Lyr Req: Frankie (Dykes Magic City Trio)

Subject: Lyr Req: FRANKIE (Dykes Magic City Trio)
From: Roberto
Date: 29 Dec 07 - 02:22 PM

Please, help with this fine recording of Frankie and Johnny. Main problems: where I've put question marks. It is from the CD My Rough and Rowdy Ways (Yazoo), the song is titled Frankie, sung by Dykes Magic City Trio. Thanks. R

Frankie was a good woman
Everybody knows
She paid a hundred dollar bill
For Li'l Albert's suit of clothes -
For he's my man, my gambling man

Frankie went down to the barroom
She ordered up a glass of beer
Said she to the bartender:
Has my Li'l Albert here?
For he's my man, my gambling man

Lord I'm gonna tell you any (???), Frankie
Lord I'm gonna tell you no lie
He left here just about a moment ago
With a girl called Alice Fry
For he's you man, your gambling man

Frankie went out a-walking
She did not go for fun
For under her apron she had to see (?)
A (?) 44 Gatling gun:
Gonna murder that man that done me wrong

Please don't murder me, Frankie
Please don't murder me now
For I love you, indeed I do
And I know my love is true
But I'm the man that done you wrong

Turn me over, Frankie
Turn me over slow
But please don't touch my wounded side
My heart will overflow
But I'm the man that done you wrong

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dykes Magic Trio's Frankie and Johnny
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 29 Dec 07 - 03:31 PM

Roberto

I had a listen to the recording at HonkingDuck, so I hope it's the same one:

In v1 and v2 Little rather than Li'l is clear

v2: Is my Little Albert...

v3: No Lord on this recording, and nothing before Frankie:

  I'm not gonna tell you any, Frankie,
  I'm not gonna tell you no lie

(also typo on last line: For he's your man...)

v4:
  For under her apron she had concealed
  A 44 Gatling gun
  Gonna murder the man that done me wrong.


Mick

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dykes Magic Trio's Frankie and Johnny
From: Roberto
Date: 29 Dec 07 - 03:45 PM

Thank you! R

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dykes Magic Trio's Frankie and Johnny
From: Stewie
Date: 30 Dec 07 - 12:07 AM

I agree with all Mick's corrections. For line 4 in the first stanza, I hear:

For Little Albert a suit of clothes

Like Roberto, the recording I'm listening to is on 'Rough and Rowdy' and it does have 'Lord' at beginning of lines 1 & 2, but nothing before 'Frankie' in that strange line.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dykes Magic Trio's Frankie and Johnny
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 30 Dec 07 - 05:25 AM

I agree - it's strange, but just about acceptable, with the implied omitted object lies then appearing in the reiterated second line. However it's a bit better with a correction I omitted from the HD recording. The verse starts:

  Not a-gonna tell you any, Frankie,
  I'm not a-gonna tell you no lie

Perhaps that Lord I'm is really the not a- and I'm not a-I've got on this recording.

Mick

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dykes Magic Trio's Frankie and Johnny
From: Stewie
Date: 30 Dec 07 - 06:58 AM

Mick, listening again with earphones, it could well be what you say: it would certainly make more sense. At first hearing, it did sound like 'Lord', but now it sounds like:

Not a-gonna tell any, Frankie
Not a-gonna tell you no lie

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dykes Magic Trio's Frankie and Johnny
From: Stewie
Date: 30 Dec 07 - 07:04 AM

Sorry, there should be a 'you' before 'any' in the first line of the couplet in my last post. The second line is correct: there is no 'I'm'.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dykes Magic Trio's Frankie and Johnny
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 30 Dec 07 - 07:17 AM

Stewie

On the HD recording Frankie - Dykes Magic City Trio (Brunswick 127, Side B, March 9, 1927) the second line still sounds like:

  'M not a-gonna tell you no lie

but the Yazoo recording might be a different take.

Mick

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dykes Magic Trio's Frankie and Johnny
From: Stewie
Date: 30 Dec 07 - 09:41 AM

Mick, I just had a look in Russell's discography and there was only one take of 'Frankie' so we are listening to the same recording. I can't hear 'M, but your ears are probably better than mine.

Have a good New Year, Stewie.