Topic: Cannon's Jug Stompers Lyrics

[banjochris]

Lord I wouldn't a-been [a-strolling down this way]

"Oh the [? doin' is surely kin to you]"

After all I've done, you [rollin' cross my...]

I hear these a little differently (from dj too) -- in order:

Lord I wouldn't a-been a struggling child today

Oh the life you livin' is surely killin' you

The one I love, you rollin' cross my ...

Chris

[uncle bud]

Thanks again, dj and Chris. I'm hearing what Chris is hearing on Big Railroad. I'll make the changes.

[uncle bud]

The Jug Stompers recorded "Riley's Wagon" on September 20, 1928, in Memphis, with Gus Cannon on banjo, jug and vocal, Elijah Avery on guitar, and Noah Lewis on harp. Again, played out of C.

I have no idea whether I'm ridiculously off-base on the pumpkin stealing in the last verse, but that's what I'm hearing.



Riley's Wagon - Cannon's Jug Stompers

Oh they tell me Riley been here and gone
Oh Riley's wagon done been here and gone
Well he left me here for to sing this song

Well tell, little woman, tell me truth
Well you tell me, little woman, tell me truth
Who in the world, Lord, goin' home with you

Said a man stole a pun'kin, carried it up in town
Man stole a pun'kin, carried it up in town
Police blowed his whistle, man throwed his pun'kin down

[uncle bud]

This thread started with questions about the lyrics to "The Rooster's Crowing Blues" but doesn't actually contain the complete lyrics. "The Rooster's Crowing Blues" was recorded October 3, 1929, in Memphis. It featured Gus Cannon on banjo, jug and impossible-to-decipher spoken interjections, Hosea Woods on guitar and vocals, and Noah Lewis on harp. Played out of G.

If anyone can decipher the spoken bit in the last verse...

The Rooster's Crowing Blues - Cannon's Jug Stompers


[Can tell you] what makes a rooster crow at the break of day
It's hey-eee -- at the break of day
That's to let the rounder know the working man is on his way

It's hey-eee, he is on his way
It's hey-eee, he is on his way
That's to let the rounder know the working man is on his way

I used to be a lover, baby, in my younger days
It's hey-eee, in my younger days
Now I'm old and feeble but I still got my lovin' ways

(Sing it Mr. Woods, sing it)

Hey-eee -- in my younger days
It's hey-eee -- in my younger days
Now I'm old and feeble but I still got my lovin' ways

I'll tell you partner, why I ain't got a friend
[ (Woods singin' 'bout [Beebee/Phoebe] now) ]
Hey-eee -- why I ain't got a friend
They'll take your baby from you, get right in your face and grin

edited to add corrections from dj and banjochris

[dj]

You've mis-transcribed the personnel on Rooster's Crowing Blues, uncle bud.  B&GR4 has Hosea Woods on vocal and guitar, which must be correct, as Gus Cannon's asides are addressed to "Woods".

The spoken interjection in the last verse sounds like "Woods singin' 'bout [Beebee/Phoebe] now"  I'm fairly certain about "Woods" and "'bout".  What I hear as "Singin'" could be "sing it", and the last three syllables could be something else entirely.  I hope that helps.      

[uncle bud]

Thanks dj, it's a helluva lot better than what I had. Beebee/Phoebe probably needs to be heard better, but I think you are on the right track.

[banjochris]

They'll take your baby from you, then [ride in your baby's bed]

UB - I think dj's on the right line with that aside, too -- the last line is:

They'll take your baby from you, get right in your face and grin.
Chris

[uncle bud]

Thanks Chris. I notice I had something close to that at the start of the thread but heard something completely different yesterday. Will make the change, which now sounds right to me.

[uncle bud]

"Walk Right In" was recorded October 1, 1929, in Memphis, with Gus Cannon on banjo, jug and backing vocals, Hosea Woods on guitar, kazoo and lead vocal, and Noah Lewis on harp. Played out of C.

The lyrics in various 1960s cover version include the line "Do you want to lose your mind?" I've transcribed it that way, though am not sure about the start of that line, especially in the first occurrence.



Walk Right In - Cannon's Jug Stompers

Walk right in, sit right down
And baby let your mind roll on
Hey, walk right in, stay a little while
But daddy, you can't stay too long
Now, it's everybody's talkin' 'bout that new way you walkin'
[See if] you want to lose your mind?
Hey, walk right in, sit right down
And daddy let your mind roll on

Hey, walk right in, sit right down
And daddy let your mind roll on
Hey walk right in, stay a little while
But daddy you can't stay too long
'Cause everybody's talkin' 'bout that new way you're walkin'
[Do] you want to lose your mind?
Hey, walk right in (Sing it, brother, sing it), sit right down
And daddy let your mind roll on

(Play it, man)

(Blow it, Cannon)

Walk right in, sit right down
Daddy, let your mind roll on
Hey, walk right in, stay a little while
But daddy, you can't stay too long
Now, it's everybody's talkin' 'bout that new way you're walkin'
[Do] you want to lose your mind?
Hey, walk right in, sit right down
And daddy let your mind roll on

[uncle bud]

"Wolf River Blues" was recorded November 24, 1930, in Memphis, with Gus Cannon on banjo and vocal, Hosea Woods on guitar, and Noah Lewis on harp. B&GR4 has Woods on lead vocal, but this sounds like Gus, and fits into his family of tunes out of C like Jonestown Blues. B&GR4 also lists an unknown jug player, which could be, though it sounds somewhat like Hosea Woods could be playing kazoo in the bass register and imitating a jug. Not sure what Gus sings to end the first verse.




