Topic: Macon Ed & Tampa Joe Lyrics

[Oscar Wolf]

Folks, I'm havin troubles with those lyrics from "Worrying Blues" from Ed Macon and Tampa Joe:

This is what I got:

Worrying Blues

I went down on the corner with my, raise? in my hand, to kill that woman about, lovin another man

"You know it's worryin me, aw it's worryin me
I 've done packed my suitcase, walk on back to tenessee"

I'm so sad & lonely, lost & refused ?
Can't have no loving but still have the blues?

"You know it's worryin me, aw it's worryin me
I 've done packed my suitcase, walk on back to tenessee"

I went to my baby knock on, the backdoor
And she says she can't, use me no more

"You know it's worryin me, aw it's worryin me
I've done packed my suitcase, walk on back to tenessee"

(spoken part)  help!

??help? woman got the tub, sister got the liquor, and brother got the jug...

"You know it's worryin me, aw it's worryin me
i 've done packed my suitcase, walk on back to tenessee"

I walk..? al busted??? cold??? (that one is a bit hard for my ear)
tryin to find a home?

"You know it's worryin me, aw it's worryin me
i 've done packed my suitcase, walk on back to tenessee."



Thanks!

[Pan]

Some possible suggestions:


I 've packed my suitcase, walk on back to tenessee (without "done")

3.1 I went to my baby, knocked on HER backdoor

(spoken part) The woman I've got [worries ev'rybody's mind?]. Keeps me worried all the time, boy.

4.1 [Daddy's got the rifle(?],  mama's got the tub, sister got the liquor, and brother got the jug...

5.1 Our waterpipes are busted, water running cold, Mama's in the basement, trying to find the hole...


Hopefully the natives will chime in and take it from here. 

Cheers

Pan

[Oscar Wolf]

Thanks Pan!,

Here's what WE got, by the way

Worrying Blues

I went down on the corner with my, raise in my hand, to kill that woman about, lovin another man

"You know it's worryin me, aw it's worryin me
I've packed my suitcase, walk on back to tenessee"

I'm so sad & lonely, lost & refused
Can't have no loving but still have the blues?

"You know it's worryin me, aw it's worryin me
I've packed my suitcase, walk on back to tenessee"

I went to my baby knock on, her backdoor
And she says she can't, use me no more

"You know it's worryin me, aw it's worryin me
I've packed my suitcase, walk on back to tenessee"

(spoken part) The woman I've got [worries ev'rybody's mind?]. Keeps me worried all the time, boy.

Daddy's got the rifle,  mama's got the tub, sister got the liquor, and brother got the jug

"You know it's worryin me, aw it's worryin me
I've packed my suitcase, walk on back to tenessee"

Our waterpipes are busted, water running cold, Mama's in the basement, trying to find the hole

"You know it's worryin me, aw it's worryin me
I 've packed my suitcase, walk on back to tenessee."

[Johnm]

Hi coco,
In the very first line, I think it is:  RAZOR in my hand

And in the last chorus, I think it is:

I've packed my suitcase, BEAT IT back to Tennessee.
All best,
Johnm

[uncle bud]

In the spoken part it sounds like

The woman I've got 'll worry anybody's mind, keeps me worried all the time

In 4.1 it could be Daddy, but is possibly "Eddie" or "Ed has", as in Macon Ed.

EDDIE'S got the RUB BOARD...  (i.e. washboard)

[Oscar Wolf]

Yeah, it makes more sense now, thanks to all !!!, this is what we got by the way:


I went down on the corner with my, razor in my hand, to kill that woman about, lovin another man

"You know it's worryin me, aw it's worryin me
I've packed my suitcase, walk on back to tenessee"

I'm so sad & lonely, lost & refused
Can't have no loving but still have the blues?

"You know it's worryin me, aw it's worryin me
I've packed my suitcase, walk on back to tenessee"

I went to my baby knock on, her backdoor
And she says she can't, use me no more

"You know it's worryin me, aw it's worryin me
I've packed my suitcase, walk on back to tenessee"

(spoken part) The woman I've got 'll worry anybody's mind, keeps me worried all the time

EDDIE'S got the RUB BOARD,  mama's got the tub, sister got the liquor, and brother got the jug

"You know it's worryin me, aw it's worryin me
I've packed my suitcase, walk on back to tenessee"

Our waterpipes are busted, water running cold, Mama's in the basement, trying to find the hole

"You know it's worryin me, aw it's worryin me
I 've packed my suitcase, beat it back to tenessee."

