There were guys in there fiddlin' and scrapin', couldn't play enough music to keep the flies off a dog - Howard Armstrong on being kept out of white fiddling contests
I'm not sure I have the same version of the song, but it sounds like a garbled "So many hackney horses was a-standin' around."
It fits, but phonetically it sounds like: So many high ten bogies / buggies(?) was a-standin' around. I think you are right, it's about carriages sho nuff. Second time it could almost be, with a little allowance for pronunciation, "So many horse and buggies, was a-standing around"
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If you would speak one word babe, give my heart SOME EASE
Correct.
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You don't miss pretty mama, 'til you SHAKE YOUR HANDS goodbye
That's it. No '"'til you", it's: You don't miss pretty mama, 'til you SHAKE YOUR HANDS goodbye
« Last Edit: February 28, 2009, 11:14:49 AM by Rivers »
Hi all, I remembered this morning that I had transcribed Leadbelly's version of "John Henry" from his Last Sessions over in the thread devoted to different versions of "John Henry", here: http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?amp;Itemid=60&topic=4256.msg30402#msg30402 This was before there was a Leadbelly Lyrics thread. I'll post his version of "John Henry" in Weeniepedia, Mark. All best, Johnm
« Last Edit: February 28, 2009, 05:43:06 PM by Johnm »
[edit: Corrected, annotated and added to weeniepedia]
Transcribing this next one prompted me to start researching its origins. I've always thought You Don't Know My Mind is a very beautiful tune. Earliest version I can find in B&GR, well the same title anyway, is Viola McCoy, 1924. Anyone know if it's the same song?
The other version I have of this (LoC) make it clear Huddie had many, many stock verses for this song. In this take you can spot Barbecue Bob's Mississippi Heavy Water Blues from 1927 and two of the other verses seem awful familiar, can anyone name an earlier tune with the same verse? For example who did "...I could stand to see you die"? "Worked all summer, follow the fall" reminds me of Luke Jordan's Church Bell Blues, though it ends differently.
Joe Callicott's version is the exact same tune, I'm wondering from where Joe got it. Likewise Herman Johnson's version.
This is a pretty easy tune to play in G position, what gives Lead's version major appeal I think is the delayed bass run down to the V, starting one bar later than when you think he's going to do it, followed by a shuffle on the IV, it really is a killer syncopated lick. Once again a nice mix of a picked bass line interspersed with a strummed riff gets him the texture.
Help much appreciated for the 's. What on earth is she gettin' him in the kitchen? I searched on "getting / giving toe" and got a lot of foot fetish sites
You Don't Know My Mind - Leadbelly 24 January 1935 ARC 16706-2 unissued Transcribed from Leadbelly King of the 12-String Guitar, Columbia Roots 'N' Blues 467893 12 string in standard down 5 semitones to B and played in G position, actual pitch is D
[Intro, 5 bars on the I]
My breakfast's on the table and my coffee<ref></ref> gettin' cold My mama's in the kitchen gettin' a-sweet papa told Baby you don't know, don't know my mind When you see me laughin', laughin' just to keep from cryin'
Ask my baby could she stand to see me cry She said "Sweet papa I could stand to see you die" Baby you don't know, don't know my mind When you see me laughin', laughin' just to keep from cryin'
Walkin' down the levee with my head hangin' low Lookin' for my sweet mama and she ain't here no more Baby you don't know, don't know my mind When you see me laughin', laughin' just to keep from cryin'
Baby you don't know, you don't know, you don't know my mind, doggone it mama You don't know, don't know my mind When you see me laughin', laughin' just to keep from cryin'
I can't fork no wheeler, can't shake no flour<ref></ref> But I can do anything if you show me how Baby you don't know, don't know my mind When you see me laughin', laughin' just to keep from cryin'
First I met you, Lord, made out of stone, Lord I... I took you in you didn't have no home Baby you don't know, don't know my mind When you see me laughin', laughin' just to keep from cryin'
I worked all the summer, follow the fall Come home and took my Christmas in my overalls<ref></ref> Baby you don't know, don't know my mind When you see me laughin', laughin' just to keep from cryin'
You don't know, you don't know, you don't know my mind, doggone it baby You don't know, Lord, know my mind When you see me laughin', laughin' just to keep from cryin'
[Instrumental verse out] ==Notes== <references/>
coffee: alternative hearing is "collards" can't shake no ''flour'': alternative hearing is "plow" ''took my Christmas in my overalls'': alternative hearing: ''tucked my pistols in my overalls''
« Last Edit: July 17, 2020, 04:59:27 PM by Johnm »
I have a photocopy of a transcription of 'Whoa Back, Buck' from, I'm thinking, a Lomax American folk song book. 'Buck' is song 282 & has this verse
'Me an' my gal come walkin' down the road Wind from her feet knockin' Sugar In The Gourd Sugar in the gourd & the gourd on the ground, Want to get the sugar gotta roll the gourd around.'
..
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which just goes to show you get much better transcriptions on weeniecampbell!
