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Country Blues => Country Blues Lyrics => Topic started by: Easy Rider on October 07, 2005, 04:32:00 AM
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I have learned to play this piece, from Paul K's arrangement of it, which he got from Happy Traum's video, "The Blues Bag", but I have no idea how to sing with it.
I would love to see the relevant pages, in Happy Traum's booklet. Does anybody have it? Can you scan it in and send me a copy? Can you mail the pages to me?
Thanx
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If it's the same tune I can probably find you the words via aa Jimmy witherspoon recording if you get really desperate.
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I don't know what Traum and Bob K. do to/with the song, but the origin is undoubtedly "When The Sun Goes Down," first recorded by Leroy Carr and Scrapper Blackwell in their last session together, which was Leroy's final session, on February 25, 1935, in Chicago, IL. Also recorded pre-War by Bumble Bee Slim, Libby Holman, Memphis Minnie, Red Nelson, Joshua White, Uncle Bob Ledbetter, Lynch Sisters/The Delta Twins. Post-war, from Big Bill to Ray Charles and beyond. Without going into the details, the Carr-Blackwell piece (available on DOCD 5139) is formally a work of sheer genius. If you're familiar with "Love In Vain," you know how to sing it. The lyrics are as follows.
In the evening, in the evening, mama, when the sun goes down
In the evening, baby, when the sun goes down
Well, ain't it lonesome, ain't it lonesome, babe,
When your lover's not around
When the sun goes down.
Last night I laid a sleeping, I was thinking to myself
Last night I laid a sleeping, I was thinking to myself
Well, wondering and thinking why the one that you love
Would mistreat you for someone else
When the sun goes down.
The sun rises in the east, and it sets up in the west.
The sun rises in the east, mama, and it sets in the west.
Well, it's hard to tell, hard to tell
Which one will treat you the best
When the sun goes down.
[Scat verse]
Goodbye old sweethearts and pals, yes, I 'm going away,
But I may be back to see you again, some old rainy day.
Well, in the evening, in the evening, babe,
When the sun goes down.
When the sun goes down.
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Hi all
I'm attempting to transcribe the lyrics to the Leroy Carr/Scrapper Blackwell song called "Papa's On The House Top", and could sure use some help. Unfortunately I'm on our summer cottage and am unable to produce an mp3 with my laptop at the moment. The song can be found on the "How Long Blues 1928-1935" CD which is on the Juke, or on the Yazoo compilation "The Roots Of Rap". Mary Flower's version can also be found on the Juke on her "Bywater Dance" album.
Here's what I've got so far. Especially the parts in brackets with questionmarks are unclear, but I could have it all wrong practically anywhere :(.
PAPA'S ON THE HOUSE TOP
Mama made Papa be quiet as a mouse,
so Papa climbed on top of the house,
made a lot of whoopee, made a lot of noise,
stood up and cheered with the rest* of the boys.
Refrain:
Baby's in the cradle, brother's gone to town,
sister's in the parlour, trying on a gown
Mama's in the kitchen messing all around,
Papa's on the house top, won't come down.
instr.
The Blues they've come, the blues they've come,
nobody knows where the Blues come from,
The Blues they've gone, the Blues they've gone,
And everybody's happy when the old Blues gone.
refrain
instr.
Papa saw a chicken out in the yard,
picked up a rock and hit him hard,
hit him hard, killed him dead,
now the chicken's in the gravy and the gravy's on the bread.
refrain
instr.
Hush-a-little baby, don't you cry,
Blues gonna leave you by and by,
Poppa came in, sure was cold,
put the baby in the cradle and the Blues outdoor.
refrain
instr. & Fine.
* it sounds to me that Mary Flowers sings "best" instead of "rest",here?
To my annoyance the Yazoo compilation "Roots of Rap" don't give any composer credits to the song, so I would appreciate them also very much, if anyone has them. And of course, any information concerning the song is always welcome.
To anyone interested in trying out the song, Carr and Blackwell play in the key of E flat (!), the instrumental parts are 12-bar blues with 2 bars of the V chord on bars 9-10, and the vocal choruses are an 8 bar form repeated twice:
[|: I | I | I | I |
| IV | IV | V7 | V7 - I :|]
Thank you in advance for all possible help
Yours
Pan
Edited to correct with kind suggestions by Bunker Hill
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Ok I'll have a go, what I think I'm hearing is this but happily stand corrected:
The Blues they've come, the blues they've come,
Nobody knows where the blues come from,
The blues they've gone, the blues they've gone,
And everybody's happy when the old blues gone.
Hush-a-little baby, don't you cry,
Blues gonna leave you by and by,
Poppa came in, sure was cold
Put the baby in the cradle and the blues outdoor
PS, I think it's "chicken's IN the gravy".
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Thanks again Bunker Hill!
I'll edit accordingly!
Pan.
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I love this song and used to play the track at ultra high volume until the kids banned it >:D well at least when they are home from uni ;D
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By the way, may I, lyricswise (and music-), recommend the Yazoo compilation: "The Roots Of Rap". The title is a perhaps a little misleading to the CB aficionados, but the CD actually consists of great gospel, blues, ragtime, vaudeville and hokum songs of the 20's and 30's, with the emphasis on the lyrics.
I can't comment this collection from the "rap" point of view, because I'm simply not qualified, but anyone enjoying a set of songs with stunning/hilarious/interesting lyrics should definitely check this CD out.
I'll readily admit that I myself wouldn't have bought the CD, if it weren't for the Pine Top Smith's spoken version of "Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out", (recommended in the appropriate thread by Bunker Hill and MTJ3), but it turns out that the rest of the tracks are stellar too (turns out, that the Document's "complete PTS" seems to be out of print and hard to find).
On top of everything this compilation is produced by Richard Nevins and Don Kent, and remastered by the former.
Yours
Pan
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I just got back from a trip across New York State on family business. I made the trip by myself, with the first four volumes of Leroy Carr's complete works in the CD player. After 12 hours of driving with Leroy (and some Al Green ;)), I've come to believe that his music and lyrics are worthy of more attention than they normally receive. Unfortunately, I can't provide any biographical information on Carr, as I know absolutely nothing about him other than what's contained in Alan Balfour's short but excellent notes to the Document CDs.
On the four CDs I have, Leroy Carr and Scrapper Blackwell perform three hybrid blues/pop songs. All three start out as straight 12 bar blues songs, then at some point segue into pop songs. All three were recorded within a five month span from August 1929 to January 1930. I've never heard anyone else do a song like this, and would be interested to know of other examples.
The first of these hybrids to be committed to wax was "I Know That I'll Be Blue", which was recorded in Chicago on August 12, 1929. It's an excellent performance with Scrapper's guitar and Leroy's piano complementing each other in what seem to be well rehearsed parts at the tag of each line of the blues section. When they reach the pop section, Leroy puts on a crooning voice and Scrapper plays some lovely harp-like arpeggios on the guitar. Either Carr or Blackwell or their A&R man was apparently fond of sound effects, and this song features a wooden "train whistle" between the lines of the third verse.
The repeated "baby" in the middle of each line of the blues section gives this part a very cohesive sound.
I'll be so lonely baby, so lonely and so blue
I'll be so lonely baby, so lonely and so blue
'Cause all I have now baby is memories of you
You say you through baby, you want to say goodbye
You say you through baby, you want to say goodbye
All I can do baby is hang my head and cry
I can hear that train a-comin', I can hear that whistle blow (whistle)
I can hear that train a-comin', I can hear that whistle blow (whistle)
I can't bear to leave you baby, I can't bear to see you go
Before you leave me baby, before you go away
Before you leave me baby, before you go away
Just take a minute baby, and listen what I say
I know that I'll be lonely
I know that I'll be blue
I know that there will only
Be memories of you
Before you say goodbye dear
Before you say we're through,
Remember things as I do
Be sad and lonely too
Edited to correct lyrics using MTJ3's suggestion.
