Topic: Edward Thompson Lyrics

[uncle bud]

Re. Up On the Hill.

In verse 3 it's possible it is something like:

IT'S the brown I love, DRIVE ME (possibly ME'S?) OUT OF her door
But THAT FEELIN'S so good, I couldn't hardly go

In verse 8:

My baby come runnin', hollerin', holdin' up BOTH hands
MAMA SAID, "LORD, MISTER DON'T LET 'EM HURT MY MAN"

A good one!

[Johnm]

Thanks for the help, uncle bud.  I would like to get "Up On The Hill" finished up.  It's a great song, and would leave only one remaining Edward Thompson title that we've not transcribed the lyrics for.
All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I've been wanting to return to Edward Thompson's "Up On the Hill Blues" to see if we could finish off the transcription. I think I'm hearing some parts of it better than in the past, though others remain indecipherable. The tagline to the next-to-last verse is really tough, and of course the record is whupped. I'd very much appreciate any help. Here is the song, and what I have so far:



INTRO

I'm wadin' out in deep water, and I'm gonna fall right in
Lord, that girl done quit me, but I love her still

Mmmmmm, mmmmm, mmmmm, hmmmm
Mmmmm, hmmmm, mmmmm, hmmmmm

Yes, the brown I love, [shine these eyes?] up her door
Lord, it's feelin' so good, I couldn't hardly go

Ain't the things you got, mama, ain't this way you do
Goin' up the country, but I can't take you

SOLO

It ain't but one thing, baby, that I done wrong
Stayed in Deep Bottom one day too long

Don't the moon look pretty, shinin' down through the trees?
Don't my brown look lonesome, packin' up to leave?

SOLO

Says I love my brown, like a schoolboy love his pie
And if that ain't lovin', hoping I may die

My baby come running, hollering, holding up both hands
I would go down, with her, go that I [          ] one man

SOLO

Set down on my knees, prayed to the Lord above,
Says, "Lord, please send me back the brown I love."

All best,
Johnm

[Blues Vintage]

This is what I got so far,

1.
(I'm movin'/wadin' out/off the bottom/deep water, says, I'm goin' up on the hill)
Lord, that -girl- (brown) done quit me, but I love her still

3.
-Lord- (but), it's feelin' so good, I couldn't hardly go

4.
-ain't- (hate) this way you do

8.
My baby come running, hollering, holding up -both hands- ?
hollered "good Lord listen don't let 'em hurt my man"

[banjochris]

Tried to transcribe this without looking too closely at either of your versions (I'll go back now and see what you have), but here's what I get:

I’m movin’ outta deep water say I’m goin’ up on the hill
Girl I love done quit me, but I love her still

HUMMED VERSE

[See] the brown I love, started out Buffalo
Funny feeling struck me, I couldn’t hardly go

Hate to see you come, mama hate to see you do
Goin’ up the country but I can’t take you

SOLO

It ain’t but one thing, baby that I done wrong,
Stayed in deep water one day too long

[Don’t the] moon look pretty, shinin' down to the sea
Don’t my brown look lonesome, packin’ up to [be] (sounds like be but should be leave, logically)

Says I love my brown, like a schoolboy love his pie,
And if that ain’t lovin’, hopin’ I may die

My baby come runnin, hollerin’ holdin’ up his hand,
[Hollerin’ hold on] mister don’t let em hurt my man

SOLO

Fell down on my knees, prayed to the lord above
Please Lord, please send me back the brown I love.

Chris

[Johnm]

Thanks so much, Blues Vintage and banjochris. You both really moved the transcription forward, and I think I'll re-post here, taking into account your suggestions along with what I'm hearing.

INTRO

I'm movin' out, deep water, say I'm goin' up on the hill
Girl I love done quit me, but I love her still

Mmmmmm, mmmmm, mmmmm, hmmmm
Mmmmm, hmmmm, mmm, hmm, hmmm

Yes, the brown, I love, started out of her door
Funny feeling struck me, I couldn't hardly go

Hate the things you got, mama, hate this way you do
Goin' up the country, but I can't take you

SOLO

It ain't but one thing, baby, that I done wrong
Stayed in Deep Bottom one day too long

Don't the moon look pretty, shinin' down through the trees?
Don't my brown look lonesome, packin' up to leave?

SOLO

Says I love my brown, like a schoolboy love his pie
And if that ain't lovin', hoping I may die


My baby come runnin', hollering, holding up both hands
Hollered, "Hold on mister, don't let 'em hurt my man!"

SOLO


Fell down on my knees, prayed to the Lord above,
Says, "Lord, please send me back the brown I love."

All best,
Johnm

[Blues Vintage]

This really is a tough one, here is some more suggestions.


1.2 well/now that brown done quit me, but I love her still

I don't hear "Girl I love" at all


3.1 Yes, the brown, I love, driving me out of her door

It could be "started" but I hear a quick "me" there. So this is another possibilty; "started me out of her door"
I think he stumbled on that line a bit.

[Johnm]

HI Blues Vintage,
I'm hearing "Girl I love" very clearly in 1.2--I think Chris got that right on the money. I'm much less certain about the tail end of 3.1. I really think the best match I've heard phonetically so far is what I had in my first post on this page, "shine these eyes up her door", which has the disadvantage of making no sense. I think it is something that hasn't occurred to any of us yet.
all best,
Johnm