Topic: Bo Weavil Jackson Lyrics

[banjochris]

John -- catching up after a few days sick. I think "Why Do You Moan" is right except for these suggestions (I think "times" is right in 1.1).

2.2 (and all other equivalent lines) How my heart aches, SOON IT WILL BREAK

5.2 AND THERE'S NO PLACE mama, I can call my home

After last sung line he says: I mean the blues
Chris

[uncle bud]

While I'm not certain, in that first line I am sort of hearing:

1.1  I feel bad, always sad, TROUBLE, trouble drivin' me mad

Agree with Chris on SOON it will break.

I hadn't paid any attention to this Bo Weavil Jackson song. I really like it. I agree John, it sounds like it's coming from one of the classic blues singers or Tin Pan Alley. Can't place it myself.

[Johnm]

Thanks very much, Chris and uncle bud for the help.  I missed that "soon it will break" all the way through.  After re-listening a number of times, I think that 1.1 place in question is TROUBLES, TROUBLES.  I've incorporated all the other changes. 
All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Bo Weavil Jackson/Sam Butler accompanied himself out of Vestapol with a slide in the standard playing position for "Jefferson County Blues".  The speed, accuracy and ferocity with which he plays the tune are simply amazing.  He accelerates markedly over the course of the rendition, and by the time he gets to the end, he's just tearing along.
I have found his lyrics here terribly difficult to hear.  The combination of poor sound quality and quietness makes them really hard to pick up.  I'm as close as I can get it by myself, I think and would sure appreciate some help.

   If you want your man, keep him out of Birmingham
   If you want your brown, keep her out of Birmingham
   'Cause they're red hot mamas, down in dear old Alabam'

   I don't say there, but I b'lieves it at home
   Letter said she's been there, honey, I dreams it at home
   'Cause the gals in Alabama, don't learn to right from wrong

   If you want your brown, pin her to your side
   If you want your brown, pin her to your side
   I pin her on that place, keep her off of my mind

   My road seem rocky, so the people do say
   My road seem rocky, so these people do say
   But I'm a careful driver, likely to find my way

   I been worried, blues all on my mind
   I been so worried, blues all on my mind
   Gonna leave this town, now, ain't comin' back no -----(guitar finishes line)

   Lord, mama, sit down on my knee
   Now pretty mama, sit down on my knee
   I just a-want to stop and tell you, how you done doin' poor me

   SOLO

   [ ?                      ] of any place I know
   I'd rather be Alabama, any place I know
   'Cause I'm goin' up the country, mama, where I'm better known

Edited 11/30 to pick up corrections from banjochris
Edited 12/14 to pick up corrections from banjo chris and Johnm

All best,
Johnm

 

[banjochris]

I'll take a listen tonight, John. From memory, 1.3 ends "down in dear old Alabam'."

[Johnm]

Thanks, Chris.  I welcome the help.
All best,
Johnm

[uncle bud]

John, the alternate take has some lyrical repetition, though not a lot. Verse 2 of the take you've transcribed appears as a later verse and is easier to hear, IMO.

Letter reads she's there but I say/swear that girl's at home
Letter said she's been there, swear that gal's at home
'Cause them gals in Alabama don't know how to tell right from wrong

He runs that last line together so it comes out almost like "don't know tell".

In the take you transcribed, I can't make out the start of 2.1 but think it ends "but I b'lieve she's at home". Then

2.2 Letter said she's been there but I b'lieve she's at home

[Johnm]

Thanks for the help, uncle bud.  Obviously, I need to do some more listening.  The take I have of this song is so quiet, it's quite hard to hear.
All best,
Johnm

[uncle bud]

Here's that alt take. The vocal is more up front on this one. But to be honest the challenge for me in Bo Weavil Jackson is his delivery.

[attachment deleted by admin]

[Johnm]

Wow, that alt take is terrific, and significantly easier to hear than the take I had.  It seems like an instance where both takes are worth transcribing.  Instrumentally, they're quite different, too, far more different than alternate takes of the same tune generally are.  Thanks so much for posting that, uncle bud, that's great!
All best,
Johnm

[banjochris]

I went ahead and transcribed both without looking at yours again, John, just to see what I came up with -- we mostly agree. Uncle Bud -- thanks for that one verse, although it's pretty garbled in the first take. I'm pretty sure also that the first line of the last verse of the first take just starts with gibberish, he corrects himself in the second line.

In the alternate take, especially if you listen with headphones, you can hear him struggling not to cough and clearing his throat after the first "Letter says she's there" line, which is why he stops singing for a bit.

I still have bits I couldn't get, either.


take 1

SOLO

If you want your man, keep him out of Birmingham
If you want your brown, keep her out of Birmingham
'Cause they're red hot mamas, down in dear old Alabam'

I don't say there, but I believes it at home
Letter says she's been there, but I [dreams?] at home,
Off from dear old Alabama, gonna [call her?] right from wrong.

If you want your brown, pin her to your side,
If you want your brown, pin her to your side,
I get on that train, keep her off of my mind

My road seem rocky, so the people do say,
My road seem rocky, so these people do say,
But I'm a careful driver, likely to find my way.

