Author Topic: Muddy Waters Lyrics (Read 5635 times)

lindy · « **on:** March 08, 2007, 08:07:50 PM »

For the past year or so, one CD I keep going back to over and over is ?Mississippi: The Blues Lineage,? part of the ?Deep River of Song? series of Alan Lomax recordings. Every single cut is a pearl.

The song I?m working on is ?I Be Bound to Write to You,? the acoustic precursor to ?I Can?t Be Satisfied.? The lyrics on the Lineage CD are different from the ones on the two versions of the same tune found on ?The Complete Plantation Recordings? CD.

These may be the only Muddy Waters lyrics that haven't been written out and posted on a website somewhere. At least on a site that I can find. Here?s what I?ve got so far:

Lord I know my little baby,
She don?t know I?m here.
She don?t feel ??______________??
She don?t even feel my care.
I be bound, I be bound to write to you.
??_____________________??
And I don?t care what in the world you do.

Well I feel sometime,
Like the time ain?t long.
Feel like my baby,
She?s gonna try to leave my home.
I be bound, I be bound to write to you.
??_____________________??
And I don?t care what in the world you do.

Well I know my little baby,
She?s gonna jump and shout.
That ol? train be late, boys,
And I come walking out.
I be bound, I be bound to write to you.
??_____________________??
And I don?t care what in the world you do.

Well I?m leaving this morning,
Don?t you wanna go?
[ ?? Take off the tail gal ?? ]
When I come back here no more.
I be bound, I be bound to write to you.
??_____________________??
And I don?t care what in the world you do.

Well if anybody ask you,
[ ?? Who can pull the sun? ?? ]
Tell them Mr. Heartbreaker, boys,
That old man been here and gone.
Lord I?m bound, I?m bound to write to you.
??_____________________??
And I don?t care what in the world you do.

The only guess I have for the refrain line that I?m completely blank on is ?I can reach for you right now, And I don?t care what in the world you do.?

All suggestions appreciated, as are any interpretations of the lyrics.

Lindy

Slack · « **Reply #1 on:** March 08, 2007, 08:32:17 PM »

Hi Lindy,

Quote

I be bound, I be bound to write to you.
??_____________________??

I hear: Babe, I'll read yo' lil' ol' writin' hea

Babe, I'll read your little old writing here
(but does't care what she writes)
And I don't care what in the world you do

Kinda makes sense...

banjochris · « **Reply #2 on:** March 09, 2007, 01:06:06 AM »

I hear the missing line of the refrain the same as Slack, except the last word is "gal", not "here"

Other missing lines:
Lord I know my little baby,
She don?t know I?m here.
She don?t feel ??______________??
She don?t even feel my care.
This is the hardest line to hear -- I think he's saying "she don't feel love, gal" and not enunciating.

Well I?m leaving this morning,
Don?t you wanna go?
[ ?? Take off the tail gal ?? ]
When I come back here no more.
"Take God to tell, gal" -- you can hear this line also in the other version where it's easier to understand -- it also pops up in Patton's "Screamin' and Hollerin'"

Well if anybody ask you,
[ ?? Who can pull the sun? ?? ]
Tell them Mr. Heartbreaker, boys,
That old man been here and gone.
"Who composed this song"

Chris

lindy · « **Reply #3 on:** March 09, 2007, 09:55:08 AM »

Here's the latest with your suggestions included:

For the refrain:

I be bound, I be bound to write to you.
[ Babe, I'll read yo' lil' ol' write here ]
[ Babe, I'll read your little old writing [ "here" or "gal" ]
[ I can read your little write gal, ]
And I don?t care what in the world you do.

(I hear snippets of all three lines, depending on the verse and what I can hear from the two takes on the Plantation CD.)

Verses:

Lord I know my little baby,
She don?t know I?m here.
[ She don't feel love, gal, ]
She don?t even feel my care.
I be bound . . .

Well I feel sometime,
Like the time ain?t long.
Feel like my baby,
She?s gonna try to leave my home.
I be bound . . .

Well I know my little baby,
She?s gonna jump and shout.
That ol? train be late, boys,
And I come walking out.
I be bound . . .

Well I?m leaving this morning,
Don?t you wanna go?
Take God to tell, gal
When I come back here no more.
I be bound . . .

Well if anybody ask you,
Who composed this song?
Tell them Mr. Heartbreaker, boys,
That old man been here and gone.
I be bound . . .

I appreciate anyone re-listening to confirm these good suggestions. I could only hear the "s" in the word "composed" in one verse on one of the Plantation takes, which is too bad because I really liked the line "Who can pull the sun?" Maybe I'll keep it.

