Topic: Hayes McMullan Lyrics

[uncle bud]

Johnm taught this very cool tune at the Port Townsend workshop. It's a short one on the recording, which I believe is only to be found on the disc that comes with the book Chasin' That Devil Music by Gayle Dean Wardlow (a must have if you don't have). It's a little tricky to play, with some pretty active, subtle thumb work. I've got the lyrics close, but am not sure of the start of the last line.  Here is "Look-A Here Woman":



Looka Here Woman - Hayes McMullan
Spanish tuning

Heyyy, looka here woman, you got on your mind
Awwww, looka here woman, you got on your mind
I said, looka here woman, you got on your mind

Ohhh, keep me worried mama and I'm bothered all the time
I said, you keep me worried mama and I'm bothered all the time
Said, you keep me worried and bothered all the time

I--- got no, got no special rider here
I--- got no, got no special rider here
[C'mon/C' I'm gonna*] leave tomorrow, you know you don't bit more care

* 'cause I'm gonna

[lindy]

Nitpicky question, Andrew.

I thought John called this "Looking for a Woman" in class, and when I got home I did a web search and saw it titled "Gonna Get a Woman." I'm just curious if "Looka Here Woman" is the title from the Wardlow CD.

Great tune! As John said, we all could certainly tolerate another 17 verses on this one, it's way too short.

[uncle bud]

Hi Lindy - The notes in the book have it as "Looka Here Woman" (although I misspelled McMullan's name and will correct that). Could it be that you are referring to the title of the Floyd Council tune that Lightnin' did, where there was some confusion over the title being Looking for My Woman, Searching for My Baby, etc. - and it turns out is called Lookin' for My Baby?

[lindy]

UB:

I spent some time this week editing down the recording I made in John's class, and definitely heard "Looking for a Woman." Of course, I'll go with "Looka Here Woman," since it's in the text, probably just a minor oversight.

Thanks for posting the lyrics.

L

[TallahatchieTrot]

It was very short as the tape we used  for the session was old and studio owner didn't tell me. We had cut a longer version of the song earlier in the night  but it had a lot of background noise when I finally heard the session. So I got Hayes who also had been staying and practicing at Johnnie Temple's house in Jackson to do another quick take of the song. He had gotten high before the session and also hit a few bad notes. That's why he did such a short version and he just stopped when he felt like it. He called it "Looka Here Woman."
 I put it on the CD as an example of his playing. The studio cuts-about 10-12 songs-- were mostly ruined by the studio owner using non-virgin tape that had background noise that bled over on most tracks. Most unusal is that we didn't have access--believe it or not--to a good 6 string guitar and had to borrow a friend's 12 string for the session.
     It's the only time I ever heard a Delta bluesman play a 12 string. Since Hayes was not a pre-war recorded artist, I could never get anyone to record him and he was in both the church and in civil rights voter registration and did not wish to pursue any coiffee house work. We are trying to clean up the studio tapes with the bad background noise and put it together with home recordings made with a D-18 type guitar and good mikes. If we are successful, Randy and I may try to do a limited vinyl pressing of a few hundred copies. if there is any demand from WC followers. He had a great repertoire and style of playing from a folk style like Hurt to hard driving Delta like Willie Brown but learned his style from his older brother and not Brown or Patton. He was born in 1903 and was actively playing by 1920 for house parties in Tallahatchie County. The CD cut was done in 1968 in Jackson in a studio I hoped was professional but learned the hard way.

[Rivers]

Thanks for that Gayle, and yes, I can assure you there is demand. John Miller told me about the existence of this stuff two weeks ago after a class where we were raving about the one track on the CD that came with your book.

PM me if I can help in any way to get this stuff out there. Not sure why you'd want to put it on vinyl though? I ain't had me no 33.333 rpm player for more than 20 years...

[uncle bud]

Vinyl's back, baby... Lots of stuff being released on LP. Mississippi Records do vinyl releases. I have two vinyl stores in my neighbourhood stocking more vinyl than CDs.

Thanks for that information, Gayle Dean. Count me in as one who would buy a Hayes McMullan release in whatever format. I am very curious to hear more.

[GhostRider]

Me too, and I have a record player all ready to go.

[lindy]

Me too, love that vinyl.

