Lyr Req: Stockade Blues (Georgia Crackers)

Subject: Lyr Req: Stockade Blues, Georgia Crackers
From: GUEST,Elizabeth
Date: 10 May 15 - 08:01 AM

Hi,
I am looking for help with the lyrics of "Stockade Blues" by the Georgia Crackers. I first heard the song on a youtube video of The Dust Busters with John Cohen. I hear a lot of the words, but I can't make out all of them.

Starts like this:
? Easy life that's mighty fine
Well the work's too hard for these hands of mine
I'm eatin' and sleepin' on a mattress stand
Well I ain't gonna kill me that 'nother man

Thanks,
Elizabeth

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stockade Blues, Georgia Crackers
From: GUEST
Date: 10 May 15 - 08:21 AM

http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?92691-Stockade-Blues-Lyrics

Someone else was looking fot it at Mandolin Cafe. Note the link there to the song. Good luck, because the singer's locution is awful.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stockade Blues, Georgia Crackers
From: GUEST
Date: 10 May 15 - 08:28 AM

PS This is NOT the Lead Belly/Leadbelly song.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stockade Blues, Georgia Crackers
From: GUEST
Date: 10 May 15 - 07:09 PM

A grandchild of fiddler/vocalist Paul Cofer dropped in, some years ago, on a thread about either "Riley the Furniture Man" or "Keno the Rent Man," but didn't offer any lyrics assistance. Cofer is a good old time vocalist, but like Uncle Dave, Fiddling George Carter, and Charlie Poole, he's not easy to understand.

This is what I can make of the recording:

Prison life's not very fine
Well, the work's too hard for this hands of mine
Eatin' and sleepin' on a mattress stand
And I ain't gonna kill me that other man.

Laid around with an easy life
Well,I laid around livin' and an easy life
Laid around smokin' my thick cheroot
And I couldn't see the sports for the black of my boots.
[Last line of this verse is the best I can make of it]

Next verse is not very intelligible to my ear.
...
...
She had me arrested for sportamaree [?]
And I got 10 years in penitentiary.
On the rockpile
Thinkin' all the while

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stockade Blues, Georgia Crackers
From: GUEST
Date: 10 May 15 - 07:30 PM

Back and forthing from the compose box to WMP I managed to hit post while trying to pause WMP. Start again from the top.

Prison life's not very fine
Well, the work's too hard for this hands of mine
Eatin' and sleepin' on a mattress stand
And I ain't gonna kill me that other man.

Laid around with an easy life
Well,I laid around livin' and an easy life
Laid around smokin' my thick cheroot
And I couldn't see the sports for the black of my boots.
[Last line of this verse is the best I can make of it]

Next verse is not very intelligible to my ear.
...
...
She had me arrested for sportamaree [?]
And I got 10 years in penitentiary.
On the rockpile
Thinkin' all the while
If I ever get out I'm goin' back home
Gonna leave all those dark-haired womans alone

(repeat verse 1)

Well she played a piano on ...
Goes through [?] my $2.85 a day
Eatin' and sleepin' on a mattress stand
And I ain't gonna kill me that 'nother man.

Day I broke my ball and chain
I thought to my soul I's free again
Just as I started over the wall
Old man shot me and I had to fall
On the rockpile
Thinkin' all the while
If I ever get out I'm goin' back home
Gonna leave all those darkhaired womans alone.

(repeat verse 1)

Day I broke my ball and chain
Well I thought to my soul I's free again
Just as I started over the wall
Old Joe King shot me and I had to fall
On the rockpile
Thinkin' all the while
If I ever get out I'm goin' back home
Gonna leave all those darkhaired womans alone.

Repeat verse 1

repeat verse 1

repeat piano verse

repeat "ball and chain" verse, again with "Old Joe King" rather than "old man."

repeat verse 1

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stockade Blues, Georgia Crackers
From: 12-stringer
Date: 10 May 15 - 07:34 PM

"Guest" with abortive and completed posts is the ever cheerful 12-stringer, who didn't notice his cookie had gone across the Rainbow Bridge.

Subject: Lyr Add: GEORGIA STOCKADE BLUES (Tom Delaney)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 11 May 15 - 07:13 PM

I listened to this song hoping it might be related to the Georgia Crackers' song, but apparently not. It's a good song, worth having on its own, though.


GEORGIA STOCKADE BLUES
Written by Tom Delaney
As sung by Tom Delaney on "Male Blues of the Twenties, Vol. 2 (1923-1928)" (Document Records)

Days are dreary; nights seem long,
Down in Georgia on a stockade farm.
Doing time for a crime,
They found me guilty without one dime.