Lindy

bird to whistle · « **Reply #4 on:** June 30, 2013, 07:58:05 PM »

I mistakenly did the first version from the The Complete Plantation Recordings. I'll leave them up in case someone wants these.

Lord I be bound I be bound,
bound to write to you.
I can read your writing gal
and I don't care what you do.

I be bound, I be bound to write to you.
Babe I read you letter right here
and I don't care what in the world you do.

Well I feel sometimes
like the time ain't long.
Feel just like my baby
now she trying to do me wrong.

I be bound, I be bound to write to you.
Yeah honey I can read your letter right here and
I don't care what in the world you do.

Well I'm leaving this morning
don't you want to go?
Take God to tell gal
now I come back here no more.

I be bound, I be bound to write to you.
Now honey I can read your right here and
I don't care what in the world you do.

Well now ain't it lonesome ain't it lonesome
sleeping by yourself.
Woman that you've been lovin boy
now she be lovin someone else.

I be bound, I be bound to write to you.
Yeah honey I can read you right here
and I don't care what in the world you do.

yeah man

Well now if anybody asks you
who composed this song.
Tell em Mr. Heartbreakerboy
That ol man been here and gone.

I see trouble,
he gonna be bound to write to you.

Now honey you know I can read your letter right here
and don't care what in the world you do.

bird to whistle · « **Reply #5 on:** June 30, 2013, 09:31:16 PM »

This is what I got from the "Mississippi: The Blues Lineage" recording.

I think he says "letter" throughout, but it sometimes sounds like "lil old". He also says "now" before "babe". Also, if you compare the last word in the third line to the line "Take God to tell gal". The word God sound very similar. That's why I think it's what he is saying in the third line.

Lord I know my little old baby
she don't know I'm here.
She don't feel a God
She don't even feel no care

I be bound, I be bound to write to you.
Now babe, I can read your letter right here,
and I don't care what in the world you do.

Well I feel sometimes,
like the time ain't long.
Feel like my baby,
she gonna try to leave my home.

I be bound I be bound to write to you.
Now babe, I can read your letter right here,
And I don't care what in the world you do.

Well I know my little old baby,
She gonna jump and shout.
That old train be late boy now
and I come walking out.

I be bound, I be bound to write to you.
Now babe I can read your letter right here
and I don't care what in the world you do.

Well I'm leaving this morning,
don't you wanna go?
Take God to tell gal
when I come back here no more.

I be bound, I be bound to write you.
Now babe, I read your letter right here
I don't care what in the world you do.

Well if anybody asks you
who composed the song.
tell em Mr. Heartbreakerboy
that old man been here and gone

Woman I'm bound, I'm bound to write to you.
Now babe I read your letter right here,
and I don't care what on the world you do.

jake_fantom · « **Reply #6 on:** July 19, 2015, 03:09:15 PM »

OK, lyric hounds -- this one has eluded me for years so let me ask the experts. The song is Streamline Woman, Muddy Water's version. The line that escapes me is: "Pull down your windows, baby, pull down your window blinds, so your next door neighbor won't hear your (WHAT?) whine." It is usually listed in transcriptions as "that old troubador" which is patently incorrect. On some other versions, I have seen the word listed as Frigidaire (as in the old refrigerators). This is a possibility, although Muddy seems to pronounce a word that is closer to "thrilldare," whatever that may be. This particular song is loaded with electrical metaphors, and I am wondering if the reference isn't to those bowl-shaped insulators on the old high lines, which do whine. Anyway, enough idle amateur speculation. Let's hear from the authorities.

One-Eyed Ross · « **Reply #7 on:** July 19, 2015, 05:51:50 PM »

I hear "Frigidaire whine".....

jake_fantom · « **Reply #8 on:** July 20, 2015, 03:12:57 PM »

Maybe so, still not sure. Thanks for weighing in!

Prof Scratchy · « **Reply #9 on:** July 21, 2015, 01:41:51 AM »

Agree with one eyed Ross. That said, I used to play in a band in which the singer, unable to decipher the lyric as Muddy sings it, inserted his own 'bump and grind' to produce a single entendre version of the song!

Johnm · « **Reply #10 on:** August 18, 2015, 03:00:05 PM »

Hi all,
I merged the recent thread on Muddy Waters' "Streamline Woman" with the pre-existing Muddy Waters Lyrics thread.
All best,
Johnm

Chezztone · « **Reply #11 on:** January 25, 2021, 03:58:31 PM »

What is the "meerest feeling" Muddy Waters sings about in "Country Blues" (from Plantation Recordings)? I've thought of it as a strange pronunciation of "meanest," but unsure how that would happen. A British writer transcribed it as "miserablest," but it would have to be quite a contraction for that to come out "meerest." Anyone have any ideas? Thanks! Cheers, Chezz

Rivers · « **Reply #12 on:** January 25, 2021, 04:02:40 PM »

meanest, IMO

lindy · « **Reply #13 on:** January 25, 2021, 05:08:50 PM »

Years ago, just before I gave up trying to understand this lyric, I copped it as "miseryest," with the first "s" completely missing.

