The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #106219   Message #4124560
Posted By: GUEST,Ldflan
29-Oct-21 - 01:17 PM
Thread Name: Lyr ADD: Don't Ease Me In (Henry Thomas)
Subject: ADD: Don't Ease Me In (Henry Thomas)
So many absurd versions that us white folks almost a century later hear in Henry Thomas' recording! Here's my take on it:

DON'T EASE ME IN
(from Henry Thomas)

Don’t ease don’t ya ease
Ah don’t you ease me in
It’s all night Cunningham
Don’t ease me in

Sometimes I walk
An’ sometimes I talk
I never get drunk, thank God, ‘cept my (bulldog does?)
Don’t ease don’t ya ease
Don’t ya ease me in
It’s all night long Cunningham
Don’t ease me in

I beat my girl
With a single tree
She hides up the willow sweet mama (maybe: hoists up the window)
Holler "watch on me"
Don’t ease don’t ya ease
A don’t you ease me in
It’s all night long Cunningham
Don’t ya ease me in

I gotta girl
Her name is Doll
She’ll leave ya walkin’ like that
Talkin’ to the wall
Don’t ease don’t ya ease
A don’t ya ease me in
It’s all night long Cunningham
Don’t ease me in

I was standing on the corner
Talking to Ma Brown
I turned around sweet mama
I was way across town
Don’t ease don’t ya ease
Ah don’t ya ease me in
It’s all night long Cunningham
Don’t ease me in

Yes I gotta girl
And she working hard
Said the dress she wears sweet lover
Said it’s pink and blue
She bring me coffee
And she bring me tea
She bring me everything ‘cept the jailhouse key
Don’t ease don’t ya ease
Ah don’t ya ease me in
It’s all night long Cunningham
Don’t ease me in

Got these Texas blues
I got these Texas blues
It’s all night long Cunningham
Don’t ease me in

Says I looked on Main
Old L&N too
And all the women comin’ down, man
Have these Texas blues.


Note:

"Except my bulldog does" is the best I can make of it. No other version I have seen makes a lick of sense. This at least is funny.

"Hoists up the window" makes much better sense that what I hear, but it sure sounds like "hides up the willow" to me.

The line I have rendered "Old L&N too" assumes this refers to the "Old Reliable L&N Railway," as it was called. It sounds like "LMN." I simply do not hear any of the other many suggestions for this line like "Elem" etc.