Lyr Req: Stealin', Stealin' (Memphis Jug Band)

Subject: Lyr Req: memphis jug band's 'stealin''
From: erinmaidin
Date: 14 May 05 - 06:46 AM

There's a line in the song that goes "went to mr.____? in a lope"
Now when I sang that line over here in Dublin, some fella says,"what the f___ is a "lope" "?and insists that the line is "went to mr.so and so's...he's not open". Anyone have the definitive version of the lyrics of this song, and for that matter, any of the songs that the jug band did?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: memphis jug band's 'stealin''
From: Bob the Postman
Date: 14 May 05 - 08:43 AM

A lope is a type of gait--you'll find the word in "Got To Leave Old Texas Now"--"I'll hit the trail upon a lope and make my way to Mexico". Kind of a steady, easy jog.
There are a number of versions of Stealin in digitrad. Try a search on "stealin" or "circle round the sun".
The verse you're looking for can be found in another jug band song, a version of Cocaine Blues called Take A Whiff On Me
This link will take you to Mudcat's jug band archive

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: memphis jug band's 'stealin''
From: BanjoRay
Date: 14 May 05 - 09:22 PM

The verse you're talking about isn't in Stealin'. In Take A Wiff On Me I hear him singing Went down to Leeman's Antelope (I assume the name of a bar)
Ray

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: memphis jug band's 'stealin''
From: Peace
Date: 14 May 05 - 09:27 PM

Walked up Ellum and I come down Main
Tryin' to bum a nickle, just to buy cocaine
Ho, ho, honey take a whiff on me.

chorus: Take a whiff on me, take a whiff on me
And everybody, take a whiff on me.
Ho, ho, honey take a whiff on me.

Went to Mr. Lehman's on a lope
Sign in the window said: "No more coke".
Ho, ho, honey take a whiff on me.

(...chorus...)

Goin' up State Street, commin' down Main
Lookin' for the woman that uses cocaine.
Ho, ho, honey take a whiff on me.

(...chorus...)

I'se got a nickel, you'se got a dime...
You buy the coke and I'll buy the wine.
Ho, ho, honey take a whiff on me.

(...chorus...)

The blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice
Takes a brown-skin woman, for my particular use.
Ho, ho, honey take a whiff on me.

(...chorus...)

I chew my tobacco, and I spit my juice
I love my baby 'till it aint no use
Ho, ho, honey take a whiff on me.

(...chorus...)

Cocaine's for horses and not for men
Doctors say t'will kill you but they don't say when.
Ho, ho, honey take a whiff on me.

(...chorus...)

Whiff-a-ree and whiff-a-rye
Gonna keep on a whiffin', boys, 'till I die.
Ho, ho, honey take a whiff on me.

from

www.virus-bs.ch/lyr/whiff1.htm

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: memphis jug band's 'stealin''
From: masato sakurai
Date: 14 May 05 - 09:27 PM

From Taft's Prewar Blues Lyric Poetry: an Anthology by Artist:

Shade, Will

      Stealin' Stealin'
         Memphis, 15 Sept. 1928

         (47037?2) Vi?V38504 Rt RL?337

Stealing stealing : pretty mama don't you tell on me
I'm stealing back : to my same old used?to?be
Now put your arms around me : like the circle around the sun
I want you to love me mama : like my easy rider done
If you don't believe I love you : look what a fool I've been
If you don't believe I'm sinking : look what a hole I'm in
The woman I'm loving : she's just my height and size
She's a married woman : come to see me sometime

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: memphis jug band's 'stealin''
From: Stewie
Date: 14 May 05 - 10:36 PM

I think BanjoRay's 'Antelope' is drawing a bit of a long bow. I reckon it is 'in a lope'. See also stanza from Odum in a 1911 edition of Journal of American Folklore:

I went to the drug-store, I went in a lope,
Sign on the door, "There's no mo' coke,"
O my babe, O my babe, O my babe!

You can find the above HERE.

Jim Dixon posted a number of Memphis Jug Band transcriptions HERE.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: memphis jug band's 'stealin''
From: Peace
Date: 14 May 05 - 10:38 PM

Went to Mr. Lehman's on a lope
Sign in the window said: "No more coke".
Ho, ho, honey take a whiff on me.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: memphis jug band's 'stealin''
From: 12-stringer
Date: 15 May 05 - 12:56 AM

For the MJB version, a nice clean copy is on http://www.redhotjazz.com/memphisjugband.html

Scroll down to the title ("Cocaine Habit Blues") and listen in Real Player. The original was recorded 17 May 1930 in Memphis and was released on Victor 38620. Red Hot Jazz has several other tracks by the MJB available on line, all pretty clean-sounding.