I'm really into this song, been working on it for the past few days. In the spirit of John's comment that this song could use 17 more verses, I'm searching for new verses that have a similar structure to the ones that Hayes sang--couplets that start with a single word or syllable that's a vowel so you can streeeeeeeeeeeetch it out over the vamp.

If you've got ideas for floating blues verses that fit, please share. I'll be looking over the stock of lyrics on Weeniepedia when my workload allows.

Lindy

[TallahatchieTrot]

Go  to main WC forum and look under the interview Randy did with me. He posted a photo of Hayes from my book and a 3 minutes of "Leave Here Walking" with Hayes just making up or using verses he had heard or sung himself  The  cut ran about 7 minutes but we put up about half of the song done at his sharecropper house in the Delta in the summer of 1967 before I took him inot the studio in 1968 when the bad  non-virgin tape was used.  He often tuned in Spanish G but dropped the strings THREE frets to a pitch of E to sing from as that fit his voice. He never wanted to be a professional bluesman but was a local musician on weekends and a sharecropper who raised 10 children, but one helluva guitar player..
    I called it "Leave Here Walkin" which was one of his favorites verses he always sang in many songs when he was tuned in Spanish.

[lindy]

Good (and obvious) suggestion, "Leave Here Walking" has all the guitar elements of "Looka Here Woman," I can just use the lyrics from both. Thanks.

Lindy

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I'm sorry for any confusion I may have caused by inadvertently blowing the title of "Look-a Here Woman" when I mis-named it in class.  What a great tune, and it's very exciting to have more of Hayes McMullan's music made available.
All best,
Johnm

[lindy]

Here's my first stab at this one.

Note that in the first verse he skips the "B" part of the "A-A-B" lyric form.

In the second verse it seems logical to insert "leave in the morning" in the first line, but it's not nearly as clear as in the other two lines.

Likewise, in the fourth verse it seems logical to insert "Gonna get up this morning" in the first line, but it's not as clear as in the second line.

-------------------

I ain?t got nobody, baby, in this world but you.
I ain?t got nobody in this world but you.

I?m gonna leave [ ?? in the morning ?? ], talking to myself.
I?m gonna leave here walking, mama, talking to myself.
I?m gonna leave here walking, talking to myself.

I had a good woman, I wouldn?t [ ?? let that do ?? ]
I had a woman, I wouldn?t [ ?? let it ?? ] do.


[ ?? Gonna get up this morning, ?? ]  I?m gonna walk away,
I?m gonna get up this morning, mama, sure gonna walk away.
[ ?? Babe, the way you got me, ?? ] I can hardly stay.

I know this sun is gonna shine in my back door someday.
I know the sun will shine in my back door someday.
Ah, the sun will shine in my back door someday.

[Randy Meadows]

Gonna leave here worried, talking to myself

Had a good woman, but I wouldn't let her do,
when she left me, she broke my heart in two.

Gonna get up in the morning, sure gonna pack my clothes,
Gonna get up in the morning, sure gonna pack my clothes,
The way I love you, your man will never know.

[lindy]

Thanks a lot for those changes, Randy, I inserted most of them but not all -- perhaps you got some of those lyrics from another rendition of the tune, either by Hayes or someone else?

For example, the line "When she left me, she broke my heart in two" in the third verse. I don't hear that at all, but it's a keeper. Listening to the youtube version you posted made me think of Mr. Wardlow's comment that Hayes had gotten high before the recording session--he slurs the entire line.

Also, I'm gonna stick with my version of the fourth verse, I hear those lines pretty clearly. If someone could listen to it (especially the "Babe, the way you got me" line) and give some feedback, I'd appreciate it.

Leave Here Walkin' -- Hayes McMullan

I ain?t got nobody, baby, in this world but you.
I ain?t got nobody in this world but you.

I?m gonna leave here worried, talking to myself.
I?m gonna leave here worried, mama, talking to myself.
I?m gonna leave here worried, talking to myself.

I had a good woman, I wouldn?t let that do.
I had a woman, I wouldn?t let her do.
[When she left me, she broke my heart in two.]

Gonna get up this morning, I?m gonna walk away,
I?m gonna get up this morning, mama, sure gonna walk away.
[ ?? Babe, the way you got me, ?? ] I can hardly stay.

I know this sun is gonna shine in my back door someday.
I know the sun will shine in my back door someday.
Ah, the sun will shine in my back door someday.

[Randy Meadows]

The Lyrics are good..
Yes, I have a few different versions...
We have plenty of good stuff to put out from Hayes...

