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Lyr Add: songs by Tommy Johnson |
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Subject: Complete Tommy Johnson's lyr From: Ruslan Date: 08 Oct 99 - 07:20 AM Please help me to complete my TJ's lyrics collection. If you can, please check "Maggie Campbell" lyr for the ________ line that I couldn't be able to put down. Missing lyr labeled by * character before song name. Thank you, Jon W.!
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3 Feb 1928
4 Feb 1928
31 Aug 1928
c. Dec 1929 ---------------------------------------------------------------------
3 Feb 1928
I asked for water, and she gave me gasoline,
Crying, Lord, I wonder will I ever get back home
I went to the depot, looked up on the board
It's done taken your fairo, blowed its smoke on you
Lord, I asked the conductor, - could I ride the blinds?
- Son, buy your ticket, 'cause this train ain't none of mine, Lord, Lordy, Lord 41837-2 BIG ROAD BLUES
Cryin', ain't goin' down this big road by myself.
Cryin', sun goin' shine in my back door someday.
Baby, what makes do me like you do, do, do,
Take this poor boy's money now, sure, Lord, won't take mine. Repeat first verse. Repeat second verse.
4 Feb 1928
Cryin' bye an' bye, baby bye an' bye
Says the good book tell you, reap just what you sow
Well I'm going away, Lord, won't be back till fall
Says the good book tell you, reap just what you sow
Well it's two trains running, running side by side 41839-2 MAGGIE CAMPBELL BLUES
Cryin', who's that yonder
A-a-a, sun gonna shine
A-a-a, see see rider
I I I'm goin' away, lord Repeat first verse. Repeat 4-th verse.
31 Aug 1928
Cryin' Canned Heat, Canned Heat, mama
Cryin' mama, mama, mama, you know, Canned Heat killin' me
I woke up, up this morning, with Canned Heat on my mind
Cryin', Lord, Lord I wonder, Canned Heat, Lord, killing me
I woke up, up this morning, cryin', canned heat 'round my bed
Cryin' mama, mama, mama, cryin' Canned Heat killin' me 45463-1 LONESOME HOME BLUES
Want you to wash my jumper, starch my overhaul
Well, it's good for you, mama, sure, lord, killin' me.
I wonder do my rider think of me.
I woke up this mornin', said my mornin' prayer.
I ain't got no woman, speak on my behalf.
Want you to wash my jumper, starch my overhaul. She don't allow me to holler, got to murmur low. 45463-2 LONESOME HOME BLUES
Want you to wash my jumper and starch my overhaul.
I wonder do my good girl think of me.
But it's good of you mama, sure, lord, killin' me.
I woke up this mornin', said my mornin' prayer.
Cryin', good of you, sure, lord, killin' me.
Now, wash my jumper, starch my overhaul. Want you to wash my jumper, starch my overhaul. 45465-1 BIG FAT MAMA BLUES
Crying, big fat mama, meat shaking on her bones
Well, I'm going away, mama, won't be back till fall,
Well, aaah, mmmm, got to murmur, got to murmur low, mmmmm
Every time the meat shake, fat mouth lose a home,
Mmmmm, what's the matter rider? Where did you stay last,
c. Dec 1929
Lonesome place don't seem like home to me
I woke this mornin', blues all 'round my bed
If you wanna live easy, pack you clothes with mine.
Soon one mornin', blues come fallin' down.
