Lyr Req: Jerking the Load (Rufus & Ben Quillian)

Subject: Lyr Req: Jerking the Load - Rufus & Ben Quillian
From: GUEST,Evan
Date: 04 Nov 14 - 02:27 AM

Hey yall, I've grown quite fond of this song by Rufus & Ben Quillian and am trying to transcribe the lyrics. I think I've got most of it but there are some lines I can't quite make out and possibly some I've heard wrong. If anyone could have a listen and help me out that'd be great! Here's what I've got from listening on my own:

----------------------------
there's no use in calling
Gonna tell you just like it is
she does some heavy hauling
just got a real small ------
but she can make it bigger
If you ask her to haul the load
she starts right in to ------

Jerking that load got to know how to haul the load
If you don't know how to do it right
I just want to see you on a saturday night
If you jerk that load like a mule on a county road
give you loving and give you dough
Never say I can't use you no more
Just because you really know exactly how to jerk that load

college boys will surely strip
she charges one whole dollar
If she charged me fifty cents
I'd be sure to holler
once I had a heavy load
there's no sense in schlupin'
carried her a load of jive
she hauled away for nothing


Old man came from a poultry farm
all his eggs were rotten
can't you haul them eggs for him
you'll never be forgotten
got the eggs all loaded wrong
she yelled for him to quit it
---------------------
---------------------

She haled the load for ---------
--------- called her honey
------------left them there
she had ---------- money
man got nothing from that work
started ------------- trick her
he soon changed his mind about that
-----------------------quicker

Here's a link to the song on youtube also:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9c2qf6-dm4

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Jerking the Load - Rufus & Ben Quillian
From: GUEST,Evan
Date: 04 Nov 14 - 02:56 AM

While I'm at it, I'd love to get the lyrics to "All in, Down and Out" also. I know I've heard someone else sing it before but all I've got is the Rufus & Ben Quillian recording and I can barely make any of it out at all.

Subject: Lyr Add: JERKING THE LOAD (Rufus & Ben Quillian)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 05 Nov 14 - 07:38 AM

Well, I love a challenge, and this was one. Not only were the acoustics and enunciation less than ideal, but the slang terminology and metaphor were unfamiliar to me. Here's what I think I hear:


JERKING THE LOAD
As recorded by Rufus and Ben Quillian, a.k.a. the Blue Harmony Boys, 1929.
As found on "Hokum, Blues and Rags (1929-1930s)" (Document Records DOCD-5392)

1. ----------------------------
There's no use in stallin'.
Gonna tell you just like it is.
She does some heavy haulin'.
Just got a real small ------
But she can make it bigger.
If you ask her to haul a load,
She starts right in to figure. [pronounced 'figger']

CHORUS: Oh, jerkin' that load,
You got to know how to haul a load.
If you don't know how to do it right,
[They] Just want to see you on Saturday night,
But if you jerk that load
Like a mule on a county road,
They give you lovin'; they give you dough.
They'll never say they can't use you no mo'
Just because you really know
Exactly how to jerk that load.

2. College boys will surely strip.
She charges one whole dollar.
If she charged me over fifty cents,
I'd be sure to holler.
Once I had a heavy load.
There's no sense in puffin'.
Carried her a lot of jive
And she hauled them eggs for nothin'.

3. Old man came from the poultry farm.
All his eggs were rotten.
The time she hauled them eggs for him
Will never be forgotten.
Got them eggs all loaded wrong.
She yelled to him to quit it.
Hadn't gone a dozen blocks
'Fore (s)he had to change [ends? heads?] with him.

4. She hauled a load for a funny gal.
Started callin' her honey.
'Fore that gal had left from there,
She had some egg ----- money.
Man got nothin' from that work.
He started once to [thick? stick?] her.
He soon changed his mind about that.
Decided he would trick her.

- - -
I'm guessing that hauling, or jerking, a load of eggs refers to a sexual act, probably the most ordinary or "vanilla" kind, while the kind the farmer wanted in verse 3 was a bit more unusual. The "funny gal" in verse 4 is probably a lesbian, and the man mentioned in that verse is probably a pimp.

BTW, I had never heard of the Quillians before now, and I thank you for bringing them to my attention. I will listen to more of their songs and possibly do some more transcription if it's feasible.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Jerking the Load - Rufus & Ben Quillian
From: GUEST,Hootenanny
Date: 05 Nov 14 - 09:38 AM

I visited Ben Quillian in St Louis in 1976 with a researcher friend who had met him previously. Until my friend first visited Ben his children were completely unaware that their father had made any records. It seems Ben later in life was a little embarrassed by the content.
I still have a photograph taken at the time of Ben Quillian 1, Ben Quillian 2 and Ben Quilian 3.
The Quillians came from Georgia.

Hoot

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Jerking the Load (Rufus & Ben Quillian)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 06 Nov 14 - 08:11 PM

Evan: I started a new thread: Lyr Add: All In, Down and Out (various artists).

It contains my attempt at a transcription of the Quillins' recording of ALL IN DOWN AND OUT as well as some other songs with similar titles.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Jerking the Load (Rufus & Ben Quillian)
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Nov 14 - 06:21 PM

Thanks for filling in some of the gaps Jim. The lesbian/pimp context is very helpful also. Now I'm thinking that the 4th line of the 4th verse may be something like "she hatched some eggs to money". The first line is still completely elusive to me. I'm thinking it may be the name of the woman who is the subject of the song. "oh, [name of girl] there's no use in stallin".

I'm glad you enjoy their music and I'm glad I was able to expose you to it. Also, your thread about All in Down and Out if exactly what I was hoping for and then some.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Jerking the Load (Rufus & Ben Quillian)
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Nov 14 - 06:48 PM

Hoot, that's fantastic! any chance you've got some stories/pictures you'd be willing to share? I'm from Georgia myself and the majority of my musical research has to do with Georgia artists from the turn of the century.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Jerking the Load (Rufus & Ben Quillian)
From: GUEST,Mike Yates
Date: 14 Nov 14 - 06:43 AM

I noticed that on UTube the song is titled "Jerking the Lord"! Freudian, or what?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Jerking the Load (Rufus & Ben Quillian)
From: GUEST,Hootenanny
Date: 14 Nov 14 - 09:11 AM

Guest, although I have photographs I do not own the copyright on them and they are not mine to pass around.