The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #95677 Message #1865785
Posted By: Jim Dixon
22-Oct-06 - 02:35 PM
Thread Name: Lyr Req: My Sweet Farmgirl / Farmhand Papa
Subject: Lyr Add: FARMHAND PAPA (Clarence Williams)
I think Clarence Williams' lyrics are worth posting. Here they are, transcribed from The Red Hot Jazz Archive (see link above):
FARMHAND PAPA Clarence Williams, recorded July 20, 1928, Columbia 14341-D.
My sweet farm gal is my joy an' pride. My sweet farm gal is my joy an' pride. You know, I know how to keep my farm gal satisfied.
Early ev'ry mornin', I cut her grass, you bet. Early ev'ry mornin', I cut her grass, you bet. I pulls out the hose and leaves the lawn all wet.
I close her fire, shake her ashes down. In the wintertime, I close her fire, shake her ashes down. And after breakfast, we rides on back to town.
I trims her hedges, cleans out her back yard. I cleans her hedges, trims out her back yard. She's crazy 'bout me, 'cause I'm strong an' hard.
I keeps her garden free from bugs an' weeds. I keeps her garden free from bugs an' weeds. I plows up her land, then I plant my seeds.
She say, "Dad-dad-daddy, you sure know how to make cucumbers grow." She say, "Pop-pop-papa, know how to make cucumbers grow." I says, "I'm raisin' some for you. I done told you so."
Now, mama, if you should go, who could fill your shoes? If you should go, no one could fill your shoes. Don't leave your farmhand papa with the farmhand blues.
[The tropes used here put this song in the same family as MY HANDY MAN and MY HANDY MAN AIN'T HANDY NO MORE, both found in the thread called Bawdy songs for women to sing.]