ADD: Baby It Must Be Love (Blind Willie McTell)

Subject: Lyr Add: HONEY, IT MUST BE LOVE (from D McClatchy)
From: Mrs.Duck
Date: 14 Oct 02 - 12:06 PM

Can anyone help with this one. We have got some of the lyrics from listening to Debbie McClatchy's version but are not sure of some. This is what we've got so far
        HONEY, IT MUST BE LOVE

Tell me honey, oh tell me please
Is your loving so hard to please
I'm getting groggy in my Knees
Baby, it must be love
Got a feeling reaches up my spine,
Got a head like cherry wine
Makes me feel the world's all mine
Baby, it must be love

        CHORUS
I hear church bells ringing,
I see visions clear.
I hear birds singing
when I know that there's no birdies there.
Don't like your shirts and ties
Don't seem to harmonise
They don't match those big brown eyes,
Baby, it must be love

Tell me Rich man, poor man beggarman, king
??? most anything
Every time you feel that sting
Baby, it must be love
Make the preacher man buckle down
Make the rabbit hunt the hound.
Make King Edward give up his crown
Baby, it must be love

        CHORUS

Makes you stay out all the night
Walks you home in the morning light
Favours you in hair and height.
Baby, it must be love
Lifts your feet right off the ground
Leap buildings in one bound
Move your backside up and down.
Baby, it must be love

        CHORUS

('Cos)They don't match those big brown eyes,
Baby, it must be love

                END

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Baby it must be love Blind Willie McTell
From: Sorcha
Date: 14 Oct 02 - 12:21 PM

No luck at all, sorry.

Subject: Lyr Add: BABY, IT MUST BE LOVE (from McTell)
From: Stewie
Date: 14 Oct 02 - 08:25 PM

The Blind Willie McTell recording that I have of this does not have the final stanza given above. Here is how I hear it:

BABY, IT MUST BE LOVE
(Blind Willie McTell

[Spoken: Baby, it must be love]

Tell me honey, tell me please
Is my lover hard to please
I'm getting groggy in my knees
Baby, it must be love
A funny feeling oozing up my spine,
To my head like cherry wine
Make me think the world('s) all mine
Baby, it must be love

Chorus:
Well, I hear a church bell ringing
I see visions clear
I hear those birdies singing
Know darn well there's no birdies near
I don't like your shirts and ties
They don't seem to harmonise
They don't match your big brown eyes,
Baby, it must be love

Maybe a rich man, a poor man, a beggarman, king
Make you give up everything
Every time you feel that sting
Baby, it must be love
It made a preacher lay the bible down
Made a rabbit hunt a hound.
Made King Edward give up his crown
Baby, it must be love

Chorus with last line - 'Baby, it must be love' - repeated

Source: transcription from Blind Willie McTell 'Last Session' Prestige/Bluesville LP BV 1040.

Note: The second time McTell sings the chorus, he sings the line 'Know darn well there's no birdies near' quite clearly. In the first chorus, he seems to be singing something different - could be 'God, when there's no birdies near'.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Baby it must be love Blind Willie McTell
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 14 Oct 02 - 09:10 PM

Hi Stewie....you jumped in pretty quickly! Damn, that's one fine record! Hope you get to hear it sometime Mrs. Duck.

Cheers

Rick

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Baby it must be love Blind Willie McTell
From: reggie miles
Date: 14 Oct 02 - 09:26 PM

Thanks for bringing this song up Mrs. Duck. I haven't done it in years. It's probably had enough time to age. I think I'll work it up again.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Baby it must be love Blind Willie McTell
From: 12-stringer
Date: 15 Oct 02 - 12:20 AM

Stewie:

Variant line always sounded to me like "know good 'n well there's no birdies near." That from vinyl, which sounded noisy when it was brand new!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Baby it must be love Blind Willie McTell
From: Stewie
Date: 15 Oct 02 - 12:47 AM

12-Stringer, you are right. That's definitely what it sounds like for the first chorus, but he sings 'know darn well' for the second chorus. As I listened again, it sounds more like he is singing 'hug a hound' rather than 'hunt a hound'. What do you reckon?

