Topic: Charlie Patton lyrics

[uncle bud]

Yes, discussed here: http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?amp;Itemid=128&topic=6856.0. I'm still not sold, but one never knows, do one.

[bayrum78]

Although there have been a several Patton threads active lately including a topic on his right hand technique in Bo Weavil I can't find a thread on the lyrics. Here's my interpretation. Asterisks flank lyrics I'm  completely unsure of. I enclose a possible alternative in parentheses).  Also, not sure he sings doney at the end of most verses, but it sounds more like doney than lordy to me and I imagine he would tend to address the women in the audience.





Here's a little bo weavil keep moving and a ain't he naughty?

You can plant your cotton and you won't get a half a cent *on it* ( or doney)

Boweavil boweavil where's your native home doney?

A Louisiana arin (around) Texas is where I was bred and born doney

Well I saw the bo weavil lord he circle lord *in the air* (or and he land) doney

The next time I seen him Lord he had his family there doney
 
Boweavil left Texas Lord *didn't bid fare the well doney * (or didn't eat fairly well doney)

where you gong now?

I'm going down to Mississippi going to get a little *devil hand on it* (or dab of ham doney)

Bo weavil said farmer ain't got to treat you fair doney

*How you like boll*  (??)

Suck all the blossom and leave you *have* the square doney ( or half the square)

A  next time I seen you had the family there doney

Bo weavil and  his a' wife went and set down on the end doney

Bo weavil told the wife let's *change this forty end doney* (or save for the end doney)

Boweavil told the wife said I think I'll make a loan on it

Oh and I won't tell nobody

Let's leave Louisiana and go to Arkansas doney

Well I saw the boweavil lord he circle lord a *in the air* (or and he land) doney

Next time I seen him lord he had his family there doney

Bo weavil told the farmer said I ain't got to treat you fair doney

Suck all the blossom and leave you *have* the square doney (or half the square)

Boweavil boweavil where's your native home doney?

Most anywhere they raise cotton and corn doney

Bo weavil bo weavil why not treat me fair doney

Next time I seen you had the family there doney

[Rivers]

Zounds Nate, you are right, we have a ton of lyrics but no unified thread. We should create one and move stuff to it probably. Also there's no Patton in weeniepedia yet. I suspect this is because we often don't reach agreement on the full lyric for his songs.

Check out the tag index for Charlie Patton: http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?option=com_smf&action=tags;tagid=1291, tons of lyric discussions.

[uncle bud]

I created a merged Patton lyrics thread. And here is another lyric to add to it. Hammer Blues (Take 2) was played out of Spanish tuning, pitched around B, probably played lap style. There are several spots in the lyric where things are a little shaky and I could use some help. Patton seems to screw up the 4th verse, and screws it up differently in Take 1.



Hammer Blues (Take 2) ? Charley Patton
Spanish tuning

Gonna buy me a hammock, place it underneath a tree
Gonna buy myself a hammock, gonna plant it underneath the tree
So when the wind blows, the leaves may fall on me

Go on, baby, you can have your way
Go on, baby, you can have your way
Just as every dog sure must have his day

Got me shackled, I'm wearin' a ball and...
They've got me shackled, I'm wearin' my ball and chain
And they got me ready for that Parchman train

I went to the depot, I looked up at the board
I went to the depot, I looked up at the board
And the train had left, went steamin' all up the road

Clothes I buy, baby, honey your board I'll pay
Your board I'll pay, dear, honey, your clothes I'll buy
I will give you all my lovin', baby, till the day I die

I went way up Red River, crawlin' on the...
I went up Red River, crawlin' on a log
I think I heard the Bob Lee boat when she moaned

edited to pick up corrections from banjochris

[banjochris]

A few suggestions, UB:

1.1 and 1.2 I think you have right

2.3 SISTER, every dog?

4.3 And the train had left WENT STEAMIN' ALL UP THE ROAD

5.1 CLOTHES I BUY, BABY, HONEY YOUR BOARD I'LL PAY
5.2 YOUR BOARD I'LL PAY, DEAR, HONEY YOUR CLOTHES I'LL BUY

6.1 I WERE WAY UP RED RIVER?
6.2 I'S WAY UP?

Chris

[uncle bud]

Thanks, Chris.

Re. SISTER 2.3. I'll listen some more. I've seen it transcribed that way elsewhere (from the Revenant set, perhaps) but I am still currently hearing a quiet 'S' at the end of that phrase.

