Topic: Mississippi John Hurt Lyrics

[MarkC]

I hear it as Lindy does. Each time through I hear:

go-ho…
go…
go-ho…

I never hear “over”. Maybe “go-ho” is more of a rhythmic device.

If it needs to be fleshed out more, I’d go with “go home”. “Go over” adds a syllable that makes the lines hard to sing.

[Johnm]

Hi MarkC,
If you re-listen to John Hurt's choruses, every time in the first and third lines of the chorus, he does sound "hov'", with the v followed by a lazy elision of the final syllable of "over". Were he singing "home", what would those "vs" be doing in there? I'm more convinced than ever that he's singing "over" with the aspirated "h" in the first and third lines and never sings "home". For a comparison, here he is singing "Poor Boy, Long Ways From Home".



He has no problem pronouncing "home" with the "m" here, yet he never does it once in "Beulah Land".
All best,
Johnm

[Stuart]

Hi John:

Are you listening to the original Vanguard LP, CD release of the LP, digital copy (iTunes CD Import in MP3, M4A, etc.; WAV file, etc. in another digital player) on your computer, the YouTube video/audio posted, some other medium, or perhaps a combination of the above? Or on higher quality audio equipment? I'm not questioning what you hear or your judgment regarding what you transcribe. It's just that when there's a divergence such as we're seeing here regarding an non-whupped recording, it's important that we're listening to the same "audio" (--and not simply the same "song"). As I mentioned previously, we're several steps and/or stages removed from the original performance, so it's possible we're hearing what we're hearing, but we're each listening to audio that differs, albeit only by varying degrees.

I listened to the YouTube audio and the M4A file imported from the CD on my computer using iTunes and also VLC Media Player using consumer quality headphones - Audio-Technica and my old Koss Pro 4AA. I was tempted to pull out the LP and the CD (but you've seen this dump--as has Lindy--so you know the challenges that presents). You're the pro and I'm merely a hobbyist and I assume you have better gear. (Let the  punishment fit the crime!  ) And better reproduction of the audio.

I hope the above doesn't come across as focusing too much attention on details, but sometimes it's easy to overlook the obvious. After all, we're not all in the same place listening to the same audio on the same equipment at the same time.

[Johnm]

Hi Stuart,
I've been listening to the youtube video that I posted in this thread, through the built-in speakers on my computer. Not particularly high-tech, audiophile-type listening. But I'm certain I would hear the very same thing were I listening to the same rendition of the song in other formats.

[Stuart]

Thanks, John. I couldn't hear a difference between the YouTube recording and the M4A via iTunes using headphones, but my hearing isn't what it once was, so all bets are off when it comes to me being the arbiter of anything audio.

But it's good to know what you're using, if only so I'm not blaming my equipment for my limited listening abilities.

As Always,

Stuart

[banjochris]

I had thought it was "go home" myself, and have sung it that way too, but listening to the Library of Congress recording of "Beulah Land" convinced me that it's "over" as well.
Chris

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Mississippi John Hurt played "Baby, What's Wrong With You?" out of A position in standard tuning, tuned about a half-step low in this live recording. He gives the song tremendous rhythmic drive. Here is his rendition:



INTRO SOLO

Oh baby
Tell me, baby
tell me, baby, honey, what's wrong with you?

You don't love me, baby
You don't love me, baby
You don't love me, baby, honey, like you used to do

Oh baby
Oh baby
Tell me, baby, honey, what's wrong with you?

Who, who, baby
Who been here, baby?
Who been here, baby, honey, since I been gone?

SOLO

Somebody, baby
Somebody, baby
Somebody been fishin' in my pond

Caught all my perches
Caught all my perches
Caught all my perches and now they's gone

Oh baby
Tell me, baby
Tell me, baby, honey, what's wrong with you?

Who, who, babe
Who, who, baby
Tell me, baby, who's been jivin' you?

Who's never told you
Who's never told you, baby
Who never told you, did not tell you true

Asked you this morning
Asked you this morning, baby
Asked you this morning, "Please bake me some bread."

You told me
You told me, baby
Said, "Johnny, I'd rather see you dead."

Oh baby
Tell me, baby
Tell me, baby, honey, what's wrong with you?

Edited 2/17 to pick up correction from banjochris

All best,
Johnm

[banjochris]

One suggestion, John for this verse:

Who's never told you
Who's never told you, baby
Who never told you, didn't I tell you true?

I think the last line is "Who never told you, did not tell you true."

It's basically the same verse from Sleepy John's "Buddy Brown," where Estes sings "whosonever" instead of "whosoever," and it's become "Who's never" by the time it got to John Hurt.

Chris

[Johnm]

Thanks for the catch, Chris, you are certainly right. I will make that change. I love John Hurt's drive on this tune.

[lindy]

I love John Hurt's drive on this tune.

Monday Morning Blues in hyperdrive.

Love it when I can pick up a new song so quickly. I can spend my time trying to capture just a wee bit of his energy.

Lindy

[Johnm]

Good on you for figuring it out on your own, Lindy. This song also shares the unusual lyric scheme of "Monday Morning Blues" with each verse being like the A line of an AAB lyric scheme and the next verse being the B line response to the previous verse's A.