He played ALL the styles from Patton/Brown/and even earler times...
Wonderful collection of music that Gayle Dean has on Hayes...
And others...

[TallahatchieTrot]

Lindy/Rivers can'l you send me your email address and phone. Like to talk with you about how to handle  some problems about issuing Hayes songs.. Since  I recorded him in 1968 several of the songs have been copyrighted by the Patton estate and now the music publishing belongs to EMI, which means mechanical royalties and publishing royalties would have to be paid.
 That could get very expensive.    We can get the background noise out of a lot  of the studio cuts and put them with the home recordings like "Bo Weevil/ Leave Here walking/, etc but the copyright and royalties will be the biggest hazzle and make it almost impossible. We are not trying to make money off it--CD or vinyl album--but not lose any.
.But would welcome your input.  Hayes does Newbern's Roll and Tumble-- and plays in a style like neither Garfield Akers of RJ or Newbern. Interesting how he adapted the song to his guitar style. But there is a copyright on that song I believe by Howlin Woilf and owned by Chess/ARC Music now owned by MCA who bought Chess.
    I can be reached at songwriterdelta@yahoo.  I do not know how to send a personal message to either of you. .Also like to hear from John Miller if he can contact me.
I can be reached with new messages or through my own email I  have provided since this i of importance to all of us who  love the old time Delta blues, Thanks for your help. Uncle Bud you might be able to help with some insight also.

[TallahatchieTrot]

Lindy--Will get back to you and tell you exactly what Hayes was singing.. I was around him  alot and can decipher for you some of those questionable lines.. But he was singing for instance "Gonna leave here WALKIN/talkin to myself" that was one of his favorite line he often sang in a couple of songs. But its late tonght so will do so for you later in week.

[lindy]

Gayle--

Helping McMullan's music see the light of day sounds like a great project that I'd like to support in some manner. However, for knowledge on music publishing rights and royalties I rely on several other Weenies who have much more experience with that stuff.

I'll send you a PM and I'll be happy to talk to you about this, but if anyone else is willing to participate in this discussion, please speak up.

Lindy

[oversee]

This all sounds exciting an interesting for country blues. Shame there wasn't a Jeff Konkel around when Gayle needed one!

[Rivers]

Gayle, look to the left, you'll see a little envelope under each user's name, click on it and it'll take you to the PM (personal message) page for that person. I'll PM you.

[Johnm]

Hi all,
It's interesting contrasting Babe Stovall's version of "Kansas City Blues" with that of Hayes McMullan, from Hayes' CD, "Every Day Seem Like Murder Here". Hayes played the song in the more commonly played E position in standard tuning. His feel is altogether different from Babe's, not surprisingly. Hayes had that beautiful heavy time, and I sure love his voice.

On a different note, it's interesting to go back in this thread and read how the seeds for the Hayes McMullan CD were planted here. Here is Hayes McMullan's version of "Kansas City Blues":



INTRO

I woke up this mornin', feelin' bad, thought about the good times I once have had, I'm gon'
Move to Kansas City, I'm gon' move to Kansas City, I'm gon'
Move, baby, honey, where they don't 'low you

Well, I went up Main, started down Beale, looking for the woman that they call Lucille, she done
Moved to Kansas City, She done moved to Kansas City, she done
Moved, baby, honey, where they don't 'low you

Well, Mis'sippi River's so deep and wide, have a good gal on that other side, she done
Moved to Kansas City, she done moved to Kansas City, she done
Moved, baby, honey, where they don't 'low you

Well, I know my woman, she gon' jump and shout, train roll up, I come steppin' out, she done
Moved to Kansas City, she done moved to Kansas City, she done
Moved, baby, honey, where they don't 'low you

Well, I went to the river, couldn't get 'cross, seen my little gal and I started cross, I'm gon'
Move to Kansas City, I'm gon' move to Kansas City, I'm gon'
Move, baby, honey, where they don't 'low you

Well, there's T for Texas, T for Tennessee, boll weevil got Mississippi and the women wants me, I'm gon'
Move to Kansas City, I'm gon' move to Kansas City, I'm gon'
Move, baby, honey, where they don't 'low you

