Topic: Dan Pickett Lyrics

[mr mando]

I was listening to the Dan Pickett record on Krazy Kat a lot lately, and one of the tunes I like best is this driving religious tune "99 1/2 Won't Do". The sung lyrics are quite clear, but I'm quite sure I don't have the rapped part in the middle right, as my transcription doesn't make too much sense. There are a couple of words and a line or two that stick out, but the rest is just close to the phonetics I hear. Hope to get some help from you.



Ninety-Nine And a Half Won't Do

I've been runnin', yeah, tryin' to make a hundred
Well ninety-nine and a half didn't do
Said, I been runnin', .
Well ninety-nine and a half didn't do
Oh, won't do, oh, won't do
Well ninety-nine and a half won't do
Oh, won't do, won't do
Well ninety-nine and a half won't do

My mother she run, yeah, tryin? to make a hundred
Well ninety-nine and a half didn?t do
My mother she run, yeah, tryin? to make a hundred
Well ninety-nine and a half didn?t do
It didn?t do, didn?t do
Ninety-nine and a half didn?t do
It didn?t do, didn?t do
Ninety-nine and a half didn?t do

Well, you talk about meetin? the mother you?re pleasin?
What you?re taught, a-mama bend your knees in
Sinner passin? like a steppin? address
There?s all the time where a cruisin? can pass

I ain?t been to heaven but I been told
The streets was pearly, the gates was gold
So when you get to heaven, well, the sign will tell
The hammer escaped now in games of hell

When you get to heaven ?bout thousand years
I set right down, look, I talk until
A problem with my farmer, a- tell him with a song
I talk about a woman that a-just don?t farm

Cause I been prayin?, if I?m makin? a hundred
Well, ninety-nine and a half won?t do
Well I?ve been prayin?,
Well ninety-nine and a half didn?t do
Oh, won?t do, oh, won?t do
Well, ninety-nine and a half won?t do
Oh, won?t do, oh, won?t do
Well, ninety-nine and a half won?t do

Amazing grace how sweet it sound
It saved a wretch like me
I once was lost but now I?m found
I blind but now I see

Cause I?m gonna sing to, to tryin? to make a hundred
Well, ninety-nine and a half won?t do
Cause I?m gonna sing, to try and make a hundred
Well, ninety-nine and a half won?t do
It won?t do, oh, won?t do
Well, ninety-nine and a half won?t do
It won?t do, it won?t do
Well, ninety-nine ?.

Edited to add an mp? of the "rap" section

[Johnm]

Hi mr. mando,
I don't have the disc with me where I am, and so can't offer help now, but congratulations on your taste:  what a terrific song and performance!
All best,
Johnm

[mr mando]

Dear John,
I added an mp3 of the "rap"-section to my original post, just in case you find some time.

[Gumbo]

When you get to heaven ?bout thousand years
I set right down, look, I talk until
A problem with my farmer, a- tell him with a song
I talk about a woman that a-just don?t farm[/i]

When I get to heaven ?bout a thousand years
I set right down, look, I talk and tell
I talk about my Father, I chat about the Son
I talk about a world that, I just come from

still listening to the rest but my ears are getting tangled up!

What a great record this is! Thanks for the reminder!

[Johnm]

Hi mr. mando,
Thanks for posting the .mp3.  I don't have it all, but I think the one line is:

So when you get to heaven, well, the sign will tell
HOW I'M GONNA ESCAPE THE GATES OF HELL

I will keep listening.
All best,
Johnm

[Gumbo]

the line

Sinner passin? like a steppin? address

sounds to me like
Satan'll pass a-like a snake in the grass
and then
Is all the time that the priest confess (maybe)

[Doug]

I'm hearing (possibly influenced by some of the ways that Rev. Gary Davis sings some of the couplets):

Well, you talk about me as much as you please
While you'd talk, I'm on bended knees
Satan will pass like a snake in the grass
That's all the time in a Christian past

I ain?t been to heaven but I been told
The streets was pearly, the gates was gold
So when we get to heaven, gwine sing and tell
How I'm escaped the gates of hell

When you get to heaven ?bout a thousand years
I set right down, look, I talk and tell
I talk-a with my Father, um I chatter with the Son
I talk about the world that I just come from

[mr mando]

Thanks a lot Johnm, Gumbo and Doug for your contributions. I really appreciate your help, as it's very hard for me (as an "english as third language" guy), to transcribe lyrics sung (or rather rapped) in the speed of this performance.  It's makin a lot more sense now, although I don't think I get the meaning of the fourth line in respect to the one or three preceding lines.

