Topic: Henry Thomas Lyrics

[Rivers]

Robert Wilkins, Old Jim Canan's. You are dead right, and what a great number that is.

See the tag index for Jim: http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?action=tags;tagid=825

The first thread has a stab at the lyrics, here's the verse in question:

I'm goin' up town buy me coke and beer
Comin' back and tell you how these women is
They drink beer whiskey drink their coke and gin
When you don't play the dozens they will ease you in

The second contains an interesting post of an article from Bunker Hill providing some background on Jim Canan, aka Kinanne

[Slack]

Ha!  I went and listened to the song - you of course beat me to it.  but I did enjoy listening - it is a great song.   

[uncle bud]

Thanks Rivers and Cleoma. Those additional citations help me believe!

[Rivers]

Synchronicity, Elijah has a new book planned, The Dozens, A History of Rap's Mama

http://www.amazon.com/Dozens-History-Raps-Mama/dp/0199895406/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_7

Looking forward to seeing him at PT this year.

[Bunker Hill]

Synchronicity, Elijah has a new book planned, The Dozens, A History of Rap's Mama

Twenty years ago that photo was used in its entirety as cover of The Promised Land: The Great Black Migration And How it Changed America by Nicholas Lemann. However here it has been severely cropped, most importantly losing a further youngster to the right.

[Rivers]

Clicking on the Dozens tag below will neatly pull-together the tagged discussions on Cunningham, Jim Canan and also the Dozens.

[DeadwoodBlooze]

Rivers' "Little Hat" reference makes sense, especially since Henry Thomas and Little Hat are both products of Northeast Texas and would likely have used the phrase in the same way, even if it had variants elsewhere. I live in the same area and understand most early texas blues lyrics readily, but Henry Thomas often stumps me. I find it helpful to look to Leadbelly, Black Ace Turner, Little Hat Jones, and later artists T-Bone Walker, Floyd Dixon, Fats Washington and Freddie King, all from within 60 miles of where I sit. I often find common usage and pronunciation that may differ elsewhere.

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Another beautiful track included on the 2015 Blues Images Calendar CD is Henry Thomas's "Texas Easy Street Blues".  There is a mystery concerning the guitar accompaniment to this song.  Henry Thomas is capoed to the sixth fret (assuming he was tuned at concert pitch), playing out of E position in standard tuning, sounding in Bb.  For the most part, his thumb lives on the open sixth string, pounding out a droning I note.  From time to time, he hits a V note, located at the second fret of the fifth string.  Occasionally, though, he hits a low V note, a fourth below the pitch of his open sixth string?  How!?!  Frank Basile pointed this out to me several years ago, and I couldn't hear it on the recordings I had at that time, but on this Tefteller version, I can hear it as plain as day, and it is right baffling.  You can hear it at :44, 1:08, 1:25 and several other places deeper into the rendition.  A seven-string guitar?  I just don't know.



Oh, mmmm, what's the matter now?
Tell me, mama, what's the matter now?
I'm goin' back to Texas, says, on Easy Street

When you see me comin', don't call my name
Says, when you see me comin', con't call my name
I'm goin' back to Texas, says, on Easy Street

Ohhhh, what's the matter now? (spoken: Ain't nothin' the matter)
Please tell me, what's the matter now?  (spoken: Tell you wa'n't nothin' the matter)
I'm goin' back to Texas, I says, on Easy Street

Ohhhh, what's the matter now?
Tell me, mama, what's the matter now?
I'm goin' back to Texas, says, on Easy Street

When you see me comin', h'ist your window high
A-when you see me comin', h'ist your window high
'Cause I'm goin' back to Texas, says, on Easy Street

Ohhhh, what's the matter now?
Please tell me, what's the matter now?
I'm goin' back to Texas, says, on Easy Street

Got the Texas Blues, blue as I can be
I got the Texas Blues, just as blue as I can be
I'm goin' back to Texas, says, on Easy Street

Ohhh, what's the matter now?
Tell me, mama, oh what's the matter now?
Got a black mule, baby, kickin' in my stall

Ohhhh, 't's matter now?
Oooooo, what's the matter now?
I'm goin' back to Texas, says, on Easy Street

A-when you see me running, something's goin' on wrong
Well, when you see me running, something goin' on wrong
I'm goin' back to Texas, says, on Easy Street

All best,
Johnm

[ScottN]

Hi John,

This is completely far fetched and implausible but...

Could he have tuned the sixth string to the low V note, partially capoed strings 1-5 up the neck to wherever and then played the E chord similar to how one would in drop D with the thumb (or another finger) fretting the 6th string at the applicable fret?

Anyway, it would be a pretty convoluted way to do something.