Well I'm goin' back home, gonna fall down on my knee,
L-231-1 Morning prayer |
Subject: RE: Complete Tommy Johnson's lyr From: Jon W. Date: 08 Oct 99 - 10:56 AM The third verse of Maggie Campbell is:
A-a-a, see see rider see what you done done see what you done done Maggie Campbell is a great song and features Charlie McCoy on the second guitar. Charlie was a mandolin player and frequently used mandolin tremolo picking on guitar. I posted some lyrics to "Canned Heat Blues" a few days ago but I believe the ones you posted are perhaps more accurate than mine. You've done a fine job. Jon W. |
Subject: RE: Complete Tommy Johnson's lyr From: Jon W. Date: 08 Oct 99 - 10:57 AM PS. I don't have recordings of any of the songs you are missing. |
Subject: Lyr Add: ALCOHOL AND JAKE BLUES and BLACK MARE BLU From: Stewie Date: 12 Oct 99 - 05:47 AM Greetings Ruslan, it took me a while to get this together. Here goes: There are some slight textual differences in Jeff Todd Titon's transcriptions of the 2 'Lonesome Home Blues' unissued Victors 45463-1 and 45463-2 (he calls them 'Lonesome Blues') to what you have given. Cf Jeff Todd Titon 'Early Downhome Blues' University of North Carolina Press 2nd Ed 1994 pp 81-83. (For example, he has: 'Won't you iron my jumper starch my overalls', and that sounds right to my hearing). He also has a transcription of 'Lonesome Home Blues' Paramount 13000 (L 230-2) at page 92. There is a slightly different transcription of the same at page 251 of David Evans 'Big Road Blues' Da Capo Press 1982 [even the experts can't agree on what they are hearing]. Titon also has a transcription of 'Maggie Campbell Blues' at page 95. Evans also has transcriptions of 'Cool Drink of Water Blues' (p 134), 'Big Fat Mama Blues' (p237) and 'Big Road Blues' (p 269). I understand (I don't have it) there are some transcriptions in another David Evans book 'Tommy Johnson' Studio Vista London. The following are my attempted transcriptions of 2 of the Paramounts for which you are missing lyrics. These unissued takes are very rare and, like many old Paramounts, sound like they were recorded under water and pressed on to corrugated cardboard. These will definitely be subject to correction, but I gave them my best shot. We are probably entering new territory here – I am unaware of any transcriptions of these.
Tommy Johnson: 'Alcohol and Jake Blues' Pm 12950 c. December 1929 Square brackets = spoken by a second voice.
Alcohol, alcohol I am sure, lord, killin' me
I woke up early this morning, I had alcohol round my bed
Mm mm, mm mm, mm mm, mm mm
I drank so much jake, but I can't get me that lemonade
If I don't quit drinking, alcohol gonna kill me dead.
I woke up early this morning, I had alcohol on my mind Source: Transcription from Various Artists 'Jake Leg Blues' Jass J-CD-642 Tommy Johnson: 'Black Mare Blues' Pm 13000 c. December 1929
Hitch up my buggy, saddle my black mare, saddle my black mare
I've been drinkin' all night, baby, drank the whole night long, drank the whole night long
I'm goin' back home, fall down on my knees, fall down on my knees
Mm mm I ain't gonna stay no more, ain't gonna stay no more
Ah, you gonna have 'em, troubles of your own Source: Transcription from Various Artists 'Delta Blues Vol 1 1929-1930) Document Limited Edition DLP 532. I hope the above assists you, and can I thoroughly recommend the Jake Leg Blues CD (if you can still get it). It is musically satisfying (and has both white and black performers) but also makes for an important historical document of an American tragedy – the jake paralysis story. Let me know if I can be of any further assistance, regards Stewie.
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Subject: RE: Complete Tommy Johnson's lyr From: Ruslan Date: 15 Oct 99 - 06:39 AM Thanks! I couldn't understand what's the matter with my end-of-line symbols? When I had inserted texts everything was ok. Stewie, thanks for your biblography. It's difficult to buy or find these books in Russia. |
Subject: RE: Complete Tommy Johnson's lyr From: Wolfgang Date: 15 Oct 99 - 07:10 AM Ruslan, Wolfgang |
Subject: RE: Complete Tommy Johnson's lyr From: Wolfgang Date: 15 Oct 99 - 07:15 AM I wanted to help and it seems I need the help myself. Next try.
Ruslan, Wolfgang |
Subject: RE: Complete Tommy Johnson's lyr From: Date: 21 Oct 99 - 04:25 AM Test (thank you, Wolfgang) Still missing:
c. Dec 1929 |
Subject: RE: Complete Tommy Johnson's lyr From: Ruslan Date: 11 Nov 99 - 05:21 AM Folks! Please check up my text.
