From then on in, me and Sonny started makin' records. My first records, Sonny was backin' me up. Sonny wasn't singin' natural at the time; he was singin' falsetto - Brownie McGhee
Hi all, "Yellow Woman Blues" was started a little way back in this thread, but never exactly finished off. Like all of Buddy Boy Hawkins' songs, it was accompanied by him in Spanish tuning. I need some help on this one, and would sure appreciate any help. The song abounds in spoken asides, every bit as many as some Charlie Patton or Tommy McClennan records. Here is the song:
INTRO
High yellow woman, she have poison like a rattlesnake I'm talkin' 'bout a yellow woman, boy, I, she have poison like a rattlesnake And when they get started, boys, there's no puttin' on no brake
(Spoken: I'm gon' tell your boys!) Some people scream for trouble, and not satisfied with peace Some people scream for trouble, and not satisfied with peace (Spoken: I know that's right.) Just get you a high yalla', and trouble won't never cease
(Spoken: Listen here, boys!) Trouble and worries have killed more people than eve'ything else (Spoken: I know that's right!) I'm talkin' 'bout troubles and worries, partner, will kill you quicker than eve'ything else (Spoken: How come I know? 'Cause it killed my Ma.) And if it get over to you, don't blame nobody else but yourself (Spoken: Now listen here!)
Boys, if you hear this song again, and don't take my egvice [sic] (Spoken: I'm talkin' 'bout, and don't take my egvice. You better take my egvice, too!) If you hear this song, boys, and don't take my egvice (Spoken: What I want you to do? How come?) 'Cause it might cause you, partner, to lose your life
OUTRO
Edited 5/1 to pick up corrections from Gumbo, Prof Scratchy, Alexei McDonald and banjochris
Hi Johnm this is what I'm hearing 1.1 she have POISON like a 1.2 I'm talking' 'bout a yellow woman, boy, I, she have POIS' like a rattlesnake 1.3 I agree with Brakes
2.1 and possibly 2.2 and not BE satisfied with
that 3.3 is tough. syllables sound like how does he ell or hard as he yell or how to see ell
Thanks very much, Gumbo, Prof Scratchy, Alexei and banjochris, earlier in the thread, for help with "Yellow Woman Blues". I do think it is "poison" in the first two lines of the first verse--I out-smarted myself there. So many blues lyrics mentioning rattlesnakes speak of them being in a "curl" or "coil" that I convinced myself that that was what Buddy Boy Hawkins was saying. I don't hear the word "be" preceding "satisfied" in either of the first two lines of verse two. In the tagline of verse three, "else but" is surely right. I replaced "hold" in that tagline with "over", which banjochris suggested in the earlier discussion of this lyric. For the spoken comment following verse three, I am going with "Now listen here". Thank you all for help--I really find transcribing Buddy Boy Hawkins' lyrics challenging, and the transcription is considerably more accurate because of your suggestions. Thanks! All best, Johnm
Hi all, For "Awful Fix Blues", Buddy Boy Hawkins used a stammering phrasing archetype in the first four bars, much as did William Harris in his "Bull Frog Blues". Once again, I'd very much appreciate help with any blank spots or mis-hearings I have entered. Here is the song:
INTRO
Hey mama, tell me what have I, tell me what have I, 'tain't no lie Hey mama, tell me what have I done Because seem like you're tryin' to ease your lovin' self on down
You gonna wake up one of these mornings, brownskin mama, and I'll be, baby mama, and I'll be, 'tain't no lie, tell the truth, You gonna wake up one of these mornings, mama, said, and I'll be gone And you may not never, mama, see me in your town no more
'Cause I'm a stranger in here, woman, I just blowed in your, I just blowed in your, mamlish town Though I'm a stranger to you brownskins, mama, I just blowed in your town And if I ask you for a favor, mama, please ma'am, don't turn me down
If you get one old woman, boys, you better get you five or, you better get you five or, I mean, six If you gets one more woman, you better get you five or six So if that one happen to quit you, it won't leave you in a awful fix
When I had you, pretty mama, you know, I was tryin' to do the best I, I mean could, baby, wasn't no lie I say, when I had you, little black woman, I was tryin' to do the best I could Now your little daddy's gone, now who you gonna get to chop your wood?