Guards all around me with their guns,
Shootin' me down like a rabbit if I start to run,
Five long years in a state stockade,
Working from sun to sun.

Evening goes; morning comes.
My daily task is never done.
Tippin' boxes, Lord, on a turpentine farm,
At night can't raise my arm.

Both legs shackled to a ball and chain,
Pleading for mercy, but it's all in vain,
Ankles all swollen, can't wear no shoes,
I've got the meanest kind of Georgia stockade blues.

[INSTRUMENTAL BREAK; REPEAT LAST VERSE]

*
Sara Martin also sang this song on "Sara Martin, Vol. 3 (1924-1925)" (Document Records)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stockade Blues (Georgia Crackers)
From: GUEST,BKR
Date: 24 Sep 16 - 09:05 PM

That was me lookin on mando cafe. Happy to see Im not alone in this quest. I have a sime mando version tabbed out if anyone is interested.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stockade Blues (Georgia Crackers)
From: GUEST,T Wilson
Date: 04 Sep 21 - 06:31 PM

Here's what I came up with.
Cheers!

Stockade Blues        1930 Georgia Crackers aka Cofer Bros.

Prison life it ain't so fine,
work's too hard for these hands of mine
Eatin' and a sleepin' on a mattress stand
Ain't never gonna kill me another man

Used to have a lazy life
Layin' around with my lazy wife
Laid around 'n' smokin' a big cheroot
This cat a goin' a sportin' on the back of my boot

She supported me until one day (lou)
She supported me another way
Had me arrested for supportin' Marie    (the dark haired woman)
And sent me off to the penitentery

CHORUS:
On the rock pile, singing all the while
If I ever get out of here and go back home
I'm gonna leave that dark haired woman alone.
Prison life it ain't too fine
The work's too hard for these hands of mine
Eatin' and a sleepin' on a mattress stand
Ain't never gonna kill me another man
        
~instrumental (verse & chorus) - twice~

I let it began, for a squirt of cocaine-
It goes through my two-eighty-five a day
I killed me a man in self defence
I've been in the stockade ever since

~Chorus~

The day I broke my ball and chain
I thought my soul, I be a free again
Just as I started out over the wall
The old man shoved me and I had to fall....

~Chorus~

~Instrumental to end~

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stockade Blues (Georgia Crackers)
From: cnd
Date: 05 Sep 21 - 09:02 AM

T Wilson -- good ear! I have some corrections. Mostly minor, but a few more major ones.
I'm working off of this recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0U8eIl4Q0LA



Prison life is not very fine
Well, I works too hard for these hands of mine
Said a-eatin' and a-sleepin' on a mattress stand
And I ain't gonna kill me, now, another man

Stayed around with a easy wife
Well, I laid around a-living in an easy life
Laid around smokin' my big cheroots
And I couldn't see sport for the black of my boots

Thought I'd handled this, what a cinch
And she caught me with her, another wench
She had me arrested for supportin' Marie
And I got ten years on the penitentiary

CHORUS:
On the rock pile, singing all the while
If I ever get out I'm going back home
Gonna leave all these dark haired woman alone
Well, this prison life's not very fine
Well, the work's too hard for these hands of mine
Eatin' and a sleepin' on a mattress stand
And I ain't never gonna kill me, now, another man

Well, I play the pianer on ?sweat? pay *
Costs all my two-eighty-five a day
Eatin' and a sleepin' on a mattress stand
And I ain't gonna kill me, now, another man

The day I broke my ball and chain
I thought to my soul, "I'll be a free again"
Just as I started out over the wall
The old man shot me and I had to fall

CHORUS

The day I broke my ball and chain
Well, I thought to my soul, "I'll be a free again"
Just as I started out over the wall
Old Joe Gates shot me and I had to fall

CHORUS

(weakly) Prison...

Prison life's not very fine
Well, I works too hard for these hands of mine
Eatin' and a sleepin' on a mattress stand
And I ain't never gonna kill me, now, another man

Play the pianer on ?sweat? pay *
Costs all my two-eighty-five a day
Eatin' and a sleepin' on a mattress stand
And I ain't gonna kill me, now, another man

The day I broke my ball and chain
Well, I thought to my soul, I'll be a free again
Just as I started out over the wall
Old Joe Gates shot me and I had to fall

CHORUS

* Not very happy with "sweat pay" -- My assumption is it's a term for the money prisoners earned for their labor, but I couldn't find any terms that matched