Topic: Red Nelson Lyrics

[Blues Vintage]

Cripple Clarence Lofton - Streamline Train

Pitched in B but I think Lofton played it in C. Red Nelson may have been the writer of the song.

Red Nelson (Nelson Wilborn) - Vocals
Cripple Clarence Lofton - Piano

Recorded in Chicago, IL. February 4, 1936





Streamline train fastest train that run
Hot water springs ain’t gon’ help you none
I’m gonna leave in the morning baby on that streamline train
Only thing I can say mama get your mind offa this thing

Women in Chicago got like a dollar bill
Ain’t fit for nothing get somebody killed
Gonna leave in the morning baby on that streamline train
Only thing I can say mama get your mind offa this man

Going to the union station act just like a child
Ask the call boy mama what train do I ride
I’m gonna leave in the morning baby on that streamline train
Only thing I can say mama get your mind offa this thing

Going out west 'mongst these robbers sleep 'mongst howlin' hounds
My woman she’s so evil always wanna break down
I’m gonna leave in the morning baby on that streamline train
Only thing I can say mama get your mind offa this thing

Sweet mama told me my daddy stood and cried
Some of these low down women gon’ be the death of my child
I’m gonna leave in the morning baby on that streamline train
Only thing I can say get your mind offa this man

There’s a cruel old fireman mean old engineer
That’s the onliest way I can leave you here
I’m gonna leave in the morning baby on that streamline train
Only thing I can say get your mind offa this thing




Cripple Clarence Lofton - Streamline Train

Key of C

Cripple Clarence Lofton - Vocals ?, Piano
1939 in Chicago, IL  ?





Streamline train fast train that run
That fast train took my baby to ruin
Yes I'm leaving you in the morning leaving on that streamline train
Only thing I can tell you get your mind offa that thing

Train blowed for New York half past four
Five o'clock that morning I was banging on my baby’s door
She says come in loving daddy where have you done been so long
I ain't had my great loving since my streamline been gone

Train blowed to Birmingham half past six
Half five that morning I try to get it fixed
She says come in loving daddy where have you done have been so long
I ain't had my great loving since my streamline been gone

I'm going out west tomorow I'm gonna marry a indian squaw
Say one of them indian chiefs be my father-in-law
Baby I'm leaving you in the morning leaving on that streamline train
Only thing I can tell you get your mind offa that man

[banjochris]

1936 version

2.1 I hear "got" also

3.2 Ask the CALL boy, mama

4.1 Going out west 'MONGST [THESE] ROBBERS, sleep 'MONGST HOWLIN' HOUNDS

Not sure about "these"
Chris

[banjochris]

1939 version

1.2 took my baby TO RUIN

2.2 FIVE o'clock and I hear "thinking" also

Add (SPOKEN: In Chicago, mama, in Chicago, in Chicago) between 2.3 and 2.4

3.1 Train BLOWED

SPOKEN: In Chicago, baby, in Chicago.

4.2 SAY ONE OF them...

Chris

[waxwing]

I think 4.1 ends with "'mongst howlin' OWLS" but you can probably hear an "nd" sound in there with head phones.

Wax

[Thomas8]

2.2 BANGING on my baby's door

[Blues Vintage]

Thanks Chris, Wax and Thomas.

It's really hard to hear if it's howlin' hounds or howlin' owls. I'll stick with howlin' hounds for now.

[banjochris]

On hounds vs. owls, it's less the ending and more that I can hear a voiced "h" at the beginning of that word.
Chris

[Blues Vintage]

When The Soldiers Get Their Bonus

Red Nelson - Vocals
Cripple Clarence Lofton - Piano
Al Miller - Vocals (2), Guitar
Unknown - Bass

February 6, 1936
Chicago, Illinois

Probably Key of C





It’s good morning mama you look mighty swell now you say you got somethin’ to sell
We’ll have a nice time (when the soldiers get their bonus)
We’ll have a nice time (when the soldiers get their bonus)
We’ll have a nice time even if it don’t last long

I’ve got some liquor got some wine we can get drunk have a whompin' good time
We’ll have a nice time (when the soldiers get their bonus)
We’ll have a nice time (when the soldiers get their bonus)
We’ll have a nice time even if it don’t last long

I had two dollars I don’t know where it went show me what you got there fifty cents
We’ll have a nice time (when the soldiers get their bonus)
We’ll have a nice time (when the soldiers get their bonus)
We’ll have a nice time even if it don’t last long

