Topic: Furry Lewis Lyrics

[banjochris]

Such a great version of this song, Furry really puts a lot of feeling into it. One suggestion on the lyrics, John:

3.2 For the help HEW the mountain down

Chris

[Johnm]

Hi Chris,
Thanks for the catch.  I was hearing an "s" at the end of the syllable in question, heard the "h" at the beginning, and thought "hews" would be a weird construction there, but re-listening, I think it's just some artifact of how "hew" transitions into "the" that was confusing me.  "Hew" certainly makes more sense, and I'm hearing the sound right, too, so I've made the change.  Thanks!
All best,
Johnm

[banjochris]

I heard that phantom "s," too, John, and agree it's just a weird transition. 
Chris

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Furry Lewis' Folkways album opens with "Longing Blues", played in Spanish tuning.  The song is very much, instrumentally, in the mode of "Rock Island Blues" or "Black Gypsy Blues" of his early recordings, though it differs from them in Furry's sparing use of a slide, which he eschewed on the earlier recordings.  Furry really just uses the slide in the response to to the repetition of his opening line in a couple of the verses.  Here is his performance of "Longing Blues":



INTRO SOLO

Babe, going away, baby, crying won't make me stay
Babe, goin' away, crying won't make me stay
If I had train fare, Lord, I wouldn't be here today

I woke up this morning and blues all 'round my bed
Woke up this morning, blues all 'round my bed
I looked under my pillow, blues all under my head

Boy, I'm sorry, sorry, sorry to my heart
Babe, I'm sorry, sorry to my heart
We've been together so long, now today we got to part

SOLO

Been together so long, now we've got to part

If you ever want to hear me blow my horn, come to my number when old Stella's gone
If you ever hear me, hear be blow my horn
Come to my number, oh when old Stella's gone

All best,
Johnm

[Parakeet Pete]

I had never heard the term "Sally Long" used before.  Very interesting because Sam McGee had an instrumental on his first Folkways record called "Sally Long", which is the closest thing to John Hurt's solo on "Candyman" that I have heard.  Sam's tune was an instrumental.

Sally Long was a dancer (and film star) in the years prior to Furry recording this (28 August 1928 according to my Document Records issue) so it's highly possible that her name became used for a type of dance or, as has been suggested, a euphemism for something more, err, "personal". 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sally_Long

[Parakeet Pete]

Regarding "Kassie Jones - Part 2".

What is an "eastman"? I'm more familiar with the line in the Grateful Dead's "On The Road Again" (traditional) which sounds like "She's on the road again, sure as you're born, Natural born easy on the road again".

Sorry if this is a du-umb question. I'm a foreigner with cloth ears.

[Johnm]

Hi Pete,
"Eastman" was explained to me as a man who lives off of a woman's earnings.
All best,
Johnm

[Parakeet Pete]

Hi Pete,
"Eastman" was explained to me as a man who lives off of a woman's earnings.
All best,
Johnm

Thank-you for the enlightenment.

[TenBrook]

To expand on John's definition I found the below. I'm still looking for any period usage of the term outside of lyrics but haven't found that yet.

http://www.oxfordreference.com/oso/viewentry/10.1093$002facref$002f9780199829941.001.0001$002facref-9780199829941-e-15759;jsessionid=AB4CE3E9645605DA65AC29E51C0C4A1D

There's also some more details on the use and meaning of the word here:
https://books.google.com/books?id=14XuqpJGkrwC&pg=PA103&lpg=PA103&dq=%22eastman%22+slang+definition&source=bl&ots=A7CFYLTLAg&sig=YOA7-Ssird_5ZpholMWLQZNOrQU&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj8yNbJt6rXAhWWw4MKHU2YCAw4ChDoAQgwMAI#v=onepage&q=%22eastman%22%20slang%20definition&f=false

[Chezztone]

There was an "Eastman gang" around the turn of the century. There were based in New York but became nationally notorious. When Furry Lewis (and the Memphis Jug Band) sing about being a "natural born Eastman" I think they mean a natural gangster, hustler.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastman_Gang

[Johnm]

Hi all,
"Done Changed My Mind" was recorded in Memphis for Samuel Charters as part of the session(s) that resulted in Furry's two Prestige Bluesville albums, and was originally the title cut of one of those albums. It's one of the surprisingly few songs that Furry chose to accompany out of E position in standard tuning. He's not zipping along here, but I love how heavy his time is. Here is "Done Changed My Mind":



INTRO SOLO

Baby, you don't want me, whilst I'm lovin' and kind
Some day you gonna want me and I be done change my mind

You done broke, broke my heart, you done nearly take my life
I try so hard to, treat my baby right

My Monday, Monday woman, live on Beale and Main
My Tuesday woman bring me, pocket change

When my Monday, Monday woman, yes, she live on Beale and Main
And my Tuesdays woman bring me, pocket change

My Wednesday, Wednesday woman, she bring me daily news
My Thursday woman, buy my socks and shoes

My Friday, Friday woman, puts it, on the shelf
My Saturday woman give me the devil if she catch me here

My Sunday, Sunday woman, cooks Furry somethin' to eat
Makes me have a woman for every day in the week

I ain't got no, got no woman, I ain't got no lady friend
I ain't got nobody say, "Furry, where you been?"

I ain't got no, got nobody, say, "Furry, where you been?"
I ain't got no woman say, "Furry, where you been?"

SOLO

Edited 9/23 to pick up correction from banjochris

All best,
Johnm

 
 

[banjochris]

One little suggestion John, in 1.1., instead of why? said – I think he's singing "whilst."
Chris

[Johnm]

I didn't hear that at first, re-listening, Chris, but then I did, so I've made the change. Thanks. Those old English usages catch me by surprise, with the most notable probably being Ishmon Bracey singing "shan't".

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I am re-checking and compiling Furry Lewis lyrics for a project I'm working on, and I wanted to check the lyrics to a verse in his "Kassie Jones, Part 1". Here is his recording:



The verse I have a question about is the fourth verse, which is entered in Weeniepedia as:

Lord, the people said to Casey, "You're runnin' over time"
"You'll havin’ a collision with the one-o-nine"
Casey said, "This engine's mine
I'll run it in close just to make my time"
Said to all the passengers, "Better keep yourself hid
Natural' gon shake it like Chainey did
Like Chainey did
I’m natural' gon' shake it like Chainey did"

What I'm hearing is:

Lord, the people say to Casey, "You're runnin' overtime.
You're havin' a collusion [sic] with the one-o-nine."
Casey said, "This engine's mine,
I'll run it in Glory 'less I make my time."
Said, "All you passengers better keep yourself hid,
Natural gon' shake it like Chainey did, like Chainey did.
I'm natural gon' shake it like Chainey did."

Apart from "collusion" as opposed to "collision" which was conceded as being what Furry actually said at the time the transcription was done that went into Weeniepedia, the other big difference is in the fourth line. I'm not hearing the "j" sound which would begin "just", and similarly hear a hard "g" sound as the beginning of "Glory" rather than the hard "c" sound that would start "close". I'd very much appreciate some help with the verse, corroboration or correction depending on how you all hear it. Thanks for any help.
All best,
Johnm

[banjochris]

Agree on what you have here, John – I hear "Glory 'less I make my time" as well, and of course it has the advantage of making sense – he'd rather be dead than late.
Chris