Topic: Furry Lewis Lyrics

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Furry Lewis recorded "Back On My Feet Again" for Prestige in 1961, accompanying himself with a slide in Spanish tuning, and the track ended up being the title track for one of the two Prestige Bluesville albums that came out of those Memphis sessions. Furry phrased very freely here, often going long in his instrumental responses. He was such a clever lyricist--he stands the conventional meaning of the title phrase on its head in the tagline to the first verse. I am missing the bent bracketed word in the tagline to verse two and would very much appreciate help with that, as well as any other corrections that are needed. Here is "Back On My Feet Again":



INTRO

Boys, I'm gon' tell you something, and I hope it's not a sin
I'm gon' tell you boys something, and I hope it's not a sin
My shoes done got thin, babe, and I'm back on my feet again

What make Grandpa, Grandpa love Grandma so?
Tell me what make Grandpa, love old Grandma so?
He's seen the daily wobble, oh, many years ago

Got a woman in Cuby [sic], got a woman in Spain
Got a woman in Cuby, oooo, got a woman in Spain
Got woman in Memphis, whoa, scared to call her name

Babe, if you be my baby, I tell you what I will do
If you be my baby, tell you what I will do
I will make payday, and I'll bring it all home to you

I left my baby standin', standin' on the back doorstep, cryin'
I left my baby,standin' on the back doorstep, cryin'
"Furry, you got a home, just as long as I got mine."

"Please, baby, baby, please, baby, please, please.
I beg you please, baby, babe, I beg you please, please.
Please, baby, baby, please have mercy on me."

CODA

Edited 10/19 to pick up correction from Stuart

All best,
Johnm

[Stuart]

Hi John: I hear "daily." I believe "seen" has the sense of "experienced." Put this together and the line makes perfect sense, to me anyway.

[Johnm]

I heard "daily" first, too, Stuart, but couldn't make any sense out of it. What you say makes sense. I will make the change, and all credit to Furry for a new coinage, "the daily wobble". Thanks for the help.

[Stuart]

Hi John: When I heard "seen," the first thing that came to mind was, "I've seen better days," in Richard "Rabbit" Brown's "James Alley Blues," a usage that is common. But I think all this speaks more to my own understanding of the world through the lyrics of Country Blues songs than any linguistic insights on my part. Of course, I'd have it no other way. 

[Johnm]

Hi all,
"Long Tall Gal Blues" is one of several songs from Furry's Prestige albums that he chose to accompany in EAEGBE tuning. He had such a wonderful sound and approach in that tuning (he was actually tuned significantly lower than at E for the recording) and must surely, along with Clifford Gibson, stand as one of the foremost stylists in that tuning. Please suggest any changes you hear to the lyrics. Here is "Long Tall Gal Blues":



INTRO

Don't you wish your baby was long and tall like mine?
Don't you wish your baby, long and tall like mine?
Boys, she ain't good-lookin', but I 'clare she takes her time

I'm going to the river, babe, I'm going and sit right down
I'm going to the river, babe, I'm going to river and sit right down
If the blues overtake me I'm gon' jump overboard and drown

Woman in Arkansas City with my, watch and chain, woman in Lou'siana with my finger ring
I got a woman in Arkansas City, she got my watch and chain
I got a woman in Lou'siana with my finger ring

Don't never let your woman treat you like mine treat me
Don't never let you woman treat you like mine treat --
She treats you just like somebody she ain't never seed

INTERLUDE

I can't sleep for dreaming, can't stay woke for crying, the woman I love, she stays all on my mind
I can't sleep for dreaming, can't stay woke for crying
Woman I lovin', she's forever on my mind

That's all right, baby, you can treat me any way
That's all right, baby, you can treat me any way
Don't fornever forget, baby, every dog gon' have his day

CODA

Edited 10/26 to pick up correction from Blues Vintage

All best,
Johnm

[Blues Vintage]

Just one close to the finish line,

Don't for never forget baby every dog gon' have his day

[Johnm]

Thanks for the catch, Blues Vintage. I have made the change.