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The second blues/pop hybrid that Leroy Carr and Scrapper Blackwell recorded was "Don't Say Goodbye". This was recorded in Chicago on January 2, 1930. Once again, Carr alters his vocal quality to a more crooning sound when he reaches the pop section of the song.
If you didn't want me baby, why didn't you tell me so?
If you didn't want me baby, why didn't you tell me so?
Why did you make me love you, then pack your trunk and go?
Look at me baby, look at what you've done to me
Look at me baby, look at what you've done to me
You made me love you, now I'm in misery
Hear me pleading baby, see me hang my head and cry
Hear me pleading baby, see me hang my head and cry
Can't bear to lose you, to hear you say goodbye
Don't say goodbye, don't say we're through
For if you leave me, what shall I do?
I'll tell you truly, I love you so
Can't bear to lose you, to see you go
We were so happy in the days of old
But now you tell me that your love is cold
Just hear me pleading, just hear me sigh
Don't say that you're leaving, don't say goodbye
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Two songs after "Don't Say Goodbye", Leroy Carr and Scrapper Blackwell recorded "Goodbye Blues". The pop section here seems to be either a cover of or at least in the style of a Jimmie Rodgers song! In the second verse, Carr alters the way he accents the halves of the first two lines, which has the effect of bringing out a slightly different emphasis of meaning each time through. I've tried to indicate this with commas, both of which which fall on the fourth beat of the first measure of the line. Once again, the guitar and piano parts seem well thought out and rehearsed. There's a simply beautiful instrumental tag at the end of the song.
The third verse contains some particularly excellent imagery!
(Instrumental verse)
Goodbye goodbye, I'll never enter your door no more
Goodbye goodbye, I'll never enter your door no more
I'm going to leave you now, you don't 'preciate me no more
When I'm gone the blues, will follow you night and day
When I'm gone, the blues will follow you night and day
Then you will be sorry baby that you didn't beg me to stay
Goodbye goodbye, your tears will be fallin' like rain
Goodbye goodbye, your tears will be fallin' like drops of rain
The river's low right now but your tears will make it rise again
I've got those good 'n' bye blues, those goodbye blues
The kind of blues you never can lose
To my friend farewell, a long farewell
I may be gone for a long long spell
I've got those goodbye blues
The kind of blues you never would choose
I've been a good man but my heart is hurt
Because a low-down woman, she done me like dirt
That's why I've got those so long, farewell, goodbye blues
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My transcription of that line in "I Know That I'll Be Blue" is: "Remember things as I do, Be sad and lonely too."
There is surprisingly little known about Carr considering what a major and public figure he was. I don't recall the specifics of Alan's notes, but Ted Watts and Duncan Schiedt did a lot of digging on Carr in Indianapolis and knocking on doors and such in the late 50s, the results of which can be found summarized in the liner notes, for which Schiedt is given credit, to the "old" Columbia release, and which, I think, have to be viewed as the cornerstone of our knowledge of Carr's life. (Eschew the chapter on Carr in Charters's The Country Blues, which is nicely evocative, but which contains a lot of inaccuracies. Well, go ahead and read it, but don't believe everything you read.) I've been doing a lot of digging on Carr for longer than I care to recall, and there just isn't a lot out there.
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Thanks for the lyric suggestion, MTJ3. I think you're right, and I've made the change.
And thanks for the info how much we know of Carr's biography. I suppose by now I shouldn't be amazed about how little we know about people who were major stars sixty years ago (20 years ago from the time Watts and Scheidt did their research), but it does take one aback a bit to realize that we know vastly more about the surface of Mars than we do about the life of Leroy Carr.
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Thanks very much for starting this thread, dj, and for the biographical tips, MTJ3. I will try to add some lyrics soon. For someone who was so popular, musically influential and formally inventive, Leroy Carr has been shamefully neglected. I think the fact that he was a pianist and that he was enormously popular (shudder) have contributed to his otherwise inexplicable lack of recognition from present-day Country Blues aficionados.
All best,
Johnm
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Thanks very much for starting this thread, dj, and for the biographical tips, MTJ3. I will try to add some lyrics soon. For someone who was so popular, musically influential and formally inventive, Leroy Carr has been shamefully neglected. I think the fact that he was a pianist and that he was enormously popular (shudder) have contributed to his otherwise inexplicable lack of recognition from present-day Country Blues aficionados.
I know that Johnny Parth was dismayed that the "complete works" failed to sell out of the initial pressing despite good press/reviews. But that was 15 years ago, did the Atkinson regime ever put them back into catalogue?
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Unfortunately, I can't provide any biographical information on Carr, as I know absolutely nothing about him other than what's contained in Alan Balfour's short but excellent notes to the Document CDs.
If he has the time, and/or inclination, MTJ3 is *definitely* the person to provide the Carr biographcal data.
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I know that Johnny Parth was dismayed that the "complete works" failed to sell out of the initial pressing despite good press/reviews. But that was 15 years ago, did the Atkinson regime ever put them back into catalogue?
Volumes 1 through 4 just came back into print in April. I bought mine as part of Document's ?5.99 "Reintroductory Special". Should anyone be interested, the current list of reintroductions to the catalog is on sale through June 1st.
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Volumes 1 through 4 just came back into print in April. I bought mine as part of Document's ?5.99 "Reintroductory Special". Should anyone be interested, the current list of reintroductions to the catalog is on sale through June 1st.
And there was I thinking you'd been one of the few who invested in them first time around and have only recently got around to listening to them! ;D
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This thread reminded me that Bunker Hill kindly helped me with the lyrics of "Papa's on the House Top" a while ago:
http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?amp;Itemid=114&topic=2534.0
This song has 12-bar blues instrumental choruses with 8-bar sung choruses. For details check the link.
Cheers
Pan
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A couple of suggestions re the lyrics.
1)'Don't Say Goodbye', verse 3, line 3
Can't bear to lose you, to hear you say goodbye.
2)'Goodbye Blues', verse 4, line 1
I've got those good and bye blues, those goodbye blues.
And to put the cat among the pigeons, how about the final line in 'The Dirty Dozen' verses? The Leroy Carr version of this is the clearest I've heard among many.
And your mama doopidies all day long.
Just listen carefully to the last three words. The usual 'And your mama dos the Lawdy Lawd', does occur elsewhere, but mostly in post-war records, where perhaps the singer was learning from doubtful transcriptions.
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Good catches on the lyrics, dingwall. I've made the changes. Thanks.
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Leroy Carr and Scrapper Blackwell recorded "Carried Water For The Elephant" in Chicago on September 9, 1930. The song is in Eb. It's got a strong 2/4 feel (i.e two beats to a measure). The verses are 8 measures long, with the harmony just hanging on the I chord except for the first beat of the last measure, where Carr and Blackwell move to the V chord. The exception is the long third verse, where Carr/Blackwell lengthen the structure by adding extra lines over the I chord. The instrumental verses are in a standard 12 bar blues format, but in 2/4 time.
The song features Carr's imitations of animal noises. It's hard to imagine Carr singing this in a tavern in a tough part of Indianapolis, St. Louis, or Chicago, but maybe it went down well there as comic relief. Or maybe Carr and Blackwell had a sideline doing children's parties. :P
Note: At the end of the second line of the third verse, Carr pronounces "hollow" as "holla" to rhyme with "collar at the end of the previous line.