[Suzy T]

This is a very amazing thread! Words to Mean Florida Blues - I can't decipher some of these but I bet the Weenie hive mind will be able to.   Here is what I have.  Thanks in advance.
Mean Florida Blues ? Peg Leg Howell & Eddie Anthony



I?ve got the mean old, lowdown Florida, blues
I?ve got the mean old, lowdown Florida, blues
And when you get them,  they will thrill you through and through

How many dog in one family, go from door to door
Any dog in my family, go from door to door
I swear to the lord I, won?t be ? no more

Fiddle

Mama told me, dad told me too
And mama told me, dad told me too
Any woman get in your face now, ain?t no friend to you

Fiddle
Gonna buy me a suitcase, buy me a ???Henry bag??? Too???
Gonna buy me a suitcase, buy me a
Gonna leave here walkin?, singing them Floridy blues

[Slack]

Hi Ale_Buster_Ponti,
"Overalls" are heavy work wear, a one-piece sort of work jump suit.  In blues lyrics, the singer often asks that his jumper (another work wear item) be starched and his overalls ironed (pressed).  I don't know why the singer needs such well-cared-for work clothes, but I think it is mostly because "overalls" rhymes (sort of) with "cannonball", the name of a train.  Maybe, too, the singer wants to look sharp at all times, so starched and ironed jumpers and overalls are wanted for that reason.  Trying to explain it makes me realize I've heard such verses many times before and never really thought about them!
All best,
Johnm

I love it when these old threads are revived... and I can see what I've missed!

FWIW, ironing work clothes was the custom in country life.  My father came from a sibling group of 7, his job was to iron.  Overalls and white work shorts were ironed and starched... they had cotton fields. (my fathers family was from the panhandle... around Lubbock), some cows to tend.  My in-laws were from Kansas - same thing, they would iron and starch work clothes... wheat fields, cattle.  This was after they washed by hand, run through a wringer and then dried on a line.  I'm not sure the significance of doing all of this work.  To honor their husbands and sons for going out from sun up to sun down perhaps?  I mean it took 30 minutes and those work clothes were probably drenched with sweat and a vry wrinkle-y!

[uncle bud]

Hi Suzy -

My thoughts in caps below.


Mean Florida Blues ? Peg Leg Howell & Eddie Anthony

I?ve got the mean old, lowdown Florida blues
I?ve got the mean old, lowdown Florida blues
And when you get them, they will thrill you through and through

I BEEN A DOG in my family, DROVE from door to door
BEEN A dog in my family, DROVE from door to door
I swear to the lord I won?t be DROVE no more

Fiddle

Mama told me, DADDY told me too
And mama told me, dad told me too
Any woman GRIN in your face, SON, ain?t no friend to you

Fiddle

Gonna buy me a suitcase, buy me a HEAVY PAIR OF SHOES
Gonna buy me a suitcase, buy me a HEAVY PAIR OF SHOES
Gonna leave here walkin?, singing them Floridy blues

[Johnm]

Isn't this a Macon Ed and Tampa Red cut?  I don't think Peg Leg Howell plays on this one, does he?
All best,
Johnm

[Suzy T]

You are absolutely right, John, Macon Ed and Tampa Joe, Eddie Anthony was Macon Ed.

[LeftyStrat]

You are absolutely right, John, Macon Ed and Tampa Joe, Eddie Anthony was Macon Ed.

Maybe slightly off topic but, was Eddie Anthony the vocalist on this tune, or did he just play the fiddle?  I've always thought that Peg was the one singing, but I've not heard enough of his stuff yet to know without a doubt.

[Suzy T]

I just listed to Mean Florida Blues again, and I swear there's 2 fiddles on there.  My copy of Goodrich Dixon says one fiddle, but 2 fiddles on Try That Thing, recorded in the same session.  Anyone else hear 2 fiddles on Mean Florida?  It sounds like one fiddle is backing up the fiddle, playing the melody behind the singing, and the other fiddle is playing the responses to the sung lines.  Damn I wish we had more information about Eddie Anthony!

[frankie]

Hi Suzy - I hear one fiddle, a backup guitar and another guitar playing bottleneck. The bottleneck guitar gets right up in the same space with the fiddle...  pretty cool sound! I haven't listened to these sides in years.

Seriously...  why see Robert Johnson everywhere when you could be seeing Eddie Anthony? Sheesh, already!

[Oscar Wolf]

Can you help me with this kind of "Sittin' on the top of the world" tune?



Everything's comin' my way (Macon Ed - Tampa Joe)

I remember ?... spring?, when the bluebirds begin to sing
tell me, you wanna go(sounds like goin') away, you're goin' , away to stay
I remember ...last fall? say when you leave me? you "won't be back at "
now you're gone, I ain't grievin' everything's workin my way

Give you my money, and all of your clothes, then you throw away, my jelly roll
so many days, i'm sitting??? blue, just cryin' over you
after all I had-got to do I just couldn't get along with you
now you're gone, I ain't grievin' everything's workin my way



don't count'em runnin'?, holdin' up your hands, I can't get a woman, ...? you get a man
now you're gone, I ain't grievin' everything's workin my way

solo

I don't want no woman, I ain't got no job, gonna get me a freight train, time don't ....
now you're gone, I ain't grievin' everything's workin my way

Thanks!!!