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Baby it must be love Blind Willie McTell
From: 12-stringer
Date: 15 Oct 02 - 04:09 AM

"Hug a hound," definitely.

RT

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Baby it must be love Blind Willie McTell
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 15 Oct 02 - 05:28 AM

Well Stewie. You have pulled it off again!
Jane had wondered if you might be one to know the lyrics. Thanks also to 12-stringer for your input.
Having the rabbit hugging a hound definitely makes more sense in the context of the song. I presume the last verse in the Debbie McClatchy version is a new addition to the song, possibly even written by Debbie?
Many thanks for the words.
Quack!
Geoff the Duck!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Baby it must be love Blind Willie McTell
From: Mrs.Duck
Date: 15 Oct 02 - 10:56 AM

Thanks from me too. Was still looking for the lyrics at 1am this morning. We love the song and wanted to give it a go at a friend's wedding. Now all I have to do is get the voice back!!!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Baby it must be love Blind Willie McTell
From: GUEST,george
Date: 31 May 08 - 10:28 AM

what a happy jump-blues number

Subject: McTell. Baby It Must Be Love.
From: GUEST,bernieandred
Date: 02 Aug 18 - 10:10 AM

After listening to Willie McTell for over 50 years, I just found out that one of my favourites of his, (which I assumed he's written,Baby It Must Be Love.) was originally done by Bob Howard. You can hear it on You Tube. McTell changed the melody, but all the lyrics are the same. You can also see Bob Howard singing, "Shine". After watching hime you can see that he was obviously a big Fats Waller fan & modelled himself on Fats.
You live & learn.

Subject: Lyr Req: It must be love
From: Prof Peter
Date: 22 Jun 26 - 05:28 PM

Hi! I am trying to get the lyrics together from a Georgia White song called It Must be Love.

I hope to get some ideas from you!

I picked up this from the yt recording:

Tell me honey, Tell me please
Is this love a hart disease
I get so groggy in my knees
Baby, now It must be love

A funny feelin' up and down my spine
Goes to my head just like wine
Make me think the world’s all mine
Baby, It must be love


I hear church bells ringin'
I see visions clear
I hear the birds singin'
[?]

I don't like your shirts and ties
They don't seem to harmonize
They don't match your big brown eyes
Baby, It must be love

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: It must be love
From: Helen
Date: 22 Jun 26 - 06:04 PM

Baby, It Must Be Love by Blind Willie McTell

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: It must be love
From: Helen
Date: 22 Jun 26 - 06:23 PM

Here are the lyrics from that page:

Baby, It Must Be Love

Tell me honey, Tell me please
Is my lover hard to please
I'm getting groggy in my knees
Baby, It must be love

I funny feelin' goes up my spine
To my head like cherry wine
Make me think the world all mine
Baby, It must be love

Well...
I hear church bell ringin'
I see visions clear
I hear the birds singin'
[?]

I don't like your shirts and ties
They don't seem harmonized
They don't match your big brown eyes
Baby, It must be love

Mayb? a rich man, beggar man, poor man, king make you give up ?verything
Everytime you feel that sting Baby, It must be love
Made a preacher lay his bible down
Made a rabbit hug a hound
Made King Edward give up his crown

My search also revealed this previous Mudcat thread from way back in 2002:

Lyr Req: Baby It Must Be Love (Blind Willie McTell

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: It must be love
From: Prof Peter
Date: 23 Jun 26 - 01:44 AM

Great research! Thanks a lot!

Subject: RE: ADD: Baby It Must Be Love (Blind Willie McTell)
From: Helen
Date: 24 Jun 26 - 11:57 PM

Thanks to Joe for clearing up my messy previous post, and for combining the two threads into one to make searching for the tune easier.