Topic: Big Maceo Lyrics

[Johnm]

Thanks for the help, dj. The sound seemed right, but I couldn't make sense of the expression. What you say makes a lot of sense. That's a new idiom to me.

[Johnm]

Hi all,
For "So Long Baby", also recorded at Big Maceo's first recording session, he accompanied himself in G, and was once again joined by Tampa Red and Ransom Knowling. What a great song this is, and Big Maceo's singing of it could not be improved upon in any way. The song has an unusual lyric scansion, especially in the first line of each verse, and an exceptionally pretty melody. It's quite innovative, and I don't recall hearing a blues that phrased like this one or had a melody that worked with the chords this way, either. Here is "So Long Baby":



INTRO

I'm worried in mind, stay worried all the time, some day I'll be satisfied
It's your time now, but it's my time after awhile
'Cause if things don't get no better, I'm gonna move on down the line

'Cause when you was my baby, I treated you nice and kind, but baby, I have changed my mind
I was crazy 'bout you, baby, crazy as a man could be
So now when I leave you now, baby, don't try and follow me

You gonna wake up one of these mornings and it ain't gonna be long, and look for me and I will be gone
So bye, bye, baby, babe, you know you done me wrong
So try your best to forget, that I ever held you in my arms (Spoken: Yes, yes yes!)

SOLO

You gone worry 'bout me, one of these old lonesome days, and your daddy'll be far away
So long, baby, then, sweetheart, I'll soon be on my way
You going to be sorry that you let me go astray

All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Big Maceo recorded "Tuff Luck Blues" at a his second session, in Chicago on December 19, 1941, and was joined by Tampa Red on guitar and Alfred Elkins on imitation bass for the session. Maceo accompanied himself out of Bb for the song. What an outstanding singer and blues songwriter he was! I suppose there may have been someone else around this time who was writing blues songs of a similar caliber, but it's hard to imagine anybody writing anything better than the songs Maceo was writing in this period. Tampa Red doesn't sound like he's playing slide here, but is capoed up, playing out of E position in standard tuning. Here is "Tuff Luck Blues":



INTRO

It's too bad, things are going so tough with me
It's too bad, things are going so tough with me
I'm blue and disgusted, as any poor man could be

I used to have a car, and it was painted white and black
I used to have a car, and it was painted white and black
I couldn't keep up the payments, and that man, he took it back

I used to smoke cigars, the very best in town, but bad luck and trouble is 'bout to tear me down
It's too bad, things are going so tough with me
I guess I'll go back to my plow, and start holl'in', "Whoa, haw, gee." (Spoken: Play 'em for me, boy, play 'em for me!)

SOLO (Spoken: You know my gal quit me. I'm sure in hard luck! Git it and git it good, now! Yes, I know! I have so much trouble.)

The woman that I'm lovin', she followin' me all around, I can tell by her action, she 'bout to put me down
It's too bad, things are going so tough with me
You have heard my story, peoples, what you think of me?

All best,
Johnm

[Blues Vintage]

Come On Home
 

Big Maceo – Vocals, Piano
Tampa Red – Guitar   
Tyrell Dixon – Drums

Chicago, Illinois
July 5, 1945

Piano in G



Come home baby mama come on home to me
Come home baby mama come on home to me
I’ll stop my runnin’ ‘round and I’ll try and be as kind as I can be

If you come home baby mama let’s start all over again
Come home baby let’s start all over again
You know we love each other so let’s try and stick out until the end

Come home baby mama and I’ll tell you what I’ll do
Come home baby mama and I’ll tell you what I’ll do
I’ll beg steal and borrow baby and bring it on home to you

When it rains and it's sleetin' mama and I’m lookin’ through my window pane
When it rains and sleetin' mama I’m lookin’ through my window pane
How much I love you well it’s enough to drive me insane

[Thomas8]

What a Sound!

[Prof Scratchy]

..rains and sleeting'...?

[dj]

Verse 4:

When it rains and it's sleetin' mama and I’m lookin’ through my window pane
When it rains and sleetin' mama I’m lookin’ through my window pane
How much I love you, well it’s enough to drive me insane

[Johnm]

Thanks for posting the song, Harry. I agree with Thomas--what a sound! Big Maceo could do no wrong, as far as I'm concerned. It would be interesting to know if Tampa Red's transition from playing slide to conventional fretting in standard tuning was instigated by himself, Big Maceo or some A&R guy. I don't reckon there's any way to find out now, unless he was interviewed and asked that around the time he did the two Prestige Bluesville albums in the early '60s.
All best,
Johnm 

[eric]

The liner notes for Big Maceo's Arhoolie double LP can be found here:

https://folkways-media.si.edu/liner_notes/arhoolie/ARH07009.pdf

Still available as a CD from Down home music or a download from Smithsonian Folkways.  Great stuff.

[Blues Vintage]

Thanks Prof and dj.

Big Maceo and Tampa Red had such great chemistry. In same league as a blues duo as McGhee/Terry and Carr/Blackwell in my book.
Michael Bloomfield visited Tampa in the early 60s during his road trip with Big Joe Williams. I don't know if there's a interview transcript somewhere or if they did a interview at all.
Tampa might be the first musician who recorded distorted electric guitar.

[Blues Vintage]

Won't Be A Fool No More


“Biggie fool” in the last line of each verse?


Big Maceo – Vocals, Piano
Tampa Red – Guitar   
Melvin Draper – Drums

Chicago, Illinois
Febraury 26, 1945

Piano in G





If I had a listened to what the people say
I would a had me a good home today
I’m so unhappy I ain’t got no place to go
But if I ever get lucky I won’t be that big a fool no more

Everything I do look like I do it wrong
Sometime I hate the day that I ever was born
I’m so disgusted I ain’t got no place to go
But if I ever get lucky I won’t be that big a fool no more

I don’t have no money and no place to go
The good book say you got to reap just what you sow
So I’m broke and hungry ramblin’ from door to door
But if I ever get lucky I won’t be that big a fool no more

Though I hate to leave you but I will be on my way
We will meet again when we’ll have a better day
I’m so unhappy I ain’t got no place to go
But if I ever get lucky I won’t let me be a big a fool no more

[Johnm]

Hi Harry,
I think he is saying "big a fool", as in, "I won't be as big a fool as that no more.". Other changes:
   2.1 Everything I do, look like I do IT wrong
   4.1 Though I hate to LEAVE you
All best,
Johnm

[Blues Vintage]

Thanks John

[Rivers]

I gotta say, listening to Tampa Red's guitar on the previous two recordings, he gets line honors for recording upper harmonic distortion. Not Grady Martin, or Les Paul, Paul Burlison, or any of the others often credited with 'inventing' it. It's subtle, and that's good.

I know this is an endless discussion but listen to Tampa's guitar on those two tracks, 10 years before the fabled Johnny Burnette recordings.

This is a lyrics thread though. So back to the lyrics, and sorry for the OT observation.

[Blues Vintage]

Not a problem to me to stray away from topic for a brief moment.

Junior Barnard, a guitarist with Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys recorded "Barnard Blues" with distortion (December 30, 1947).
This is the first "official" distorted guitar recording. Junior crafted his own set of humbucking pickups and pushed his amp into overdrive.
Sounds like white boy blues to me. Tampa's guitar still sounded dirtier two years prior.