Lyr Req: Separation Blues / Mama's Gone, Goodbye

Subject: Lyr Add: MAMA'S GONE, GOOD BYE (Bocage/Piron)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 25 Jul 16 - 01:53 PM

From the sheet music at Tulane University:


MAMA'S GONE, GOOD BYE
Words and music by Peter Bocage and A. J. Piron.
(New York: Clarence Williams Music Publishing Co., 1924.)

VERSE: I've been itching mighty long
To sing you this little song.
It's the separation blues,
And I'm offering no excuse.
You have been mighty mean
To this sweet precious queen,
And someday you'll realize
What you're losing in this prize.

CHORUS: Fare thee well;
Mama's gone; goodbye.
No use to cry.
No use to sigh.
For years you've dogged me 'round.
Now's the time
To let you know what's on my mind.
I'm goin' away.
Don't ask me to stay.
Fare thee well.
I've been to school,
Learned a brand new rule.
I ain't no fool.
I'm goin' to get a man to treat me right,
One who'll stay home ev'ry night.
Fare thee well.
Mama's gone; goodbye.

[There are numerous recordings on Spotify. Some are instrumental only. I haven't listened to them all, but I noticed there are vocal versions by Sippie Wallace, Clara Smith, Peggy Lee, Midge Williams, and several others.]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Separation Blues (Sippie Wallace)
From: GUEST,Joseph Scott
Date: 24 Jul 16 - 12:55 AM

"Coming very late to this party"

This party never stops.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Separation Blues (Sippie Wallace)
From: GUEST,Amy Kucharik
Date: 23 Jul 16 - 03:59 PM

Coming very late to this party: I discovered recently that this song is the same as a Dixieland number, "Mama's Gone, Good Bye," published by Clarence Williams in 1924 and credited to Peter Bocage and A.J. Piron. I am trying to track down whether Sippie covered the song and somehow Muldaur did not know the origin and credited Sippie, or whether it's Sippie's tune and Bocage/Piron merely took the credit. Williams is the place where this gets murky, because he frequently collaborated with Sippie. If anyone knows more, I would love to hear from you!

Subject: Lyr Add: SEPARATION BLUES (Maria Muldaur)
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 24 Oct 09 - 09:42 AM

Here's Maria Muldaur's version of the Sippie Wallace song.

Mick

---

SEPARATION BLUES

I've been itching mighty long
Just to sing to you this little song;
It's the separation blues
And I ain't offering no excuse.

You been acting mighty mean
To this sweet and precious queen.
Some day you will realize
What you are losing in this prize.

Fare thee well. Mama's gone, goodbye.
Ain't no use to sigh,
There ain't no use to cry.
For years you dogged me round,
But now's the time for me to get you told what's on my mind:
I'm going away (Oo, going away)
Please don't ask me to stay.

Fare thee well. I've been to school,
I learned a brand new rule,
And now I ain't no fool. Oh no.
I'm gonna find a man to treat me right
One who will stay home every night.
Fare thee well. Mama's gone, goodbye.

Instrumental Break

Fare thee well. Mama's gone, goodbye.
Ain't no use to sigh,
There ain't no use to cry. Oh lord.
For years you dogged me round,
But now's the time for me to get you told what's on my mind:
I'm going away (I'm going away)
Please don't ask me to stay. (Don't you ask me to stay)

Fare thee well. Mama's been to school,
I learned a brand new rule,
And now I ain't no fool. Oh no.
I'm gonna get me a man to treat me right,
One who will love me morning, noon and night.
Fare thee well. Mama's gone, goodbye.


Source: Maria Muldaur w/ Bonnie Raitt original from Sippie Wallace

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Separation Blues (Sippie Wallace)
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 24 Oct 09 - 07:16 AM

Jim

The missing words are:

l1: ... queer

(this also suggest that for the 3rd line she should have sang He flirts when I'm gone, he flirts when I'm here for the rhyme).

l5: (her) only pal

(I think it's her only elided, but just possibly a long drawn out only)

l17: I think is: He'll never even try

(again rhyme seems to confirm that).

last line: I think starts Move along do,

Mick

Subject: Lyr Add: SEPARATION BLUES (from Clara Smith)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 24 Oct 09 - 02:32 AM

You can hear Clara Smith's recording of SEPARATION BLUES, from 1926, at The Red Hot Jazz Archive. It is credited to "Roth"


SEPARATION BLUES

I'm feeling sad. I'm feeling ... (?)
My papa's love is growin' cold.
He flirts when I'm here an' he flirts when I'm gone.
Papa's getting awful bold.
It looks like mama's losing.... (?)
Papa's never home no more.
Looks like papa's lookin' for another gal.
That's why I'm grieving. That's why I'm leaving.

I'm leaving my papa. I told him I would,
'Cause papa don't treat mama like a papa should,
So I'm goin' away because my papa makes me sore.
What's more—
I'm gonna pack up my grip, buy myself a ticket,
Hop on that train that's going far away.
I'm goin' away an' I ain't comin' back no more.

Now when I leave my papa, I wanna bet
He'll never even fight.
So before I go away, he's gonna get
Something to remember me by.

I'm gonna buy myself a razor sharp and bright,
And mama's gonna chop her papa down tonight.
That's what I do 'bout these separation blues.

I'm gonna buy myself a razor. I know the place,
And I'm gonna carve my name on my papa's face,
And move along, too. I got these separation blues.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Separation Blues -- Sippie Wallace
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 16 Aug 07 - 09:46 AM

Sorry, WW, I checked my various blues lyrics books and didn't find this one & quick web search only led to dead ends.