My gal’s got a heart big as a whale shake up her body she just won’t move her tail
We’ll have a nice time (she won’t get no bonus)
We’ll have a nice time (she won’t get no bonus)
We’ll have a nice time even if it don’t last long

I plays a little coon can shoots a little dice sometimes fool with a old man's wife
We’ll have a nice time (when the soldiers get their bonus)
We’ll have a nice time (when the soldiers get their bonus)
We’ll have a nice time even if it don’t last long

Grandpa told grandma last year we got too old for to shift your gear
We’ll have a nice time (when the soldiers get their bonus)
We’ll have a nice time (when the soldiers get their bonus)
We’ll have a nice time even if it don’t last long

My black gal’s head won’t be so hard even her good man won’t have me barred
We’ll have a nice time (when the soldiers get their bonus)
We’ll have a nice time (when the soldiers get their bonus)
We’ll have a nice time even if it don’t last long

[Johnm]

Hi Harry,
That's a rocking tune! I think I'm hearing some of the missing spots and would change some of the other places. Here goes:

1.1 It's "Good morning, mama, YOU look mighty swell. Now you say you got somethin' to sell
2.1 . . . a WHOMPIN' good time
3.1 "Show me what you got THERE." "Fifty cents".
4.1 Shake up her BUTT, . . .
5.1 I plays a little COON CAN, . . ., sometimes fool with A old MAN'S wife
6.1 . . . we got TOO old for to SHIFT YOUR GEARS
7.1 even HER good man won't have me barred

Coon can is a gambling game mentioned in several songs, as is the phrase "too old to shift your gears". 3.1 is two different people talking--the first had two dollars taken from him, and he's trying to determine if the second person took it. The second person says he just has fifty cents, in other words, not the missing two dollars. Weird vowel sound on "butt", but it's the only thing that makes sense there.

All best,
Johnm

[Blues Vintage]

Thanks John, I took them all except "gears". I hear "gear".
I had "butt" and "there" orginally. I realize more and more you gotta go with what makes sense.

[banjochris]

I think it's "body" in 4.1, not "butt" – pronounced with the ending swallowed some. I've never heard "butt" used  (in this context as opposed to a cigarette butt) on a 78 of this vintage, I think it would have been a no-no. Fun tune!

PS Harry, I think there are a couple of vestigial words from the editing process still in there at 5.1 and 6.1 (cat and the).

Chris

[Blues Vintage]

Thanks Chris. Yes it's "body" and I think I was in a rush when I did the editing. Everything is corrected now.
I see John already has the accurate transcription (with "body") up in weeniepedia.

[Blues Vintage]

Crying Mother Blues


Red Nelson - Vocals
Cripple Clarence Lofton - Piano

February 4, 1936
Chicago, Illinois

Piano in F# (Probably played in G)





INTRO SOLO

Dear mother dead and gone to glory, my old dad done strayed away
Dear mother dead and gone to glory, my old dad done strayed away
Only way to meet my mother, I will have to change my lowdown way

Nobody knows my trouble, but myself and the good Lord
Nobody knows my trouble, but myself and the good Lord
I used to have a sweet woman to love me, now she treats me like a lowdown dog

SOLO

Tombstone's my pillow, graveyard gon’ be my bed
Tombstone's my pillow, graveyard gon’ be my bed
Blue sky’s gon’ be my blanket, and the pale moon gon’ be my spread

Black cat crawls late hours at midnight, nightmares ride ‘til the break of day
Black cat crawls late hours at midnight, nightmares ride ‘til the break of day
What the use of lovin’ some woman, some man done stole your love away

Stop your crying, do away with all your tears
Stop your crying, do away with all your tears
If you can't stay with me mother, it must have been your time to leave from here

[Johnm]

Hi Harry,
Thanks for posting "Crying Mother Blues". I checked in D,G&R, and because it was entered there as a Red Nelson release, I'm going to put it in Weeniepedia as a Red Nelson lyric rather than a Cripple Clarence Lofton one, and give Red Nelson his own category. I think the in the tagline to the next-to-last verse the question marked word should be "done". In checking I also saw that "Streamline Train" and "When The Soldiers Get Their Bonus were also released as a Red Nelson titles, so I'm going to split this thread and create a new Red Nelson Lyrics thread.
All best,
Johnm

[Blues Vintage]

That's alright. I hesitated earlier to start a Red Nelson lyrics thread.