good too!


Jason

[Gumbo]

good ears there. I agree with

That woman run me crazy, sho' gonna run me blind

except I'm still hearing an 'it's' in the middle there.

I love that commodium video btw

[Mr.OMuck]

I'm geting "That no good baby sure corrupt my mind"........!!!!!??!!!!!?

[jrn]

Yeah I think you're right Gumbo. I'd say the second part of that line is definitely "it's sho' gonna run me blind".

Btw, did y'all notice that the mandolin in the video I posted is made out of a steel bed pan?

Jason

[thickpete]

I think I hear: "If she don't run me crazy - she sho gonna run me blind" - but I' think possibly folks are singing different lines accidentally. I even think I hear someone correcting himself mid-line but probably imagining....

The Commodium/Pandolin is awesome and this performance is really great!

[dj]

I'm geting "That no good baby sure corrupt my mind

It really should be that, O'Muck.   

[jrn]

It's just that one line, all the rest are pretty easy to understand. And it's the first part of that particular line that's the hardest to understand. I had thought the same as thickpete, that somebody might have started singing the wrong line.

[uncle bud]

I don't think you guys quite have it. Unfortunately neither do I,  but I am hearing the word bailiff, I believe.

That [slow? ??] bailiff sure gonna run me blind

With "slow" only indicating something of the sound, not sense.

If it's bailiff, perhaps the two or three syllables preceding it make up a county name or something.

[cru423]

That loan I'm-a-pay off sure gonna run me blind

[jrn]

When I play my copy backwards, it keeps repeating "Paul is dead......Paul is dead...............".

[banjochris]

Ha! I seem to have opened a can of worms but I appreciate all the suggestions -- I hadn't even heard "sho gonna run me blind" before, but I agree that that's right.
Thanks!
Chris

[Stumblin]

One of my favourites, but I haven't listened to it in a while.
Time to dig out my ipod and go for a little walk in the park for some quality listening time.

[Stumblin]

I have absolutely no idea what the mystery line might be. Perhaps some music analysing software might help, I'll ask a tech-savvy buddy of mine.

A google search for the Dallas String Band has produced some interesting and questionable results. There are claims circulating associating the band with Blind Lemon Jefferson and T-Bone Walker. One assumes this to be mere internet hyperbole, am I right to assume this?