Lyr Add: LILLY (AND PAULY)

Subject: LILLY (AND PAULY)
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 18 Jun 02 - 03:32 PM

Posted separately from "Frankie and Johnny" for two reasons:
1. Instead of "he done her wrong,, etc." the last line of most verses uses "all she's got done gone," "is he gone?," "one mo' rounder gone." Also, the characters are Lilly and Pauly.
2. There are songs about losing everything, post WW1 through Depression era, with the line "All I gots gone" or similar. So far, I haven't found lyrics, although I once heard a recording by a jug band with the song (which has nothing to do with murder, only loss of woman, dog, possessions).

Lyr. Add: LILLY

Lilly was a good girl ev'ybody knows;
Spent a hundred dollars to buy her father suit o' clothes.
Her man certainly got to treat her right.

She went to Bell Street, bought a bottle of beer;
"Good mornin', bar keeper, has my lovin' man been here?
My man certainly got to treat me right."

"It is Sunday an' I ain't goin' to tell you no lie,
He wus standin' over there jus' an hour ago."
"My man certainly got to treat me right."

She went down to First Avenus, to pawn-broker.
"Good mornin', kind lady, what will you have?"
"I want to git a fohty-fo' gun, for
All I got's done gone."

He say to the lady, "It's against my law
To rent any woman forty-fo' smokin' gun,
For all you got'll be daid and gone."

She went to the alley, dogs begin to bark,
Saw her lovin' man standin' in de dark,
Laid his po' body down.

"Turn me over, Lilly, turn me over slow,
May be las' time, I don't know,
All you got's daid an' gone."

She sent for the doctors- doctors all did come.
Sometimes they walk, sometimes they run;
An' it's one mo' rounder gone.

They picked up Pauly, carried him to the infirmary,
He told the doctors he's a gamblin' man;
An' it's one mo' rounder gone.

Newsboys come runnin' to tell de mother de news.
She said to the lads, "That can't be true,
I seed my son 'bout an hour ago.

"Come here, John, an' git yo' hat;
Go down the street an' see where my son is at.
Is he gone, is he gone?"

The policemen all dressed in blue,
Dey come down de street by two an' two.
One mo' rounder gone.

"Lucy, git yo' bonnet! Johnnie, git yo' hat!
Go down to Bell Street an' see where my son is at.
Is he gone, is he gone?"

Sunday she got 'rested, Tuesday she was fined.
Wednesday she pleaded for all-life trial,
An' it's all she's got done gone.

Lilly said to jailer, "How can it be?
Feed all prisoners, won't feed me.
Lawd, have mercy on yo' soul!"

Jailer said to Lilly, "I tell you what to do-
Go back in yo' dark cell an' take a good sleep!"
An' it's all she's got done gone.

She said to the jailer, "How can I sleep?
All 'round my bedside lovin' Paul do creep;
It's all I got's gone."

The wimmen in Atlanta, dey heard de news,
Run excursions with new red shoes;
An' it's one mo' rounder done gone.

Some give a nickel, some give a dime,
Some didn't give nary red copper cent;
An' it's one mo' rounder gone.

Well, it's forty-dollar hearse, an' rubber-tire hack;
Carry po' Paul to cemetery, but fail to bring him back;
An' it's one mo' rounder gone.

Well, they pick up Pauly, an' laid him to rest;
Preacher said de ceremony, sayin',
"Well, it's all dat you got's daid an' gone."

@Murder @Negro @love
From H. W. Odum and G. B. Johnson, 1925 (1976), The Negro And His Songs, Univ. North Carolina Press (Negro Universities Press), pp. 228-230.
See thread 8206 and DT (Frankie and Johnny). Frankie