Lyr Req: Bad Dream Blues (Dave Van Ronk)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bad Dream Blues (Dave Van Ronk)
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 29 Aug 15 - 04:37 PM

callin' in hell

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bad Dream Blues (Dave Van Ronk)
From: GUEST,bluenoter
Date: 29 Aug 15 - 09:25 AM

Please forgive me if I've posted in the wrong place; I don't know Mudcat's conventions.

Lo these many years later, I'd like to correct this part:

"Ever dream you wake up cold, cold in Hell?
Ever dream like you cold in Hell?
Ever dream like you wake up cold in Hell?
That's a sure sign baby, your woman's got another man."

The lyrics that DVR (rest in peace) actually sang, which are traditional, sung by Barbecue Bob at least as early as 1927, and documented by Langston Hughes:

Did you ever dream lucky, wake up cold in hand?
Ever dream lucky, . . . ?
Ever dream lucky, . . . ?

And then either the last line as quoted (for DVR's version, IIRC) or various lines including "Didn't have a dollar to pay your house-rent man." At any rate, note that "hand" and "man" rhyme. ; )

The "baby" was a typical inclusion when the singer was female, which was often.

"Dream lucky": dream of the winning number or number combination in an upcoming game of chance.

"Cold in hand": empty-handed; penniless.

How do I know all of that? I've had many extra years to be a DVR fan, a blues fan, etc., because I'm old. : )

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Bad Dream Blues (Dave Van Ronk)
From: GUEST,noahpedrini
Date: 22 Sep 10 - 09:46 PM

I know this thread is old, but this one of my favorite DVR songs and I worked out some basic tab that I thought I'd share. It's playable in standard but much easier and truer to the his rendition in open-d:

http://looklisten.net/transcriptions/bad_dream_blues/baddreamblues_opend.tef.zip

Enjoy!

Subject: RE: Van Ronk-Blues
From: Easy Rider
Date: 24 Oct 02 - 10:49 PM

I GOT it!, a full transcription of the song, "Bad Dream Blues", from somebody on the Internet. It's in Open-D tuning, with a couple of difficult pinky slides and a pinky bend, but it's a dream come true. I've been practicing it, and can almost do it.

Yeaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh.

Now, if I can only get the TAB for my other long term search..."Separation Blues" , by Patrick Sky...

Subject: RE: Van Ronk-Blues
From: GUEST,yfoiler
Date: 22 Aug 02 - 03:35 AM

I went to school with Dave Ronk. He's sleeps in a cardboard box in North Hollywood Park now. I'll see if I can get a version out of him next time I hook up with him. It's been a while...

Cheers,

Yfoiler.

Subject: RE: Van Ronk-Blues
From: dwditty
Date: 20 Aug 02 - 10:35 AM

The song is on at least one of Van Ronk's later CD's. I play this in English D (dropped D) with a capo on th e fourth fret. The vamp is a slide of a first position D chord from the first fret to its home position at the 2nd fret. The 6th string of the G is fretted at the 5th fret. I often slide my middle finger from a bflat to a b on th eG chord. Instead of an A chord, I finger an Am and bend the 2nd string up to get the full A chord. Not exactly as DVR did it, but it works.

Easy Rider, good to see you still around. And Tiger, too. If you have not purchased th enew DVR vides/DVD, do so. Recorded a year ago at the Bottom Line, I think. Solo DVR with his discussion of the music in between the songs. The camera work is such that you can see just what he is doing, too.

dw

If you come on to paltalk, we could all get in a room and figure this song out once and for all.

Subject: RE: Van Ronk-Blues
From: katlaughing
Date: 20 Aug 02 - 03:43 AM

If you can find a midi of it, you can then run it through MidiNotate and you'll get written music for it. If you don't want to mess with new software, etc., but can find a midi, I'd be happy to do the music for you. Just let me know.

thanks,

kat

Subject: RE: Van Ronk-Blues
From: GUEST,Easy Rider
Date: 20 Aug 02 - 01:33 AM

I have been looking for a transcription of the music for "Bad Dream Blues" for over thirty years. Does anybody have it written out?

Subject: Lyr Add: BAD DREAM BLUES (Dave Van Ronk)
From: Ralph Butts
Date: 18 Jun 97 - 09:20 AM

David…….One of Van Ronk's best. I've played the instrumental for years, but this is a good opportunity to transcribe. Tried to do it as he plays it, hyphenated sections are guitar-only.…….Tiger

BAD DREAM BLUES—Dave Van Ronk

INSTRUMENTAL (Intro)

I woke up this mornin', good gal on my, on my, on my mind.
Woke up this mornin', good gal on my mind.
Woke up this mornin', good gal on my mind.
She's a sweet little woman, hate to leave her behind.

Ever dream you wake up cold, cold in Hell?
Ever dream like you cold in Hell?
Ever dream like you wake up cold in Hell?
That's a sure sign baby, your woman's got another man.

Well, my right side jump and my flesh begin, flesh begin to crawl.
Oh, my right side jump, ----------------------.
My right side jump, flesh begin to crawl.
That's a sure sign baby, another mule kickin' in my stall.

If you don't want me, please don't let me, let me, let me know.
You don't want me, ----------------------------
-----------------------------------------------
Well, a man like me needs some place to go.

I'm troubled in my mind, guess I always, alway-, always will
I been troubled in my mind, guess I always will.
I been troubled in my mind, guess I always will.
But trouble in love sure gonna get me killed.

If I mistreat you, babe, sure don't mean, don't mean, don't mean no harm.
I mistreat you, baby, don't mean no harm.
Yeah, I mistreat you, baby, don't mean no harm.
I'm a motherless child and I don't know right from wrong.

INSTRUMENTAL BREAK

I woke up this mornin', good gal on my, on my, on my mind.
Woke up this mornin', ---------------------------
Yes, I woke up this mornin', good gal on my mind.
She's a sweet little woman, hate to leave her behind.

INSTRUMENTAL (Fade)

Subject: Van Ronk-Blues
From:
Date: 17 Jun 97 - 04:49 PM

I am looking for complete lyrics to a song from an old Dave Van Ronk album (early-mid 60's) which I believe is now out of print. Don't know the title, but it's a blues in E. The first line is "I woke up this morning, good gal on my mind (repeated 3x)... she's a sweet little woman, I hate to leave her behind". Ring any bells?

Thanks,

David Martin