Topic: Uncle Dave Macon Lyrics

[Lastfirstface]

I'm on one of my periodic Uncle Dave kicks and I would appreciate some help with these:

Backwater Blues



Spoken: Well good people, you know all water will put out fire, but when water backs up it makes you put out. Right up the mountain just like the old wreck of 97 going down the grade 90 miles an hour. Now we?re going to give you a little imitation of how that ol? train was a?going.

(plays instrumental excerpt of Wreck of the Old 97)

Spoken: Hot dog, I?m old but I?m round, here


Backwater?s up and the people are a running
I?m going to the mountain and I?m going hunting
Fare you well, oh my little darling
Lord, lord, ain?t I gone

Oh my love, lonesome road
Oh my love, lonesome wood

I love you and you can?t help it
You love me but you won?t confess it
No you don?t, oh my little darling
Lord, lord, ain?t I gone

Oh my love, lonesome road
Oh my love, lonesome wood

Two little children lying in the bed
The water was rising over their head
The mother?s uptown, they?se never found
Lord, lord, wasn?t that sad
Oh how bad, oh how sad

I heard a man talkin? to a fella
The water was rising in his cellar
Rising more, and a?coming through the floor
Lord, lord, open the door

Oh my love, lonesome road
Oh my love, lonesome wood

Nashville is a favorite town
The backwater?s got us running around
Lord have mercy, ain?t I gone
Lord, lord, fare you well

Oh my love, lonesome road
Oh my love, lonesome wood

(Edited to reflect suggestions from Banjochris)

[banjochris]

I think you've got all the lyrics of the song -- I'd make a few small suggestions at the beginning:

you ALL know water?

Right up the mountain just like OLD wreck of 97?

And after the instrumental: Hot dog, I?m old but I?m round, here

rest looks good to me.
Chris

[Lastfirstface]

Thanks, Chris. Here's another I was working on:



My Station Will Be Changed After A While

There are people in this world who will try to pull you down
But I?se a going to glory to wear the starry crown
It?s no matter what they do and say
Going to fall on my knees and pray
That the station will be changed after a while

Oh the station will be changed after a while
When the lord himself shall come
And the work on earth is done
Well the station will be changed after a while

Oh the bible plainly tells you of that awful judgement day
That awful day am coming and no matter where I be
You may bury me in the ocean
You may bury me in the sea
But the station will be changed after a while

Oh the station will be changed after a while
When the lord himself shall come
And the work on earth is done
For the station will be changed after a while

Oh the gospel train am coming and she?s running through the land
King Jesus is the conductor and she always makes her time
When she makes the station blow
You better be ready to go
Oh the station will be changed after a while

[Johnm]

Hi all,
A little while ago, Lastfirstface alluded to Uncle Dave's "I've Got The Mourning Blues", often called "Morning Blues" by people covering the song, and I thought I'd give it a go, transcribing the lyrics.  Sam McGhee accompanies Uncle Dave here, finger-picking out of Vestapol.  This one qualifies as a great one-chord number.  Some of these verse are omitted when the song is performed nowadays.  My favorite line is "There stands a fellow over yonder, he looks just like he wants to ponder"--you'd be hard-pressed to find a better lyric than that! Here is the song:



INTRO SOLO

Been in business and I've been in love, I used to fly high like a turtle dove
Had the blues a many a time, they're just a woman on a poor man's mind
REFRAIN: I got the mourning blues, oh so bad
Honey come and kiss me, they're the worst I've ever had

SOLO ON REFRAIN

Ashes to ashes and dust to dust, show me a woman that a man can trust
Nickel's worth of grease and a dime's worth of lard, I would buy more, but the times is so hard
REFRAIN: I got the mourning blues, oh so bad
Honey come and kiss me, they're the worst I've ever had

SOLO ON REFRAIN

They ain't no use of me a-workin' so hard, for I got a woman in the white folks' yard
She brings me meat and she brings me pie, I'm eatin' some of everything the white folks buy
REFRAIN: I got the mourning blues, oh so bad
Honey come and kiss me, they're the worst I've ever had

SOLO ON REFRAIN

She brings me chicken and she brings me cake, you just oughta see me lick that plate
A big honeyed biscuit and a mutton chop, will make a nigger lips go flippity-flop
REFRAIN: I got the mourning blues, oh so bad
Honey come and kiss me, they're the worst I've ever had

SOLO ON REFRAIN

There sits a fellow, right over there, 's got blue eyes and he's got black hair
Talkin' to his sweetheart, she looks so neat, she calls him "honey" and he calls her "sweet"
REFRAIN: I got the mourning blues, oh so bad
Honey come and kiss me, they're the worst I've ever had

SOLO ON REFRAIN

There stands a fellow, right over yonder, he looks just like he wants to ponder
Look at that hair all around his mouth, like he swallowed a mule and left the tail a-hangin' out
REFRAIN: I got the mourning blues, oh so bad
Honey come and kiss me, they're the worst I've ever had

Edited 9/5 to pick up corrections from banjochris

All best,
Johnm

[banjochris]

A few minor suggestions, John (the version from the Bear Family set has much better sound than the version on YouTube) ?

in the chorus each time, Macon sings ?they?re the worst I?VE ever had?

4.1 YOU JUST oughta see me lick that plate

5.2 she looks so NEAT

Love the mule line and the mutton chop line, despite its extreme political incorrectness. Bo Carter sings a variation on that in ?Shoo That Chicken.?

Chris

[Johnm]

Thanks for the catches, Chris.  I've made all of the fixes you suggested.  Doggone it, I heard "neat" in that one place, plain as day, and typed in "sweet".  Some day I may stop doing that, but I don't know.
All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
This performance of "Poor Old Dad" was just posted on youtube.  According to Tony Russell, the recording was by the Dixie Sacred Singers, from a session in New York City on May 10, 1927, featuring Uncle Dave on banjo and vocal, Kirk McGee on mandolin and vocal, Mazy Todd on fiddle and Sam McGee on guitar and vocal.  It's a sad song, and sung perfectly straight by Uncle Dave.  It sure is pretty and I like that "dwell" in the middle of the second and fourth melody lines.  Here is "Poor Old Dad":



INTRO

While strolling out the other day to have a quiet walk
And passing by a house I heard, some very noisy talk
Just then a door flew open and an old man tumbled out
I stopped and asked the people what, the bother was about

An angry lad then asked me what it had to do with me
And told me to move on, or he'd quickly let me see

REFRAIN: You've made your poor old mother weep from midnight until morn
You've made your poor old father curse, the day that you were born
You'd wish you'd never served us so, when both are dead, my lad
When your own children strike you like, you've struck your poor old dad

INTRO

Not long the poor old father lived, but soon joined his old bride
Now in the quiet churchyard, they're sleeping side by side
But one day o'er the grave we found the dead son 'neath the trees
And mournfully I thought I heard, these words float on the breeze

REFRAIN: You've made your poor old mother weep from midnight until morn
You've made your poor old father curse, the day that you were born
You'd wish you'd never served us so, when both are dead, my lad
When your own children strike you like, you've struck your poor old dad

SOLO

REFRAIN: You've made your poor old mother weep from midnight until morn
You've made your poor old father curse, the day that you were born
You'd wish you'd never served us so, when both are dead, my lad
When your own children strike you like, you've struck your poor old dad

All best,
Johnm