RtS

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Separation Blues -- Sippie Wallace
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 15 Aug 07 - 09:48 PM

Sippie Wallace's recording of SEPARATION BLUES is on the album "Mighty Tight Woman," (Sippie Wallace/Otis Spann/Jim Kweskin Jug Band). I transcribed this from a sound sample:

…mighty long
To sing you this little song.
It's the separation blues,
And I ain't offerin' no excuse.
You been mighty mean
To this reprecious (?) queen …

Clara Smith also recorded a song called SEPARATION BLUES, although it's apparently not the same song. The Red Hot Jazz Archive is supposed to have a sound file, but I haven't been able to play it on the computer I'm using now. However, I was able to transcribe this from a sound sample:

…That's why I'm leaving.
I'm leaving my papa. I told him I would,
'Cause papa don't treat mama like a papa should.
So I'm goin' away because my papa makes me sore.
What's more,
I'm gonna pack up my grip, buy myself a ticket.
Hop on that train that comes…

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Separation Blues -- Sippie Wallace
From: WyoWoman
Date: 11 Aug 07 - 12:59 AM

Yep. I'll just have to get the CD and get the lyrics the old fashioned way: play/pause/scribble.

I'm doing such a fun concert in October -- two hours of songs, with a keyboard player, trombone, sax, drums, plus bass, fiddle, flute, guitar, etc., as needed. Yeay!!! I'm going to do jazz and blues and tin-pan alley and just a ridiculous variety of songs -- including these two. As eclectic as I am ...

Doing it as a fundraiser for our music academy here, but more as a fun-raiser for me, selfish wench that I am.

And you, too, Kat! Nice to hear from you. How's trix in your world?

--ww

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Separation Blues -- Sippie Wallace
From: Amos
Date: 10 Aug 07 - 12:30 PM

Another copy of the wrong answer ! :D

Here's a sample of thre right one.

Thankee kindly Miz Wyo, I'se as happy as a pig in Saran Wrap.

A

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Separation Blues -- Sippie Wallace
From: mrmoe
Date: 09 Aug 07 - 10:54 PM

I'm in the kitchen
baby's in the hall
I'm in the kitchen
baby's in the hall
I'm in the kitchen
baby's in the hall
she won't speak to me at all
cause you know we got
we got the seperation blues

now see that fly
stomping up that wall
see that fly
stomping up that wall
see that fly
stomping up that wall
he won't speak to that spider at all
cause you know they've got
they've got the seperation blues

when you kick your baby out of bed
cause she won't treat you right
or when you feel mistreated
buddy take my advice

leave that woman
and leave her quick
leave that woman
and leave her quickleave that woman
and leave her quick
else she'll have you on a stick
it's better to leave than get some seperation blues

now, the last words that poor
john the babtist said
the last words that poor
john the babtist saidthe last words that poor
john the babtist said
just before they cut off his head
gives me gives me the seperation blues

all this goes to show since time began
what women can do to men
it's better to buy than to be sold
to the gutter for a bottle of gin

if she don't treat you
like you thing she should
if she don't treat you
like you thing she should
if she don't treat you
like you thing she should
her services ain't no longer no good
it's time you got a dose of seperation
time you got a dose of seperation
time you got a dose of seperation
blues

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Separation Blues -- Sippie Wallace
From: katlaughing
Date: 09 Aug 07 - 10:42 PM

You can hear Maria Muldaur singing it right here, Ms. WyOH! Good to *see* you! Doesn't sound as though it's the whole song though.

I don't see the moonlight song listed on that CD HERE, though there is one called just "moonlight" on one of her others.

luvyakat

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Separation Blues -- Sippie Wallace
From: WyoWoman
Date: 09 Aug 07 - 10:01 PM

No. Thanks though.

I would write out some of the lyrics if I hadn't loaned the CD to my friend. The chorus starts out "So fare thee well..." and has a real bawdy, almost Dixieland swoop to it.

How you been, Mr. Amos?

--ww

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Separation Blues -- Sippie Wallace
From: Amos
Date: 09 Aug 07 - 09:53 PM

Do you mean this one?

Here's what old John the Baptist said.
Yes, this is what old John the Baptist said.
Here's what John the Baptist said,
Just before he lost his head,
Hey c'mon, now, gimme them separation blues!

Momma's in the kitchen, an' I sleep out in the hall
Momma's in the kitchen, an' I sleep out in the hall
Momma's in the kitchen, and I'm in the hall
And we don't talk too much at all
An' it's jes' because we got them separation blues.

Oh, see that fly, climbing up the wall.
See that fly, climbing up the wall.
See that fly, climbing up that wall,
The spider don't talk to him at all,
An' it's jes' because they got the separation blues!

That's the only one I know. I have no idea where it came from.


Love,

A

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Separation Blues -- Sippie Wallace
From: WyoWoman
Date: 09 Aug 07 - 09:47 PM

Wellppp ... I just found "Meet Me Out in the Moonlight" and discovered it was written by none other than Bob Dylan. Knock me over with a feather ...

Still no "Separation Blues," however...

--ww

Subject: Lyr Req: Separation Blues -- Sippie Wallace
From: WyoWoman
Date: 09 Aug 07 - 09:35 PM

Hi All --

I'm looking for the lyrics to this song by Sippie Wallace. It's not the same "Separation Blues" that Patrick Sky wrote -- I did find that thread and the entry in the DigiTrad.

I also am looking for "Meet Me in the Moonlight," which is on the same Maria Muldaur CD from which I got "Separation Blues." (Haven't googled it yet or looked on DigiTrad ... just thought I'd throw it in while I'm threading.)

My keyboard player friend is presently tearing his hair and also having great fun with the delicious, slurpy jazz chords in "Meet Me in the Moonlight."

Cheers,
WyoWoman