I believe this was the first recording of this song. You can hear it at YouTube.


ME AND BROTHER BILL
Words and music by Louis Armstrong
As recorded by Louis Armstrong and His Orchestra, 1939.

Me and brother Bill went huntin’, way in the east of Maine.
The reason why we went out there, we thought we could catch some game.
As we were a-huntin’, way in the middle of the night,
We shot at somethin’ looked like a grizzly bear, and the doggone thing turned white!

I said to my brother: “Come on and let’s go home.”
He said: “If you goin’ to the house, you have to go alone.”
Now, as we were a-huntin’, it commenced to risen up high.
I looked toward my house, and I didn’t even say goodbye.

I dropped that gun
And away I run.
Brother Bill said: “Boy, what’s the matter with you?”
Had he known like me, he would ’a’ run some, too.
I run so fast they say
Till you couldn’t catch me all day.
Now the way I run across that field,
Oh, you couldn’t catch me with a automobile.

Brother Bill got so excited, he commenced to shootin’ at me.
I heard those bullets sizzlin’ all among those trees.
I was runnin’ so fast that night, till my feet was draggin’ the ground.
I hear a little jaybird in the tree sing: “He’s Alabama Bound.”

I run past my house and I didn’t have time to knock.
I passed right by a good crap game and I didn’t have time to stop.
I passed right by a gin mill, and I stopped in to get a little gin,
And I didn’t have a dime to pay for it, and I had to start runnin’ again.

I’m goin' home.
I’m all alone.
Brother Bill said: “Boy, what’s the matter with you?”
Had he known like me, he would ’a’ run some, too.
I run so fast they say
Till you couldn’t catch me all day.
Now, the way I run across that field,
[scat phrase] Oh, you couldn’t catch me,
You couldn’t catch me,
Oh, you couldn’t catch me with a automobile.