Lyr Add: Travellin' Shoes - how many?

Subject: Travellin' Shoes - how many?
From: rich-joy
Date: 17 Jun 02 - 07:59 AM

The following is just one of the songs of this name!!

Two more that come to mind are :
the one popularised by Maria Muldaur ("Well, Death come a-knockin ...") and,
a top little number done by the Chambers Brothers (where the water keeps a-rising, higher and higher up his body) ...

Meanwhile, here is one from BILL WOOD.

TRAVELLIN' SHOES

1. Well, I had a fickle sweetheart, but I didn't mourn and cry
I just grabbed me an armful of freight train
And I told that gal (man) goodbye.

And I put on my Travellin' Shoes
Put on my Travellin' Shoes
Well, I don't know where I'm goin' - but I gotta go
Got on my Travellin' Shoes.

I've gotta lose them blues, yeah
I gotta lose them blues
Well, I don't know where or how - but I gotta go
Got on my Travellin' Shoes.

2. Well now, I've been from Maine to Texas, and I've roamed from sea to sea
And there isn't a gal (man) in this whole wide world
That could make a fool outa me.

When I've got on me Travellin' Shoes
Got on my Travellin' Shoes
Well, I don't know where I'm goin' - but I gotta go
Got on my Travellin' Shoes.

I've gotta lose them blues, yeah I gotta lose them blues
Well, I don't know where or how - but I gotta go
Got on my Travellin' Shoes.

3. Now if you should see me comin', please don't run away and hide
Coz all I need is a pretty little gal (...), to travel by my side.

When I've got on me Travellin' Shoes
Got on my Travellin' Shoes
Well, I don't know where I'm goin' - but I gotta go
Got on my Travellin' Shoes.

I'm gonna lose them blues, yeah
I'm gonna lose them blues
Well, I don't know where or how - but I gotta go
Got on my Travellin' Shoes.

Cheers! RJB

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Travellin' Shoes - how many?
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 17 Jun 02 - 08:05 AM

Death Come riding by the sinner man's door Say, old sinner, are you ready to go? No, no, no, no, no, no, no Because I don't have on my traveling, traveling shoes Because I don't have on my traveling shoes

Verses change to Liar, drunkard, cheater, etc. with same response.

Last verse changes to:

Death come riding by the Christian's door Say, old Christian, are you ready to go? Yes,yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes Because I just got on my traveling, traveling shoes Because I just got on my traveling shoes

The Gospel Messengers sing this, learned from a recording by Mitchell's Christian Singers.

Jerry

Subject: Lyr Add: Travelin' Shoes
From: masato sakurai
Date: 17 Jun 02 - 10:10 AM

Two versions from field recordings.

TRAVERLIN' SHOES

-1-
I got no, I got no,
I got no traverlin' shoes.
I got no, I got no,
Lord, I got no traverlin' shoes.

Well, you better get yo' traverlin' shoes,
Well, you better get yo' traverlin' shoes,
Well, you better get yo' traverlin' shoes,
Lord, you better get yo' traverlin' shoes.

-2-
Well, Death went over to dat Gambler's home,
Gambler come en go wid me,
Come en go wid me,
Come en go wid me.
Dat gambler said "I'm not willin' to go,
Caze I go no traverlin' shoes."

I got no, I got no, got no,
I got no traverlin' shoes.
Got no, got no, got no traverlin' shoes.

-3-
Well, Death went over to de preacher's home,
Preacher come en go wid me,
Come en go wid me,
Come en go wid me.
Dat preacher said, "I'm willin' to go,
Caze I go on my traverlin' shoes."
Got my, got my,
Got on my traverlin' shoes.

SOURCE: Olivia and Jack Solomon, "Honey in the Rock": The Ruby Pickens Tartt Collection of Religious Folk Songs from Sumter County, Alabama (Mercer University Press, 1991, p. 69; text only)

TRAVELING SHOES

Death went out to the sinner's house,
Come and go with me.
Sinner cries out, I ain't ready to go,
I ain't got no travelin' shoes.
Got no travelin' shoes, got no travelin' shoes,
Sinner cried out, I ain't ready to go,
I ain't got no travelin' shoes.

SOURCE: Harold Courlander, Negro Folk Music, U.S.A. (Columbia University Press, 1963, p. 233; with music); Singer, Vera Hall Ward. Ethnic Folkways Library FE 4473.

Recordings are by: Golden Gate Quartet, Mitchell's Christian Singers, Selah Jubilee Singers, Stars of Faith, Flora Molton, Rosetta Tharpe, Clara Ward Singers, Sweet Honey in the Rock.

~Masato

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Travellin' Shoes - how many?
From: GUEST,Nick
Date: 17 Jun 02 - 10:58 AM

Elvin Bishop has a tune of the same name, but it seems a bit more upbeat than those above!

