Lyr Add: Fishing Blues

Subject: Lyr Add: FISHING BLUES (Henry Thomas)^^
From: Stewie
Date: 15 Feb 00 - 07:13 PM

This was asked for in another thread. It is not in the DT.

FISHING BLUES

Went up the hill about 12 o'clock
Reach right back and got me a pole
Went to the hardware got me a hook
Thread that line right on that hook

Yeah, you been fishing all the time
I'm a-going fishing too
I bet your life, your loving wife
Catch more fish than you
Any fish bite, you got good bait
Here's a little something I would like to relate
Any fish bite, you got good bait
I'm a-going fishing, yes, I'm going fishing, I'm a-going fishing too

Looked down the river about 1 o'clock
Spied a catfish swimming around
I got so hungry, didn't know what to do
I'm a-gonna get me a catfish too

Yeah, you been fishing all the time
I'm a-going fishing too
I bet your life, your loving wife
Catch more fish than you
Any fish bite, you got good bait
Here's a little something I would like to relate
Any fish bite, you got good bait
I'm a-going fishing, yes, I'm going fishing, I'm a-going fishing too

Put on the skillet, never mind your lid
Mama gonna cook 'em with the short'ning bread

Yeah, you been fishing all the time
I'm a-going fishing too
I bet your life, your loving wife
Catch more fish than you
Any fish bite, you got good bait
Here's a little something I would like to relate
Any fish bite, you got good bait
I'm a-going fishing, yes, I'm going fishing, I'm a-going fishing too

Source: Henry Thomas 'Ragtime Texas' Herwin 209.
PS.

Blues scholar - and Thomas researcher – Mack McCormick describes this as 'pure minstrel material, an antecedent of which was probably such songs as "Gumbo Chaff" popularised by theatre companies in the early 1830s'. The innocuous piece was elaborated and given a bawdy dimension by subsequent musicians – for example, McCormick refers to 'Going to Fishing' recorded by Fiddlin' Joe Martin and Willie Brown for the Library of Congress in Mississippi in 1941.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Fishing Blues
From: wysiwyg
Date: 15 Feb 00 - 07:25 PM

Thanks! Tune or chords?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Fishing Blues
From:
Date: 16 Feb 00 - 03:50 AM

taj mahal does a gtreat version of this on ""RADCD100"

Subject: Chords Add: FISHING BLUES (Henry Thomas)
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Feb 00 - 12:53 PM

I adore this song. Henry Thomas has such a great voice and those pan pipes between verses are the perfect touch.

I play it in A with a lot of sus2's thrown in for the A's and D's.

  A
  Went up the hill about 12 o'clock
    

D
  Reach right back and got me a pole
    

A
  Went to the hardware got me a hook
    

A                      E       A
  Thread that line right on that hook
    

A
  Said, you been fishing all the time
    

D                   A
  I'm a-going fishing too
    

A
  I bet your life, your loving wife
    

E                       (bass walk-up back to...)
  Catch more fish than you
    

A
  Any fish bite, you got good bait
    

D
  Here's a little something I would like to relate    

A
  Any fish bite, you got good bait
    

A                    D
   I'm a-going fishing, yes, I'm going fishing,
    

A           E       A
  I'm a-going fishing too
  

(If you can whistle the melody between verses, everyone will love you.)

I also wrote a couple of lines to fill out that last verse.

  Put on the skillet, never mind your lid
  Mama gonna cook 'em with the short'ning bread 
  Eat 'em down by the river side
  Lay in the sun an' rest my eyes
  

Subject: Lyr Add: FISHING BLUES^^^
From: Pontiac Joe
Date: 16 Feb 00 - 03:53 PM

Here's another version that Taj Mahal did

FISHING BLUES

Bet you goin' fishin' all of the time.
Baby goin' fishin' too.
Bet your life that your sweet wife
Gonna catch more fish than you.

CHO: Many fish bite if you got good bait.
Here's a little tip that I'd like to relate:
Many fish bite if you got good bait.
I'm a-goin' fishin'.
Yes, I'm goin' fishin'
And my baby's goin' fishin' too.

