Topic: King David's Jug Band--"What's That Tastes Like Gravy"

[Chun]

Hey everybody...Since this seems to be the place for lyric questions I have a question. For the life of me, I can not make out any lyrics,other than the chorus, to "whats that tastes like gravy"..by King David's Jugband . It's on the great yazoo compilation of jug bands "Ruckus Jice and Chitlins"  vol.1

[waxwing]

I don't have a copy of this song, but if you posted an mp3 of it, and what lyrics you've been able to decipher so far, with all the gaps you're missing, you might find that with teamwork, we could figure it out. For some discussion of how to post an mp3, which needs to be smaller than 800 Kb, check this thread on It Won't Be Long Now by Frank Stokes. You'll also see there how folks here will respond if you present the question in such a way that shows you've done some of the work and are just lookin' for help, as opposed to expecting someone else to do all the work for you. Part of the mission here at Weenie Campbell is to educate folks to the process of figuring out Lyrics and Licks on their own, which we all enjoy doing.
All for now.
John C

[uncle bud]

King David's Jug Band are great fun. I really like Sweet Potato Blues, Rising Sun Blues, and Tear It Down. Mando players who aren't familiar with them should check them out. Some good stuff. Here's the tune Chun is asking about, completely different from the Tampa Red song of the same name (which coincidentally I was listening to repeatedly today thinking it's time to play that one).

Lyrics will be tricky in places on this one. You can start us off, Chun!

[attachment deleted by admin]

[Chun]

Uncle Bud...thanks for putting the mp3 up there.I was going to try and figure it out,which I still have to do, and there it is. Im not looking for someone to do all the work for me...I need help. As I was just listening to this song again Im realizing that in some parts it's just hopeless it seems.
Here's what I have...

What's that tastes like gravy mama do you (really wanna?) do
What's that taste like gravy _____________?
Say kill that chicken___________? sweet jeely roll
What's that tastes like gravy mama do you (really wanna?) do

I was born in Alabam way down in Dixieland
___________________?(something about a cow?)we put him in his barn
Shoot that Chicken________________________?
What's that tastes like gravy mama do you (really wanna?) do

 I was born in Alabam way down in Dixieland
People come from miles around __________________? corn
I was born in Alabam way down in Dixieland
________________________________________?

That's all I can get. Its really sort of comical how undecipherable this is. i think Ill have to make up verses for this one.

[Richard]

Well, that's a bit of a test

[uncle bud]

Uncle Bud...thanks for putting the mp3 up there.I was going to try and figure it out,which I still have to do, and there it is. Im not looking for someone to do all the work for me...I need help. As I was just listening to this song again Im realizing that in some parts it's just hopeless it seems.

Not hopeless. Tricky though, especially since the singer is using odd mannerisms in the vocal. I think the refrain is "What's that tastes like gravy, mama says I know you wanna know" and he's singing "know" as "knoo". Makes more sense to me. The rest I have below is pretty close I think. That "barn" in verse 2 would make more sense as "pan" perhaps pronounced "parn"?


What's that tastes like gravy mama says I know you wanna know
What's that taste like gravy, worryin' your soul
Say kill that chicken and cook him down low,
Says cook that chicken a sweet jelly roll
What's that tastes like gravy mama says I know you wanna know

Uncle John in Alabam way down in Dixieland
Said he caught a possum and he named him Joe and he put him in a barn?
Said he cooked that possum and he cooked him down low
And the grease come running from his joe joe joe
What's that tastes like gravy mama says I know you wanna know

Well I was born in Alabam way down in Dixieland
Oh the people come from miles around just to hear that and corn
They sound so blue, sound so slow
Sound just like she couldn't blow
What's that tastes like gravy mama says I know you wanna know?

Oh skeedle-ee dee dee beedle-ee bum I said mama says I know you wanna know
Oh skeedle-ee deedle deedle dee beedle-ee bum I says you don't know the road
Well late last year??? when the times was tough
I was laying in the coal yard strutting my stuff
What's that tastes like gravy mama says I know you wanna know

This is a really fun tune. Great stuff.

[Emma Lee]

Funny song. Wow! Those lyrics could make you blush.

[Bill Roggensack]

Verse 3:
Oh the people come from miles around just to hear that (?) and corn

I hear:
Oh the peoples come from miles around just to hear that shuckin' corn

I'll let you city slickers figure out the single entendre, agrarian euphemism, etc.?

[Chun]

Well....You have quite the ear. All that makes sense. It really is a fun song

The chords I play are pretty straight ahead ragtime progression chords.
G ?                                      A7 ?             D7 ?                   G
What's that tastes like gravy mama says I know you wanna know
G                                                            ?D7
What's that taste like gravy, worryin' your soul
G                                  ?G7
Say kill that chicken and cook him down low,
C                                  ? Eflat7
Says cook that chicken a sweet jelly roll
G                                    ? ? A7              ?D7                      G
What's that tastes like gravy mama says I know you wanna know

Thanks for the help!

[uncle bud]

Funny song. Wow! Those lyrics could make you blush.

I thought it was a simple culinary blues.  We'll blame Chun.

Welcome to Weenie Campbell, Emma Lee.

[Emma Lee]

Thanks. Culinary indeed. ? And such quaint agrarian references.?

Now, there probably ought to be a glossary for us Northerners.

[GhostRider]

Emma:

When it comes to Northerners, nobody is further north than Mr. Front Page (see world map).

Alex

[chipmonk doug]

Feel like the new guy buttin' in here.

But I think the line "I was laying in the coal yard strutting my stuff" should be
"I was playing in the 'coalyard' strutting my stuff"
A Coalyard being a low cost brothel.  That's what I here and what makes sense.

[uncle bud]

New guys are most welcome to butt in, especially when setting us straight. Makes sense to me too, Doug.

Welcome to Weenie Campbell!

[crawley]

Hey guys,
For another version of What's That Tastes Like Gravy, check out the Old Crow Medicine Show version. These guys perform a variety of stuff and they pull off great versions of K.C Moan, CC Rider, German Blues, Minglewood Blues, Hesitation Blues and other jug/stringband faves.

I have lots of their stuff if your curious.

I think they may have some kind of time machine thingy.

Gabriel