CODA

All best,
Johnm   

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Hayes McMullan played "Sugar" in cross-note tuning, and I believe it was the only song that he recorded for Gayle Dean Wardlow in that tuning. The song has an unusual two-line stanza (the fourth verse actually has only one line), and it has none of the "Bentonia" cross-note sound of Skip James or Jack Owens, nor does it recall the sound of Henry Townsend, Booker White or Arthur Crudup when playing in cross-note. It's sound is probably closest to Robert Wilkins' "Nashville Stonewall Blues", which has a very similar time stroke to the one Hayes McMullan played in between his verses here. It's a good reminder that even a tuning which we think of as having a characteristic sound can actually end up sounding many different ways. Here is "Sugar":



INTRO

I was born in a desert, raised in a lion's den, sugar
I was born in a desert, raised in a lion's den

I ain't got no, got no, triflin' woman here, baby
I ain't got no, regular woman here

I woke up this mornin', I, didn't know right from wrong, sugar
Woke up this mornin', I didn't know right from wrong

I say T for Texas, T for Tennessee, baby

I say, hurry sundown, tomorrow come, baby
Hurry sundown, tomorrow come

CODA

 

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Hayes McMullan recorded "Fast Old Train" on a twelve-string guitar, playing in Spanish tuning. The song bears some similarities to Leadbelly's "Poor Howard" and Mance Lipscomb's "Willie Poor Boy". The IC line is the Illinois Central Here is "Fast Old Train":



INTRO SOLO

Fastest train, ever I seen, it was
On that IC line

SOLO

Longest train, ever I seen, she was
On that IC line

SOLO

Longest road, ever I seen, it
Was that IC line

SOLO

Loudest train, ever I seen, it
Was that IC line

SOLO

Loudest whistle, ever I heard, she was
On that IC line

SOLO

Heading down, heading down
Down that Mobile town

SOLO

Same old train, same old train, she
Carried my babe away

SOLO

Same old train, same old train, she
Carried my babe away

SOLO

Fastest train, ever I seen, it was
On that IC line

CODA

All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Gayle Dean Wardlow has kindly suggested that the unreleased recordings he did of Hayes McMullan be put up on the Weenie YouTube channel and site. The first of these is Hayes' epic version of "Leave Here Walkin'", which clocks in at 9:14. (Hayes plays for almost two minutes before he starts singing!). The outfit that put out the Hayes CD and album several years ago chose not to include this rendition on the project, despite Gayle Dean's conviction that it was probably Hayes' strongest recorded performance. Hayes played "Leave Here Walkin'" in Spanish tuning, tuned quite low, and the song shares it's basic signature lick with his "Look-A Here, Woman". In "Leave Here Walkin'" though, Hayes really took a deep dive into the ideas utilized in the accompaniment, and it provides a very unusual instance of a player coming up with variation after variation of his signature lick, subtly changing the articulation, rhythmic placement and dynamics. Lyrically, Hayes shared a trait with Charlie Lincoln and Henry Thomas--he was fond of using the same verses throughout his repertoire. Here is "Leave Here Walkin'":



INTRO SOLOS

I got nobody, baby, in this world but you
I got nobody, baby, in this world but you
I ain't got nobody in this world but you

I'm gon' leave here walkin', mama, talkin' to myself
I'm gon' leave here walkin', mama, talkin'' to myself
I'm gonna leave here walkin', talkin' to myself

I had a good woman, man, I wouldn't let that do
I had a woman, man, I wouldn't let it do
And I will tell you, what it done for me

I'm gon' get up, the mornin', I'm gon' walk away
I"m gonna get up in the mornin', mama, sure gon' walk away
That way you got me, I can't hardly stay

I know the sun gon' shine, my, my back door some day
I know the sun will shine, my back door some day
Aw, the sun will shine, my back door some day

Said, heist you window, mama, and, turn your lamp down low
I said, heist your window, mama, turn your lamp down low
I said, the way I'm doin', don't want nobody to know

I said, the blues all night, just like showers of rain
I said, blues on me, mama, just like showers of rain
Well, 'mind me of somethin', you sure can rain

Got something to tell you, mama, keep it to yourself
Something to tell you, mama, keep it to yourself
You may tell your friends, but tell nobody else

I said, some folks say that the worried blues ain't bad
I say, some folks say that the worried blues ain't bad
I say, the worst old feeling, mama, I've ever had

I'm gon' away, mama, won't be back no more
I said, I'm goin' away and I won't be back no more
I'm goin' away, won't be back no more

I"m gon' leave here walkin', mama, talkin' to myself
I'm gonna leave here walkin', mama, talkin' to myself
I'm gonna leave, walkin', talkin' to myself

CODA

All best,
Johnm

 



   

[eric]

Wow

[Slack]

Too cool.  I absolutely love his dynamics.

