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Lyr Req: Walkin' Guitar Blues/Talking Guitar Blues

20 Apr 99 - 10:13 PM (#72320)
Subject: Walkin' Guitar Blues
From: bacps@roanoke.infi.net

"I bought a guitar, 'bout a week ago...thought I'd learn it, in a day or so..."

Anybody have the lyrics to this? Who wrote it?

20 Apr 99 - 10:31 PM (#72325)
Subject: RE: Walkin' Guitar Blues
From: Rick Fielding

You might try "Talkin' Guitar Blues". I know of two recordings. One is by Cisco Houston, t'other is by Oscar Brand. Whoops, a third by Ed Badeaux, available from Smithsonian Folkways.

21 Apr 99 - 02:34 AM (#72368)
Subject: RE: Walkin' Guitar Blues
From: Ewan McV (inactive)

Written as Talking Guitar Blues, I think by Ernest Tubb, in the 1950s.

First verse starts

If you want to get in trouble I'll tell you how to do it.
Just buy a guitar and then you're into it.

Look for it in C&W lyric sources like Cowpie.Recorded in the UK by Lonnie Donegan and Josh Macrae in about 1960. (My first song, Talking Army Blues, was the B side of Josh's recording, then became the A side and got into the Top Twenty! Surprised the hell out of me.)

Ewan McVicar

21 Apr 99 - 02:39 AM (#72370)
Subject: RE: Walkin' Guitar Blues
From: Rick Fielding

Jeez, are you the Ewan McVicar, who wrote "One Singer, One Song'? If so, let me thank you for a wonderful book that "keeps on giving" year after year. You really nailed the spirit lad.
rick

21 Apr 99 - 09:08 AM (#72408)
Subject: Lyr Add: TALKING GUITAR BLUES
From: Alan B

Ive know this song for decades, badly remembered from a Lonnie donegan 78

Walkin' Guitar Blues

If you want to get in trouble, let me tell you how to do it
Get yourself a guitar, then you're right into it.
Well, you play all day, and you play all night
Your people say you never learn to play the thing right

Always moaning at you, groaning, won't let you practice

Well I bought myself a guitar bout a year ago
Feller said I'd learn it in a week or so
Gave me a book, pick or two
Said ee'are mate, its up to you
Dirty rotter, cost me ten quid, all the loot I had
Good guitar though, called it a Pluckit
Took the book, guitar & all,
Went back home where the trees are tall
Down in Woodford

Good place to be if you've got a guitar
Pretty rotten if you ain't

Well. For weeks & weeks I worked hard
Tried to learn a few main chords
Book says they're easy as ABC,
But cor, my fingers're hurtin me

Got sore on the ends, couldn't hold the strings down
Felt rough, wanted to pack up

Could see Mum's hair was turning white, Face was lined with discontent,
Could see her patience was pretty near spent
She was nervous, ears ringing, couldn't get no relief
Sister she took it worst of all,
Cos she got married the following fall
She said for love but I got me doubts
Reckon the guitar chased her out

Game gall though, just limit to everything

Dad, he took it a different way,
said"You can turn your Mum's hair grey,
drive your sister away from home
But you or me boy's gonna start to roam,

and I ain't going, never intend to - you figure it out"
So I did - fast

Next day, got me clothes all packed,
Slung my guitar across me back
Caught myself a great long train
Searched the world for me share of fame

Ain't found none - only hardships

So now as I sit & play my guitar
In the streets or in the bar
Hear these words from Mum, I'll never forget her
Saying "Don't pick it Son, it'll never get better"

Italics are spoken out of time


I know this is not exact, but hope it helps

(People say I sing close harmony - not right, but close!)

22 Apr 99 - 04:41 AM (#72660)
Subject: RE: Walkin' Guitar Blues
From: Alan B

Sorry - missed a line out should be

Played all day and I played att night

Could see Mum's hair was turning white,
etc

Alan B

23 Apr 99 - 05:01 PM (#72990)
Subject: RE: Walkin' Guitar Blues
From: Ewan McV (inactive)

Rick Thanks for the positive remark about OSOS. I like it a lot myslef, but always worried it wasa to personal - plus the reviews referred to it as a 'random' collewction, when I thought I had seq I have another 15 books in my head that I can't get time to write. Plus several I've written that never made it into print - a publisher has 3 of them in hand right now.

23 Apr 99 - 05:03 PM (#72992)
Subject: RE: Walkin' Guitar Blues
From: Ewan McV (inactive)

Sorry about the confused message above. I'm dogexhausted and the brain says - go thou and sleep a lot. I'll try write again tomorrow.

Ewan

24 Apr 99 - 03:21 PM (#73188)
Subject: RE: Walkin' Guitar Blues
From: Ewan McV (inactive)

I was so tired last night I seem to have hit stange key combinations that sent off semi-edited messages that hardly needed sending even in edited form. Sorry bout that, to anyone who waded through them seeking the non-present sense. As Rambling Jack Eliiot used to say in his spoken introduction to Bed Bug Blues : "After a long hard day facing life, sure is nice to crawl into your bed. Kind of like an escape." I truly slept well last night.

Ewan McVicar

29 Oct 12 - 02:59 PM (#3427872)
Subject: RE: Walkin' Guitar Blues
From: GUEST

thers another close version . a take off to all American Boy.