The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #100279 Message #2008866
Posted By: 12-stringer
27-Mar-07 - 05:31 PM
Thread Name: That'll Never Happen No More - Meaning
Subject: RE: That'll Never Happen No More - Meaning
McTell, in his "Last Session" recording from 1956, describes this song as "one of my original jives." (Elsewhere in the same session he mentions that "I'd jump [my songs] from other writers, but I'd 'range 'em up my way.")
Assuming as I do that he learned the song from Blake's recording, he seems to have had a little trouble understanding the lyrics as well. His first verse is pretty similar to Blake's in all respects, but there is some variation in the second, most of which seems to improve the sense of the lyrics. McTell's vocal is not always that clear either (he was polishing off a bottle of corn whiskey during the session), and there are portions of two lines where I don't quite understand him. These are italicized.
When it's Chicago, women fall, Got to make your date in your overalls, Got broke, weren't my fault, I had to eat my porkchop without any salt. Met a girl, pigmeat spur, Big fat mouth me followed her. Took a gun, took my dough, I didn't even holler, hell, I wouldn't get sore, That'll never happen no more, That'll never happen no more.