Part of the reason why is at the end of the same verse, where it sounds like he's singing "misery old feeling" (or "mizry-ol' feeling").

I probably have as much chance of being right on this as the Brit writer you cited, but I'll put it out there and let the hogs have at it.

L

banjochris · « **Reply #14 on:** January 25, 2021, 05:18:47 PM »

Lindy, I think you're right on with "miseryest."
Chris

Johnm · « **Reply #15 on:** January 25, 2021, 05:21:26 PM »

I agree with you, Lindy, with the exception that I would leave the "y" out, so it would end up being "miserous", or "miserest" as in either, "having or characterized by having misery" or "most miserable". The vowel sound in the first syllable is a short "i" sound, like in "hit", and there is also a soft "s", almost like a "z" at the end of the first syllable.

lindy · « **Reply #16 on:** January 26, 2021, 11:36:24 AM »

As long as we're on the topic of Muddy Waters lyrics, here's one I'm stumped by, his version of Rollin' and Tumblin' on this LP:

I'm perplexed by the verse at about 2:20-2:25. This is what I've always heard:

Well I could-a had a-ligion [sic], this bad old thing __________.
Well I could-a had religion, this bad old thing ___________.
Well now whiskey and women, would not let me be.

However, sometimes I wonder if I'm hearing a Lady Mondegreen for "a-ligion" and "religion." In the second line I hear a very faint "a" before he sings the "re" in what I think is "religion."

Phonetically, the words in the blank sound to me like "mm-bay" or "nn-bay," which at one time I thought might be "mm babe," but there's no "b" sound in the last part of the word.

FWIW, that ancient bluesman Jeff Beck sings "I could-a had religion in this bad old Sunday."

Muddy recorded several versions of this song, but this is the only one that *I* know contains this verse. I also think he never recorded an acoustic version. If there are any big MW fans out there who know otherwise, do tell.

Lindy

Johnm · « **Reply #17 on:** January 26, 2021, 12:11:04 PM »

Hi Lindy,
I think he's singing "this bad old same day", which would make it much the same meaning as "this very day" which is sung by other singers at that place in that verse.
All best,
Johnm

banjochris · « **Reply #18 on:** January 26, 2021, 01:42:47 PM »

I think it's either what John has or possibly "this ver' old same day," meaning "very" crammed into one syllable.
Chris

waxwing · « **Reply #19 on:** January 26, 2021, 01:55:15 PM »

Sounds to me like:

Well I could-a had a religion, this bad ol' thing, hmm, ba'(be)?
Well I could-a had a religion, this bad ol' thing, hmm, ba'(be)?
Well now whiskey and women, would not let me be.

I think you are hearing "a religion", Lindy. He phrases it differently, but all the sounds are there. Then he refer's to himself as "this bad ol' thing," and then jokingly asks his woman, "hmm, babe?" A contraction of "babe" to "bay" is not uncommon. I think Muddy was a jokester. He admonished Van Ronk that Hootchie Cootchie Man was suposed to be funny.

Wax

banjochris · « **Reply #20 on:** January 26, 2021, 02:30:02 PM »

Also I'm pretty sure the last word of the third line is "pray," not "be."

lindy · « **Reply #21 on:** January 26, 2021, 03:51:10 PM »

OK, I'll go with John's input, Chris's "pray," and Wax's "a-religion." Sometimes I still hear the same "thing" word that Wax hears, and sometimes not.

I'll offer these lyrics, all of which are standard in most versions of this song, except for the last verse (which I've never heard in any other song, have you?):

Rolling and Tumbling
Muddy Waters
(one of many versions, this one from "The Real Folk Blues")

Well I rolled and I tumbled, I cried the whole night long. x2
Well I woke up this morning, didn’t know right from wrong.

Well I told my baby, before I left that town. x2
Well don’t you let nobody, tear my barrelhouse down.

[Hums and scats one verse.]

Well if the river was whiskey, and I was a diving duck. x2
Well I would dive to the bottom, never would I come up.