Lyrics:

Cocaine habit is mighty bad,
It's the worst old habit that I ever had,
Hey, hey, honey take a whiff on me.

I went to Mr Lehman's in a lope
Saw a sign in the window said "No more dope."
Hey, hey, honey take a whiff on me.

If you don't believe cocaine is good
Ask Alma Rose and [can't understand the name] Woods.
Hey, hey, honey take a whiff on me.

I love my whiskey and I love my gin
The way I love my coke is a doggone sin.
Hey, Hey, honey take a whiff on me.

Since cocaine went out of style
You can catch 'em shootin' needles, all the while.
Hey, hey, honey take a whiff on me.

It takes a little coke to give me ease,
Strut your stuff long as you please,
Hey, hey, honey take a whiff on me.

One of the band says, "Take a whiff on Nanny, now," and another of the guys baahs like a goat, which segues into a wordless riff on the chorus. Good record, with Will Shade's harmonica front and center.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: memphis jug band's 'stealin''
From: masato sakurai
Date: 15 May 05 - 03:55 AM

Also from the Taft site:

Ramey, Ben (Memphis Jug Band)

      Cocaine Habit Blues
         Memphis, 17 May 1930

         (59933‑2) Vi‑V38620 BC‑2

Cocaine habit : is mighty bad
It's the worst old habit : that I ever had
I went to Mr Lehman : in a lope
Saw a sign on the window : says no more dope
If you don't believe : cocaine is good
Ask Alma Rose : down in Minglewood
I love my whiskey : and I love my gin
But the way I love my coke : is a doggone sin
Since cocaine : went out of style
You can catch them shooting needles : all the while

It takes a little coke : to give me ease
Strut your stuff : long as you please

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: memphis jug band's 'stealin''
From: BanjoRay
Date: 15 May 05 - 09:36 AM

OK - I'm convinced. "In a lope" it is
Ray

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: memphis jug band's 'stealin''
From: erinmaidin
Date: 15 May 05 - 08:13 PM

right....not stealin' i was askin' about at all...it was "take a whiff on me"! I knew what a lope was but there are some Dubliners who refuse to believe that terminology would be used in that er...ethnic circumstance. I'm convinced the line is "in a lope" and I truly appreciate all the support. I will show said doubters when next they are in the presence of my "puter".

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: memphis jug band's 'stealin''
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 15 May 05 - 08:38 PM

Posted long ago by Jim Dixon, 29 Oct 01, in thread 40621: Memphis Jug band

Lyrics to other Memphis Jug Band favorites also posted in that thread.
Thread #40621   Message #582173
Posted By: Jim Dixon
29-Oct-01 - 03:40 PM
Thread Name: Lyr Add: Yazoo CD- Best of the Memphis Jug Band
Subject: Lyr Add: STEALIN' STEALIN'^^

14. STEALIN' STEALIN'

Stealing, stealing. Pretty mama, don't you tell on me.
I'm stealing back to my same old used-to-be.

Now, put your arms around me like the circle round the sun.
I want you to love me, mama, like my easy rider done.

If you don't believe I love you, look what a fool I've been.
If you don't believe I'm sinking, look what a hole I'm in.
Stealing, stealing, pretty mama, don't you tell on me.
I'm stealing back to my same old used-to-be.
I'm stealing, stealing. Pretty mama, don't you tell on me.
I'm stealing back to my same old used-to-be.

The woman I'm loving she's just my height and size.
She's a married woman come to see me sometimes.

If you don't believe I love you, look what a fool I've been.
If you don't believe I'm sinking, look what a hole I'm in.
I'm stealing, stealing. Pretty mama, don't you tell on me.
I'm stealing back to my same old used-to-be.
I'm stealing, stealing. Pretty mama don't you tell on me.
I'm stealing back to my same old used-to-be.

Stealing, stealing. Pretty mama don't you tell on me
I'm stealing back to my same old used-to-be.

[As recorded by the Memphis Jug Band, 1928, Jab Jones, lead vocalist.]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: memphis jug band's 'stealin''
From: RWilhelm
Date: 16 May 05 - 10:32 AM

btw, the buzzard lope was a popular dance around the turn of the century