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My bull's in a pasture where there's no grass, every minute seems like it gonna be my last - Charley Patton, Jersey Bull Blues

Author Topic: Blind Willie McTell lyrics  (Read 69721 times)

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Offline Johnm

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Re: Blind Willie McTell lyrics
« Reply #270 on: October 18, 2020, 10:10:26 AM »
Hi Harry,
That's a great tune. I'm hearing a few things differently:
 
   1.2 COULD I get you . . .
   2.3 (Spoken: Play that thing for me, boy!)
   4.1 Going to Savannah, T' make some jack
   4.4 (Spoken: Aw, play it for me now.)
   5.3 (Spoken: Yeah!)
   6.1 . . . like SANTY CLAU'
   7.2 She gets to SHOOK IT like a shaggy dog

All best,
Johnm 

Offline Blues Vintage

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Re: Blind Willie McTell lyrics
« Reply #271 on: October 18, 2020, 04:11:46 PM »
Thanks both,  I don't hear your 4.1 suggestion John.

Santa Claus/Santy Claw bit is still puzzling me. Could be "Santa Claus" with a very weird speech.
I might incorporate spoken parts in my future transcriptions.

Offline Johnm

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Re: Blind Willie McTell lyrics
« Reply #272 on: October 18, 2020, 04:24:27 PM »
Hi Harry,
4.1 he says "to make some jack" (earn some money), but elides the vowel sound at the end of "to". That's what I was suggesting. You need an infinitive there. He is saying "Santa Claus", but pronouncing it "Santy Clau' or "Claw", as Lyndvs had it. Santa Claus looms large in blues lyrics, and not for giving gifts.
All best,
Johnm

Offline Blues Vintage

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Re: Blind Willie McTell lyrics
« Reply #273 on: October 18, 2020, 04:42:42 PM »
Ah, should have checked "Barrelhouse Words" first;

Santa Claus - Pudenda

Mississippi Bracy - Cherry Ball
Won't give my baby no more cherry ball
Lord, she may get drunk, Lord, and show her Santa Claus
« Last Edit: October 18, 2020, 04:57:07 PM by harry »

Offline Blues Vintage

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Re: Blind Willie McTell lyrics
« Reply #274 on: December 27, 2020, 02:21:42 PM »
Low Rider's Blues


Blind Willie McTell – Vocals, Guitar
Curley Weaver - Guitar

October 31, 1931
Atlanta, Georgia





You called me a low rider I'm going back to Tennessee
I say you called me a low rider and I'm going back to Tennessee
And mama there's no reason why baby you should mistreat poor me

Baby you may quit your daddy change your lock and key
I say you may quit your daddy change your lock and key
But I mean it don’t matter aw doggone with me

I got womens in Georgia Alabama and Tennessee
I got womens down here in Georgia Alabama and Tennessee
So I don't let no white gals worry me

Your good corn whiskey baby driving your daddy to ruin
I say your good corn whiskey driving your daddy to ruin
And this is one lesson baby I want you to learn

I love good corn whiskey but baby it’s no good for me
I says I love my good corn whiskey but it ain't no good for me
But it tried to ruin you baby and you tried to mistreat poor me

I’ll be your doctor Lord and pay your doctor bill
I says I’ll be your doctor and pay your doctor’s bill
And if corn whiskey don’t kill ya baby I wonder what will
« Last Edit: December 28, 2020, 02:42:52 PM by Harry »

Offline Johnm

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Re: Blind Willie McTell lyrics
« Reply #275 on: December 28, 2020, 02:37:07 PM »
Hi Harry,
I've got a couple of changes that are grammatical.
   3.1 and 3.2--it should be "womens", no apostrophe. "Women's" would either be a possessive, which it is not in this context, or a contraction, "women is", which it is not either. "Womens", "mens" and "peoples", are all double plural collective nouns that turn up a lot in blues lyrics.
   4.1 and 4.2--it should be "your good corn whiskey", not "you're good corn whiskey", which would mean "you are good corn whiskey".
I've made the changes in Weeniepedia.
All best,
Johnm

Offline Blues Vintage

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Re: Blind Willie McTell lyrics
« Reply #276 on: December 28, 2020, 02:51:30 PM »
English is not my first language so these grammatical errors probably will appear in my transcriptions from time to time.
Thanks for adding the song in Weeniepedia.