Well I coulda had a religion, this bad old same day. x2
Well now whiskey and women, would not let me pray.

blueshome · « **Reply #22 on:** January 27, 2021, 05:16:00 AM »

Going back;
“ I hear "Frigidaire whine”” in Streamline Woman. Muddy used this in the version he recorded for Swiss radio in the 70’s.

banjochris · « **Reply #23 on:** January 27, 2021, 09:37:21 AM »

Quote from: lindy on January 26, 2021, 03:51:10 PM

I'll offer these lyrics, all of which are standard in most versions of this song, except for the last verse (which I've never heard in any other song, have you?):

[snip]

Well I coulda had a religion, this bad old same day. x2
Well now whiskey and women, would not let me pray.

Son House sings it in "Preachin' the Blues Part 1" – I would assume Muddy got it from Son.
Chris

lindy · « **Reply #24 on:** January 27, 2021, 11:04:44 AM »

Thank you, Chris!

MarkC · « **Reply #25 on:** January 28, 2021, 10:12:58 AM »

My two cents - that recording is so clear, and all the other lyrics so easily understood, that I wonder if Muddy just forgot those words while recording and fudged them.

Maybe there’s another song with that blues couplet somewhere.

MarkC · « **Reply #26 on:** January 28, 2021, 10:16:39 AM »

Somehow I didn’t see Banjochris’s comment. Spot on regarding Son House.

MarkC · « **Reply #27 on:** January 28, 2021, 10:28:28 AM »

I just listened to Son House’s Preachin’ the Blues Part 1 - I hear his version as:

Oh ‘coulda had religion
Lord this very day

Blues Vintage · « **Reply #28 on:** March 05, 2021, 05:23:42 AM »

Screamin' And Cryin'

Muddy Waters – Vocals, Guitar
Jimmy Rogers – Guitar
Johnny Jones – Piano
Leroy Foster – Drums

Chicago, Illinois
Ca. September 1949

Piano in E

Screamin' and cryin' thinkin' about my past life and gone
Screamin' and cryin' thinkin' about my past life and gone
Well you know I used to have a sweet little mother well boy you know I had such a happy home

Screamin' and cryin' thinkin' about the time have been
Screamin' and cryin' thinkin' about the time have been
Well you know I used to have seven wives well boys you know I used to have twenty girlfriends

Screamin' and cryin' wonderin' where’s my peoples gone
Screamin' and cryin' wonderin' where’s my peoples gone
Well you know I feel my poor self sinkin' down child I don’t think I can last very long

Blues Vintage · « **Reply #29 on:** June 16, 2021, 12:11:46 PM »

I Got My Brand On You

Muddy Waters – vocals, guitar
Otis Spann – Piano
James Cotton - Harmonica
Pat Hare - Guitar
Andrew Stephens - Bass
Francis Clay - Drums

Newport, Rhode Island
July 3, 1960

Piano in G

I got my brand on you, I got my brand on you
I got my brand on you, I got my brand on you
There ain't nothin' you can do, I got my brand on you

Well, you may go away and leave me, but I ‘clare you can’t stay, you gonna come runnin' home, baby, home to me some day
I got my brand on you, I got my brand on you
There ain't nothin' you can do, I got my brand on you

I don’t put my brand you know, baby, on no certain part, but when I kiss you, darlin’, I’ll stab it in your heart
I got my brand on you, I got my brand on you
There ain't nothin' you can do, I got my brand on you

Well, you know you can call on your doctor, baby, there ain’t nothin’ he can say, but shake his head, baby you know, and slowly walk away
I got my brand on you, I got my brand on you
There ain't nothin' you can do, I got my brand on you

GUITAR/PIANO SOLO

Well, you know I got you, baby you know, like a fish out on the line, I can reel you in, darlin’, most any time
I got my brand on you, I got my brand on you
There ain't nothin' you can do, I got my brand on you

Blues Vintage · « **Reply #30 on:** August 16, 2021, 04:13:06 PM »

Little Anna Mae

Otis Spann played guitar on the session. I can’t find conclusive evidence who played guitar on this cut. The musicians below were present at the gig.

Muddy Waters
Otis Spann
Luther 'Georgia Boy-Snake' Johnson
Sammy Lawhorn
Lawrence 'Little Sonny' Wimberley
S.P. Leary

October 18, 1967
Montreal, Canada

Standard tuning, A position

INTRO

Hush, I heard, I heard little Anna Mae callin' my name
Hush, I heard, I heard little Anna Mae callin' my name
You know the girl speak lisp-tonguely, she don’t talk so doggone plain

Anna Mae, is a good little girl, but she love to run around at night
Anna Mae, she's a good little girl, but she just love to run around at night
But I know she loves me, you know the little girl’s gonna treat me right