Circus came to town, to the circus I went
Didn't have a ticket didn't have a cent
Circus man said "To see the show without a cent"
"You got to carry water for the elephant"
Instrumental verse
I carried water for the elephant
Back and forth to the well I went
Arms got sore and my back got bent
But I couldn't fill up the elephant
Instrumental verse
I says to the man with the standin' up collar
Bet four bits that elephant's a holla
He gave me a ticket, said "first You'll see"
"The animals in the menagerie"
First I saw the lion and the lion he roared "A-Rrrrrrr"
Saw the wild duck and the wild duck quacked "Quack, quack quack"
Saw the wild cat and the wild cat meowed "Meow-ow"
Saw the old crow and the old crow cawed "Caw caw caw"
Saw Mr. Possum sittin' on a limb, big black bear sittin next to him
Saw the old monkey like in a zoo, and the wild rooster says "Cock-a-doodle-doodle-doo"
Instrumental verse
Saw the hippopotamus splash in the water
Tryin' to flirt with the crocodiles daughter
saw the giraffe and the big kangaroo
Saw an owl holler "Hoo hoo hoo"
Saw the wild birds and the birds sang sweet "Tweet tweet tweet"
Saw the wild dogs and the wild dogs barked "Arf arf arf"
Saw the cuckoo and the cuckoo cooed "Cuckoo cuckoo"
Saw the hyena and the hyena laughed "Ha ha ha"
I went down to the circus tent
Sure was doggone glad I went
Saw the whole show and didn't cost a cent
'Cause I carried water for the elephant
Instrumental verse
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I think the fact that he was a pianist and that he was enormously popular (shudder) have contributed to his otherwise inexplicable lack of recognition from present-day Country Blues aficionados.
Sad but true, Johnm. Someone made an ironic comment to the effect that Scrapper would have been more popular if he (1) had been from the country and (2) would have been murdered when he was younger. Leroy was from the South and drank himself to death quite young--sheesh, what more can you ask for? To your list of "undesirable qualities," I would add his relaxed delivery and eschewal of ululation.
Of course, the Document CDs are absolute "must haves" for a Carr enthusiastic (and, if you have to be a completist, the test pressings and "Too Late" CDs), but please don't overlook the relatively recent Sony re-release of Carr's work. I was initially a bit put off by the lack of what I considered new information (historically and musicologically) in the liner notes and what I considered to be the Rice Krispies job of remastering ("snap, crackle and pop"--sorry) in what should be the era of pellucid clarity of reissues capped off by the likes of John R.T. Davies, but I'm quite happy about it now as one really can hear a lot--mostly instrumentally--that one can't hear on the other reissues.
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Hi all,
Leroy Carr recorded "Longing For My Sugar" in 1934, backed by both Scrapper Blackwell and Josh White on guitars. Either one of the guitarists would certainly have been enough; they are both playing good stuff, but appear unwilling to give an inch in terms of ceding any of their playing space to the other musician, taking turns, or any other compromise that might have resulted in a more coherent ensemble sound.
That having been said, this is an outstanding track, due mostly to Leroy's characteristic outstanding singing, fine playing, and the considerable beauties of the song itself. I think this is one of the very prettiest blues melodies, really spectacular, and it makes some of the neatest uses of Jazzy chromaticism and an expanded chordal vocabulary of any Blues song of the era. The progression is discussed in some detail in a post on page 2 of the "Rag Blues and Circle of Fifths" thread in the Main Forum. It's interesting that as sophisticated as the progression is, the song, in terms of its phrasing, is a straight 12-bar blues with an AAB lyric structure (though Leroy makes the most of his ability to fit in seven words where other singers could only fit five words). Seek this one out. It really is sensational.
SPOKEN: Lord, I'm so blue
I'm longing for my sugar, and I don't want no one else (2)
And I don't miss her so much until I'm all by myself
Now, I knowed when I quit her I was doing wrong
I knowed when I quit her I was doing wrong
Now, I've got trouble on my mind, it's trying to get her back home
I'm going to pay the boss and get my check card today (2)
And give it to my sugar if she'll come back home to stay
Fussing and fighting ain't no way to get along (2)
It's done caused me a world of trouble and broke up my happy home
I can't work in the daytime, I can't sleep a wink in the night (2)
Thinking the woman that I love ain't been treated right
SPOKEN: I mean that
All best,
Johnm
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There is surprisingly little known about Carr considering what a major and public figure he was. I don't recall the specifics of Alan's notes, but Ted Watts and Duncan Schiedt did a lot of digging on Carr in Indianapolis and knocking on doors and such in the late 50s, the results of which can be found summarized in the liner notes, for which Schiedt is given credit, to the "old" Columbia release, and which, I think, have to be viewed as the cornerstone of our knowledge of Carr's life.
Absolutely, a primary source. The writer of those booklets obviously plundered it for all it was worth! :)
I'll gladly OCR scan the LP notes and post as a new topic elswhere if folk would like to read them (Aprrox 2500 words).
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Yes please!
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Hi all,
Leroy Carr recorded "It's Too Short", like "Longing For My Sugar", with the backing of Scrapper Blackwell and Josh White on guitars. The old Columbia re-issue, "Blues Before Sunrise" that has been referred to earlier in the thread lists W. R. Calaway and C. Williams as the composers of the song (and many others songs on the album).
The song opens with an ominous sounding descending bass line on the piano, and on this tune, Scrapper and Josh work together beautifully, claiming different parts of the registers to concentrate in so that the sound remains open and spacious. The concluding solo, which is accorded two whole times through the form, is very exciting playing from all concerned. This really is a hell of a catchy number and would work great as a solo piano piece, solo guitar piece or guitar duet, in addition to the way it was recorded.
Now I'm down and out, ain't got no friends around
I'm down and out, ain't got no friends around
I go from door to door, everybody turns me down
Now, my woman treats me like I'm a motherless child
Now, my woman treats me just like a motherless child
She's always squabbling, don't give me no pleasant smile
Now, here I am people, out in the ice and snow
Now, here I am people, out in the ice and snow
My clothes all in pawn, ain't got nowhere to go
She says she liked my music, but my tune's too short
She says she liked my music, but my tune's too short
But if she gets a long-winded player, she's sure to get caught
Now, babe, I can't help it if I can't play long
Now, babe, I can't help it, if I can't play long
I'm just a little skinny fellow, and ain't very strong
SOLO:
SPOKEN, DURING SOLO: Play it, boy! Play it on down. Knock it on out, kid! Oh, it's a mess!
SPOKEN, AFTER MUSIC STOPS: Babe, I can't help it 'cause my tune ain't long enough. If it ain't long enough, let me play it again.
All best,
Johnm
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Thanks for posting those transcriptions, John.
This might be a good place to mention that anyone who wants to contribute some of Carr's lyrics to this thread is more than welcome to do so. Leroy Carr recorded somewhere in the neighborhood of 150 songs, so there's plenty of transcription work to go around!
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The following song was on a mid 70s Yazoo LP and at the time my interest was sparked by what seemed rather an odd title so transcribe it and placed inside the record sleeve; there it has remained ever since. At the time I failed to discover a definite derivation of the title or the usage of "puppies" in the third verse. The liner notes only told readers that Blackwell was in "D", not much use to my young enquiring mind! ;D
I might google the word/phrase but that will have to wait.
Hold Them Puppies
(sung to the melody of Corrina, Corrina)
Nlghts so lonesome and the days so long,
Oh the nlghts is so lonesome and the days so long,
Ain't had no lovln' slnce you've been gone.
If you see my baby, tell her to hurry home,
If you see my baby, tell her to hurry home,
Aln't had no "hmmm", slnce she has been gone.
