Topic: Cannon's Jug Stompers Lyrics

[Jellyroll]

I haven't been here for a while, so somebody may be able to direct me to this topic if it has been solved already. But I'm trying to work out the last line of the last verse of Gus Cannon's "In My Younger Days," and I just cant get it.



The last verse goes:

I'll tell you partner, I ain't got a friend;
I say hayeeooo
I ain't got a friend;
They'll take your women (baby?) from you,
They'll ??

Here's as close as I can get to that last line, with a note from Bill Boslaugh:
"What I literally hear for the last line?is "They'll take your?baby from you?then ride in your face again."? But that doesn't make sense to me, so I'd offer the following choices, in no particular order:??


?They'll take your?baby from you, ahh, right in your face again

?They'll take your?baby from you, and lie?in?your face again

?They'll take your?baby from you then, right in your face again

?They'll take your?baby from you, then ride in your place again

?They'll take your?baby from you, and lie?to?your face again


R R Macloud, in his lyrics book has it as:? They'll take your?baby from you, then ride in your baby's bed..."

?bb

What do YOU think?

[uncle bud]

Hi Well Now - what record is this available on? I haven't heard it, I don't think.

[Jellyroll]

I don't know which collection this is from. I got it in a resource CD compiled by a fellow band member.

[uncle bud]

OK, sorted it out. The song is actually called Rooster Crowing Blues.

The line sounds something like "They'll take your baby from you, get right in your face again". Hard to say.

[Jellyroll]

Uncle Bud,
Thank you for setting me straight on the title; the compilation I got came without any titles at all, but I'd always called this song "In My Younger Days" because of the second verse.

"Get right in your face again" also makes sense. at least, that's what I'll use in performance until somebody can give me a better translation.

Thanks for your help.

[Chezztone]

The song is labeled "Goin' to Germany," but Noah Lewis (singing with Cannon's Jug Stompers) never adds the last syllable. The first line, "I'm goin' to Germa, I'll be back some old day," could be interpreted as the words of a WWI soldier saying goodbye to his gal as he leaves for the war. But there is no further support for this interpretation in the lyrics! It becomes a typical relationship blues. He is saying goodbye to her, but because of the bad things she has done to him, nothing about entering the service or heading overseas. So...could that first line be about something other than the country Germany? Is there a Germa, Tennessee, or some other state, or something that sounds like that, that the record company misinterpreted when writing the name of the song on the record label? Or if you do think it means "Germany," have you ever heard or read anyone else using "Germa" for "Germany"?

[uncle bud]

According to Google, there was a Germa, Arizona:

Owned by the German-American mining company, Germa was founded in 1896 as gold was discovered just south of Oatman. The post office was established January 20, 1903 and discontinued February 27, 1906. There was insufficient water to run the mill and the mine closed down in 1906. Today, only a few foundations mark the site.

But I've never thought the line referred to anything other than Germany and the war. Then again, I have have no particular reason for thinking that other than references to Germany and the war in other blues, e.g., Last Kind Words etc.

This is a favorite of mine from Cannon's Jug Stompers. I love the harp playing, and the singing.

Michael Jerome Browne does a nice version.

[GhostRider]

Unkie Bud:

I love it when you talk mining...

Alex

[blueshome]

I always understood that there was a place called Germantown near Memphis.

[Chezztone]

True! Germantown is a wealthy suburb of Memphis. Why didn't I think of that! I'll try to check into what it was like then (probably a settlement of German immigrants) and whether it was ever referred to as "Germa." Thanks, Chezz

[Bunker Hill]

I always understood that there was a place called Germantown near Memphis.

I'll throw this in to muddy the waters.
Back in the mists of time when this was first made available on the compilation The Great Jug Bands (Origin OJL4) the titling raise much comment. A reviewer noted that it was probably intended to be reference to the German community in Memphis. A debate ensued as to why the singer would "go away to be back some day". One suggestion put forward was Jermyn in Texas.

[crawley]

Tell you what, when I lived in Memphis I went to Germantown often. It's where you went to go to a mall with department stores and stuff. True it's a nicer area of Shelby County, TN, but there's no old stuff. No old houses, downtown, nuthin'. If anything it was probably just a few farms.
My two and a half year old son, James, who was born in Memphis actually sings it 'gwine to Germas'. Whether he got this from Lewis or not, I can't be sure.
Crawley

[Mike Billo]

It's probably reasonable to assume that any song recorded has been in the repertoire of the artist for some time before they find themself recording it.
  This might place the orgin of the song fairly close to the end of WW1.
  Songs about soldiers going away and returning someday were fairly common in mainstream popular music of the time.
  As has already been pointed out, why would the singer be bidding fond farewell and "be back some old day" to simply go to a nearby neighborhood?
  Plus, I'm certain I hear him singing it as "Goin' to German", rather than "Germa"  and my assumption is that it was a mis-pronunciation of Germany.

[blueshome]

I'm sure I read something by Bengt Olsen who was familar with the old Memphis blues guys that Gus Cannon himself had said the song referred to Germantown.

[crawley]

Can somebody help me out? I'm working on this tune, but there are a couple of lines I just can't get. "catch yourself the next freight train" and "gonna set downtown for a little sap.." lines have me kinda baffled. Those are the words I sing, but I'm sick of not being sure about them. If anybody else here can set me straight with these lines and any others that I've got wrong, please do



-aaron

now, i'm layin' around, little town
smokin' on a snipe cigar
i was waitin' for a hand out
just to catch an empty car
just as a freight train was rollin' by
my wait was all in vain
back home, back home you dirty bum
catch yourself the next freight train

now if you wanna be a little brown of mine
bring it with you when you come
layin' around, little town
head chock full of rum

gonna set downtown for a little sap
she's sittin' on another man's lap
well if you wanna be a little brown of mine
bring it with you when you come
bring it with you when you come

the last two verses are repeated