L-229-2 Slidin' delta
Well, I slide, coming here an' go
Baby, I'm in a delta ???????????????? ride |
Subject: Lyr Add: SLIDIN' DELTA From: Stewie Date: 14 Aug 01 - 08:33 PM I have recently obtained a copy of David Evans' long-out-of-print seminal work on Tommy Johnson. This enables me to fill in a couple more gaps in this complete Tommy Johnson lyrics thread. First, here is 'Slidin' Delta':
SLIDIN' DELTA --Stewie.
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Subject: Lyr Add: I WONDER TO MYSELF (Tommy Johnson) From: Stewie Date: 14 Aug 01 - 08:38 PM I WONDER TO MYSELF Crying, Lord, and I wonder, I wonder, baby, to myself I wonder will I ever be back home Oh, my poor old mother, she's standing there already Just a' looking for her son to make it home Lord, I needs enough to buy me a railroad Got to stagger to the rear of some passenger train Source: transcription in David Evans 'Tommy Johnson' Studio Vista 1971, p63. Original recording, Tommy Johnson 'I Wonder To Myself', issued on Paramount 12975, master L-228-1. Note by Evans: 'This song is in all respects totally unlike the others he recorded. Although the text is rather short, it is both thematic and developed. Its seriousness, even its sentimentality, is rather oddly offset by the melody and accompaniment … The vocal occupies only a short space in the middle of the piece'. --Stewie. |
Subject: ADD: 'Black Mare Blues (2)' From: Stewie Date: 14 Aug 01 - 08:55 PM First, a correction. As Ruslan indicated, Johnson made 2 recordings of 'Black Mare Blues' - master nos L-245-1 and L-245-2. My transcription of 'Black Mare Blues', given in above posting of 12 Oct 1999, was of master L-245-1 which was in fact an unissued Paramount pressing. I indicated incorrectly in the October '99 posting that it was issued on Paramount 13000. The recording that was in fact issued on Paramount 13000 was master L-245-2. The words differ significantly from those on the unissued pressing. Evans' transcription of L-245-2 follows:
BLACK MARE BLUES --Stewie.
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Subject: RE: Complete Tommy Johnson's lyr From: RWilhelm Date: 15 Aug 01 - 12:24 AM This is from R. R. MacLeod's book, _Document Blues –1_, published by Pat Publications. It includes transcriptions of all Document CD's from DOCD 5001 to DOCD 5032. MacLeod says "Morning Prayer Blues" and "Boogaloosa Woman" are different takes of the same song as "Black Mare Blues." He calls them untitled and gives their Document title in parentheses but says Document's titles are obviously reversed. L-231-1 Untitled Song (Morning Prayer Blues)
Cryin' lordy, lord, lordy, lordy, lord
Cryin' when I was with you baby, you had button-up shoes to wear
Mmm, looky here, mama, see what you done done.
Say's I would go to Bogalosa, but it's too low down.
L-231-2 Untitled Song (Boogaloosas Woman)
Cryin' lordy, lord, lordy, lordy, lord
Cryin' when I was with you baby, you had button-up shoes to wear
Says I would go with you, but your home ain't none of mine.
I woke up this mornin', said my mornin' prayer. |
Subject: Lyr Add: RIDIN' HORSE (Tommy Johnson) From: RWilhelm Date: 15 Aug 01 - 12:39 AM From the same source: L-249-1 "Ridin' Horse"
Cryin', who's that yonder comin' down the road, comin' down the road?
Cryin', want me back, lord, comin' back so, comin' back so slow.
Cryin' see see rider, see what you done done, see what you done done. Mmmm
Now, and I ain't gonna be your ridin' horse no more, ridin' horse no more
What good is a bulldog, he won't bark or bite, he won't bark or bite?
Now, who's that yonder, baby, dressed in red, baby all dressed in red?
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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: songs by Tommy Johnson From: GUEST,harpgirl Date: 23 Nov 19 - 10:17 PM Hey kids, what a great thread. love,harpy.. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: songs by Tommy Johnson From: GUEST,harpgirl Date: 27 Feb 20 - 11:47 PM Hey 'catters.... Joe Offer can you help me find the threads on Tommy Johnson and Dave Evans. The search is different, it seems. |
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