Anna Mae, Anna Mae, I don’t want you foolin’ ‘round with no other men
Anna Mae, Anna Mae, I don’t want you foolin’ ‘round with no other men
You know I’m kinda half crazy, little girl you know I don’t understand

(Spoken: Anna Mae don’t do nothin’ wrong)

Hush, I heard peoples, I heard little Anna Mae callin' my name
Hush, I heard, I heard little Anna Mae callin' my name
How come the girl don’t talk plain, that’s something peoples I don’t understand

SOLO (Spoken: I’m gon’ play one for you’s boy, have mercy, have mercy)

Goodbye, Anna Mae, I don’t have no more to say
Goodbye, Anna Mae, little girl I don’t have no more to say
Well, I know you’s a wrong doing girl, I'm gon’ let you go ‘head and have your way

Johnm · « **Reply #31 on:** August 20, 2021, 10:45:07 AM »

Hi Harry,
Thanks for posting this one, I'd never heard it before. There are two guitars on the track and no other instruments. They're both playing out of A position in standard tuning, and the solo is kind of an homage to Robert Johnson's solo from Scrapper Blackwell on "Kind-Hearted Woman". It sounds to me like Muddy sings "Annie Mae" right through the song, despite its title. I think in the tagline to the first verse Muddy sings "lisp-tonguely", coming up with a new adverb.
All best,
Johnm

Blues Vintage · « **Reply #32 on:** August 20, 2021, 02:10:56 PM »

I'm sorry. Off course it's A position. So recognisable from that turnaround too.
In almost every live Muddy YouTube video I see him playing with the capo in E position.
I made the "lisp-tonguely" change. "Annie" vs "Anna" is hard to hear. I keep what I had.

dj · « **Reply #33 on:** August 20, 2021, 05:38:08 PM »

In Muddy's original 1947 version of Little Anna Mae he also pronounced the name as "Annie".

Blues Vintage · « **Reply #34 on:** February 09, 2024, 10:57:15 AM »

Jitterbug Blues

Muddy Waters – Vocals, Guitar
James “Beale Street” Clark – Piano
Homer Harris – Guitar
Ransom Knowling – Bass
Judge Riley – Drums

September 27, 1946
Chicago, Illinois

Piano in G

INTRO

Be my baby, Anna Mae, don’t fool with no jitterbug
Come on and be my baby, Anna Mae, don’t you fool with no jitterbug
Now you know, jitterbug will stay all night with you, get up and tell everything he heard

Please don’t love him, don’t let him take you to the picture show
Please don’t love him, don’t let him take you to the picture show
Well I, you know he gonna beg you to buy his ticket, before you leave he'll beg you for more

Jitterbug is a man, honey, don’t mean you no good
You know, jitterbug is a man, honey, don’t mean you no good
Now you know, he got every woman, round there in his neighborhood (Spoken: Alright now)

ENSEMBLE SOLO (Spoken: Play a long time)

Wake up and don’t be no fool, honey, please don’t be no fool
Wake up and get hip to yourself, honey, please don’t you be no fool
You go down with a jitterbug, you have broke your daddy’s rule

banjochris · « **Reply #35 on:** February 09, 2024, 12:18:28 PM »

One suggestion is the end of 2.3 "before YOU LEAVE HE'LL BEG YOU for more"
Chris

Blues Vintage · « **Reply #36 on:** February 09, 2024, 12:52:15 PM »

Thanks, Chris. I knew what I had wasn't right.

Blues Vintage · « **Reply #37 on:** February 10, 2024, 02:26:28 PM »

Hard Day Blues

James “Beale Street” Clark – Piano
Homer Harris – Guitar
Ransom Knowling – Bass
Judge Riley – Drums

September 27, 1946
Chicago, Illinois

Piano in G

INTRO

Had some hard days, out in the falling rain
Yes, I had some hard days, out in the falling rain
Well you know, I didn’t had nobody to love me, people, wasn’t that a crying shame

Had some hard days, when I didn’t have no place to go
Yes, I had some hard days, when I didn’t have no place to go
Well you know, the little girl that I was loving, she put me out in the ice and snow

Had some hard days, when I {stole} away and cried
Well, I had some hard days, when I {stole} away and cried
I didn’t have no blues, but I just couldn’t be satisfied (Spoken: Alright, Jimmy)

ENSEMBLE SOLO (Spoken: Give me the blues, Jimmy)

Had some hard days, when I didn’t even have no friends (Spoken: Mighty hard on you, boy)
Well, I had some hard days, when I didn’t even have no friends
Well you know, I didn’t had nobody to love me, I didn’t have no one to take me in

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Author Topic: Muddy Waters Lyrics (Read 5635 times)