[banjochris]

Great performance!

[jpeters609]

Thanks, John, for sharing this (and thanks to Gayle Dean Wardlow for allowing it). Man, I sure wish the "Light In The Attic" label had included this on their initial release. I agree with Mr. Wardlow that it might be McMullan's best performance, and I have a feeling I'd listen to that CD more regularly if it had been included! I'm guessing it's 9-minute runtime kept it off the record, unfortunately. Glad we can hear it now.

[sofingraw]

Goin’ Away Mama

Well I’m goin away, baby,
honey, don’t you want to go?
I said I’m goin away mama, don’t you want to go?
said I’m goin away mama, don’t you want to go?

(2nd verse obviously needs work!)

I got a lil way, stallin, out in Memphis, Tennessee.
I’ve a t y auto mama that’s in my double z
I says t y auto mama (that’s) in my double z

Believe I’ll go up, stairs,
I’m gon’ bring back down my clothes
Said I’m leaving here mama, I sure don’t want to go
Said I’m leavin’ today, mama, and I sure don’t want to go.


Really would like to know what he’s saying in the second verse! Such a great little track by the man!

What do yall think?

[Johnm]

Hi sofingraw,
I think that second verse is:

   I got a new way, spellin', that is, Memphis, Tennessee
   That's t-y-r, now mama, and it's m-i double z
   I says, t-y-r, now mama, and it's m-i- double z

For whatever reason, there is a blues tradition of novelty spellings of Memphis, Tennessee. I hope that helps.
All best,
Johnm 

[sofingraw]

John,

That helps to the maximum degree possible! Thank you!

With John’s expert (and almost immediate!) assistance:

Goin’ Away Mama

Well I’m goin away, baby,
honey, don’t you want to go?
I said I’m goin away mama, don’t you want to go?
Said I’m goin away mama, don’t you want to go?

I got a new way, spellin, that is, Memphis, Tennessee.
That’s T Y R mama, and it’s M I double Z
I says T Y R mama, and it’s M I double Z

Believe I’ll go up, stairs,
I’m gon’ bring back down my clothes
Said I’m leavin’ here mama, I sure don’t want to go
Said I’m leavin’ today, mama, and I sure don’t want to go.


Ben

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Hayes McMullan accompanied himself out of low-tuned Spanish tuning for "Dirt Road By Myself". The recording starts with him already mid-stream. On the one hand, I suppose you could look at the rendition as being compromised by this and other unintentional aspects, but that having been said, he sings and plays so beautifully and dynamically that I'm glad the take was not lost and that we can listen to it now. He really swallows his lyrics at a couple of points and I'd appreciate help with those places. Here is "Dirt Road By Myself":



Mm, dirt road by myself
I'm going, carry me someone else

I said, mama, what you going to do?
I said, mama, what you going to do?
I said, looky-here, baby, tryin' to make a fool of me

INTERLUDE

I said, Lord, Lord, don't, got no mama now
I said, mama, got no mama now (laughs)
I say, Lord, Lord, got no mama now (Spoken: I done forgot half I ever knowed. I ain't jokin'.)

Said, hurry, sundown, let tomorrow come
I said, hurry, sundown, let tomorrow come
I said, mama, mama, I sure (vocal inaudible)

I says, a mean blacksnake keeps on suckin' my rider's tongue
I says a mean blacksnake keeps on suckin' my rider's tongue
Well, you keep on lovin' her, sure gonna let her down

SPOKEN: Now see, I can't slide down on these strings, you know? My fingers don't stand it now, where it's s'posed to.

SOLO

SPOKEN: That's the way it's supposed to be there.

I said, hey, baby, what are you going to do?
I said, hey, hey, what are you going to do?
Baby, . . .

I said, Lord, ---

Edited 4/14 to pick up correction from Blues Vintage

All best,
Johnm



 

[Blues Vintage]

Best I can do,

well you keep on lovin' her sure gonna let her down

[Johnm]

Wow, that is great hearing, Blues Vintage, I think that is spot on, and I will make the change. Thanks!