Topic: Willie Brown Lyrics

[Richard]

Dr G you have me interested so I looked up Decatur in G&D and came up with the following tunes, now I haven't (too my knowledge) got any of them but maybe a listening may reveal more

Decatur Street 81 by Curly weaver
Decatur Street Blues  by Alice Leslie Carter and by Leona Williams
Decatur Street Cheater by Ruth Willis
Decatur Street Rag by Guy Lumpkin

Over to you !

[blueshome]

All Atlanta based I think.

[Johnm]

Hi all,
With just about all of the references to Decatur Street or Decatur Hill apart from Willie Brown's appearing to make reference to Atlanta, might it not be a possibility that Willie Brown copped a pre-existing lyric for his Decatur Hill verse, talking about a city he had never been to?  Just a thought.
All best,
Johnm

[Dr. G]

Hi John

Seems a likely (if disappointing) answer to me...which is why I included Atlanta, and Decatur, GA, among my ultimate list of likely "suspects" -- notwithstanding (nor requiring) any knowledge of whether Atlanta was ever featured in Brown's professional (or personal) travel itineraries.

Dr. G

[Bill Roggensack]

The small town of Decatur is located in southeastern Mississippi, about half way between Meridian and Jackson. It is situated in a valley, surrounded by hills. At least this location is a little closer to Willie's stomping grounds than some of the other Decaturs. Maybe he was referring to the lot (that may have been empty in 1930) occupied by this grand house, which sits on a low hill overlooking present day Highway 15 which runs south out of downtown Decatur; drop this address into Google maps for the street view.
14906 Mississippi 15, Decatur, MS

[Bunker Hill]

The small town of Decatur is located in southeastern Mississippi, about half way between Meridian and Jackson. It is situated in a valley, surrounded by hills. At least this location is a little closer to Willie's stomping grounds than some of the other Decaturs. Maybe he was referring to the lot (that may have been empty in 1930) occupied by this grand house, which sits on a low hill overlooking present day Highway 15 which runs south out of downtown Decatur; drop this address into Google maps for the street view.
14906 Mississippi 15, Decatur, MS

Hey, now to me this sounds, and looks, far more plausible. Good bit of detective work.

[uncle bud]

Nice, FrontPage. Google is getting scarier every day...

Willie was no doubt taking existing lyric formulas and adapting them. Both lines from his verse had been kicking around and it looks like he might have hybridized them.

Once I had a notion, Lord and I believe I will
Once I had a notion, Lord and I believe I will
I'm going to build me a mansion out on Decatur Hill
-Willie Brown, M&O Blues 28 May, 1930

While I wonder if one source wasn't a Classic blues song somewhere (Future Blues lifted lyrics from Ma Rainey's Last Minute Blues, written by Thomas Dorsey), one possible source is Bo Weavil Jackson:

Mama I got a notion, honey and I believe I will
I got a notion, mama and I believe that I will
Catch a long jumpin' Judy, go on across the hill
- Sam Butler (Bo-Weavil Jackson), Some Scream High Yellow, Oct. 1926

Willie's buddy Charley Patton sang a variation 4 years after Willie:

Oh I once had a notion, Lord I believe I will
Oh I once had a notion, Lord I believe I will
I'm gonna go across the river and stop at Dago Hill
Charley Patton, Love My Stuff, Jan 31, 1934

Then there are the mansion verses:

I'm gonna buy me a mansion out on Bunker Hill
I'm gonna buy me a mansion out on Bunker Hill
Where I can get my whiskey, get it right from the still
-Ollie Rupert, Ain't Gonna Be Your Low Down Dog, Feb 28, 1927

I'm gonna build me a little mansion on Central Avenue
I'm gonna build me a little mansion on Central Avenue
So I can stick my head out the window and see what my wicked women will do
-Will Day, Central Avenue Blues, 25 April 1928

Then a variation:

I'm gonna build me a barrelhouse flat way out on Dago Hill
I'm gonna build me a barrelhouse flat way out on Dago Hill
Where I can get my beer and whiskey, and it's fresh from the still
Mary Johnson, Barrel House Flat Blues, Feb 1930

I'd bet there's more.

[Dr. G]

So much for the "cold file".

Dr. G

[buddy guy]

Hello!

Somebody can transcribe the lyrics from the willie brown's song "Make me a Pallet on the Floor"?

Thanks

[Johnm]

Hi buddy guy,
Welcome to Weenie Campbell!  We do not run a transcription service, but if you post what you have for the lyrics so far, usually other people will help out with problem areas.  I take it English is not your primary language?
All best,
Johnm

[buddy guy]

hello Johnm!

Thanks for your reply. I understand what you say and you're right, English is not my primary language so I've got a lot of problems to transcribe what the bluesmen say in their songs. Willie Brown's song, Make me a pallet on your floor, is one of them

First of all I want to apologize for my English. I'm from Spain and I find to translate the blues lyrics quite difficult.

so I put that I can understand:

Make me down a pallet on your floor
now I want to make me down a pallet on your floor
now I want to make me down one pallet on your floor
now and make it so your man (no?) never know

Now want you make me one .. side your wall
...
now want you make me down one ... side your wall
.... so make me now baby long as I'm tall

oh, I love you babe 'cause you're so nice and brown
now baby, I love you baby 'cause you're so nice and brown
oh, I love you babe 'cause you're so nice and brown
'cause you ... and no hang me down

I love you, tell the way I do
now baby, I love you, tell the way I do
ahh, baby I love you, now tell the way I do
I don't know ... babe ... I love you

I don't know ... is in my mind
.....
now baby I'm gone just ... in my mind
cause you keep me worrying ... all the time

(In that paragraph I can understand only a few words so directly I don't put the transcription)

Now I love 'cause you're so long and tall
Now I love 'cause you're so long and tall
Now I love 'cause you're so long and tall
now baby, I love you 'cause you're so long and tall
(I can't understand the last sentence)

greetings to all!

[cru423]

Now make it so your man *will* never know

Now want you to make me *one bunk* upside your wall (3x)
Sure do make it now baby as long as I am tall

Love you because you so nice and brown (3x)
Cause you *tailor-made*, and you ain?t no *hand-me-down*

Now love you, *tell the world I do* (3x)
I don?t love no-one babe like I love you

Now babe I?m going away to worry you off my mind (3x)
Cause you keep me worried and bothered all the time

Just as sure as two and two is four (3x)
I?m going to get me another and I don?t want you no more

I love you cause you so long and tall (3x)
Now you got ways like a ?fore-day cannon-ball

[Kokomo O]

Getting back to M&O Blues and Decatur Hill, I wasn't really satisfied by the explanations referring to the location of Decatur, GA, which is a fur piece from Mississippi. I took a look at the location of Decatur, MS, as well as the run of the Mobile & Ohio's track, which seems to have had a major junction at Meridian, MS, not too far to the east of Decatur. So maybe the reference to Decatur Hill is topical to the song, which after all is a railroad song--the greatest of all the railroad songs, I believe--about the M&O line. After all, the first verse says he's going to catch the M&O and go down south. The the second verse says he once had a notion and will now put it into effect to build that mansion on Decatur Hill--the hill must be near the north/south run of the M&O for the lyrics to make any sense.

Of course, the lyrics don't necessarily have to make sense.

You can see the M&O's track on this map: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fb/1903_Poor%27s_Mobile_and_Ohio_Railroad.jpg

[buddy guy]

Cru423, thank you very much for your help.

[Randy Meadows]

I agree with Front Page.
I believe Decatur, Ms is the area that WB meant.
The history of the RR is listed below.
http://www.acmeme.org/gmo/chapter_xxiii.htm