You put the pupples on me mama, you drove me crazy too.
You put the puppies on me mama, you drove me crazy too.
You done made me love you, what can I do?
Won't you tell my baby, to hurry back to me?
Won't you tell my baby, to hurry back to me?
She's got the best old "hmmn", I ever did see.
Won't you tell my baby, to hurry back to me?
Won't you tell my baby, to hurry back to me?
She's got the best old lovin' that I ever did see.
[SOLO]
You can pull your dress babe, up above your knee.
You can pull your dress babe, up above your knee.
You can strut your stuff babe, but don't mess with me.
You gonna leave me, you gonna leave me, you gonna
leave me blue.
You gonna leave me, you gonna leave me, you gonna
leave me blue.
I want some of your lovln', don't care what you do.
(There's also a hand written transcription of Memphis Town within the sleeve too, but that'll need close examination before posting here.)
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Any offers of alternative transcription for what sounds like a lyric stumble in third verse?
MEMPHIS TOWN
Went to the station to get me a train.
Gonna climb aboard and ride again.
Just climb aboard and ride around.
I might get off at Memphis Town.
CHORUS:
Memphis Town, Memphis Town.
All trains goin' to Memphis Town.
Shovel in the coal, see the wheels go round.
Spoken aside: Lord
Lord, everybody's goin' down to Memphis Town.
I said conductor, where are the trains all gwine [sic]?
I want to go to see that girl of mine.
He answered me with a railroad frown.
All trains gwine [sic] to Memphis Town.
CHORUS
I said, what's doin' down old Memphis way?
There's trains all goin' there today.
The trainman said, there's a Jubilee.
And Memphis's Town is the only place for me.
CHORUS
I said to the station man, where's my train?
He said, I never knowed you owned a train.
I said, you better answer or I'll smack you down.
He said all trains goin' to Memphis Town.
CHORUS
Goodbye folks, I'm on my way.
See you all some other day.
Got my ticket, here's my train.
Goin' down to Memphis to see my girl again.
CHORUS
SOLO
Everybody's goin' d-o-w-n to Memphis Town.
[Edited to take into consideration DJ's emendations]
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And Memphis [is?] Town is the only place for me.
I hear this as "Memphis's Town" (i.e. the town of Memphis). A subtle (and inaudible) difference, but I think it makes more sense.
And by the way, where you've transcribed Scrapper's spoken aside as "Yoh", I think it's "Lord" being pronounced "Lowd".
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I hear this as "Memphis's Town" (i.e. the town of Memphis). A subtle (and inaudible) difference, but I think it makes more sense.
And by the way, where you've transcribed Scrapper's spoken aside as "Yoh", I think it's "Lord" being pronounced "Lowd".
Good 'uns DJ. I just thought the former was a verbal stumble and the latter a complete mishearing on my part. Transcription changed accordingly. Thanks
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The following Carr number virtually became a theme song for Big Joe Turner. Turner's early recorded renditions are completely faithful to Carr's original lyrics with the exception of the last line where "the train" becomes "the Katy's".
LOW DOWN DOG BLUES
I ain't gonna be your lowdown dog no more.
Now I ain't gonna be your lowdown dog no more.
You don't want me baby, down the road I'll go.
Now I worked hard mama and I brought you home my pay.
Now I worked hard mama and I brought you home my pay.
You certainly are gonna miss me when I'm gone away.
Ooo, ooo, ooo, ooo, wee.
Ooo, ooo, ooo, ooo, wee.
It's a lowdown shame, the way you treat poor me.
My home ain't here, I ain't compelled to stay.
My home ain't here, I ain't compelled to stay.
It's your time now, but it'll be mine some sweet day.
And I ain't gonna be your lowdown dog no more.
And I ain't gonna be your lowdown dog no more.
The train is at the station, my mind's made up to go.
Turner's 1938 performance of the number at the Spirituals To Sing Concert has an extra verse at the end which is the first verse from Robert Johnson's "I Believe I'll Dust My Broom", the significance of which is obvious. However, I'm wondering if it was off the cuff or perhaps previously suggested to him.
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At the time I failed to discover a definite derivation of the title or the usage of "puppies" in the third verse.
Puppy=mud puppy=salamander, which, when dried and powdered, was used in conjuring, which "conjuration" was Leroy's explanation for being hooked on the girl and being "drove crazy." Compare Lonnie Johnson's apologia in "I'm Nuts About That Gal."
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At the time I failed to discover a definite derivation of the title or the usage of "puppies" in the third verse.
Puppy=mud puppy=salamander, which, when dried and powdered, was used in conjuring, which "conjuration" was Leroy's explanation for being hooked on the girl and being "drove crazy." Compare Lonnie Johnson's apologia in "I'm Nuts About That Gal."
Well what do ya know? In my case obviously not much. Thanks, makes perfect sense.
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Re puppies, I just plain assumed it meant she sicced the bloodhounds on his trail i.e. told the law where he might be found. The powdered salamander spell is much more interesting and, well, you learn something new every day around here.
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Re puppies, I just plain assumed it meant she sicced the bloodhounds on his trail i.e. told the law where he might be found. The powdered salamander spell is much more interesting and, well, you learn something new every day around here.
Well, that's my guess. The other hoodoo reference in Carr's songs is in "Baby You Done Put That Thing On Me."
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Leroy Carr and Scrapper Blackwell recorded "Alabama Women Blues" in Chicago on September 9, 1930. It's a slow blues in Ab, and Scrapper does some fantastic string vibrato at the end of the first verse.
As he often did, Carr accents repeated lines differently in several places here. He breaks the first two lines of the first verse in different places, which I've indicated by commas. In the last verse, he stresses his words differently, which I've indicated with italics.
Did you ever go down on, the Mobile and K. C. Line?
Did you ever go down, on the Mobile and K. C. Line?
I just want to ask you, did you ever see that girl of mine?
I rode the Central, and I hustled the L and N
I rode the Central, and I've hustled the L and N
The Alabama women, they look like section men
Don't cry baby, your papa will be home someday
Don't cry baby, your papa will be home someday
I've been away baby, but I did not go to stay
Don't the clouds look lonesome cross the deep blue sea?
Don't the clouds look lonesome cross the deep blue sea?
Don't my gal look good when she's comin' after me?
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Carr and Blackwell recorded "The Depression Blues" in New York City on March 16 1932. The song is a bit prophetic, as it would be the last song Leroy Carr would record for almost two years, as the Depression severely curtailed recording activity. One wonders if, during the session, Carr was informed that his recording contract was being terminated. The song is in Db. There's a spoken introduction in the form of a conversation between Carr and Blackwell before the song breaks into a standard blues.
I've indicated different syllabic stress in the second verse with italics.
Like Cole Porter, Leroy Carr was pretty fastidious about rhyme. I love the way he rhymed his scat "ooh" with "do" in the third verse.
Any confirmation or correction of the word in brackets would be appreciated.
Sorry about the formatting!
Scrapper:
Hello, Leroy
Leroy:
Hello, Scrap
Scrapper:
Boy, what's the matter with your clothes?
Why you look raggeder 'n a barrel of kraut
You look like you might have a mind to run rabbits or somethin'
Why I've never seen you look like you do
Tell me this, just what is the matter with you?