Could any of you please go over line 4.4 of "Who Did You Give My Barbecue To? Part 2 (1930)" in my Who Did You Give My Barbecue To - Big Boy Teddy Edwards post?? That would be great!

[Gumbo]

I don't think I get the meaning of the fourth line in respect to the one or three preceding lines.

you're not alone there, mr mando 

[Johnm]

Hi all,
We never did end up with a final transcription of Dan Pickett's wonderful "Ninety-Nine-and-a-Half Won't Do".  I'd very much appreciate help with any bent bracketed places in the lyrics.  Dan Pickett invents the second line of his interpolation of "Amazing Grace".

I've been runnin', just tryin' to make a hundred
Well, ninety-nine-and-a-half didn't do
Says, I been a-runnin', (slide finishes line)
Well, ninety-nine-and-a-half didn't do
Oh, won't do, oh, won't do
Oh, ninety-nine-and-a-half won't do
Oh, won't do, won't do
Oh, ninety-nine-and-a-half won't do

My Mother she run, to try to make a hundred
Oh, ninety-nine-and-a-half didn't do
My Mother she run, to try to make a hundred
Oh, ninety-nine-and-a-half didn't do
It didn't do, oh, didn't do
Oh, ninety-nine-and-a-half didn't do
It didn't do, it didn't do
Oh, ninety-nine-and-a-half didn't do

Well, you talk about me that, the much as you please
And why'd you talk?  I'm on the bended knees
Satan would pass, a-like a snake in the grass
It's only time, no Christian pass
I haven't been to Heaven, but I been told
The streets was pearly, the gates was gold
So when I get to Heaven, gwine a-sing and tell
A-how I'm escape them gates of hell
And when I get to Heaven, 'bout a thousand years
I set right down, look, I talk and tell
I talk about my Father, I chatter with the Son
I talk about a world that I just come from

'Cause I been a-prayin', just tryin' to make a hundred
Oh, ninety-nine-and-a-half won't do
Well, I been prayin', (guitar finishes line)
Oh, ninety-nine-and-a-half didn't do
Oh, won't do, oh, won't do
Oh, ninety-nine-and-a-half won't do
Oh, won't do, it won't do
Oh, ninety-nine-and-a-half won't do

Amazing grace, how sweet it sound
You see a risk like me
I once was lost, but now I'm found
I was blind, but now I see

'Cause I'm gonna sing to, to try to make a hundred
Oh, ninety-nine-and-a-half won't do
'Cause I'm gonna sing to try to make a hundred
Oh, ninety-nine-and-a-half won't do
It won't do, oh, won't do
Oh, ninety-nine-and-a-half won't do
It won't do, it won't do
Oh, ninety-nine (guitar finishes line)

All best,
Johnm


 

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I was thinking recently how under-represented Dan Pickett is in our lyric transcriptions--I think we have only two or three of his songs' lyrics transcribed. In terms of his time in the studio, he is a bit reminiscent of Robert Petway, in that he only had a day or two and never returned. His birth name was discovered to have been James Founty a few years ago, and he was evidently an Alabaman originally. Very little is known about him. I've always felt he was influenced by Tommy McClennan, vocally. His version of "How Long, How Long Blues", which he called "Baby How Long", was played as a one-chorder in Vestapol, with a slide. It reminds me quite a lot of George Torey's "Lonesome Man Blues", also a cover of "How Long", though it was not played with a slide. Here is "Baby, How Long":



INTRO SOLO

Now baby, how long, oh tell how long, think I'm gonna let you, you do me wrong
REFRAIN: Be how long, ah, how long, baby, how long?

