Lyr Req: mama mama look at sis? / Winin' Boy Blues

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: mama mama look at sis? / Winin' Boy Blues
From: GUEST,Alan Whittle
Date: 21 Mar 11 - 10:42 PM

The late George Melly did this song on his Son of Nuts album. He knew some very naughty words to it. Very charming though, was George. Maybe cos he was posher than his audience. Anyway they always loved him, so did I, whenever i saw him.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: mama mama look at sis? / Winin' Boy Blues
From: GUEST,Winding Boy
Date: 21 Mar 11 - 01:05 PM

Rick curtis used to do this with "sweet saving shame" and a verse that went:sister,sister,dirty little sow trying to be a bad girl but she don't know how      momma,momma, come on and look at sis,she's down on the levee doing the double twist...just a winding boy,don't deny my name.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: mama mama look at sis? / Winin' Boy Blues
From: GUEST,Tom Murphey
Date: 16 Sep 10 - 05:20 PM

I grew up in Augusta, GA in the 50's and used to watch a local old time wooden barrel maker (cooper)build barrels. "Stavin' chain" is an old term for the steel chain used to temporarily clamp and hold loose barrel staves together in a circle, edge to edge, while a barrel is being built, so that the metal hoops can be driven over the staves to tighten them into a barrel. The chain is fairly heavy steel, and the metaphor is obvious, particularly considering the song's year of origin, when wooden barrels were still a major shipping container, and the cathouse locale. I'm surprised no one has come up with this so far!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: mama mama look at sis? / Winin' Boy Blues
From: GUEST,Ebor_Fiddler
Date: 24 Jul 10 - 07:33 PM

Jelly certainly first recorded it at the Library of Congress, but he claimed to have put it together before the Great War and its style certainly chimes with other compositions around that period. I suspect that Jelly, Williams and the others were simply all using common "floating" verses similar to those in many folk songs, rather than copying from one original source.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: mama mama look at sis? / Winin' Boy Blues
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 24 Jul 10 - 01:14 PM

The Red Hot Jazz Archive also claims to have a recording of THE DUCK'S YAS YAS YAS by Oliver Cobb and His Rhythm Kings, made in Chicago on Aug 16, 1929, on Brunswick 7107—but to my ear, it sounds like exactly the same recording as the one ascribed to Eddie Johnson's Crackerjacks. There seems to be an error here, but I don't know which is correct.

Subject: Lyr Add: THE DUCK'S YAS YAS YAS (Eddie Johnson)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 24 Jul 10 - 01:04 PM

You can hear this at The Red Hot Jazz Archive:


THE DUCK'S YAS YAS YAS
As recorded by Eddie Johnson's Crackerjacks in Atlanta, GA on Feb 25, 1932;
Victor 23329; Bluebird B-6278.

Mama bought a rooster and she thought it was a duck,
Put him on the table with his legs stickin' up.
In steps sister with a spoon and a glass.
She stirs [or "serves"?] up gravy from his yas-yas-yas.

Me and my sweetie was walkin' down the street.
She caught the rheumatism in her darn big feet.
She stooped over to pick up some glass,
And the same thing struck her in the yas-yas-yas.

I'm going down on Market Street.
That's where the women and the men all meet.
That's where the men do the Georgia rub,
And the women fall in line with that big washtub.

Down on Market is a good location,
Just across the street from the gasoline station.
That's where you'll get your cars oiled and greased,
And the women holl'ring, "Daddy, won't you come in, please?"

I'll sing this verse and I'll sing no more.
Somebody's knocking at my door.
The people upstairs has gone to bed.
I'd better stop this noise 'fore they crack my head.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: mama mama look at sis? / Winin' Boy Blues
From: GUEST,joe c
Date: 24 Jul 10 - 04:28 AM

just stumbled on this conversation and thought it was interesting, i found this on wikipedia might be helpful.

"The Duck's Yas Yas Yas" is an 1928 hokum jazz-blues song, originally recorded by James "Stump" Johnson, but the most well known version was recorded by Oliver Cobb and his Rhythm Kings.

The song is perhaps best known for the following lyrics:

"Mama bought a rooster

She thought it was a duck

She served it at the table with its legs straight up"


origins
"The Duck's Yas Yas Yas" was originally recorded in the origin of St. Louis by pianist James "Stump" Johnson in late 1928 or January 1929. He recorded the tune at least three times in his career. Blues singer Tampa Red and Thomas A. Dorsey also recorded a version on May 13 1929.