Leroy:
Boy, Depression's got me
The Depression's on, and it's really on bad
The Depression's on, and it's really on bad
Now Lord I can't have no good times I once have had
There have been times I have had plenty of dough
There have been times I have had plenty of dough
But the rent man done told me I couldn't stay here no more
Ooh ooh oo-ooh, oo-ooh ooh ooh
Ooh ooh oo-ooh, oo-ooh ooh ooh
The Depression's on me and I don't know what to do
So this is all I have to say, I'll be on my way
So this is all I have to say, I'll be on my way
But I hope this Depression will get over and things will come my way
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Boy, dj, you picked a beauty with "Alabama Women". I think it is a take, melodically, and in terms of both Leroy's and Scrapper's performances, that is just magical. It's the first performance I ever heard of their music, on the old Sam Charters "The Country Blues" re-issue on RBF. It pulled me in back then, over 40 years ago and it still pulls me in. Just beautiful!
All best,
Johnm
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I think it is a take, melodically, and in terms of both Leroy's and Scrapper's performances, that is just magical.
Lyrically, too. It's just four verses, but they hang together so well and contain some wonderful imagery. There's the theme of the singer's extensive travels in the railroad references in the first two verses, but Carr then signals that he isn't interested in any of the women he meets, just the one he left at home, by singing that the women in Alabama are so unattractive to him that they look like a railroad section crew (and he does a nice job tying the image in with the railroad imagery). Then there's a verse sung about his intentions to get home eventually, and finally, as Carr sits musing at the clouds over the Gulf of Mexico, he ends the song on a high note with his lover coming to find him. Blues lyrics don't get any better than this.
It's on the Juke, if anyone is interested in requesting it.
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Why you look ragged 'n a barrel of [flour]
Raggedier than a barrel of kraut.
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dj, I have "Alabama Women" in Ab, "Carried Water" in Eb, and "Depression Blues" in Db. As is well documented elsewhere, there are some mechanical issues that can change the keys on reissues. For example, I have "Muddy Water" from the Document set in D, but I have "Muddy Water" from Columbia's "Whiskey Is My Habit" set in the much more likely piano key of Eb. On the other hand, there is the possibility that your "device" may not be in synch, so you may want to check that.
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MTJ3, "barrel of kraut" it is. I'll make the change.
Thanks for the heads up on the keys. Maybe it's time to get the piano tuned. :o
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MTJ3, I stopped on the way home and got a battery for the chromatic tuner and discovered that I've been living in a house full of instruments tuned to A 449! Thanks for catching the discrepancies. I've made the corrections.
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Leroy Carr recorded "I Ain't Got No Money Now" in New York City on August 13, 1934. It's a pop song, in verse and "middle eight" style, played in Eb. There's a great instrumental verse in which Leroy plays rapid triplets over a boogie bass on the first half while Scrapper solos, then Scrapper chords while Leroy plays some nice treble runs. Also, Leroy spices up his singing by doing a nifty falsetto on the first syllable of "money" in the last line of several verses. I've indicated this with CAPS.
When I had plenty money I had friends for miles around
But now I ain't got money and all my friends turn me down
But what can I do?
I ain't got no money now
When I had plenty money then I had plenty friends
But now I'm down and out and all my friendship's at end
But what can I do?
I ain't got no money now
But the sun's gonna shine
In my back door someday
Then I won't have to be dogged around
Mistreated any old way
And it's mighty strange to me without a doubt
Why your friends don't want to know you when you're all down and out
But what can I do?
I ain't got no money now
Whoa babe, I ain't got no MONey now
Instrumental
Now I used to take my friends out for a great big time
Buyin' them booze Champagne liquor and wine
But what can I do?
I ain't got no money now
Sometimes I wonder why my friends want to pass me by
Because I'm down and out I guess that's the reason why
But what can I do?
I ain't got no money now
Some people don't like me
And others they just hear my name
But that's alright
I'll get by just the same
Someday I'll have money and be back on my feet again
Then I'll know just who to take baby for my friend
What can I do?
I ain't got no MONey now
Oh babe, I ain't got no MONey now
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Leroy Carr recorded "I Ain't Got No Money Now" in New York City on August 13, 1934. It's a pop song, in verse and "middle eight" style, played in Eb.
And in at least three verses seems to have taken its inspiration from "Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out."
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DJ I hope you'll allow this slight diversion but the above observation was from memory but having now listened to Bessie Smith's 1929 recording of the Jimmy Cox composition I just had to transcribe and post. Please feel free to remove.
Hey Bunker:
I did the lyrics to "Nobody Knows..." some time ago.
http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?amp;Itemid=114&topic=669.0
Thankfully we agree. (except I have eagle's grin for your eagle's green)
Alex
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DJ I hope you'll allow this slight diversion but the above observation was from memory but having now listened to Bessie Smith's 1929 recording of the Jimmy Cox composition I just had to transcribe and post. Please feel free to remove.
Hey Bunker:
I did the lyrics to "Nobody Knows..." some time ago.
Thankfully we agree. (except I have eagle's grin for your eagle's green)
Argh, that'll teach me not to perform a forum search on the assumption that non-CB lyrics wouldn't be cited hereabouts. Duh, I'm gonna delete that post since your link provides what's needed.
You are right of course about "grin". I just suspected that in the context of the song it was an allusion to the coin becoming a greenback in better times.
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no lyrics there, but let me throw in the fact that there's now (the beginnings of) a Leroy Carr discography (http://www.wirz.de/music/carr.htm)
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Hi all,
I'm sorry, but the recording I have "Corn Likker Blues" on has nothing in the way of session information, but the song features Leroy Carr and Scrapper Blackwell playing out of D position in standard tuning. I didn't check the pitch.
Leroy's (and Scrapper's) playing on this song is masterful, but it is Leroy's vocal that really stands out. His singing reminds me of Lester Young's playing behind Billie Holiday: sad, sad, sad. Knowing how and when in his life Leroy died makes the lyrics all the more telling. They have the ring of truth. There's such a thing as knowing yourself too well.
I love my good corn likker, and I really mean I do (2)
I don't care who knows it, and I really mean that, too
Now, I been drinking my good corn likker, I mean, don't no one get rough
I been drinking my good corn likker, now men, don't no one get rough
I try to treat everybody right, but I mean, don't start no stuff
Give me another half a pint, and maybe I'll go home
Ummm, and then maybe I'll go home
The reason why I'm getting drunk today, I swear my baby's gone
Some folks like their alcohol, but give me my corn, oh babe, all the time
Ummm, my corn all the time
The reason why I love it so well, it's so soothing to my mind
So give me some old corn likker, if I get drunk just please take me home
So give me some old corn likker, if I get drunk please just take me home
I ain't gonna bother nobody, just let the good times, sweet babe, roll on
Ummmmm, Ummmm,
Ummmmm, Ummmmm,
Ayyyyyyyy, Ayyyyyyyyy, Ummmmmmmm
All best,
Johnm
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Hi all,
I'm sorry, but the recording I have "Corn Likker Blues" on has nothing in the way of session information...
Recorded for Vocalion in St. Louis, 21 February 1934.
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Thanks for that information, Bunker Hill, and for the information on the Wade Walton thread, too. My hodgepodge remembrances there had some significant gaps and errors.
All best,
Johnm
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Hi all,
Leroy and Scrapper recorded "Shady Lane Blues", a beautiful song with the melody that Robert Johnson would later use for many of his "A" tunes like "Me and the Devil Blues". The duo allows for a lot of solo space in this rendition. In some ways, I suppose it is an unambitious take, pretty much letting the tape roll with Leroy and Scrapper doing what they will, which makes the power of the take all the more impressive. This is beautiful singing and playing. I recorded this song many years ago with a sort of Buddy Boy Hawkinsish approach to the accompaniment.