I been worried, blues all on my mind
I been so worried, blues all on my mind,
Gonna leave the town, I ain't comin' back no (guitar completes line).

Now mama, sit down on my knee
Now pretty mama, sit down on my knee
I just want to stop and tell you, how you done done poor me.

SOLO

[?] gal, mama any place I know
I'd rather be Alabama any place I know
'Cause I'm goin' up the country, mama where I'm better known.





take 2

SOLO

If you want your brown, keep him out of Birmingham,
If you want your brown, keep her out of Birmingham,
'Cause they're red hot mamas, down in dear old Alabam'.

Let me tell you, what those womens will do,
Just let me tell you, what those women will do,
They'll take your man from you, [laugh???] at you.

SOLO

See my brown, tippin' where she should not be,
If you spy my brown, tippin' where she should not be,
Catch a ride on her shoulder, send her right on home to me.

My road is rocky, so those people do say,
My roads is rocky, so those people do say,
I'm a careful driver, I'm like to find my way.

I'll sing this verse, ain't gonna sing no more,
I'm gonna sing this verse, ain't gonna sing no more,
Got a gal in the 'Bama, I guess that you oughta know.

Letter says she's there, but I believe that she's at home
(guitar plays two lines as he stifles coughing fit)

Letter reads she's there but I say that girl's at home
Letter says she's been there, say that gal's at home,
Off from dear old Alabama, [gonna tell her] right from wrong.

SOLO

[Johnm]

Thanks very much for that help, Chris, that cleared up a number of the problem areas.  I think I have a couple of the places in the second take figured:

   2.3 They'll take your man from you, THEY BOW DOWN at you

   3.3 TOUCH HER RIGHT on her shoulder, send her right on home to me

He pronounces "touch" like "tetch" in that last bit.

I've incorporated a number of your changes in take 1, and am going to keep listening a bit before I consider it finalized.  I think what I had at the front end of 3.3 is right.  It's pretty close now.
All best,
Johnm

[banjochris]

I'll give another listen tonight, esp. to 3.3 -- the usual last line to that is something like "if she flag my train, I'm gonna let her ride," which is one reason I went with the train in there. In 3.3 on the alt. take, I was vacillating between "Catch her right" and "catch a ride" -- "Touch her right" makes more sense.
Chris

[uncle bud]

what in the heck does "cold in hand" really mean???

When I was 20 years old, I worked for a while at a VA hospital just outside of Peekskill, NY.  After a few months on the job, I wrecked my car.  With no way to make the long drive to my work place, I rented a room in a spare hospital building until I had the money for another car.  Most of the other guys working there were young African-Americans.  To pass the time, they would often play craps.  I never did - I'm not now and never have been a gambler - but I'd drink, talk, and watch the other guys play.  Common expressions after a few bad rolls were things like "Man, these dice are COLD!" or "My hand is just cold".  So to me, the line has always been pretty obvious - the singer dreamed he was lucky, but the reality is the dice are just not rolling his way. 

Browsing through Calt's Barrelhouse Words reminded me of this explanation. Calt's definition is as follows:

Aw did you ever dream lucky, an' wake up cold in hand?

Penniless; a stock 1920s blues expression probably derived from the synonymous British term to have a bad cold, which was "said of one who keeps his door closed against all corners for fear of duns" (Farmer and Henley, Slang and Its Analogues, 1891). In blues song cold in hand is invariably coupled with the idea of  "dreaming lucky," a connection that likely arose from the popularity of "lucky dream books" among black policy players.

Frankly, I prefer dj's gambling explanation to the British origin cited above.

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Bo Weavil Jackson/Sam Butler played "Christians Fight On, Your Time Ain't Long" with a slide, lap-style, in Vestapol tuning.  The song opens with its chorus, which repeats throughout his rendition with minor variations.  I could sure use some help in a number of places.  If he is indeed saying "Mt. Sinai" in verse two, he pronounces "Sinai" "Senn-ay".  He plays the last refrain on his guitar.  Thanks for any help.

REFRAIN: Fight on, your time ain't long
Fight on, your time ain't long
Fight on, your time ain't long
You know your time ain't long

Done been down, I been told
I've been to church and I've been baptized
Stepped at the water, the water was cold
It chilled my body but it never chilled my soul

REFRAIN: Fight on, your time ain't long
Fight on, your time ain't long
Fight on, your time ain't long
Mourner, your time ain't long

When my misery ended, here below
Climb up Mt. Sinai, just to Heaven I'll go
I'll try on my robes, [try to 'scape the world we seen]
The elders is cryin' them in

REFRAIN: You've got to fight on, your time ain't long
Fight on, your time ain't long
Fight on, your time ain't long
You know your time ain't long

Then I done been down, I done been tried
I been to the church and I been baptized
I stepped at the water, the water was cold
It chilled my body, but it never chilled my soul

REFRAIN: Fight on, your time ain't long
Fight on, your time ain't long
Fight on, your time ain't long
Oh, you know your time ain't long

When my work is ended, here below
When my war is ended, up to Heaven I'll go
I'll try on my robes, try to [          that will be seen]
The elders is cryin' them in

INSTRUMENTAL REFRAIN

All best,
Johnm