That's great in 4.3. Ditto 5.1-2. Makes a lot more sense.

For 6.1 I still hear I WENT WAY UP...  He sings it more as WEN' or WUN', barely pronouncing the N. I hear WEN' UP in 6.2 as well.  Aside from hearing it that way, I can't recall Charlie using those kinds of grammatical constructions off-hand, seems a little surprising to me, but my memory could be wrong.

[uncle bud]

Nate, rather than tag corrections, I'm posting my transcription of Mississippi Bo Weavil Blues, since I was hearing enough stuff differently. I'm pretty certain he sings Lordy, not doney, to end the lines.


Mississippi Bo Weavil Blues ? Charley Patton

There's a little bo weevil, see it movin' in, a-in the --- Lordy
You can plant your cotton and you won't get a half a [cent/bale], Lordy

"Bo weevil, bo weevil, where's your little home, Lordy?"
"Ah Louisiana and Texas is where I was bred and born," Lordy

Well, I saw the bo weevil, Lord, a-circle, Lord, in the air, Lordy
The next time I see'd him, Lord, he had his family there, Lordy

Bo weevil left Texas, Lord, a-biddin' it fare thee well, Lordy
(Where you goin' now?)
"I'm goin' down in Mississippi, gonna give Louisiana hell," Lordy

Bo weevil said, "Farmer, think I'll treat you fair?" Lordy
(How is that, boy?)
Suck all the blossom and leave you a [empty/half the square], Lordy

"Ah, next time I seen you, Lord, you had your family there, Lordy"

Bo weevil an' his wife went and sit down on a [hill], Lordy
Bo weevil told his wife, "Let's take this [forty] in," Lordy

Bo weevil told his wife, "Said, I'll believe I [may go north], Lordy
(Lord, I'm gonna tell all about it)
Let's leave Louisiana and go to Arkansas, Lordy"

Well, I saw the bo weevil, Lord, a-circle, Lord, in the air, Lordy
Next time I seen him, Lord, he had his family there, Lordy

Bo weevil told the farmer, "Now, think I'll treat you fair? Lordy
Sucked all the blossom and leave you a [empty/half the square], Lordy"

"Bo weevil, bo weevil, where's your little home, Lordy?"
"Most anywhere they raise cotton and corn, Lordy"

"Bo weevil, bo weevil, why don't you treat me fair, Lordy?
The next time I see'd you, you had your family there, Lordy"

edited to pick up correction from Stuart

[Rivers]

Very unusual verse form. Strikes me (I'm totally guessing here) it might have been a work song originally. The only other stuff I can think of that are in a similar format are work songs. I'm sure there are other accompanied songs in this form but I can't think of any right this moment, someone will correct me I'm sure.

[Stuart]

Hi Andrew:

IIRC, the unclear lyric is "half a square,' a square being a term that refers to some measurement of cotton. Somewhere there are archived government films on the web about boll weevils and cotton farming that make this clear. I'll look around to see if I can locate them.

[uncle bud]

Thanks Stuart. I was starting to hear square and was about to come back to it when I saw your post.

[Stuart]

Some info re: "Square":

square - The flower bud of a cotton plant with a central corolla containing the pollen anthers and sepals and surrounded by three (or sometimes four) bracts (squares are often the preferred site of insect damage; e.g., plants bugs, boll weevils, bollworms).

[uncle bud]

I took a look at Calt's Patton book which has a transcription of the Bo Weavil lyrics and I have made some changes to the above transcription based on what was in there. Still rather shaky in spots, IMHO.

[dj]

Sounds like in the second verse Patton sings "Ah LOU'SIANNAR LEAVIN' Texas is where I was bred and born," Lordy.  Certainly there's more between "Louisiana" and "Texas" than just "and".

[uncle bud]

Re. half the square. A little bird (or was it a boll weevil) tells me that both Dick Spottswood and Bob McLeod transcribe this as "empty square" with an H sound added before empty. Which makes a lot of sense as an image. I am not sure I am hearing it myself, still think I hear an F sound more than an M, but am putting it out there as a likely candidate. Will be listening some more. Figure I'll have this one in a year or two.

dj, I agree he's singing "LOUISIANNAR" but don't hear anything other than the AND following it.

[dj]

...but don't hear anything other than the AND following it

I pulled out the Revenant box and both the Fahey and Spottswood transcriptions there agree with you, not me.