Country Blues > Country Blues Lyrics
Irene Scruggs Lyrics
banjochris:
I think it's cool he sings Johannesburg -- very unexpected. I listened to all the modern recordings of "No Special Rider" that I have, by the way, which is about seven, and he never sings either the wander to the door or the Johannesburg verse! Oh, well.
Here's the lyrics to "Good Grinding," which has Little Brother backing up Irene Scruggs for Paramount back in 1930. We did this with Sausage Grinder for a long time in kind of a Blind Boy Fuller/Josh White style.
I was standing in the door when my grandma cried,
"If good grinding kills grandma, let old grandma die."
I was standing in the door when I heard my grandma cry,
"If good grinding kills grandma, let old grandma die."
Well, I've got a meat grinder, it belongs to me,
It's got good movements, I use it constantly.
I've got a meat grinder, it belongs to me,
It's got good movements, I use it constantly.
You don't like good grindin', you ain't gotta bit of sense,
It's been going on ever since the world commenced,
If you don't like good grindin', ain't gotta bit of sense,
'Cause it's been going on, ever since the world commenced.
Well, it's good for what ails you, sure ain't no lie,
I want one last grindin' just before I die.
It's good for what ails you, sure ain't no lie,
I want one last good grindin' just before I die.
When I found my grinder, he was livin' in the sticks,
Didn't know nothin', I taught him lots of tricks,
When I first saw my grinder, livin' down in the sticks,
Well he didn't know nothin', I taught him lots of tricks.
Now he's learned how to grind me, one steady roll,
The way he does it satisfies my soul
Well he learned how to grind me, with one steady roll,
And the way he does it satisfies my very soul.
Now grind me, Mr. Grinder, till I lose my mind,
Don't mind goin' crazy over this steady grind.
Grind me, Mr. Grinder, till I lose my mind,
I don't mind goin' crazy, over this steady grind.
banjochris:
And another accompaniment to Irene Scruggs, "Must Get Mine in Front." Little Brother recorded this one several times by himself in later years.
Must Get Mine in Front
Susie runs a bakery shop down the street,
Sells jelly cakes and always looks neat,
Sam hung around said, mama, give me a break,
I want you to credit me for some of that cake.
I'm going up the river, got a job loadin' sacks,
Pay you for that cake, when I get back.
She looked at him and said, don't be no ham,
What kind of fool do you think I am?
Some folks may trust you to come back and pay,
I must get mine in front.
I'll trust you tomorrow if you pay me today,
I must get mine in front.
Now you goin' up the river and you carry your sack,
This jelly roll will be here, when you get back.
I trusted the man, who lived next door,
Ever' since then he don't speak to me no more.
I trusted a man who said he'd be back again,
The very next day he took a trip to Spain.
I trusted your father, he ain't no good,
He owes every woman in the neighborhood.
Some folks may trust you to come back and pay,
I must get mine in front, hear me talkin?,
I must get mine in front.
(solo)
Now your uncle owes me, he sure is bad pay,
He must think I got this stuff to give away.
So I ain't puttin' out nothin' till you pay off,
I must get mine in front, I ain't jokin',
I must get mine in front.
Johnm:
Hi all,
Irene "Chocolate Brown" Scruggs recorded "Itching Heel" at a session in Grafton, Wisconsin on May 26, 1930 for which she was accompanied by Blind Blake, working out of C position in standard tuning. Blake's playing on the piece is staggering, and makes you realize the extent to which copying his pieces, transcribing them, playing them however you are able doesn't begin to get at what he was able to express in his own style in the moment. Scruggs does a terrific job on the vocal, too, just as good as it possibly could be. I'd very much appreciate help with the bent bracketed section in the third verse. Here is "Itching Heel":
INTRO
The white folks is done started talkin', you better start walkin', they're talkin' 'bout my no-good man
They say he is shiftless, they say he is worthless, I know he ain't the worst in the land
He don't do nothin' but play on his old guitar, while I'm bustin' suds out in the white folks' yard
Now you know that's hard, and I'm getting sick and tired, you know I ain't satisfied, bring me a job,
And then I'll be satisfied, I ain't jokin', mean I'll be satisfied
Now, when his heel is itchin', he want to start driftin', and go a long, long ways from home
Now, when I first met him, he gave me a gold watch and chain, he caught the train today and left me out in the rain
Now, you know that's mean, and it won't be long, before you come driftin' home, maybe in the morning,
He'll come driftin' home, oh baby, he'll come driftin' on home
Just as soon as that train rolls up in the yard, going to follow my man if I have to ride the rods
Was a mean old fireman, as mean as he could be, when I waved at my man, he blew his smoke back at me
Now, you know that's tough, and I don't want to get rough, he carried away my case of change, ain't it a shame?
You know I ain't satisfied, oh baby, you know I ain't satisfied
GUITAR SOLO (Spoken, Scruggs: Ah, play that thing, boy! Blake: I'm gon' try! Scruggs: But you know I ain't jokin', you got to bring me a job! Blake: Well, I ain't gon' bring no job, 'cause I ain't starving!)
You know I give you your three hot meals every day, while you sit at home and pass the time away
Every time your heel itches, you want to go on strange ground, but if you don't stop chasin' women, you'll break your good thing down
You had a job down on the levee makin' a dollar ten a day, you give the dollar to a high yella and throwed the dime away
Now, you know I'm gonna get you, I mean without a doubt, baby, and put your taillight out, I don't mean maybe,
I meant to put your taillight out, ooh baby, I mean to put your taillight out
Edited 3/20 to pick up correction from Stuart
Edited 3/21 to pick up correction from Johnm
Edited 5/27/23 to pick up corrections from Blues Vintage
All best,
Johnm,
Stuart:
That's a tough one, John. I definitely hear the long A to start the bracketed section and perhaps chain(s) instead of change, but other than that, I'm at a loss. I did hear "up" before "in" in the "...train rolls in the yard," line though. You might want to give it another listen.
I can't even think of anything that would sound similar and make sense for the section in question. But I do hear Blake playing the guitar, which is mystifying in its own right.
Johnm:
Thanks for the catch on "up" earlier in that same verse, Stuart. I've made that change, and will keep listening to the other place. Thanks!
All best,
John
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
Go to full version