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I'm in Mississippi with mud all on my shoes, my gal in Louisiana with those high water blues. That's why I'm crying, Mis'sippi heavy water blues - Barbecue Bob Hicks, Mississippi Heavy Water Blues

Author Topic: Robert Johnson lyrics  (Read 10307 times)

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Offline Rivers

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Re: A verse of Robert Johnson's
« Reply #15 on: October 28, 2013, 09:20:29 PM »
Some people, including me, hear 'three lanes to truck on' rather than 'three legs'.

Offline banjochris

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Re: A verse of Robert Johnson's
« Reply #16 on: October 28, 2013, 09:35:32 PM »
And pretty sure it's "ashamed" instead of deceived in line 3. But I agree, "lanes."

Offline Gumbo

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Re: A verse of Robert Johnson's
« Reply #17 on: October 29, 2013, 02:46:31 AM »
there's a scene in an episode of Round The Horne where Kenneth Williams is attempting to insure his legs.
Lloyd's of London representative: How many legs do you have?
Williams: Erm ... three
Lloyd's: I beg your pardon!
Williams: Oh sorry ... I was counting my umbrella.

this may or may not be relevant.

Offline banjochris

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Re: A verse of Robert Johnson's
« Reply #18 on: October 29, 2013, 09:03:31 AM »
there's a scene in an episode of Round The Horne where Kenneth Williams is attempting to insure his legs.
Lloyd's of London representative: How many legs do you have?
Williams: Erm ... three
Lloyd's: I beg your pardon!
Williams: Oh sorry ... I was counting my umbrella.

this may or may not be relevant.

Ha! A possibility...

Offline Bunker Hill

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Re: A verse of Robert Johnson's
« Reply #19 on: October 29, 2013, 09:39:58 AM »
Some people, including me, hear 'three lanes to truck on' rather than 'three legs'.
Sam Charters in his 1973 Oak booklet of RJ lyrics ventured "three lanes to truck on" (accompanied by a ?) and he had "shamed". So, despite folk who always criticised SC's ears he wasn't far off the mark. Certainly far better than the 1969 Immediate Music UK booklet of transcriptions which was published to anticipate the release of RJ vol.2 in 1970. But I'm drivelling on as usual.

Offline Stuart

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Re: A verse of Robert Johnson's
« Reply #20 on: October 29, 2013, 11:15:07 AM »

Offline jphauser

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Re: A verse of Robert Johnson's
« Reply #21 on: October 29, 2013, 07:36:06 PM »
Been a long time since my college German classes, but I found this link below.

http://books.google.com/books?id=kWP0AAAAMAAJ&q=%22three+legs+to+truck%22&dq=%22three+legs+to+truck%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=hmtwUrT3IOmysATj-YGIBw&ved=0CF0Q6AEwCA

I believe "'Three legs' sind nicht etwa drei beine" means something like "three legs" don't mean three legs, and I believe "kein sexuelles Code-Wort" means not a sexual code word.  It may be that the author is looking at the possibility that the third leg is a penis and rejecting it.

Offline LeftyStrat

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Re: A verse of Robert Johnson's
« Reply #22 on: October 29, 2013, 08:12:14 PM »
I sorta took it to mean he had three more stops (or "legs") on a trip   before he got home and he was telling everybody (maybe the police, more than any?) to stay outta his way.
Stop by and give a listen! :)

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Offline RB

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Re: A verse of Robert Johnson's
« Reply #23 on: October 30, 2013, 04:46:00 AM »
I haven't listened to the song in years and I don't claim much but I'm pretty sure I always 'heard' this as

      I've got three days to truck home

Offline Stuart

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Re: A verse of Robert Johnson's
« Reply #24 on: October 30, 2013, 10:40:44 AM »
I just listened to the verse in question a couple of times (albeit on the computer). I can't determine with a high level of confidence what he actually sings in the "three legs/lanes...on/home" line. The suggested meanings make sense with the various combinations, but what he actually sang and specifically had in mind when he sang it remains an open question--to me, anyway.

Like Chris, I hear "ashamed" as well, but I have difficulty clearly making out the word(s) that precede it. He either sings it very fast, running two words together, or flubs it right before "ashamed." "I've been ?? ashamed by my rider," Unfortunately, there isn't an alternate take of this one.

As another relationship gone wrong song, one can make a case for the various hearings and interpretations, but without some independent evidence, I wouldn't bet the family jewels on being able to arrive at the patented correct answer based on this cut alone.

Offline banjochris

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Re: A verse of Robert Johnson's
« Reply #25 on: October 30, 2013, 11:07:26 AM »
Like Chris, I hear "ashamed" as well, but I have difficulty clearly making out the word(s) that precede it. He either sings it very fast, running two words together, or flubs it right before "ashamed." "I've been ?? ashamed by my rider," Unfortunately, there isn't an alternate take of this one.

Pretty sure it's as WayneS had it at the top of the thread, except for "ashamed."
I've been feelin' ashamed by my rider...

Chris

Offline Stuart

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Re: A verse of Robert Johnson's
« Reply #26 on: October 30, 2013, 04:32:42 PM »
I'll have to listen to it on CD and also to the LP when I get a chance, Chris. Sometimes the sound can get clipped in the process of going from one medium to another. But I doubt that these old ears will perform any better. Sometimes it's just the loose nut behind the wheel--or in this case, under the headphones.

Offline WayneS

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Re: A verse of Robert Johnson's
« Reply #27 on: November 04, 2013, 09:52:28 AM »
Thanks to all.  I tried to find out what various blues artists thoght the line was when they sang it, and couldn't tell whether they were saying "legs" or "lanes" either.

I think it must be my age.  A few days ago I was listening to a National Public Radio program in which it was noted that Syria was in a state of turmoil and Iraqis (sp?) were beleaguered by roadblocks manned by insurgents, such that several batallions had to be called in to quell problems.  I heard it as the Sierras being in a state of turmoil and the Rockies beleaguered by insurgents, with several Italians being called in to quell problems.

If it weren't for those Italians....

Offline TallahatchieTrot

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Re: A verse of Robert Johnson's
« Reply #28 on: November 13, 2013, 08:39:22 PM »
Maybe this can explain RJ's verse. Trucking was a famous dance craze around 1936 that predated the jitterbug. Since the 1950s I have had a 78 recorded in Dallas In June 1937 at the same June session as RJ by the Crystal Springs Ramblers, a western swing band from Ft. Worth. It is titled "Swinging and TRUCKING. So RJ in my opinion is bragging about his prowess as a DANCER and saying please don't block my road. I hear road. So trucking was definitely a dance craze, especially in the southwest. RJ always had  a lot of black slang and sayings in his lyrics. gayle dean wardlow

Offline Rivers

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Re: A verse of Robert Johnson's
« Reply #29 on: November 14, 2013, 06:49:04 PM »
Makes sense Gayle.

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