Topic: Frank Stokes Lyrics

[uncle bud]

Slack, great idea. Good to hear yer slackjaw flappin' too...? Takes me right to PT!

Nice lesson. I will make sure I learn these. Perhaps another Frank Stokes tune as well. They're such fun duets.

One thing to note about the Dan Sane part is that it is possibly played with a (gasp) flatpick, as John pointed out in his lesson last year. Could be done either way, or with a thumbpick acting like a flatpick, but I think some kind of pick gives a nice attack for the Dan Sane part.

[Slack]

Good point UB.  I'm using bare thumb, whcih when played with another guitar would not have the right attack (I need to work on my thumb callous however, I hate blisters the first day of camp) The tempo is quick and Dan Sane is really moving on those bass lines - I think a flatpick works better than a thumb pick as you can choke up and get better control.  Hopeferly we'll slow it down a bit. 

Here is the tune, in case someone does not have it

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[Johnm]

Hi all,
What a great idea, John D!  A similar plan could possibly be put together by the English/European Weenie contingent who were at the EBA Blues Week last summer, where we likewise worked on "What's The Matter Blues".  For anyone eager to forge ahead with more Sheiks material, I would give the strongest possible recommendation to "Last Go Round".  It is a really exciting tune, and the interplay between Stokes and Sane's guitar parts is outstanding, even by their standards.  It's a great tune to sing, too.  Frank Stokes really cuts loose.
I agree with Andrew and John D. that a flat pick works best for Sane's parts; the clarity of attack and projection and speed all seem to work best with a pick.  One thing you all might consider, too:  remembering that Sane is always playing out of the position that is the IV of the position that Stokes is playing in, it sometimes works out advantageously for the Sane part to be played on a guitar that is tuned a whole step low.  This lets you work in lower keys, which may be better for singing, depending on your vocal range, and allows for a relative capo placement in which the Stokes part is capoed only three frets higher than the Sane part, rather than five frets. 
If any of you are feeling adventurous, you might make up some harmony vocal parts, too.  A lot of the Sheiks songs could really sound good that way, I think.
All best,
Johnm

[Slack]

A similar plan could possibly be put together by the English/European Weenie contingent who were at the EBA Blues Week last summer, where we likewise worked on "What's The Matter Blues".

Ooo, Ooo - International Battle of the Bands!    (or maybe battle of discordance?)  Great idea, I'd forgtten the EBA is coming up shortly too. 

OK, here is a Dan Sane variation - a very cool, funky variation for the "C" part. Hunt up the flatpick boys.

And a Frank Stokes variation or break part in which he does a simple descending run substitution of the opening "D" part.

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[dj]

Nice lesson.  Thanks!

[Slack]

Thanks David!

Here is the last 'Quick & Dirty' installment.  The variation that Dan Sane uses behind Frank Stokes singing and a couple of observations on flat picking.

Cheers,
slack

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[GhostRider]

Howdy:

This is a great tune, with Stokes' rock solid beat and his lyrics-rich verses.

He starts out for two verses as a normal 12 bar blues, then switches, beginning verse three, to a chorus blues.

As usual with FS I have some problems with some of the lyrics. I hope Weenies can help.



Nehi Mama Blues
Frank Stokes

Standard tuning, key of C
Capo II

1) White man take the blues, he walk to the river an' si' down (x2)
If the blues get too heavy, he'll jump overboard and drown.

2) Coloured man take the blues, he walk to the river and sit down (x2)
Gets done by nehi mama and he turn right short around
Ah mama wonder what's goin' on, mama since I left town

3) Now it's east and west, north and south while the nehi women have them turn me out
Chorus:
'Cus they can Eagle Rock me, they can stop me, from the things that I used to do
I'vm got the nehi blues, mama don't know what in the world to do.

4) An' now T for Texas, T for Tennessee, if it's a mighty fair lettre but it's stole away from me
Chorus

5) instrumental verse

6) Now down on Third St., the corner of Beale, where the nehi women ha' got a terrible spiel
Chorus

7) Now papa got to thinkin', ma' folks got to cryin', but nehi woman stays on my mind
Chorus

Eight) instrumental verse

9) Now (listen that's the police, bangin') on my do', the nehi women keep me every where I go
Chorus

10) instrumental verse

11) instrumental (8 bars)
I've got the nehi blues, don't know what in the world to do.


