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William Harris Lyrics

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LeftyStrat:
Hey John,

If i may, I'd like to offer a possible completion for the line you have in brackets there in the 2nd verse:

I've always heard:

Why do they electrocute a man at the one o'clock hour, at night?

Either got that from listening to Lemon's version (i tend to like this one better though), or a transcription I read somewhere way back when. I can't remember.

Another bit i've heard differently is in the last line:

I've seen wrecks in my heart when they brought my electrocuted daddy to me

Is it possible that i'm at least in the ballpark?  :)

Lefty

Johnm:
Hi Lefty,
Got to admit, I don't hear "one o'clock hour" in any way.  There's a "j" sound in there followed by a "w" sound (which "one" has), but nothing that I can hear that sounds anything like "hour".  You may have gotten the "one o'clock hour" from the post immediately prior to mine.  I'll re-listen for "brought" in the last verse.  Thanks for the ideas.
All best,
Johnm
EDITED TO ADD:
In re-listening to that first problem area, it's sounding now like:
   Why do they electrocute a man if he just walk out at night?
The sound is a very close fit, but the meaning is certainly more iffy.
RE-EDITED TO ADD:
In re-listening to the tagline on the last verse, you were spot on, Lefty!  Good catch, and I will make that change.  Thanks!
All best,
Johnm

LeftyStrat:
y'know....you could be right about that first line...now that I'm hearing it again in my head, it sounds just about right.   "The one o'clock hour at night" line may have just filled in from the image of everyone having their lights out (as mentioned in the next line) at that time, so the "current (would be) much stronger" for the chair.

I'll be first to admit though, that there are some lyrics out there that have taken me close to 20 years or so of listening to finally understand.  It just happens every now and then that I hear a certain line and think  "Ahhh..So *that's* what that line is!!"  I'd give an example, but they're probably to numerous to list :)

Glad I could be of some help with this one...or any other lyrics I can add to.   You're helping me realize that my ears may not be as bad as I think they are.

Lefty

jpeters609:
John Tefteller has announced the discovery of one of the missing William Harris 78s: "I'm A Roamin' Gambler"/"I Was Born In The Country." They're not quite the propulsive barn-stormers that we've come to know from "Bullfrog Blues" and "I'm Leaving Town," but based on these clips they should leave most of us satis-mamlish-fied:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoqRanKqJ5U&feature=youtu.be

Johnm:
Hi all,
Banjochris just posted a video of William Harris' "Bad Treated Blues" over on the Main Forum, and I was excited to hear a William Harris cut for the first time. Harris recorded it at a session in Richmond, Indiana for Gennett on October 10, 1928, accompanying himself out of E position in standard tuning, capoed up. It's an 8-bar blues with a couple of unusual wrinkles, the most unusual being his resolution back to the I chord in the fourth bar, so that his first four bars go:

   |    I    |   V7   |   IV7  |    I    |

Here is "Bad Treated Blues"



That old girl of mine, keeps me worried and bothered all the time
That's the reason I's tried to, get along with you

You pawned my pistol, and you pawned my clothes
That's the reason I'm tryin' to, get along with you

You's a dirty mistreater, you don't treat nobody right
You's a dirty mistreater, don't treat nobody right

Say you pawned my diamonds, and you pawned my clothes
I was tryin' to get along with that girl of mine

I'm gonna leave you, mama, and I ain't gonna say good-bye
But I'm gonna write you and tell you, reason why

I'm gonna tell you, tell you, mama, what a dago told a jew
"You don't want me, woman, what you think I want with you?"

'Cause you's a dirty mistreater, you don't treat nobody right
You's a dirty mistreater, you don't treat nobody right

I'm gonna leave you, mama, and I ain't gonna say good-bye
But I'm gonna write and tell you, mama, the reason why

You's a dirty mistreater, don't treat nobody right
You's a dirty mistreater, you don't treat nobody right

Say, you're long and tall, say you shaped like a cannonball
You're long and tall and you shaped like a cannonball

But you's a dirty mistreater, you don't treat nobody right
You's a dirty mistreater, you don't treat nobody right

Say, you're dirty, you're dirty, say you're dirty mistreater, yeah
You's a dirty mistreater, you don't treat nobody right

I give you, all my money, and yet you pawned my clothes
You's a dirty mistreater, you don't treat nobody right

All best,
Johnm

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