Thanks for the help, Chris, I was not hearing that bit at all. I have made the change, and am satisfied with the rest of the transcription. Thanks! All best, Johnm
Hi all, There was some work done on a transcription of Buddy Boy Hawkins' "Workin' On The Railroad" back in this thread, but it has been a while, so I thought I would start over, while picking up ideas from what was posted before. He played the song, like all of his recorded repertoire, in Spanish tuning. Here it is:
INTRO
Workin' on the railroad, boys, sure will give you the blues I'm talkin' 'bout workin' on that railroad bend, it sure will give you the blues Just walk up inside the track, until you wear out your shoes
Now when you hear the Captain call you men, "Let's move that rail." When you hear the Captain call you men, "Let's move that rail." And if you don't do what he say, you have to get somebody else to go your bail
My black woman, she needs the money, that's why I work so hard Boys, my black woman, she needs the money, that's why I work so hard And if I don't keep on rollin', she'll have another black man in my yard
When your black woman starts playin' home, partner, railroad is all you know When that woman starts playin' at home, Buddy Boy, railroad is all you know Just get out on the hot track, and work your hands to the crow
Hi all, Buddy Boy Hawkins recorded "How Come Mama Blues" at a session in Richmond, Indiana on July 14, 1929, and played it, as he did all of his recorded numbers, in Spanish tuning. His intro is so beautiful and unexpected. He like to accelerate on his up-tempo numbers. Boy, does this song have a lot of lyrics! Here is "How Come Mama Blues":
INTRO
How come you do me like you do, baby, what make you do me like you do? H-how come you try to make me feel so blue? Mama, you know I ain't done nothin' to you Now you know you left home at seven, come back at eight, you got another big fat man, slam up to my gate What makes you treat like me you did last night? You know I ain't done nothin' to you, I says, baby I ain't done nothin' to you
How come you try to make me feel so blue, what make you do me like you do? How come you try to make me feel bad? Mama, you know I ain't done nothin' to you You know you hugged and kissed him, said, "Daddy, you sure was fat." I stuck my head out the window, mens holler, "Who in the world is that?" What makes you do me like you do, do, do, what make you do me like you do?
How come you done me like you did last night? I ain't done nothin' to you (Spoken: Listen here, woman!) I bought a pistol, I bought it today, now I got the undertaker waitin' just to haul yous away What make you treat me like you did, brownskin little woman, you know I ain't done nothin' to you, talking' about you, baby I ain't done nothin' to you
How come you treat me like you did last night, how come you dos me like you do? How come you try to make me feel so awful blue, when I ain't done nothin' to you? Now you kept on talkin' about, that you wanted to get my goat, I had a brand new razor, woman, just to slit your throat What makes you treat me like you do, sweet baby? I ain't done nothin' to you, I say When I ain't done nothin' to you
How come you try to make me feel so blue, what make you do me like you do? How come you try to make me feel bad, mama? I ain't done nothin to you (Spoken: Listen here, boys!) "You know a nickel is a nickel, a dime is a dime, a woman get tired of one man all the time." How come you do me like you do, sweet baby, what make you do me like you, talking' about you, mama How come you do me like you do (Spoken: Now look here)
SOLO (Spoken during solo: Listen at that guitar, y'understand it? Ain't that pretty?)
How come you try to make me feel so blue, what makes you do me like you do? How come you try to make me feel bad? I ain't done nothin' (Spoken: Lis' here, boys!) Now if you try to give these womens everything they needs, 'til you have to make the winter, one of your D BVDs What makes you do me like you do, do, do? Skeedle-up, bee-dup, skeedle-up, oh
Edited 3/13 to pick up corrections from waxwing and Harry Edited 3/15 to pick up corrections from banjochris and Johnm All best, Johnm
« Last Edit: March 15, 2021, 12:39:11 PM by Johnm »
Thanks very much for the help, Wax and Harry, I incorporated all of your suggested changes to the lyrics. My problem was data entry--all but two of the corrections I heard right but entered wrong--doh! I needed the help for sure though, so thanks! As for formatting, Wax, I don't like having some lines of four bars and some of two bars, which is why in 12-bar chorus blues I never format the first four bars in two lines. What I've done is in the verses that have the Al Jolson-like tag at the end of the form (all but verse two and the last verse), I now give the tag its own line. Weeniepedia can accommodate longer lines than the regular site's threads, too. All best, Johnm
« Last Edit: March 13, 2021, 08:59:12 AM by Johnm »
Hi all, Buddy Boy Hawkins recorded "A Rag Blues" on the same day as he recorded "How Come Mama Blues, July 14, 1929, and both records were released under the name Walter Hawkins. ( I was surprised to find in DG&R that the title, as recorded, is actually "A Rag Blues", and not "A Rag", as Buddy Boy announced it.) The piece is a real instrumental tour-de-force, and ventures into a lot of harmonic areas into which I don't believe any of the other early players in Spanish ever ventured. It's also a showcase in the picking hand, at various time using Flamenco-ish techniques. I suppose it's kind of nutty to transcribe his spoken commentary, but I have a particular fondness for instrumentals with commentary, like William Moore's "Old Country Rock", or Blind Blake's "Seaboard Stomp". I'd be amazed if I had this all right, so if you hear something that you think I have wrong, please let me know, and thanks. Here is "A Rag":
SPOKEN: Now this here's "A Rag" I'm playin'. This here's my rag. I brought all the way from Jackson, Mississippi. Some people don't know what this rag is, after all, I'm the only man that can play this here rag, called that "A Rag". Tell me what makes the Jackson girls shimmy-wobble. That's called that chock-house. Here what makes all the girls feel good. Listen here, let me do this here, listen to this run. Now listen here again. That's what you call that "Terrible Rag", I'm got now. I lost the other rag. Here we'll get happy now. Gettin' happy. What you call that Jackson "A Rag".
Edited 3/13 to pick up correction from David Kaatz Edited 3/15 to pick up corrections from banjochris
All best, Johnm
« Last Edit: March 15, 2021, 12:56:47 PM by Johnm »