Now, I've got a girl, she lives down on Shady Lane (2)
I love that girl, but I'm scared to call her name
SOLO
It's gonna be one of these mornin's, swear, and it won't be long (2)
I'm gonna catch the first thing smokin', and down the road I'm goin'
Well, my home ain't here, baby, it's way out in the West (2)
In the Smoky Mountains, where the eagle builds his nest
SOLO
Did you ever love a girl, a girl you hate to lose? (2)
Don't lose your temper when you've been drinking booze
All best,
Johnm
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Hi all,
I picked up the new JSP "Leroy Carr & Scrapper Blackwell, Volume 1" set this past week-end and have been enjoying listening to the duo's work, which is much more varied than I had thought. One lyric that is a real stand-out is that of "Straight Alky Blues Part 3", recorded on March 19, 1929 in Chicago. To the extent that blues lyrics are generally perceived to be about the singer's life, these lyrics are unusually frank, since they pertain to performance problems brought on by excessive alcohol consumption. Leroy Carr sings these beautifully, as was generally the case with him. He had a quiet, sweet, sad way of singing the blues that reminds me of the way saxophonist Lester Young played the blues.
For the solo on "Straight Alky Blues Part 3", Leroy and Scrapper break out of the relaxed shuffle they'd been playing in up to that point and switch to a straight eighth, duple "trucking" feel that is very effective, switching back to the shuffle feel for the final four bars of the solo.
My baby said, "Papa, papa, well you ain't no good at all."
My baby said, "Papa, papa, well you ain't no good at all."
"You ain't no steel-drivin' man when you drink straight alkyhol."
My baby told me she'd go riding with me in my car
My baby told me she'd go riding with me in my car
But when my tires go soft, my baby won't ride very far
Ooooooooh, that alky put ideas in your head
Ooooooooh, that alky put ideas in your head
But sometimes your body can't do what those ideas said
SOLO
Ooooooooh, that straight alky sure has done me wrong
Ooooooooh, that straight alkyhol sure has done me wrong
It took all of my money, and now my baby's gone
All best,
Johnm
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Hi all,
A strikingingly different song, really one of a kind, that can be found on the new JSP "Leroy Carr & Scrapper Blackwell, Volume 1" set is "I'm Going Away And Leave My Baby", recorded on December 20, 1928 in Chicago. The title was never issued, despite being a perfectly clean take, and I think I can see why. It is not the lyrics that make this song so different from others in the genre but the song's structure. "I'm Going Away And Leave My Baby" employs a twelve-bar form with a refrain, but it's unlike any twelve-bar form I've previously encountered, because instead of working out as three four-bar phrases, it is in four three-bar phrases. It's a tribute to how much our musical expectations are conditioned by our listening to songs in the style, because I'd venture to say that anyone who has listened a lot to this music is really going to be thrown by Leroy's vocal entrance in bar four. He's not early though, he's perfectly regular, and it is the structure itself that is out of the ordinary. It must be said to Scrapper Blackwell's credit that he is not thrown by the unusual phrasing scheme at all. The song is played in D flat and works out so:
| D flat | G flat G flat minor | D flat |
| D flat | G flat G flat minor | D flat |
| G flat | G flat minor | G flat G flat minor |
| D flat/A flat | D flat D flat7 G flat G flat minor | D flat |
In the tenth bar, the D flat with an A flat in the bass functions as a V chord. In the next to last bar, the turn-around progression is played with one beat per chord. Here are the lyrics. The refrain happens over bars seven--twelve. If you have a chance to hear this song, check it out, for it's a real ear/mind-opener.
Going to leave you, baby, 'cause you treated me wrong
And when I'm going, baby, I'll be singing this song
REFRAIN: Going away and leave my baby, away and leave my baby,
Going away and I don't mean maybe and I'm leaving, early in the morn
I'm going to leave you, baby, 'cause all you do is fight
And I've got another mama, what's a-treating me right
REFRAIN
When you say I need you, you know it's a lie
'Cause I can find more women, than there's stars in the sky
REFRAIN
Don't you start to crying, 'cause it won't do no good
I was a soft papa, but now I'm made of wood
REFRAIN: Going away and leave my baby, away and leave my baby,
Going away and leave my baby and I'm leaving, early in the morn
You said you loved me, baby, but you know it ain't so
I've got a cold mama, and I might as well go
REFRAIN
Oncet I believed you, baby, when you were telling lies
I am through, baby, so say your last good-byes
REFRAIN: I'm going away and leave my baby, away and leave my baby,
Going away and I don't mean maybe and I'm leaving, early in the morn
All best,
Johnm
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Hi all,
Leroy Carr and Scrapper Blackwell recorded the mis-titled "Love Rides All" at a session in Chicago on August 12, 1929. For the song, Scrapper capoed way up and played out of D position, and his playing is just stellar. Listen to the first line of the first verse and you see what the song should have been called. Or perhaps JSP just got the title wrong on their "Leroy Carr & Scrapper Blackwell" set. Does anyone who has DG&R know how the song's title is listed there?
Love hides all faults, sometimes make you do things you don't want to do
Love hides all faults, makes you do things you don't want to do
Then love sometimes, leave you feeling sad and blue
Now, I once loved a woman, but she did not mean me no good
Now, I once loved a woman, ooooo, but she did not mean me no good
She give me so much trouble, I had to move from her neighborhood
Love is like the faucet, sometimes the water runs cold
Love is like the faucet, sometimes the water runs cold
When the one you love don't love you, that's when your love turns old
If I had someone to love me, just like I could learn to love
If I had someone, oh Lord, to love me, just like I could learn to love
I would give myself to the devil, my soul to the good Lord up above
All best,
Johnm
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Listed in B&GR/DG&R as "Love Hides All Faults." Document has it as "Love Rides All" as well.
Son House used to sing that first verse quite a bit.
Chris
Edited to add -- Vocalion had it right. JSP probably picked up Document's error:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQYFl0nUft0
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Thanks for checking on that information, Chris, I appreciate it. At first I thought the original record company stiffed the title, but then I found a video with the obvious right title, and it made me wonder if JSP just screwed up. Thanks for clearing up the mystery.
All best,
Johnm
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Hi all,
Sorry if I'm picking the most obvious Leroy Carr tune, but I'm trying to figure out the lyrics to Leroy Carr's and Scrapper Blackwell's 1928 version of "How Long, How Long Blues", and could use some help. Especially the beginning of the 2nd verse is unclear to me. I've seen it transcribed as "Went and asked at the station: 'why's my baby leavin' town?", but it doesn't sound to me like that's what Carr is singing. Any other corrections are of course welcome.
Here's what I've got:
How Long, How Long Blues -Leroy Carr & Scrapper Blackwell, key of E-flat
How long, babe how long,
Has that evenin' train been gone?
How long, how, how long,
Baby how long?
Here, and I stood at the station, watch my baby leavin' town,
Blue and disgusted, nowhere could peace be found.
For how long, how, how long,
Baby how long?
I can hear the whistle blowing, but I cannot see no train,
And it's deep down in my heart baby, there lies an aching pain.
For how long, how, how long,
Baby how long?
Sometimes I feel so disgusted, and I feel so blue,
Then I hardly know what in this world, baby, just to do.
For how long, how, how long,
Baby how long?
And if I could holler, like I was a mountain jack.
I'd go up on a mountain, and I'd call my baby back.
For how long, how, how long,
Baby how long?
And if someday you gonna be sorry, that you done me wrong
But it will be too late, baby, I will be gone.
For so long, so long,
Baby so long.
My mind get to rambling, I feel so bad.
Thinkin' about the bad luck, that I have had.
For how long, how, how long,
Baby how long?
Here's a YouTube video of the song. Thanks for any help.
