I find most of it hard to hear! I wish I could hear it better, though.

Thanks for the suggestions, Blues Vintage. I'm going to stick with "wiped"--"white" makes no sense, since he's already identified her as brownskin. I'll change to "stick" and Southern" as you suggested.

Yup, I agree, Eric. And while I particularly like his slower, lyrical songs, he also did some great up-tempo numbers, like "A Rag", "Snatch It And Grab It" and "Raggin' The Blues".

Hi all,
Buddy Boy Hawkins recorded "Snatch It Back Blues" at the same session at which he recorded "Number Three Blues", and it was his first session. Like "Number Three Blues" it has beautiful, relaxed time and an expanded chordal vocabulary. I'd very much appreciate help with these lyrics and the spoken introduction, wherever I have missing places or mistakes. Buddy Boy Hawkins had a vocal mannerism here of drawing out the last syllable in the first half of the first line of each verse and messing with it. I've played this for years without ever really figuring out the lyrics. Here is "Snatch It Back Blues":



INTRO (SPOKEN: Listen here, peoples--these are my blues I brung all the way from Birmingham. You know when they feels good to me, it's bound to get good for you. Now let's see how you like that?

I'm gon' lay my head, down on some railroad track
I say, I'm gon' lay my head, mama, down on some railroad track
Boy, when that train come along, (train whistle effect) I'm gonna snatch it back

Tell me, brownskin mama, where did you stay last night?
I said, tell me, mama, where did you stay last night?
With your hair all down, your face ain't never washed

I say I love you, pretty mama, I don't care what you do
I say I love you, mama, I don't care what you do
You go to your black man, mama, I'll stick to my gal

I say if you don't need your black woman, you didn't have to carry no heavy stall
If you don't want me, mama, you ain't got to carry your heavy stall (Spoken: How come I say that?)
Because I can get more jet-black women than a, Southern freight train can haul

I say oo-oo-oo-oo, twa, twa, twa, twa, twa twa, twa
I say hey-ey, mm-mm-mm-mm
Oo-oo-oo, oo-oo-oo-oo

CODA

Edited 4/7 to pick up corrections from Blues Vintage
Edited 4/15 to pick up corrections from banjochris

All best,
Johnm


 

I agree with Chris,  "Cause" after Buddy Boy  (2.3)

All these women gets mad, Buddy Boy, 'cause


It sounds like "won't" but Hawkins possibly sings "want" or "wants".
It makes better sense as "twa" seems to refer to the female genitalia.

I remember that song by Charley Jordan with Peetie Wheatstraw on piano (last verse):

She's got these great big legs and also big whoppin' thighs (2x)
She got something in her twee twee twa, will make a blind man open his eyes