I'm goin' to the pawn shop, put my watch in pawn, no woman to tell me, how long you been gone
REFRAIN: Be how long, ah, how long, baby, how long?

Little talk right lately, got locked up in jail, didn't have no one to, come go my bail
REFRAIN: Be how long, ah, how long, baby, how long?

SOLO

Goin' down to Georgi', back into Tennessee, close up the doors, last you'll see of me
REFRAIN: Be how long, ah, how long, baby, how long

Heared a hound dog barkin', and I feel so blue, they be out in a graveyard, lookin' down at you
REFRAIN: Be how long, ah, how long, baby, how long?

I can see the green grass, growin' up on a hill, don't see the green grass on a dollar bill
REFRAIN: Be how long, ah, how long, (guitar finishes line)

SOLO

Edited 2/15 to pick up corrections from Harry

All best,
Johnm

 
 

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Dan Pickett played "That's Grieving Me" as a one-chord slide number in Vestapol tuning, like "Baby, How Long". I'm sure there will be lyrics here that I could use and appreciate some help transcribing. He really liked to spit out his syllables very quickly and emphatically; it made for an exciting vocal sound, but sometimes the words go by so fast! Here is "That's Grieving Me":



INTRO SOLO

I went down on the corner, my gun in my hand, to shoot my woman 'bout lovin', Lord, Lord, a man
REFRAIN: You see, that's grievin' me, ahhhh, that's grievin' me
I'm goin' to pack my grip there, beat it back in, in Tennessee

The water pipes is all busted, water done run cold, Mama 'round in Basin Street, she's tryin' to find a hole
REFRAIN: You see, that's grievin' me, ooooo, that's grievin' me
I'm gonna pack my grip there, I'll beat it back in, in Tennessee

Now, I'm so sad and lonely, I don't know what to do, I'm sittin' down here in the mornin', lookin', I'm tryin' to be Mr. Cool
REFRAIN: You see, that's grievin' me, oooo, that's grievin' me
I'm gonna my grip there, beat it back in, in Tennessee

They call me "pretty papa", baddest man in town, like no high yellas, but I'm crazy 'bout my brown
REFRAIN: You see, that's grievin' me, ahhhh, that's grievin' me
I'm gonna pack my grip there, beat it back in, in Tennessee

Now sister, she got-a liquor, and papa got a jug,and mother got the washboard, and papa got a tub
REFRAIN: You see, that's grievin' me, oooo, that's grievin' me
I'm gonna pack my grip there, I'll beat it back in, in Tennessee

Mmmmm, mmmmmm, mmmmm, mmmmm
(Guitar begins refrain)
I'm gonna pack my grip there, beat it back in (guitar finishes refrain)

Edited 2/15 to pick up correction from Harry

All best,
Johnm

[Blues Vintage]

Some suggestions

How long

5.1 Hear that heard a hound dog barkin', then and I feel so blue

6.1 don't see any the green grass on a dollar bill


Grieving

4.1 be the baddest man in town

[Johnm]

Thanks very much for the catches, Harry, I think they were all right on, so I have made the changes.

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Dan Pickett recorded "You Got To Do Better" accompanying himself out of E position in standard tuning, capoed up a ways. Here is "You Got To Do Better":



INTRO SOLO

My baby left me this mornin', was 'tween midnight and day, come runnin' back here to me, hollerin', "Daddy, I'm treatin' you right"
REFRAIN: Now baby, you've got to do better, yeah, you've got to do better
Yeah, you got to do better, let another mama move in.

You know now, I'm not rough, I don't like to fight, but the next gal I get, she got to treat me right
REFRAIN: Babe, you've got to do better, babe, you've got to do better
Yeah, you got to do better, let another mama move in

SOLO

I met a little gal this mornin', 'bout sixteen years old, says, "I would be your woman and will satisfy your soul."
REFRAIN: Baby, you've got to do better, yeah, you've got to do better
Yeah, you got to do better, let another mama move in

Now come on out of my kitchen, and stop your hangin' around, a man gets tired of one woman, all the time
REFRAIN: Babe, you've got to do better, yeah, you've got to do better
Yeah, you got to do better, let another mama move in

CODA

All best,
Johnm