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I changed "for never" in the tagline of the last verse to "Long Tall Gal Blues" to "fornever". I think Furry is contrasting "fornever"  with "forever", for greater emphasis on not forgetting, saying under no circumstances, do not forget that every dog is gonna have his day. So two negatives, rather than cancelling each other out, intensify the negative meaning. I don't know if the coinage is Furry's own or has more widespread usage, but it makes sense.
All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I just discovered something really odd in the course of vetting Furry Lewis lyrics. DG& R show only one take of "Dry Land Blues", recorded in Memphis for Victor on August 28, 1928 but there were clearly two takes recorded. Compare these two versions:



INTRO SOLO


I can look through muddy water, baby, and spy dry land
If you don't want me, honey, let's take hands in hand

I'm going so far, I can't hear your rooster crow
I'm going so far, I can't hear your rooster crow

This is my last time ever knocking at your door
My last time ever knocking at your door

SOLO

You won't cook me no dinner, baby, you won't iron me no clothes
You won't do nothing but walk the Horn Lake Road

Mens, if you love your woman, better measure it in a cup
So if she happen to quit you, boy, won't leave you in tough luck

SOLO

Men, you can take my woman, but you ain't done nothing smart
For I got more than one woman playing in my backyard

Windstorm come, and it blowed my house away
I'm a good old boy, but I ain't got nowhere to stay

And it's trouble here, and it's trouble everywhere
So much trouble floating in the air

SOLO

What you gonna do when your troubles get like mine?
What you gonna do, your troubles get like mine?

SOLO

and:



INTRO SOLO

I can look through muddy water, babe, I can see dry land

I can look through muddy water, babe, I can see dry land

If you don’t want me, mama, let’s shake hands in hands
Don’t want me, mama, let’s take hands in hand



I'm going so far, I can't hear your rooster crow

I'm going so far, I can't hear your rooster crow

This is my last time ever knocking at your door
This is my last time ever knocking at your door

You won't cook me no dinner, mama, you won't iron me no clothes
You won't do nothin’ but walk the Horn Lake Road.

SOLO



Mens, if you love your woman, please measure it in a cup
She happen to quit you, boy, won't leave you in tough luck

You can take my woman, man, you ain't done nothin’ smart

For I have more than one woman playing in my backyard

SOLO

What you gonna do when your troubles get like mine?

What you gonna do when your trouble get like mine?



Big windstorm come, and it blowed my house away

I'm a good old boy, but I ain't got nowhere to stay

SOLO X 2

Edited 10/29 to pick up correction from Blues Vintage

I was listening to the second version linked here and comparing its lyrics with those posted in weeniepedia and saw what appeared to be an inexplicable number of mistakes. It turns out there is an explanation--there were two takes, and somehow DG & R missed one. This doesn't happen very often.

All best,
Johnm

[Stuart]

Thanks for this, John. cf. the entry (#9) at Stefan Wirz's site. He includes a brief note by Howard Rye.

https://www.wirz.de/music/lewis.htm

[Blues Vintage]

Hopefully these ommisions will be fixed in the 5th edition, God knows when it comes out.


I hear a missing "when" in both takes

version 1

Last line- What you gonna do, when your trouble get like mine?

version 2

8.2  What you gonna do when your trouble get like mine?

[Johnm]

Hi Blues Vintage,
I agree with adding the "when" in the second version, but not the first, which I'm going to leave as is.

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I was checking the lyrics of Furry Lewis's take one of "I Will Turn Your Money Green". Here it is:



In the transcription of it in weeniepedia, here is what we have for verse five:

Talk about sweethearted, I declare I’m an honest man
Talk about sweethearted, I declare I’m an honest man
Give my woman money and broke her apron string

I've never been particularly happy with "sweethearted", and I had transcribed it that way. Re-listening today, I now think that Furry sang:

Talk about three hundred, I declare I’m a honest man

Talk about three hundred, I declare I’m a honest man

Give my woman money, broke her apron string

I think he's speaking to accusations of concealing and hoarding income. Do you think this new interpretation of the lyrics is correct/incorrect? Thanks for any help.
All best,
Johnm

[Old Man Ned]

Not sure if this helps but on first listenng I was hearing 'Talk about tree hollerin', I declare I’m an honest man'. On repeated listenings I'm hearing the 'd' as at the end of 'hundred' particularly in the second line but still hearing the 'three' pronounced as 'tree'.
All the Best,
Ned

[Stuart]

Hi John:

Talk about three hundred,

Talkin' 'bout three hundred,

Give my woman money, it broke her apron string

is what I hear.