Maybe he's leaving someone in Georgia to go to Alabama?
"Make Georgia be YOUR home"
That's what I would use.
Christian
"Make Georgia be YOUR home"
That's what I would use.
Christian
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I'm long and tall, like a cannonball - Willie Baker, No No Blues
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic. Chun
Maybe he's leaving someone in Georgia to go to Alabama?
"Make Georgia be YOUR home" That's what I would use. Christian Hi all,
I was listening to Charley Patton's version of "Frankie and Albert" and ended up transcribing the lyrics. It seems Patton's take on this is not necessarily held in high regard, either as a Patton song or as a version of Frankie and Albert (or Johnny). I rather like it, and though the lyrics aren't exactly coherent, there's some entertaining verses in there IMO. The guitar part is done out of E position and while not super tricky has some nice I chord/E licks, and IV chord/A licks. Here are the lyrics with some trouble spots. Any help filling them in much appreciated. Frankie and Albert ? Charley Patton Well Frankie went down to Albert?s house, ?how late Albert?s been here?? Oh Albert?s sittin? down in some cheap gal?s lap, buyin? some cheap gal beer "Say, he was my man but he done me wrong" Well Frankie, she called Albert, she called him some two or three times Look down the road ?bout a [quarter block], you mighta seen little Albert flyin? ?Say, he was my man but he done me wrong? Well Frankie she was good ol? gal and everybody knows She would pay one half a hundred for the makin? of her man?s clothes ?Say, he was my man but he done me wrong? Well Frankie went down to the courthouse to hear little Albert cry Oh Albert was convicted, Frankie hung her head and cried ?Say, he was my man but he done me wrong? ?Say you remember all last Sunday, twenty-fifth day of May You ?buked me and you cursed me, oh baby all that day Say, he was my man but he done me wrong? ?Tell you, some folks give you a nickel, and it?s some gonna give you a dime But I'm [goin' give you a smile instead] for I know you was a man of mine? Kill her man, go kill her man Well Frankie went to the cemetery, fell down on her knees Oh Lord, will you forgive me and give my poor heart ease Say, he was my man but you done me wrong? Well, Frankie?s mother come runnin?, come a-whoopin?, screamin? and cryin? ?Oh Lord, oh Lord, my only son is dyin? She kill her man, yes she kill her man? edited to add corrections from banjochris and dj I can't make out that second bracketed part, either, but I think the first one is either "quarter block" or "quarter mile"
Chris dj
Dick Spottswood and friends, in the lyric transcriptions for the Revenant box, have "quarter block" for the first bracketed section, and "I'm goin' give you a smile instead" for the second.
Thanks Chris and dj. I've changed the text accordingly. I am hearing "block" now, though am not sure about "instead".
Hi all,
I agree with you, Uncle Bud, I very much like Patton's version of "Frankie and Albert". I think my favorite thing about it is the way Patton times his playing under the refrain line "done me wrong", or "kill her man", and then immediately answers the line with the guitar, pushing the beat with his thumb. It's such great timing, and a very unusual; I'm hard put to think of other places in the music with that particular emphasis. Edited to add: It just occurred to me that Patton has no spoken asides on this song. Perhaps his sense of telling the story kept him from his normal hi-jinks. All best, Johnm Hey, Uncle Bud--
Listening again to the "smile" line, I think he might sing ?Tell you, some folks give you a nickel, and it?s some gonna give you a dime But I'm goin' give you smilin', too, for I know you was a man of mine? In other words, she gave him not just money but affection. Chris LoneWolf
I invite you all to listen to my version of this song. You can find it here:
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=547497 It's somewhere in the middle of the list... the title is "Frankie and Albert". I play lap-style slide in there. Please let me know what you think! Hi,
As far as I know, and I *think* I saw this on a copy I had of the lyrics as listed on an old Yazoo LP, The chorus to "Gonna Move to Alabama" is... Gonna Move to Alabama (X3) make the graveyard to be your home. I may give Charlie a listen tomorrow while I'm at work and I'll make sure to listen especially close to these two tunes and let you know what I come up with Here's my take on Joe Kirby. I'm curious to know what those of you who may have better hearing that I do think.
Joe Kirby Blues Said I believe I'm gonna leave here. Don't wanna be here no more (X2) As for where I 'tend to go, mama, (I'll) tell ya when I know. Some people say baby them Kirby blues ain't bad Some people say now baby them Joe Kirby blues ain't bad Well it must not a been them Joe Kirby blues I had Just like a doggone rabbit, lordy, got no doggone den I'm just like rabbit I ain't got no doggone den I get in trouble lord every chance I get I was standin' at the crossroads, kissin' my rider goodbye I was standing at the crossroads, kissin' my rider goodbye (The) train blowed for the crossroad, lord, she started to fly Well I'm goin' where the Green River do sink down I'm goin' where the Green River do run down But the woman I love lordy, she live in Rossville town (not sure where I got Rossville, but that's what it sounds like to me LOL) Hey well where was my baby, now tell me what's on your mind Hey just tell me now mama lordy, tell me what's on your mind Well you know you got a home baby long as I got mine As has been said, Charlie's lack of diction makes it difficult, and some of the lyrics I hear may seem to have too many syllables, but given how he garbles speech at times, I wouldn't think them impossible. I still think it's "make Georgia be your home," and I think that, like "to the land of California, to my sweet home Chicago," it defies logical interpretation.
Chris dj
Actually, "to the land of California, to my sweet home Chicago" makes some sense if you take "land of California" to mean something like "the land of milk and honey" or "the promised land". That's not too far off if you think of California in the 1920s and 1930s. California was the place where movies were made and where movie stars and radio stars lived, which gave it glamor. But it was also a place where work was plentiful, where massive water projects were soaking up manual labor, where the advent of large-scale irrigation and refrigerated transport meant that agricultural laborers were needed, and where industry was growing and needed labor, in short, it was a place where decent paying work was plentiful. I always think that the line in "Sweet Home Chicago" means that Chicago, with its industry and its (relatively) enlightened race relations, was to blacks from Mississippi the same kind of land of milk and honey that California was to the entire nation.
DJ -- I've heard that explanation of "land of California" too, and although it makes sense to a certain extent, I still don't buy it. I guess I'd rather think RJ was confusing his geography innocently and accidentally rather than deliberately coming up with a metaphor that makes him sound like he's confusing his geography.
Chris FWIW I'll weigh in with this 30 year old info to make of what you will:
"[Robert Johnson] made a mystery of himself...because that's the way he was. In one of his songs, he sings, 'back to the land of California, to my sweet home Chicago.' Doesn't make sense...I found out he had a cousin living in California, near Port Chicago." Mack McCormick interview, Chicago Tribune 13th February 1978 LoneWolf
By the greatest of all, Papa Charley... Thanks!
Tags: Charlie Patton
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