The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #12375   Message #97082
Posted By: Roger in Baltimore
19-Jul-99 - 07:53 PM
Thread Name: Help: Falling Down Blues (Furry Lewis)
Subject: RE: Furry Lewis--'Falling Down Blues'
tom tom,

To Hell if I know.

However, since you encouraged guesses, let me try this.

"She caught the rumblin'" means "She took the train (out of town)."

"I caught the fallin' down" means, "I got drunk" (in response to her leavin' town).

"I didn't see her, I never turned around" means "To Hell with her, I hardly even noticed she left" (false machismo).

After listening to black idiom on nearly a daily basis for twelve years and after listening to more than my share of blues lyrics, I think these definitions will stand the test of time. All three interpretations are a part of standard blues idiom.

If I'm wrong, well, it still makes a good blues song.

Roger in Baltimore