I went on down to my favorite fishin' hole,
Baby grab me a pole and line.
Throw my pole on in caught a nine-pound catfish.
Now I brought him home for suppertime,
Provin' many fish bite...

Baby brother 'bout to run me out of my mind,
Sayin', "Can't I go fishin' with you?"
I took him on down to the fishin' hole.
Now what do you think that he did do?
Pulled a great big fish out the bottom of the pond.
Now he laughed and jumped 'cause he was real gone.
Many fish bite...

Put him in the pot, baby. Put him in the pan, honey.
Cook him till he's nice and brown.
Make a batch of buttermilk hoecakes, mama,
Then chew those things and chomp 'em on down,
Singing, many fish bite...

Repeat verse 1

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Fishing Blues
From: Lucius
Date: 16 Feb 00 - 05:43 PM

I don't know where I heard it, but I always add the following verse:

Went down the hill, about two o-clock;
Spied them catfish swimming around;
I'm going down to the fishing hole;
and live in the country, instead of the town!

I hope my lyrics line up right.

Lucius

HTML line breaks added. --JoeClone, 12-Sep-02.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Fishing Blues
From: Lucius
Date: 16 Feb 00 - 05:50 PM

Darn, it looked so neat before I sent it. What do I need to do to break the verses into four stanzas? Apparently a hard return doesn't work. Any suggestions?

Lucius

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Fishing Blues
From: Musicman
Date: 17 Feb 00 - 12:07 AM

I've played the taj mahal version for max on the mudcat radio.... episode 19, about 8 mins into the show..... If anybody want's the tab for the solo lick, let me know via personal message......

musicman

Subject: Lyr Add: FISHING BLUES (Henry Thomas)
From: Brian Hoskin
Date: 14 Jun 00 - 07:50 AM

FISHING BLUES

Went up on the hill about twelve o'clock.
Reached right back and got me a pole.
Went to the hardware and got me a hook.
Attached that line right on that hook.
Says you've been a-fishin' all the time.
I'm a-goin' fishin' too.

I bet your life, your lovin'wife.
Can catch more fish than you.
Any fish bite if you've got good bait.
Here's a little somethin' I would like to relate.
Any fish bite, you've got good bait.
I'm a-goin' a-fishin', yes, I'm a-goin' a-fishin',
I'm a-goin' a-fishin' too.

Looked down the river about one o'clock.
Spied this catfish swimmin' around.
I've got so hungry, didn't know what to do.
I'm gonna get me a catfish too.

Yes, you've been fishin' all the time.
I'm a-goin' a-fishin' too.
I bet your life your lovin' wife.
Catch more fish than you.
Any fish bite, got good bait.
Here's a little somethin' I would like to relate.
Any fish bite, you've got good bait.
I'm a-goin' a-fishin', yes, I'm goin' a-fishin',
I'm a-goin' a-fishin' too.

Put on your skillet, don't never mind your lead.
Mama gonna cook 'em with the short'nin' bread.
Says you been fishin' all the time.
I'm a-goin a-fishin' too.
I bet your life, your lovin' wife.
Can catch more fish than you.
Any fish bite, if you've got good bait.
Here's a little somethin' I would like to relate.
Any fish bite, you've got good bait.
I'm a-goin' a-fishin', yes, I'm goin' a-fishin',
I'm a-goin' a-fishin' too.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Fishing Blues
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Apr 10 - 10:20 PM

I love this song! Does anyone have the notation for the lyrics line - I have an acapella group that is interested...

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Fishing Blues
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Dec 11 - 12:55 PM

I have a fake score for fishing Blues by Thomas do you know the date it was written? Karl Koenig   [e-mail]

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Fishing Blues
From: Richie
Date: 21 Dec 11 - 02:10 PM

Thomas version was recorded in 1928. Doubt it was written, just recorded some sources say it comes from the minstrel era mid-1800s. Technically it's copyrighted- but the copyright is not observed.

http://bluegrassmessengers.com/fishing-blues--henry-thomas-1928.aspx

Here's my version: Fishing Blues http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AX7PqetoZNQ

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This thread has become a popular dumping ground for a particular spammer, so will be closed for the time being. If you wish to contribute content, ask a moderator to reopen it. Thanks. ---mudelf