The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #8026   Message #4037974
Posted By: Jim Dixon
06-Mar-20 - 04:29 PM
Thread Name: Origins:Matilda [Mathilda](King Radio/Norman Span)
Subject: Lyr Add: MATILDA (King Radio/Norman Span)
The words in parentheses are sung by backup singers. The words in brackets are my conjecture when the actual words were incomprehensible to me.


MATILDA
As recorded by King Radio (pseudonym for Norman Span) on the compilation album "Calypsonians (1930-1960), Vol. 1" (2018)*

Matilda, Matilda, Matilda, she take me money and run Venezuela.
Ev'rybody! (Matilda, Matilda, Matilda, she take me money and run Venezuela.)

1. Ten thousand dollars, friends, I lost.
The woman didn't leave me cart and hoss.

CHORUS: Oh, loss! Matilda, Matilda, Matilda, she take me money and run Venezuela.
Ev'rybody! (Matilda, Matilda, Matilda, she take me money and run Venezuela.)

2. Me money was to buy a house and land.
But the woman she had a diff'rent plan.

3. Me money was underneath the bed,
Tucked up in the mattress underneath me head.

4. Believe me, friends, I don't know what I done.
The [zombie?] say: "Look! your money gone."

5. Believe me, friends, I am losing me mind.
The woman didn't leave me one thin dime.

6. I don't know why the woman treat me so.
[Me salon stop?] king of calypso.

* This is obviously a different recording from the one transcribed by MowenEdhelwen1 above, on 1-Apr-2011. I believe that one can be found on the following various-artists compilations:
"Calypso Carnival (1935-39)"
"Calypso Pionners [sic], Vol. 2 (1925-1947)"
"Man Smart, Woman Smarter"
All these can be heard on Spotify.