Thanks,
           Scott

[Johnm]

I don't know, Scott.  I think the capos of that era were usually home-made--I remember a photo of Sleepy John Estes playing a guitar with a pencil used for a capo with a whomping big rubber band holding it in place.  The kind of hi-tech mini or partial capos that can be found now didn't exist.  The other problem is, even if that scenario played out, if he was holding down essentially a zero fret with his thumb at the sixth fret, he is simultaneously sliding up to the tenth fret on the first and third strings all throughout the piece.  It just don't compute.
All best,
Johnm

[Pan]

FWIW, I just recently read from Neil Harpe's Stellaguitars' fb-page,  that Oscar Schmidt, along with some other early guitar companies produced 7-string guitars, probably to satisfy the need of the Russian immigrant customers of the period (a 7-string guitar is common in Russia).
They were apparently supposed to be tuned d-b-g-d-b-g-d, but of course, anyone might just tune as he/her pleases.
I have no exact knowledge of the producing time periods, and how they would fit Henry Thomas' recording dates, but at least, it's a possibility.

Cheers

Pan

[frankie]

Occasionally, though, he hits a low V note, a fourth below the pitch of his open sixth string?  How!?!  Frank Basile pointed this out to me several years ago, and I couldn't hear it on the recordings I had at that time, but on this Tefteller version, I can hear it as plain as day, and it is right baffling.  You can hear it at :44, 1:08, 1:25 and several other places deeper into the rendition.  A seven-string guitar?  I just don't know.

If I remember correctly, this was brought to my attention by a guy who was taking guitar lessons from me at the time - Jim Arkuszewski - I think he's posted here once or twice over the years. Anyway, initially, I just assumed that he was capo'd somewhere and playing out of E... I've never really gone back and listened carefully to it to verify this, but it might be possible that he's playing without a capo and holding that F barre at the 5th fret (A chord), either getting the 6th string bass note at the fifth fret with his thumb...  OR playing the 5th string open...

edited to add: doing this would allow him to play the 6th string open on occasion, and it would sound at the pitch of the low V note...

I know it seems odd, heck.. maybe he DID have access to a seven-string...  both of those sound kinda far fetched to me, actually... but he got that low V note SOMEHOW...

Maybe Son House was sitting in the room with him and just played the low V note once in a while..   

[Bunker Hill]

I don't know, Scott.  I think the capos of that era were usually home-made--I remember a photo of Sleepy John Estes playing a guitar with a pencil used for a capo with a whomping big rubber band holding it in place.
All best,
Johnm

To be seen on the 1962 front cover of LP The Legend Of Sleepy John Estes (Delmar (sic) DL 603) photographed by Lars Swanberg.

[alyoung]

I don't know, Scott.  I think the capos of that era were usually home-made--I remember a photo of Sleepy John Estes playing a guitar with a pencil used for a capo with a whomping big rubber band holding it in place.
All best,
Johnm

To be seen on the 1962 front cover of LP The Legend Of Sleepy John Estes (Delmar (sic) DL 603) photographed by Lars Swanberg.

And after seeing that cover, I tried it. Worked just fine -- 'way better than I had expected.

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Henry Thomas backed himself out of D position, capoed way up, for "Fishing Blues", and played his beautiful version of the chorus melody on his quills.  The song was originally a Pop song, and I've heard versions which included an introductory section that precedes the verses and chorus that are most often sung.  I believe Sam Chatmon sang one such version.



GUITAR INTRO

Went up on the hill about 12 o-clock
Reached right back and got me a pole
Went to the hardware and got me a hook
Fetched that line right on that hook

REFRAIN: Says, you been fishin', all the time
I'm a-goin' fishin', too
I'll bet your life, your lovin' wife
Catch more fish than you
Any fish bite if you got good bait
Here's a little somethin' I would like to relate
Any fish bite, got good bait
I'm a-goin' fishin', yes, I'm goin' a-fishin', I'm a-goin' fishin', too

QUILLS SOLO

Looked down the river, 'bout one o-clock
Spied this catfish swimmin' around
I got so hungry, didn't know what to do
I'm gon' git me a catfish, too

REFRAIN: Says, you been fishin', all the time
I'm a-goin' fishin', too
I'll bet your life, your lovin' wife
Catch more fish than you
Any fish bite if you got good bait
Here's a little somethin' I would like to relate
Any fish bite, you got good bait
I'm a-goin' fishin', yes, I'm goin' a-fishin', I'm a-goin' a-fishin', too

QUILLS SOLO

Put on the skillet, lift back the lid
Mama's gonna cook a little short'nin' bread

REFRAIN: Tell you been fishin', all the time
I'm a-goin' fishin', too
I'll bet your life, your lovin' wife
Catch more fish than you
Any fish bite if you got good bait
Here's a little somethin' I would like to relate
Any fish bite, you got good bait
I'm a-goin' fishin', yes, I'm goin' a-fishin', I'm a-goin' a-fishin', too

QUILLS SOLO

Edited 3/26/17 to pick up correction from waxwing

All best,
Johnm