Edited to reflect comments below

[dj]

Here's what I hear:

Colored man take the blues, he walk to the river and si' down
Yes down by the nehi mama and he turn right short around
Ah mama wonder what's goin' on, mama since I left town

Now it's east and west, north and south, while the nehi women have them turn me out

Now down on Third Street, the corner of Beale, where the nehi women have got a terrible spiel

Now listen that's the police bangin' on my do', the nehi women keep me everywhere I go

[a2tom]

Curiously enough, this is the song I've been considering working up for Weenie Sings the Blues - taking the guitar to its bare bones rhythimic chording.  I believe U. Bud suggested it originally.   Great great tune.

Anyway, in addition to DJ's, I've got:

verse 2)
Gets touched by (a) Nehi mama and he turn right short around.

verse 9)
I don't hear "police banging". Also, I don't see how police banging on my door leads to the second half of the line.  I could be convinced that the first word is police, but the second word sounds much more like "state" or "stain" on my door.  "police state on my door"?  Hard to believe that's what he says.  I actually hear the first syllable as an F, not a P.  Thus phonetically I hear

fo lis state on my door

The F may not be an F, to be sure.  There could also be a squished syllable right before "on", but I don't think so.  Maybe somebody else can put that into a phrase that makes sense, and is related to nehi women keeping him wherever he goes.

I feel like that phrase will be obvious when my brain uncramps...

tom

[uncle bud]

I believe in the T for Texas verse the line is something like:

"S is a mighty bad letter, boys, she stole away from me"

In other words, S for stole (like T for Texas)

[dj]

I don't see how police banging on my door leads to the second half of the line.

The police bang on the singer's door, the singer goes out the window to avoid the police and stays with various nehi women while he's on the run.

[Bunker Hill]

I don't see how police banging on my door leads to the second half of the line.

The police bang on the singer's door, the singer goes out the window to avoid the police and stays with various nehi women while he's on the run.

This has got nothing to do with the lyric transcription under discussion but fwiw? the entire theme is given thorough examination by Chris Smith in "Reachin' Pete And Johnny Nab: The Police In Commercial Blues Recordings To 1943", which was published in The Lyrics In African American Popular Music (p 59-75, editor R. Springer, Bern: Peter Lang, 2001)

[GhostRider]

Colored man take the blues, he walk to the river and si' down
Yes down by the nehi mama and he turn right short around
Ah mama wonder what's goin' on, mama since I left town

I'd substitute "Gets done" for Yes down. I hear the "d" sound distinctly

Now it's east and west, north and south, while the nehi women have them turn me out

I think this is correct

Now down on Third Street, the corner of Beale, where the nehi women have got a terrible spiel

I agree with this as well. I wonder what sense FS is using "spiel" in.

Now listen that's the police bangin' on my do', the nehi women keep me everywhere I go

I must have listened to this 20x. Like Tom I don't hear "police" or "bangin'". I hear the line as (phonetically in brackets)
"Now (lisis) at the (fo lis sate) on my door". The rest of the line is beautifully enonciated. Frustrating!

I believe in the T for Texas verse the line is something like:

"S is a mighty bad letter, boys, she stole away from me"

In other words, S for stole (like T for Texas)

Sorry, Unkie Bud, I just don't hear this. After repeated listenings the best I can do is "(Ev) is a mighty fair lettre but it stole away from me"

I've made the changes we agree on in the version above. We need some more ears here.

Alex

[dj]

Well, I used the same old ears, but I put the track on Transcribe and slowed down a few of the lines in question, which helps a lot.  Here's what I come up with:

Verse 2:  Gets done by the nehi mama and he turn right short around

Slowed to 70% of original speed, this is definitely "Gets done".  Though "done" could be an alternate pronunciation of "down" here.  Either meaning would fit.

Note that verse 2 line 3 is "Ah mama wonder what's goin' on, mama since I left town".  Alex, you've left out the "wonder".  Frank clearly sings this (ok, it's clear to me, not necessarily to anyone else).  I assume it's just a transcription mistake.

Verse 9:  Now listen that's the police bangin' on my door...

At 50% speed, "listen that's the police" is really clear.  "Police" is pronounced "PO-lis".  "bangin'" is really rushed, even at 50%.  The "angin'" is clear, but it could be "hangin'".  But in context with "listen", "bangin'" makes much more sense.

The second half of verse 4 doesn't make a lot of sense (it would make more without the "if"), but I really think that's what Frank sings.

[dj]

I wonder what sense FS is using "spiel" in.

To me, it brings to mind a prostitute's come-on.