I've tried transcribing this Henry Thomas song, and what a mess it is in parts, so all help welcome. Thomas's version is itself a bit of a mess in that it's at least three songs in one, but it all adds up to a great 3 minutes IMO. The first section has similarities with Honey Won't You Allow Me One More Chance, but is a version of an Irving Jones song called Let Me Bring My Clothes Back Home (according to Paul Oliver in Songsters and Saints) which is itself a response to a popular Jones song called Takes Your Clothes and Go, a song about a woman who has thrown her husband out.
The original has the lines:
His wife said, "Honey, I'm tired of coon
I goin' to pass for white."
Which leads Oliver to transcribe Henry Thomas's less objectionable version as:
My wife said ?Honey, I?m done with beans
I?m gonna pass for green"
I'm not so sure of that myself. I actually hear something like "pass the train". I'm also not convinced of the start of the first line in the Oliver transcription, "Albert turn round, packed his trunk and go" but have no other proposals yet.
I don't know where the middle section comes from (the "Down to church..." section), and can't find anyone who's attempted a transcription yet, probably for good reason! It's tough slogging. I can't find my copy of Tony Russell's Blacks, Whites and Blues right now to see if maybe he has something to say about this song.
The next section of Thomas's Arkansas is based on the song The State of Arkansas, which exists in many versions and comes out of the white minstrel tradition according to Oliver. Thomas's version seems closely linked to Uncle Dave Macon's song Uncle Dave?s Travels Part 1: Misery in Arkansas. Elsewhere on Weenie, John Miller has noted the similarity to Kelly Harrell's My Name is John Johanna, which itself is a version of State of Arkansas as far as I can tell. Some will also notice hints of the song Diamond Joe.
Thomas ends his weird hodge-podge with a Travelin' Man verse for good measure.
I think it all adds up to a crazy masterpiece. Here's the entire transcription with many holes to fill in.
Arkansas ? Henry ThomasOh Roberta (turn) round, "pack your trunk and go"
Yes, he came back home last night
My wife said ?Honey, I?m done with beans
I?m gonna [pass the train]? *
Oh my little honey, don't you make me go
I'll get a job if you allow me sure
All crapshooters, I will shun
Good little baby, just let me work
When you buy chicken, all I want is the bone
When you buy beer, I?ll be satisfied with foam
I?ll work both night and day
I?ll be careful what I say
Honey (What?) please, let me bring my clothes back home
Down the track this mornin? she did stroll
Well a accident, her foot got caught in a hole
I?m goin? to tell you the truth
A natural that poor man
Night is young, dresses turn, the railroad track is run??
I?m going to buy ?em all
Cigarettes and chewing tobacco as I can??
And
? the road with a?? [heavy poor man]?
I am a rambler and gambling man, I?ve gambled in many towns
I?ve rambled this wide world over, I rambled this world around
I had my ups and downs through life and bitter times I saw
But I never knew what misery was till I [left old] Arkansas**
I started out one morning to meet the early train
He said, "You better work with me, I have some land to drain
I?ll give you fifty cents a day, your washing, board and all
And you should be a different man for the state of old Arkansas"
I worked six months for the rascal, [Joe Heron] was his name***
He fed me old corn dodger, it was hard as any rock
My tooth?s all got loosened, and my knee-bone ?gin to raw [and the depot can?t be found??]****
That was the kind of hash I got for the state of old Arkansas
Travellin? man, I?ve traveled all around this world
Travellin? man, I?ve traveled from land to land
Travellin? man, I?ve traveled all around this world
Well it tain?t no use ridin? on through ?cause I?ve traveled this land
* as noted above, Paul Oliver has this as "pass for green"
** Oliver has this as the much more sensible "Till I lit on old Arkansas", since Arkansas is the scene of the misery related. But I swear Thomas sings "left old Arkansas" - perhaps not paying attention much to the words?
*** Oliver has "Johanna", a link to the John Johanna songs. A reference I just found on the net refers to the Mack McCormick transcription in the vinyl Herwin Henry Thomas set as having this as "Joe Herrin".
**** Oliver's version is first, what I'm sort of hearing is second, in brackets. The Dave Macon version has this line as "my knees began to knock", i.e. he's weak from starvation.
[edited to add: I've added a file for those who don't have the song]
[edited transcription above to incorporate some changes from Mack McCormick transcription]
As a bonus, here is a version of Dave Macon's Misery in Arkansas I found on the net at
http://departments.umw.edu/hipr/www/206/songtext/uncle_dave_macon.txtMisery in Arkansas[spoken] Now good people, I'm a-singing this song especially for
my old school mate-friend, Joe Morris of Nashville, Tennessee.
One of the leading clothing men. He's a man who'll address you
at the door and he'll dress you up before you go out.
I'm just from Nobletown, I've travelled this wild world round,
I've have the ups and downs through life,
And better days I've saw,
I never knowd what misery was, till I come to old Arkansas.
I landed in the Spring, one sultry afternoon,
Up stepped a walking skeleton, and handed me his paw,
Invited me to his hotel, the best in Arkansas.
I followed my conductor unto his dwelling place,
And poverty did picture in his melacholy face,
His bread was corn dodger, his beef I couldn't chaw,
That was the kind of hash I got in the State of Arkansas.
I started out next morning to catch the early train,
He said, "You'd better work for me, I have some land to drain.
I'll give you fifty cents a day, your board and wash and all.
Indeed you'll be a different man, when you leave old Arkansas."
I worked six months for the son-of-a-gun, Jess Harrold was his
name,
He stood six feet two-and-a-half, as tall as any crane,
His hair hung down in ringlets all round a lantern jaw,
Indeed he was a photograph for the gents of Arkansas.
He fed me on corn dodgers as hard as any rock,
My teeth began to loosen, and my knees began to knock,
I got so think on sassafrass tea, I could hide behind a straw,
Indeed, I was a different man when I left old Arkansas.
If ever I see this land again I'll hand to you my paw,
Oh, it will be through a telescope from here to old Arkansas.
I'm just from Nobletown, I've travelled this wild world round,
I've have the ups and downs through life,
And better days I've saw,
I never knowd what misery was, till I come to old Arkansas.
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