Nick

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Travellin' Shoes - how many?
From: Mrrzy
Date: 17 Jun 02 - 02:56 PM

Some Canadian group - either Giles Vignault or Felix LeClerc - does a great song called Moi, mes souliers, in which the shoes go through a lot of life, and how you need to get your shoes dirty to have lived at all. The singer is kind of Humanity - my shoes have walked on the moon, gotten scuffed by kneeling in prayer, etc. Really nice song I wish I knew the words to, I find myself inspired to go look them up.

Subject: Lyr Add: MOI, MES SOULIERS (Félix LeClerc)
From: Mrrzy
Date: 17 Jun 02 - 03:10 PM

OK, got'm. It was Félix LeClerc:

MOI, MES SOULIERS

Moi, mes souliers ont beaucoup voyagé
Ils m'ont porté de l'école à la guerre
J'ai traversé sur mes souliers ferrés
Le monde et sa misère

Moi, mes souliers ont passé dans les prés
Moi, mes souliers ont piétiné la lune
Puis mes souliers ont couché chez les fées
Et fait danser plus d'une

Sur mes souliers, y'a de l'eau des rochers
D'la boue des champs et des pleurs de femmes
J'peux dire qu'ils ont respecté le curé
L'pays, l'bon Dieu et l'âme

S'ils ont marché pour trouver l'débouché
S'ils ont traîné de village en village
Suis pas rendu plus loin qu'à mon lever
Mais devenu plus sage

Tous les souliers qui bougent dans les cités
Souliers de gueux et souliers de reine
Un jour cesseront d'user les planchers
Peut-être cette semaine

Non, mes souliers n'ont pas foulé Athènes
Moi, mes souliers ont préféré les plaines
Quand mes souliers iront dans les musées
Ce s'ra pour s'y, s'y accrocher

Au paradis, paraît-il, mes amis
C'est pas la place pour les souliers vernis
Dépêchez-vous de salir vos souliers
Si vous voulez être pardonné
Si vous voulez être pardonné

Gloss/translation: My own shoes have traveled a lot, they've taken me from schools to wars, I've covered in my iron-soled shoes the world and its misery.

My own shoes have gone through meadows, my own shoes have trampled the moon, then my own shoes slept with the fairies, and have made more than one of them dance.

On my own shoes are water from boulders, mud from fields and women's tears, I can even say they've honored priests, my country, God and soul.

If they've traveled to find the river's mouth, if they've dragged from village to village, they haven't taken me farther than when I woke up, but made me wiser.

All the shoes moving around cities, beggar's shoes and queens', will one day stop wearing out the floor, maybe even next week.

No, my own shoes didn't search Athens, my own shoes preferred the plains, when my own shoes go to a museum it will be to get stuck there.

Heaven, they say, my friends, is no place for shined shoes, hurry up and get your shoes dirty if you want to be forgiven, if you want to be forgiven.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Travellin' Shoes - how many?
From: Mudlark
Date: 17 Jun 02 - 09:00 PM

Slight drift, but I seem to remember a song sung by hamilton camp, maybe a Dylan song, maybe called Walkin' Down the Line, with the verse

Well, I got my walkin' shoes, got my walkin' sho-o-oes
Well, I got my walkin' shoes, and I aint a gonna lose
I believe I got the walkin' blues

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Travellin' Shoes - how many?
From: rich-joy
Date: 18 Jun 02 - 04:40 AM

Mrrzy, that "Moi, Mes Souliers" sounds like a great little number too!! Can we hear it on a website or something??? Cheers! R-J

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Travellin' Shoes - how many?
From: Mrrzy
Date: 18 Jun 02 - 10:00 AM

I think so, if you have RealAudio, try this site here, it says you need RealAudio so I assume you can hear the song, and a few others by Felix LeClerc, here. Hope it works!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Travellin' Shoes - how many?
From: rich-joy
Date: 19 Jun 02 - 08:55 AM

Mrzzy - Hmmmm ... seems to me that it could do with an alternative tune being written (that's just a personal opinion, mind) - but great idea and words!

Mudlark - I remember Paul Butterfield having a nice version of the "Walkin' Blues" (Woke up this mornin', Lookin' round for my shoes, Got those mean ole Walkin' Blues ...)

That Chamber Bros variant of "Traveling Shoes" that I mentioned is on the following album and is well worth a listen :

"GOSPEL NIGHTS : Maria Muldaur with special guest artists The Chambers Brothers - recorded at McCabes", Takoma records, 1980

Cheers! R-J

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Travellin' Shoes - how many?
From: Mrrzy
Date: 19 Jun 02 - 09:50 AM

RichJoy, if you write another tune, I'd like to hear it! I actually like the one it has, but then again I ken the words as they go by, which may make a difference.

What about Hand me down my walking cane, I'm a-gonna leave on the midnight train? Isn't there a verse there about shoes? I recall the bottle of corn / I'm gonna get drunk as sure as you're born - what about Hand me down my walking shoes, I'm gonna go have me a partouse (French for orgy)?