Thank you. The only versions I know are by Butler and by the Carter Family, but they're pretty different.
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I'm an uncomfortable horrible terrible unconsolable unlucky man - Allen Brothers, Unlucky Man, 1931
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic. LoneWolf
Thank you. The only versions I know are by Butler and by the Carter Family, but they're pretty different.
dingwall
Thanks, Rivers. I managed to edit.
Doug
There's another version of this song (with slightly different words/verses) on the Dust-to-Digital collection "Goodbye Babylon" by Louis Washington.
Hi everybody!
I'm new here. This is an amazing forum for bluesmen like us, I think. I'm soory for my very poor english, I'm Italian... So, I was looking for Bo Weavil Jackson/Sam Butler's "Devil And My Brown Blues" lyrics... I tried to listen to the song and write what I was hearing but I couldn't get out comprehensible things. I can't do this, I don't understand most of the words. May anybody help me? Thanks.. Welcome to WC, Giorgio. Bo Weavil Jackson is certainly hard to understand. Here's what I have so far, but there are several spots that are very suspect. Square brackets indicate I am not sure or don't know what he's singing. Hopefully some other ears might help.
Devil and My Brown - Bo Weavil Jackson No gypsy woman, no gypsy woman can't fry no meat for me, lordy mama No gypsy woman can't fry no meat for me I ain't scared, I'm skittish she might poison me 'Cause I woke up this morning, woke up this morning, heard somebody callin' me, lordy mama Woke up this morning, heard somebody callin' me Must've been a weevil, thing they call a stingaree A bo weevil's here, a bo weevil's there, itchin'? mama's everywhere, the preachers tell me that -- Bo weevil's here, bo weevil's everywhere I dreamt a dream last night, it was all in your flour there The farmer went to the merchant, said, "I want meat and meal", lordy mama Farmer went to the merchant, said, "I wants meat and meal" The merchant screamed, "No, no, the bo weevil's in your field" Bitin' spider, bitin' spider, crawlin' on the wall, mmm-mmm Bitin' spider now, crawlin' on the wall Grinds it nat'ral but he's crazy 'bout his alcohol I heard a mighty rumblin' down under the ground, lordy mama Mighty rumblin' way down under the ground The boll weevil and the devil was [thievin'/cheatin'?] with somebody's brown Daddy was low and squatty, daddy was cut for speed, lordy mama He low and squatty, daddy was cut for speed Says he has everything that a poor bo weevil needs Now bo weevil, now bo weevil, sittin' down on the square, the first time I seen Mister Bo Weevil, sittin' down on the square Next time I seen him, mama, he had his whole family there Bo weevil told that farmer, "Buy no Ford machine", lordy mama He told the farmer not to buy no Ford machine 'Cause he's gonna fix it so he can't buy no gasoline edited to pick up changes from LD50 and banjochris Instead of 'Geechie', I think he's saying 'Gypsy'.
In the line "I'm scared [?? ??] she might poison me", I think the word 'skillet' is in the bracketed part. But I can't nail it down. "The farmer woke up this morning" should really be "'Cause I woke up this morning". I'm pretty sure this: "Spider, spider, spider, spider, crawlin' on the wall, mmm-mmm Spider, spider, crawlin' on the wall" Is really this: "Bitin' spider, bitin' spider, crawlin' on the wall, mmm-mmm Bitin' spider, crawlin' on the wall" I think this: "The boll weevil and the devil was [keepin'?] with somebody's brown" is actually: "The boll weevil and the devil was thievin' somebody's brown" I'm pretty sure this line: "Cause he's gonna [make?] it so he can't buy no gasoline" Is really: "Cause he's gonna fix it so he can't buy no gasoline" 'Cut for speed' looks a little odd, tho I think it is right. Welcome to WC, Giorgio. Bo Weavil Jackson is certainly hard to understand. Here's what I have so far, but there are several spots that are very suspect. Square brackets indicate I am not sure or don't know what he's singing. Hopefully some other ears might help. Instead of 'Geechie', I think he's saying 'Gypsy'. Agreed on "gypsy", should have thought of that and was pretty sure I was wrong. Re. skillet. I thought I heard that at first though am not sure it's right. It's possibly "skittish"? I also agree with "'Cause I woke up...", "Bitin' spider" and "fix it". Where you have "thievin' somebody's brown" I am still hearing a "with" in there. Not sure we've nailed that but will listen some more. Good ears! Will make the changes above. A few more suggestions:
1st verse CAN FRY instead of can't grind in both line 1 and 2 (I hear gypsy as well) I'm scared I'LL GET IT, she might poison me 3rd verse bo weevil'S (both times) itchin' is right I hear the end of the first line as THE PREACHERS TELL ME THAT instead of can't you hear me that perhaps A DREADFUL DREAM last night...? 5th verse line 2 and 3 Bitin' spider NOW, crawlin'... GRINDS IT NATURAL, but he's crazy 'bout his alcohol 6th verse I hear CHEATIN' WITH (could be thievin' with but I can definitely hear the "with") cut for speed is right as in built for speed last verse missing LORDY MAMA at end of 1st line Chris Giorgio,
If you make one more post, you'll be a Wikipedia editor and can put the lyrics in yourself. So you could reply to this post A few more suggestions: Good catch -- I agree on both changes. Quote 3rd verse It sure does sound like 'itchin'. 'Preachers tell me that' may be right. But he's *not* saying 'dreadful dream'. I really hear 'I got to dream'. Quote 5th verse line 2 and 3 I've never heard that exact phrase before, but it does sound like that! Nice catch! Quote 6th verse I hear CHEATIN' WITH (could be thievin' with but I can definitely hear the "with") Hmmm. I listened really closely on headphones and I do not hear a 'with'. It can't be 'thievin' with somebody's brown' or 'cheatin with somebody's brown', since those both have one syllable too many for what Jackson actually sings. I still go with 'thievin' somebody's brown' Quote cut for speed is right as in built for speed Agree. By the way, does someone want to merge this thread with the current one?
http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?amp;Itemid=128&topic=761.0 A few more suggestions: I agree on CAN FRY. However, for line 3, I am now hearing this pretty clearly: I AIN'T SCARED, I'M SKITTISH she might poison me For comparison, in "Royal Palm Special", Sloppy Henry sings "I don't want no northern gals fry no meat for me/I ain't scared but I'm skittish she might poison me". Quote 3rd verse Agreed on the 'S and I think you may be right on THE PREACHERS TELL ME THAT. But is it possibly singular PREACHER? For the last line of this, I now hear "I DREAMT a dream last night" pretty clearly. Dreamt is sung a bit more like DRAMT. Quote 5th verse line 2 and 3 Agreed. Quote 6th verse I hear CHEATIN' WITH (could be thievin' with but I can definitely hear the "with") I lean towards CHEATIN' WITH now as well. LD50, I definitely hear the WITH and the extra syllable that entails. the -IN' in CHEATIN' is very quick but audible. |