Having just listened to this I would say that this is possibly what Huddie is saying. Give it a listen.
Re. Ox Driver, I gave it a listen and now feel very foolish about my previous flip reply. That is what he's saying, gosh darn it. Apologies for not getting right onto it. Lesson learned, I thought we'd explored all the possible hearings.
« Last Edit: March 02, 2009, 04:42:26 PM by Rivers »
I toyed with that one for a while. In the LoC recording it's about the same clarity. It sounds like 'collar' in the ARC, and you can hear an '...s' on the LoC. I think 'coffee' is very possible though, and will put a note, but personally I hear an 'L', as in 'collards'.
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Mama's in the kitchen getting her sweet papa TOLD'?
Likewise, I thought at the time 'told' was possible, and it sounds very similar comparing the ARC and LoC recordings. So the question would be, does it make sense? It does if it was a vernacular expression around at the time. The meaning is clear, we just don't use that phrase any more. The clincher would be to find another instance of it in country blues. It makes more sense than 'toe' so I'll make it the primary and put 'toe' in a note.
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' . . . Come home & tucked my pistols in my overalls'
I'm gonna have to disagree on that one, after thrashing it under the cans for a while, I'm 99.9% sure it's: "Come home and took my Christmas in my overalls". I'll put another note though.
How about that other mystery line:
I can't [fork no wheeler ], can't shake no flour
« Last Edit: March 02, 2009, 04:29:07 PM by Rivers »
I'm pretty sure it is "coffee's getting cold"; the next line is "sweet papa told" -- it makes sense, she's in the kitchen telling him off.
The "fork no wheeler" line -- "fork no wheeler" is right, but the end is "shake no plow," not flour. Charlie Patton sings a verse about a wheeler and plow in "Jim Lee - Part I." I assume by "fork no wheeler" he means replacing a fork on some kind of farm equipment -- does someone know better? is it a steamboat reference?
(also in the 4th verse second line there's a missing "my.") Chris
Hi all, It occurred to me that "Sugar in the Gourd" should be in quotes in the verse of "Ox-Driver's Song" that has been discussed, since it is the name of a fiddle tune. For those interested in hearing it, there's a nice recording of it by Ernest Stoneman with Kahle Brewer playing the fiddle. All best, Johnm
« Last Edit: March 03, 2009, 03:58:29 PM by Johnm »
OK I'm outnumbered on the coffee / collard thing, I'll make coffee primary and add a note. I still believe I hear collards. As an aside, in the LoC take recorded a few months later in Connecticut he doesn't sing "breakfast" so far as I can tell, not sure what he does sing however.
Re Sugar In The Gourd, I wasn't sure originally that he was singing about the fiddle tune due to us not having the lead-in phrase right. Cheap's correction makes it most likely they're dancing to that tune, as you point out, so point taken there on it should be in quotes.
Re. 'Plow' versus 'flour' in You Don't Know My Mind - I definitely hear flour, on headphones, with a lot of passes and volume. Will add a note re alternative hearings.
Re. "Fork no wheeler" - good enough for me... As you say, it would be great to know what it means. Jim Lee was a paddle steamer, right? With what they referred to as the "wheel" at the back. Sounds very possible.
I had one flash "wheeler" could have been a pronunciation of "willow", and he could have been talking about making something, perhaps a catapult, "fork..."? I've gone off that idea though.
Thanks very much for the input y'all, will correct them and move on.
[edit: updated courtesy Cheapfeet and added to weeniepedia]
Huddie does Jimmie Rodgers in waltz time. This song grows on you the more you listen to it, perhaps due to the heartfelt sincerity he conveys and, as always, beautiful singing and guitar.
Daddy I'm Coming Back To You - Leadbelly 5 February 1935 NYC ARC 16806-1 unissued Transcribed from Leadbelly King of the 12-String Guitar, Columbia Roots 'N' Blues 467893 12 string in standard down 5 semitones to B and played in C position, actual pitch is G
[Intro, 4 bars on the I]
Your hair has turned to silver I know you're fadin' too Daddy, dear old Daddy I'm comin' back to you Made my boyhood happy Still I longed to roam I've a-had my way, but now I'll stay I long for you and for home
Daddy, you shared my sorrows and joys You tried to bring me up right But still I remember you's a-one of the boys Now I'm starting back home tonight Your hair has turned to silver I know you's fadin' too Daddy, dear old Daddy I'm comin' back to you Made my boyhood happy Still I longed to roam I've a-had my way, but now I'll stay I long for you and for home
[spoken] This here's the last verse. His Papa's hair had turned to silver. And when he got back home: [/spoken]
I'm dreaming tonight of an old Southern town The best friend I ever had Been wonderin' and worryin' and rovin' 'round Now I'm goin' back home to my Dad Your hair has turned to silver I know you're fading too Daddy, dear old Daddy I'm comin' back to you Made my boyhood happy Still I longed to roam I've a-had my way, but now I'll stay I long for you and for home
[Instrumental 4 bars out]
« Last Edit: July 17, 2020, 05:01:05 PM by Johnm »