Cheers,
Pan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqOYncRHtO8
Edited as kindly suggested by Banjochris, Johnm, and Waxwing.
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I would transcribe it as
Here, and I stood at the station...
From the way Carr hesitates a bit, I would guess that he misspoke here, starting to sing the third verse, which basically starts with "Hear," realizes his mistake and goes on. Probably should have been "Went and I stood at the station."
Chris
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Thank you Chris!
I'll make the change.
Cheers,
Pan
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Hi Pan,
I think in those two verses it should be disgusted rather than disgusting, though he's very nasal on that last syllable and I could be wrong. If he describes himself as disgusting, he's saying he makes other people sick, if he's disgusted, he's been made sick himself, if that makes any sense.
All best,
Johnm
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Was just about to post the same thing, Johnm, 'til I turned the page and you'd beat me to it.
Wax
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Thanks Johnm, and Waxwing. I was wondering about that too. I'll make the change.
Cheers,
Pan
Hi Pan,
I think in those two verses it should be disgusted rather than disgusting, though he's very nasal on that last syllable and I could be wrong. If he describes himself as disgusting, he's saying he makes other people sick, if he's disgusted, he's been made sick himself, if that makes any sense.
All best,
Johnm
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Hi all,
I've been working on an arrangement of (In The Evening) "When The Sun Goes Down" and was surprised to find that it had never been transcribed here. It is a classic, and deservedly so. It is so much harder to compose a blues with this kind of staying power than you might think, and Leroy Carr composed more than his fair share, often working with a woman friend who co-wrote with him. What a soulful and beautiful singer he was! Listening to his and Scrapper's original recording of the song, at https://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=11988.msg106309#msg106309 , where Gordon had selected it for a Song of the Month a while ago, I was surprised to find how up-tempo Leroy and Scrapper took it, for so many of the covers of it have been quite slow. In any event, here are Leroy's lyrics.
https://youtu.be/PYVZ1-tuka8
INTRO
In the evening, in the evening, mama, when the sun goes down
In the evening, baby, when the sun goes down
Well, ain't it lonesome, ain't it lonesome, babe, when your lover's not around, when the sun goes down
Last night, I laid a-sleeping, I was thinking to myself
Last night I laid a-sleeping, I was thinking to myself
Well, wondering and thinking why the one that you love, will mistreat you for someone else, when the sun goes down
The sun rises in the East, and it sets up in the West
The sun rises in the East, mama, and it sets in the West
Well, it's hard to tell, hard to tell, which one will treat you the best, when the sun goes down
Hey-ey-ey-ah, hee-hoo-eee
Hey-ey-ey-ah, hee-hoo-oh
Hey-ey-ey-hi, hoo-oo-ee
Goodbye old sweethearts and pals, yes, I'm going away
But I may be back to see you again, some old rainy day
Well, in the evening, in the evening, babe, when the sun goes down, when the sun goes down
OUTRO
All best,
Johnm
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How Long How Long Blues - Part 3
Leroy Carr - Vocals, Piano
Scrapper Blackwell - Guitar
19 December, 1928
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIWQVfG945U (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIWQVfG945U)
How long babe how long
Must I sing my lonesome song
How long how how long baby how long
I have been waitin’ but the mailman leaves no mail
I’m just driftin’ like a ship without a sail
For how long how how long baby how long
Sometimes I think you love me and I feel so glad
But you stay away baby and then I feel so bad
For how long how how long baby how long
And then someday you’ll find me buried six feet under the ground
And you know it's because you quit me for I have my face turned down
For how long how how long baby how long
You went and left me baby and I'll do the best I can
But if you had to quit me why steal some other woman’s man
For how long how how long baby how long
Last night I heard a hound dog babe and I felt so blue
Cause I dreamt he was in the graveyard looking down at you
For how long how how long baby how long
Sometimes I get to dreaming that you’re coming back
And I go down to the station stand gazing up the track
For how long how how long baby how long
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Harry, some suggestions for your question marks:
And then is right
4.1 And you KNOW IT'S because...
Face is right
5.1 I'LL do the best I can
Dreamt is right
Gazing is right
Chris
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Thanks Chris
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Tired Of Your Low Down Ways
Leroy Carr - Vocals, Piano
Scrapper Blackwell - Guitar
December 19, 1928 in Chicago
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nmz4VhlEPjs (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nmz4VhlEPjs)
Now listen baby do you think I'm gonna to be your dog all my life
You caused me to leave my happy home and my wife
And I've got tired of your low down dirty way
And when I leave you baby I'm going away to stay
I can tell baby when you want to throw me down
You always got business in some other end town
And I've got tired of your low down dirty way
And when I leave you baby I'm going away to stay
You know baby that I’m tired of your low down dirty way
You leave me at midnight and I don't see you 'til the break of day
And I ain't gonna stand none of that any more
I'm through with you and I'm through with you and I'm through for sure
And I've got tired of your low down dirty way
And when I leave you baby I'm going away to stay
I give you my money you left me cold in hand
You took my money give it to your other man
And I've got tired of your low down dirty way
And when I leave you baby I'm going away to stay
Worked all the summer and I worked all the fall
Come home and took my christmas in my overalls
Do you think baby that my heart is made of stone
I took you in when you didn't have no home
I fed you baby put the clothes on your back
Now you want to give your baby that wise old crack
And before I will stand that any more
I will pack my grip further down the road I'll go
And I've got tired of your low down dirty way
And when I leave you baby I'm going away to stay
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Thanks for posting "Tired of Your Lowdown Ways", Harry. That is a great song and a ripping performance. Wow!
All best,
Johnm
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Court Room Blues
February 20, 1934 in St. Louis, MO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WoayqpkG_k (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WoayqpkG_k)
Believe I'll take me a walk ‘round the corner by myself
Believe I'll take me a walk ‘round the corner by myself
And if I can't find my baby I don't want nobody else
Well she went and left me left me all alone
Well she went and left me left me all alone
Now I ain’t got no one to love no one to call my own
Now I'm going out this morning with my forty five in my hand
Now I'm going out this morning with my forty five in my hand
Now I'm gonna kill my woman for loving another man
Then I'm going to the judge and I'm gonna fall down on my knees
Then I'm going to the judge and I'm gonna fall down on my knee
And ask him please kind judge have mercy on me please
Well it's please kind judge don't send me to the electric chair
Well it's please kind judge don't send me to the electric chair
Just give me my time and I'll try to do it anywhere
Judge I done killed my woman cause she treated me so unkind
Judge I done killed my woman cause she treated me so unkind
Treated me so unkind ‘till I swear I lost my mind
When I'm dead and gone and six feet in the ground
When I'm dead and gone and six feet in the ground
You can only say there's a good man has gone down
Take A Walk Around The Corner
August 14, 1934 in New York City
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0Q5o8l3DH8 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0Q5o8l3DH8)
Believe I'll take me a walk around the corner by myself
Believe I'll take me a walk around the corner by myself
And if I can't find my baby I don't want nobody else
She went out last night and she didn't even say goodbye
She went out last night and she didn't even say goodbye
How come she left me lord I really don't know why
Now I'm going out this morning my forty five in my hand
Now I'm going out this morning my forty five in my hand
Now I'm gonna kill my woman for loving another man
Then I'm going to the judge and I'm gonna fall down on my knee
Then I'm going to the judge and I'm gonna fall down on my knee
Ask him please kind judge have mercy on me please
Judge I done killed my woman cause she treated me so unkind
Judge I done killed my woman cause she treated me so unkind
Treated me so unkind ‘till I swear I lost my mind
Well it's please please please don't send me to the electric chair
Now and it's please please please don't send me to the electric chair
Just give me my time and I'll try to do it anywhere
When I'm dead and gone and six feet in the ground
When I'm dead and gone and six feet in the ground
You can only say there's a good man has gone down
And it looks mighty cloudy and I believe it's going to rain
Well it looks mighty cloudy and I believe it's going to rain
I just love to hear my baby call my name
-
Leroy Carr - Barrelhouse Woman
Leroy Carr - Vocals, Piano
Scrapper Blackwell - Guitar
New York, August 14, 1934
Key of C
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKaaE3FT484 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKaaE3FT484)
My woman’s so lowdown she barrelhouses all the time
My woman’s so lowdown she barrelhouses all the time
She's low and squatty but I love that girl of mine
When she gets up in the morning she starts to drinking her corn
When she gets up in the morning she starts to drinking her corn
Every time I think of that woman I wished I had never been born
She struts around all day she barrelhouses the whole night through
She struts around all day she barrelhouses the whole night through
But when she love me I forget that I ever was blue
I wish that I could cure her barrelhousing ways
I wish that I could cure her barrelhousing ways
And if I stay with her I'll barrelhouse some day myself
I love my woman swear that she won't act right
Now I love my woman swear she just won't act just right
Gets her head full of whiskey and wants to start a fight
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Some stellar music making on Barrelhouse Woman!
