Lyr Req: Travelin' Man (from Doc Watson)

Subject: Lyr Req: Doc Watson ,Tavelin' man
From:
Date: 01 Feb 05 - 09:31 AM

I heard a nice performance of Doc Watson in a Guitar Video lesson
of Stephen Grossman ( Country blues guitar )the song title is "TRAVELIN MAN " it's really wanderfull , I am Italian and I don't manage to understand clearly the thight pronuciation of Doc.
Anybody can help me ??

Subject: Lyr Add: TRAVELING MAN
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 01 Feb 05 - 10:00 AM

This is the version I do. "Travelin' Man" is an old minstrel show song that has been altered by just about everybody who has performed it. I've heard Doc's version a time or two. It is slightly different, but the story's the same.

TRAVELING MAN

Folks, I want to tell you 'bout a man named Bloom
He come from down in New Orleans
And made his living stealing chickens
And anything he could see
That popeyed man could run so fast
That his feet wouldn't stay in the road
And if a freight train passed, no matter how fast
He could always get on board

CHORUS
He was a travelling man
Certainly was a travelling man
He was the most travellin'est man
There ever was in the land
He travelled East, he travelled West
Was known for miles around
And he never got caught & he never got whupped
Til the police shot him down

Well Bloom went down to the spring one day
To fetch himself a pail of water
The distance this rascal had to traverse
Was approximately three miles & a quarter
Now he filled up the bucket & started back
Then he stumbled & fell down
He ran back to the house, grabbed another bucket
And caught the water b'fore it hit the ground

Well the police shot him with a rifle
And the bullet went thru his head
The folks was comin' from miles around
Just to see if that boy was dead
Telegrammed down south where his mama lived
She was all upset with tears
She walked up & opened the coffin lid
But that fool had disappeared

Now Bloom was on the Titantic Ship
When it was sinking low
He was standing outside the railing
And he had his head hung low
Well the people who saw him jump overboard
Said 'Get a load of that crazy fool!'
But just 45 minutes after that
He was shooting craps in Liverpool

Now the police caught that Bloom at last
They had him up to hang one day
The judge leaned over, said 'My good man
Do you have any last words to say?'
He asked the courtroom to bow their heads
To bow their heads in prayer
Then he crossed one leg & winked one eye
And vanished straight up in the air

Bruce

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Doc Watson ,Travelin' man
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Feb 05 - 12:07 PM

Thanks Bruce now I have a chance to understand Appalachian
slang !!
Domenico

Subject: Lyr Add: TRAVELIN' MAN (Doc Watson)
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Feb 05 - 12:44 PM

Domenico, I am missing one or two words, but here is the Doc Watson version I have:

Folks, jes' [just] let me tell you 'bout a man I know
His home was down in Tennessee
And made his living stealing chickens
And anything he could see
One day the sheriff got behind that boy
Made him take to the road
Aint never been a freight train that run so fast
that Joe couldn't get on board

CHORUS
Travelin' man
yes he musta [must have] been a traveling man
travelin' a-ramblin' man
He was the swiftest in the land
Gamblin' a-ramblin Joe
They knowed him down in every town
He never (??), no, he never give up
And fer [for] that he never settled down

Sent that fellow to the spring one day
For to fetch a pail of water
The distance from the spring to the house
It was, uh, sixteen miles & a quarter
He got the bucket of water all right
Stubbed his toe and he fell down
He ran to the house and he grabbed another bucket
Caught the water 'fore it hit the ground

Police finally caught poor old Joe
Sentenced him to to hang one day
The solemn old judge looked at Joe and said
Have you got anything to say?
Joe looked at the judge, at the jury
He said Bow down your head in prayer
He crossed one leg & then winked one eye
And went sailing off through the air

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Doc Watson ,Travelin' man
From: Lane
Date: 03 Feb 05 - 01:11 PM

Which guitar video lesson is that on? I'd like to get that one