Topic: The Dixieland Jug Blowers--When I Stopped Running I Was At Home

[Pan]

Hi all.

Help is very much needed again. I'm posting what I have so far, hoping you can fill in the blanks and check the obvious mistakes. This is a great song with wonderfull humorous lyrics and very original chord changes. I'll post an mp3 and open a thread on the "licks" dept. for my take on the chord changes. This would be a great song for your Jug bands!  Here is "When I Stopped Running I Was At Home":



When I Stopped Runnin? I Was At Home  -The Dixieland Jug Blowers, key of Bflat


Heard lots of talk of your hard times, I?m gonna tell all about my own.
As I was travelling through South Carolina, right next to my home.
I got tired and worried , I thought that I would kneel in prayer.
And just as I said Amen, there stood a grizzly bear.
When I stopped runnin, b?lieve me, I was at home.
No more South Carolina will I ever roam.
Now me and this bear right down on the middle of the road,
Going so fast I got [low as a toad]
When I stopped runnin, b?lieve me, I was at home.

When I went out chicken stealing, I thought that I would get me a Quail,
Up to the roost I'd see me out a Rooster, [not his tail].
Down the road came a man, walking with a big shotgun,
Says: ?I?m gonna take a shot at [Pork-Chop], I want to see him run."
When I stopped runnin, b?lieve me, I was at home.
No more stealing chicken, I?m gonna leave all fowls alone.
Now me and these buckshots in the middle of the air,
Going every place, well I didn't know where.
When I stopped runnin, b?lieve me, I was at home.

When I went out in a crap game, I see in a man called Bad Ben.
Soon as I heard him knock on the door, I knowed that trouble was sworn to begin.
I rolled my dice out on the floor, Ben, he snatches them up.
I says: ?Kind friend, now them?s my dice. Why don?t you hand me an upper cut??
When I stopped runnin, b?lieve me, I was at home.
No more shooting dice, I?m gonna leave all bones alone.
Now me and Mr. Ben [lashed] over the back fence,
I?ve been skipping and dodging him ever since.
When I stopped runnin, b?lieve me, I was at home.



Thank you.

Pan

Edited to add a link to the chord changes, and to fix some typos: http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?amp;Itemid=128&topic=5629.0

Edited to make corrections kindly suggested by davek


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[David Kaatz]

This is what I hear, in red, w/comments in navy:

Heard lots of talk of your hard times, I?m gonna tell all about my own.
As I was [traveling?] through South Carolina right next to my home.
I got tired and worried , I thought that I was would kneel in prayer
And just as I [came in say? said? Amen], there stood a grizzly bear
When I stopped runnin, b?lieve me, I was at home.
No more South Carolina will I ever roam
Now me and this bear right down on the middle of the road,
Going so fast I got low as toad[in the toe] (Nonsense, but that's what it sounds like to me)
When I stopped runnin, b?lieve me, I was at home.

When I went out chicken stealing, I thought that I would get me a Quail,
Up to the roost I see'd me out a Rooster, [not his tail] (I agree.  Very hard to catch this)
Down the road came a man, walking with a big shotgun,
Says: ?I?m gonna take a shot at [Pork-Chop](I agree.), I want to see him run."
When I stopped runnin, b?lieve me, I was at home.
No more stealing chicken, I?m gonna leave all fowls alone.
Now me and these buckshots in the middle of the air,
Going every place [will I hid nowhere] well I didn't know where
When I stopped runnin, b?lieve me, I was at home.

When I went out in a crap game, I see in a man called Bad Ben.
Soon as I heard him knock on the door, I knowed that trouble was sworn to begin.
I rolled my dice [out] on the floor, Ben, he snatches them up. agreed
I says: ?Kind friend, now them?s my dice.Why don?t you hand me an [upper cut]?? agreed
When I stopped runnin, b?lieve me, I was at home.
No more shooting dice, I?m gonna leave all [bones] alone. agreed
Now me and Mr. Ben lashed ? over the back fence,
I?ve been [skipping and diving dodging him ever since.
When I stopped runnin, b?lieve me, I was at home.

This is fun.

Dave

[Pan]

Thank you very much Dave! Your help is very much appreciated. I was really stuck with this one.

I agree with all of your suggestions and made the changes. I still left brackets to the parts that were a bit unclear to either of us, so others might comment. But we know have a complete set of lyrics to begin with, which is great.

FWIW Roosevelt Sykes seems to have a song called "Low as a Toad", but I've never heard it. Is anyone familiar with the expression?

Could it be that "Pork-Chop" was a nickname for Clifford Hayes, the singer of the Dixieland Jug Blowers?

I agree that this is fun! 

Cheers

Pan

[Bunker Hill]

FWIW Roosevelt Sykes seems to have a song called "Low as a Toad", but I've never heard it. Is anyone familiar with the expression?Cheers
Pan

I can hear in my head one of the 1920s vaudeville female singers using the expression in a song. Perhaps if I apply my diminishing little grey cells to the matter it might come to me.

Later Edit:

Found. Rosa Henderson "Basement Blues" October 1924

For I was goin' lowdown
way down in the low ground.
Everyday I get low as a toad
My home ain't here
it's farther down the road.

[waxwing]

Search the site for "todalo" or "todalo shaker" for further discussion which I think mentions "low as a toad".

Wax