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It's Too Short (Take 1)
John Miller already transcribed take 2. Available earlier in this thread and Weeniepedia.
Very strong musicianship on this cut. The interplay between Carr, Blackwell and White is just incredible. Unfortunately Carr’s contract with Vocalion ended after the sessions (Dec 17/18 1934) which might explains the ferocious playing. Tampa Red managed to get them a contract for Bluebird. Carr and Blackwell got into a heated dispute over money during the signing and recording. Legend has it that Blackwell was either ejected from the studio or departed in a rage. Leroy Carr died two months later.
Leroy Carr – Vocals, Piano
Scrapper Blackwell – Guitar
Josh White – Guitar
December 17, 1934
New York City – New York
Piano in Ab
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cP6tRGiX1ho (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cP6tRGiX1ho)
Now I'm down and out ain't got no friends around
Now I'm down and out ain't got no friends around
I'm going from door to door everybody turns me down
Now my woman she treats me like I'm a motherless child
Now my woman she treats me like I'm a motherless child
Now baby she don't give me a pleasant smile
Now here I am people all out in the ice and snow
Now here I am people all out in the ice and snow
My clothes all in pawn ain't got nowhere to go
She said she liked my music but my tune's too short
She said she liked my music but my tune's too short
If she gets a long winded player she's sure to get caught
Now babe I can't help it if I can't play long
Now babe I can't help it if I can't play long
I'm just a skinny fellow and I ain't very strong
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Shinin’ Pistol
Leroy Carr – Vocals, Piano
Scrapper Blackwell – Guitar
Josh White – Guitar
December 17, 1934
New York City – New York
Piano in F#
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7izRbhljTA (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7izRbhljTA)
I'm gonna get me a brand new pistol with a long shiny barrel
I'm gonna get me a shiny pistol with a long shiny barrel
I'm gonna ramble this town over until I find my girl
I'm gonna to go to the station and try to find her there
I'm gonna to go to the station and try to find her there
And if the Lord has not got her she's in this world somewhere
She left me with a head full of trouble and a head full of misery
She left me with a head full of trouble and a head full of misery
And now she's got me crying baby please come back home to me
My mother told me don't you weep don't you moan
My mother told me don't you weep don't you moan
‘Cause son there'll be women here when you dead and gone
When I get through rambling and looking this whole world through
When I get through rambling and looking this whole world through
I won't be dead with trouble you know I died to lose
-
https://youtu.be/-I2_F5hw9JQ
The blues come fallin', they fall like drops of rain
The blues come fallin', they fall like drops of rain
I've got to spend my Christmas locked up in jail again
In jail on Christmas day again, ain't that a pain!
Oh baby, baby, baby, ain't that a pain!
Oh Santa, Santa, Santa, come here to me in jail
Oh Santa, Santa, Santa, come here to me in jail
Bring me a Christmas present, someone to go my bail
Jail on Christmas day, again ain't that a pain!
Oh baby, baby, baby, ain't that a pain!
This food here, Santa, it ain't fit to eat
This food here. Santa, it ain't fit to eat
Won't you come and bring me a plate of turkey meat?
In jail on Christmas day again, ain't that a pain!
Oh baby, baby, baby, ain't that a pain!
The jailhouse blues have got me, they've got the best of me
The jailhouse blues have got me, they've got the best of me
My baby doesn't love me, I got no Christmas tree
In jail on Christmas day again, ain't that a pain!
Oh baby, baby, baby, ain't that a pain!
-
Suicide Blues
Leroy Carr – Vocals, Piano
Scrapper Blackwell – Guitar
December 17, 1934
New York City – New York
Piano in Ab
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuctIkG3Jnk
PIANO INTRO
If somebody finds me, when I'm dead and gone
If somebody finds me, when I'm dead and gone
Say, I did self murder, I died with my boots on
Took me a Smith and Wesson, and blew out my brains
Took me a Smith and Wesson, and blew out my brains
I didn't take no poison, I couldn't stand the strain
No, I ain't no coward, and I'll tell you why
No, I ain't no coward, and I'll tell you why
I was just tired of livin’, but wasn't afraid to die
Take me to the graveyard, put me in the ground
Take me to the graveyard, put me in the ground
Please write on my tombstone, “My woman threw me down”
In my farewell letter, someone's sure to find
In my farewell letter, someone's sure to find
Goodbye old cold world, I'm glad I left you behind
-
Big Four Blues (16416-1)
Leroy Carr – Vocals, Piano
Scrapper Blackwell – Guitar
December 14, 1934
New York City – New York
Piano in Eb
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLl4OzTGn-0
INTRO
Big Four blowed this mornin’, at the break of day
Big Four blowed this mornin’, at the break of day
And it sounds so lonesome, ‘cause it taken my baby ‘way
Big Four, Big Four, won't you please turn your train around
Big Four, Big Four, won't you please turn your train around
‘Cause here I sit all down and out, with my head hung down
I've tried to be as good to that woman, as one man could be
I've tried to be as good to that woman, as one man could be
And I mean it's a shame, the way she went and left poor me
GUITAR SOLO
Yes, I'm down and out, ain't got no money to ride no train
Yes, I'm down and out, ain't got no money to ride no train
But I'm gonna find my good gal, and bring her back home again
Please, Mr. Brakesman, won't you let a poor man ride your blind?
Please, Mr. Brakesman, won't you let a poor man ride your blind?
I'm just trying to make it, back to that gal who is worryin’ my mind
OUTRO
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Thanks for posting that, Blues Vintage. I was just thinking the other day that I should transcribe some more Leroy Carr lyrics, and you beat me to it. I know that DG&R say that both Scrapper and Josh White are playing guitar on this track, but I'm darned if I can hear two guitars, and the one I can hear is certainly Scrapper. Josh is usually much more active and forward on the tracks on which he accompanied Leroy Carr.
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I thought I heard Blackwell only too and double checked all sources (DG&R, Wirz, Document). White is listed everywhere indeed.
Included White 'cause maybe he did some subdued strumming in the background.
But I'm gonna delete White on the personnel, hopefully the editors of the 5th edition are watching.
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I only hear Blackwell. I’ve noticed on a JSP collection where Josh White is playing with Carr and Blackwell, the attributions don’t always match what it sounds like (to me).
Maybe White played the train whistle.
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Maybe White played the train whistle.
White is listed as a guitar player but who knows.