When my parents went to the Bahamas in the nineteen forties, they brought back this great set of 78's by Blind Blake. Being a musically advanced four year old, I knew right away they were great. When my parents sold their house in 1973, one of the few things I got were the Blind Blake records. When I sold my house last year in Washington, they had disappeared. There was a lyric sheet with the records, so I never wrote the words down. I taped them sometime in there, but the tape is in the U.S. and I'm in China. So I posted a request on M'cat, and son of a gun if Jones, oh Jones didn't show up:


JONES, OH JONES
As sung by Paul Geremia on "Hard Life Rockin' Chair" (1973)

[Spoken] Yes, friends, and now, from the Royal Victoria Hotel, in Nassau, in the Bahamas, we bring you Blind Blake and his Royal Victorian Calypsos.

Friends, I had a pal by the name of Jones and his idea sure was wrong.
I took old Jones for my personal pal; don't you see what Jones have done?
Now, Jones, he hang around like a hungry hound,
Took my woman and left this town,
And now I wonder if anybody in here can tell me if you seen old Jones.

Jones, oh, Jones, boy, you know you can't last long.
Jones, oh, Jones, you better bring my woman back home.
I got a four-foot dagger with me; gonna buy me a Gatling gun.
If I ever meet you, Jones, I'm gonna give the buzzard fun.
I got the ambulance down here with me, the undertaker, too,
And here's a studio doctor's offerin' me money for you.
I'm goin' to keep you for myself, kill you dead and bury you, dig you up for fun.
Gonna sit down and watch the buzzard pick the meat off your bones.
I'm gonna take my weddin' butcher, chop you through and through.
I'm goin' chop you into pieces just big enough for stew.
When I get through, everybody gonna moan,
Jones, oh, Jones.

Jones, oh, Jones, boy, you know you can't last long.
Jones, oh, Jones, you better bring my woman back home.
'Cause I tried a little gal by the name of Sue.
I took her home with me but that gal, she wouldn't do.
Tried another gal by the name of May.
I took her home with me but that gal, she wouldn't stay.
Tried another gal by the name of Minnie.
She couldn't love one man because she loves a-plenty.
Jones had told me, doc, he was my personal pal.
That son-of-a-bum went and stole away my gal.
I even take him to my place, give him room to stay,
But that son-of-a-bum took my gal and run away.
I'm runnin' up and down the town, lookin' for that bum.
If I ever meet you, Jones, I'm goin' to give the buzzard fun.
Got the ambulance down here with me, the undertaker, too.
Here's a studio doctor's offerin' me money for you.
I'm goin' to keep you for myself, kill you dead and bury you, dig you up for fun.
Gonna sit down and watch the buzzards pick the meat off your bones.
I'm gonna take my weddin' butcher, chop you through and through,
Chop you into pieces big enough for stew,
And when I get through, everybody’s gwine to moan,
Jones, oh, Jones.

Jones, oh, Jones, boy, you know you can't last long.
Jones, oh, Jones, you better bring my woman back home.
I got a four-foot dagger with me, gonna buy me a Gatling gun.
If I ever meet you, Jones, it ain't no use to run.
I got the ambulance down here with me, the undertaker, too.
A studio doctor's offerin' me money for you.
I'm goin' to keep you for myself, kill you dead and bury you, dig you up for fun.
I'm gonna sit down and watch the buzzards pick the meat off your bones,
Take my weddin' butcher, chop you through and through,
Chop you into pieces big enough for stew,
And when I get through, everybody gonna moan,
Jones, oh, Jones.


There were other equally great songs on that set: Run, Come See, Pretty Boy, Yes, Yes Yes, My Name is Morgan (But it Ain't J.P), Watermelon Hangin' the Vine, Lord Got Tomatoes - Those are some that I remember.
Seth from China