Offline blueshome

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Savannah Mama
« Reply #277 on: May 14, 2021, 03:34:11 AM »
I’ve been playing McTell’s song for a while. Can anyone explain why he means by  “sign my initials down”? Is it just a metaphor for announcing that he’s there or is there a further meaning?

Offline Johnm

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Re: Savannah Mama
« Reply #278 on: May 14, 2021, 06:51:37 AM »
Hi Phil,
The only thing I can think of it meaning in the context of those two verses is that he's saying, "Despite the fact that you all hate me, I'm leaving a mark of my being here--you can't scare me off that easily."
All best,
Johnm

Offline blueshome

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Re: Savannah Mama
« Reply #279 on: May 14, 2021, 11:15:03 AM »
I wonder if it was an expression in circulation at the time.

Offline Johnm

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Re: Blind Willie McTell lyrics
« Reply #280 on: May 15, 2021, 06:41:08 AM »
Hi all,
I merged the new thread on the lyrics of "Savannah Mama" into the Blind Willie McTell Lyrics thread, while keeping the title of those posts the same.
All best,
Johnm

Offline onewent

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Re: Blind Willie McTell lyrics
« Reply #281 on: May 29, 2021, 06:22:41 AM »
Getting back to Delia, based on the newspaper report of Delia's murder, it's pretty clear that the shooter was "Cooney" (nickname), not 'Kenny' or any other name .. and yes, McTell had plenty of regional pronunciations in his songs.
In a few verses, 'Cooney' sounds very much like Kenny, and in the silver cup verse, it sounds like 'Honey'
Tom

Offline Blues Vintage

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Re: Blind Willie McTell lyrics
« Reply #282 on: May 29, 2021, 07:52:39 AM »
Thanks for clarifying that, Tom.

I don't know why I never bothered to research Delia Green when I did the transcription.
Indeed, she was shot to death by Mose (or Moses) "Cooney" Houston in 1900.

Offline onewent

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Re: Blind Willie McTell lyrics
« Reply #283 on: May 29, 2021, 03:27:46 PM »
Hi Harry, yeah, I only saw that bit of historical info myself in the past week, and I'd been learning the song and was checking out the lyrics posted here and thought 'for posterity' ;-)
thx..Tom

Offline Blues Vintage

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Re: Blind Willie McTell lyrics
« Reply #284 on: September 01, 2021, 04:30:44 PM »
B And O Blues No. 2  (Take 1)


Blind Willie McTell – Vocals, Guitar
Curley Weaver - Guitar

New York City, New York
21 Sept. 1933

G Position tuned down 3 steps





I'm gon' grab me a train, I'm goin' back to Baltimore
Well, I'm gon' grab me a train, goin' back to Baltimore
I'm gonna find my baby, 'cause she rode that B & O

I'm goin' to act like a rambler, and I can't stay home no more
I'm goin' to act like a rambler, and I can't stay home no more
'Cause the gal I love, she rode that B & O

She said, "Daddy, I'm leavin', and I can't come back no more"
She said, "Daddy, I'm leavin', and I can't come back no more"
And if she don't come back, I'm goin' down in Ohio (Ah, play it now)

SOLO (Bad is when you feel bad when she will leave you too, trouble boy, trouble)

I never would have thought, that my baby would treat me so
Well, I never would have thought, that my baby would treat me so
‘Cause she broke my heart, when she grabbed that B & O

Now, she wants to come back, and I can't use that child no more (not at all)
Now, she wants to come back, and I can't use that child no more
'Cause I got another hot mama, and she lives in Baltimore (Play it a little bit now boy)

OUTRO SOLO (Stand by if you want to hear it again, next year)

 


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