Wolf River Blues ? Cannon?s Jug Stompers

Said I left Memphis, went out on the Macon Road
Boys, I left Memphis, went out on Macon Road
To Wolf River, sit out on the [pier]

(Would y'all play that.)

Cried Wolf River, Wolf River, sure is deep and wide
Cried Wolf River, Wolf River, sure is deep and wide
I'm gonna cross that river, go down the other side

(Play ?em now, boys.)

So long, so long, Wolf River, so long
So long, so long, Wolf River, so long
All I need?s somebody help me to sing this song

[uncle bud]

"Madison Street Rag" was recorded January 30, 1928, in Memphis, with Gus Cannon on banjo, spoken vocal and whistling, Ashley Thompson on guitar and Noah Lewis on harp. It's a masterful performance, one that was recorded a few months earlier in November 1927 as an equally stunning Banjo Joe duet with Blind Blake. Played out of F.



Madison Street Rag - Cannon's Jug Stompers

First time I was in Memphis, with Tenne- with a -ssee
I was walkin' on up Main Street
I meets an old friend of mine.

He say, "Hello there, Joe."
I say, "Hello."
He said, "What that you got in that suitcase?"
I say, "It's a banjo."
He say, "Can you play the Madison Street Rag?"
I said, "No man, I don't know about the Madison Street Rag."
He says, "S'posin' I whistle it?"
I say, "All right, whistle it. I can play it."
So hear he goes.

Oh, ah, mmm-mm
(whistling solo)

I said, "Yeah man, I can play that."
He said, "Come on, go down here on Madison, corner Fourth and Madison with me."

So I goes on down on there.
We gets right on the corner.
There we was down here on the corner.

Right down here on the corner, now we're startin' a ball.
Oh man, we havin' a good time. Mmm-mm.
In a few minute, here come the man with the headache stick.
And you know one thing, that boy run himself off and left me.
There he go.
Catch 'im.

Mmm-mm, play it a long time.
Mmm-mm, aww shuck.
Now ain't that good?
Mmm-mm.

Aw shuck.

Mmm-mm, play it now, boy.
I'm gonna quit.

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Congratulations and thanks to uncle bud and others who have contributed to all of the recent Gus Cannon lyric transcriptions.  This doesn't pertain exactly to lyrics, but there is a post at http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?amp;Itemid=60&topic=707.msg51651#msg51651 that discusses Hosea Woods' back-up approach, which is very distinctive-sounding, for "Walk Right In".
All best,
Johnm

[Gumbo]

Warning: this topic has not been posted in for at least 120 days.

well we need to do something about that! 

There's a great thread about Gus Cannon over at the banjo hangout archive:
http://www.banjohangout.org/archive/178882



here's an index of lyrics in this thread:
Feather Bed (page 2)
Tired Chicken Blues (page 2)
Poor Boy (page 3)
Going To German' (page 3)
Can You Blame The Coloured man (page 3)
Bring It With You When you Come (page 4)
Jonestown Blues (page 4)
Prison Wall Blues (page 4)
Viola Lee Blues (page 4)
Minglewood Blues (page 4)
Last Chance Blues (page 4)
Pretty Mama Blues (page 4)
Mule get Up In The Alley (page 5)
My Money Never Runs Out (page 5)
Springdale Blues (page 5)
Big Railroad blues (page 5)
Heart Breakin blues (page 5)
Riley's Wagon (page 6)
Walk Right In (page 6)
Rooster Crowing Blues (page 6)
Wolf River Blues (page 6)

there are some instrumentals too
Pig Ankle Strut (inst)
Ripley Blues (inst)
Jazz Gypsy Blues (inst)
Cairo Rag (inst)
Hollywood Rag (inst)
Noah's Blues (inst)
Bugle Call Rag (inst)

anyone know if Fourth and Beale is a song or a tune? it was the flip of The Last Chance by Cannon and Wood.

EDITED page numbers after thread merge.

[uncle bud]

Yes, I've been following Tony Thomas's Gus writings with interest.

I merged the stray Banjo Joe (Gus Cannon) songs Gumbo pointed with this thread so everything is in one place.

[Sternococktail]

Hi!

I know there is a little confusion about that term referring to the female partner - "faro", "fairo" etc - but I am suggesting "farrow". That word used to designate "a young pig". As a term of endearment it would be regarded as unpolite if not rude in our days, but then (well before Germaine Greer) a woman could be called pigmeat - and it was meant as an compliment! [Of course I mean 'afro american' women in rural areas in the deep south]

I have heard "heifer" i blues texts, and at least Johnny Cash uses the word "mare" for his beloved in his song Darling Companion. And some guys calls his girl "kitten"?

This came up when I tried to copy the text for Minglewood Blues with Cannon's Jug Stompers.
(I have actually met the man - In Memphis early summer of 1969. He was well over 90, but he worked cutting grass along the highways to supplement his pension. He had a much younger woman, don't remember if they were formally married or not.)

Sadly enough, it was in the 70's as I was active in the blues, so I haven't read the books and magazines etc that have ben published since. But I plan to return to what turned out to be the real great love of my life.

Quote:"farrow - Now the term for a litter of pigs, it originally meant "young pig," from Indo-European porkos.
See also related terms for litter."


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