Topic: Blind Connie Williams Lyrics

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Blind Connie Williams was a street singer discovered in 1961, playing on South Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by Pete Welding, who subsequently recorded an album of Connie for the Testament label (still available on CD).  Connie was playing accordion when Pete first heard him and spoke to him, and it came up in conversation later that Connie considered himself a better guitarist than accordionist, but that he used the accordion for its greater volume.  Pete provided Connie with a National guitar in decent shape, and Connie worked himself back into good playing condition pretty quickly.  It turns out that he was one of the most sophisticated stylists working in Vestapol, with a bigger chordal vocabulary in that tuning than any of the early masters, as well as exciting expertise with a slide.  On top of all of this, he was a superlative singer, who could shout or sing sweetly with equal power and finesse.  He specialized in religious material, though he also played some blues standards.  I saw him perform once, at a blues workshop at the Philadelphia Folk Festival, in 1964, I believe, and was truthfully not ready for the strength of what he did at that time (I was thirteen years old).  In retrospect, I think it's something of a tragedy that he didn't get more opportunities to perform and record at that time, when so many re-discovered blues players and people who had never previously recorded were out playing.  At least we do have the one album of him that Pete Welding recorded and some film footage on a recent Vestapol performance video put out by Stefan Grossman's Guitar Workshop.
Connie Williams played "Milky White Way" out of Vestapol, as he did everything he ever recorded on guitar.  He probably got the song from a recording by the Trumpeteers, a Gospel Quartet whose performance of the song was posted by Bruce Nemerov in the "Mississippi John Hurt Lyrics" thread, at http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=449.msg93517#msg93517.  Here is Connie Williams' performance of the song:

http://youtu.be/tBRn_8vYkQ0?list=PL1oqGgxnNe0lA5JT8uzQOJ_qEISE_Ea5v

Yes, I'm gonna walk the Milky White Way, my God, some of these days
Yes, I'm gonna walk the Milky White Way some of these days, well, well, well, well
I'm gonna walk up, take up my stand, gonna join, Christian band
That's when they walk the Milky white Way some of these days

Gonna tell my dear Mother, "Howdy", when I get home
Yes, I'm gonna tell my dear Mother, "Howdy", when I get home, well, well, well, well
Gonna walk up, take up my stand, gonna join the Christian band
That's when we walk, Milky White Way some of these days

SOLO
Gonna walk up, take up my stand, gonna join, Christian band
That's when we walk, Milky White Way, Lord, some of these days

INTERLUDE

I'm gonna tell God the Father and God the Son
Yes, I'm gonna tell, mm God the Father and God the Son, well, well, well, well
I'm gonna walk up and take up my stand, gonna join, Christian band
That be when we walk, Milky White Way, Lord, some of these days

All best,
Johnm

[eric]

It turns out that he was one of the most sophisticated stylists working in Vestapol

No kidding! By the way, your version is pretty darn cool as well.

[StoogeKebab]

I have only heard Williams on the SGGW video, man he's really something, I wish I was able to see him, and hear! Thank you so much for posting the youtube link! He was incredible. Sadly the CD's a little out of my price range as of this link, but I didn't know there was much on youtube, so thanks. http://www.amazon.com/Philadelphia-Street-Singer-Connie-Williams/dp/B000003OR8

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Connie Wiliams took "Crossed the Separated Line" at a brisk, rocking tempo, and Lord, what singing!  The song had earlier been recorded as "I Crossed the Separation Line" by Joe Taggart with Josh White.  Here is his rendition--he just rocks out!

http://youtu.be/05e5gjNRk6s?list=PL1oqGgxnNe0lA5JT8uzQOJ_qEISE_Ea5v

SPOKEN: "I Done Crossed the Separated Line", it's spiritual song.  Boy, we used to play that in New York, me and Gary Davis played that tune.

Well, ain't you glad?  Ain't you glad?
I done crossed this old world behind
Lord, I done crossed the separated line
I done left this shadow world behind

SOLO

Mmm, fare thee well, gonna say farewell
I done left this shadow world be (guitar finishes line)
I done crossed the separated line
I done left this shadow world behind

Tell your friends, tell your friends
I done left this shadow world (guitar finishes line)
Lord, I done crossed the separated line
I done left, world behind

You shout on, you shout on
Lord, I done left this world behind
Lord, I done crossed the separated line
I left this shadow world behind

All best,
Johnm

 

[frankie]

SPOKEN: "I Done Crossed the Separated Line", it's spiritual song.  Boy, we used to play that in New York, me and Gary Davis played that tune.

Well, I would like to have been a fly on THAT wall!

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Connie Williams did an amazing performance of "I Can See Everybody's Mother, Can't See Mine".  The song appears to have just the one verse, and Connie does solos of parts of the form, returning to the vocal to conclude each solo.  Here is "I Can See Everybody's Mother, Can't See Mine":



INTRO

Lord, I can see everybody's mother, can't see mine
Lord, I can see everybody's mother, can't see mine, oh yes
Well, I look to the East, well, I look to the West
Well, I can see everybody's mother, Lord, can't see mine

SOLO
Well, I look to the East, well, I look to the West, Lord
Well, I can see everybody's mother, can't see mine

SOLO
Lord, I can see everybody's mother, can't see mine, oh yes
Well, I look to the East, well, I look to the West, Lord
You know, I can see everybody's mother, can't see mine

All best,
Johnm

[joe paul]

I could do with some help here, a few lines in Connie Williams's version of St Louis Blues have got me puzzled.
It's the second verse, then the end that I can't make out. Here's what I have :


Feeling tomorrow like I feel today
Well, feelin' tomorrow just like I feel today
I'll pack my trunk, I'll make my getaway

St Louis mama, been gone so long
Didn't haven't gone, gone so far from me
Got the St Louis blues, blue as blue can be
Must have had and gone, gone so far from me
That St Louis Blues, just as blue as blue can be

Got twelve little puppies, twelve little shaggy hounds
Mmm, twelve little puppies and twelve little shaggy hounds
Well it'll take that that twenty-four dogs, run that brown of mine down

When you see my sleeping, baby don't you think I'm drunk
When you see me sleeping baby, honey don't you think I'm drunk
Got one eye on your pistol and the other on your doggone soul



Edited up following John Miller's advice. Thank you !

[Johnm]

Hi Gordon,
I think the parenthetic words you have in the second verse are all correct.  The very last word in the song sounds like "soul" to me.  Hope this helps.
All best,
Johnm