Oliver Cobb recorded the song on August 16, 1929, before he died suddenly the next year. Eddie Johnson and The Crackerjacks recorded a cover of the song in 1932. It has been covered by The Three Peppers and by King Perry & His Pied Pipers (1951) in a hardly recognizable clean version. The song has also been performed by American folk singer Dave Van Ronk as "Yas Yas Yas" on his album Van Ronk Sings (1961).

[edit] Content
The song was very popular in whorehouses before it was recorded and has a strong sexual innuendo. "Yas Yas" was a common euphemism in blues hokum songs for ass. The lyrics of the song exist in many variations, so it is not easy to quote from a definitive version. "The Duck's Yas-Yas-Yas" tells in most versions how the men in Market Street "all do the Georgia Rub" while women stand in line with their "big washed duck" (although in some versions it is the other way around. And sometimes the "big washed duck" is referenced to as "a big wash tub"). The gravy or liquor on the duck's yas-yas-yas could be a euphemism for sweat or even sperm. Other lines from the lyrics also clearly reference sex, prostitutes and brothels. Therefore it can be classified as a hokum or a dirty blues song.

A major artist from the Bahamas, Blind Blake & his Royal Victoria Hotel Calypso Band, recorded a fine version of the song under the name Yes! Yes! Yes! (released on Miami's Art Records label in 1951). John Lee Hooker used the first lines of the song in his own composition Bottle Up and Go, recorded for Vee-Jay Records circa 1955-1964.

The Duck's Yas-Yas-Ya is also referenced on Captain Beefheart's album Trout Mask Replica (1969), on the track "Old Fart At Play", where Beefheart sings the following lines: "Momma licked 'er lips like uh cat / Pecked the ground like uh rooster / Pivoted like uh duck", featuring all three protagonists from the most famous line of the blues song.

Subject: Lyr Add: WININ' BOY BLUES (Jelly Roll Morton)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 28 Apr 09 - 09:49 AM

The Red Hot Jazz Archive has four recordings of this; two by Jelly Roll Morton (voice and piano only) and two by Jelly Roll Morton's New Orleans Jazzmen:
(Note there is one point in first version where I couldn't make sense of the lyrics.)


WININ' BOY BLUES
As recorded by Jelly Roll Morton on Jazz Man 11, recorded Dec-1938(?).

I'm the winin' boy. Don't deny my name.
Winin' boy. Don't deny my name, oh, babe.
Wining boy. Don't deny my name.
I'm gonna pick it up an' shake it like Stavin' Chain.
I'm the winin' boy. Don't deny my name.

Ev'ry time the changin' of the moon,
Ev'ry time there's a changin' of the moon,
Ev'ry time the changin' of the moon,
I know I'll be right back with my baby soon.
I'm the windin' boy. Don't deny my name.

I'm the winin' boy, yes, the windin' boy,
Yes, the winding boy. I mean, I'm the winding boy, baby.
I'm the winin' boy. Don't deny my name.
I'm gonna pick it up an' shake it like Stavin' Chain.
I'm the winin' boy. Don't deny my doggone name.

I never b'lieved in havin' one woman at all time.
I never b'lieved in havin' one woman at a time, yes, at a time.
Never b'lieved in havin' one woman at a time.
I always have six-seven (feet on line? beat on mine?)
I'm the winin' boy. Don't deny my doggone name.


WININ' BOY BLUES
As recorded by Jelly Roll Morton on General 400-A & Commodore 590A, recorded 14-Dec-1939.

I'm the winin' boy. Don't deny my name.
I'm the winin' boy. Don't deny my name, my name.
Winin' boy, don't deny my name
Pick it up an' shake it like sweet stavin' chain.
I'm the winin' boy. Don't deny my name.

Mama, mama, mama, look at sis.
Mama, mama, won't you look at sis, look at sis.
Mama, mama, look at sis.
She's out on the levee doin' the double twist.
I'm the winin' boy. Don't deny my name.

I'm the winin' boy. Mmm-hmm-hmm.
Mmm-hmm-mmm. Mmm-hmm-mm, oh, baby.
Yes, I'm the winin' boy. Don't deny my name.
Pick it up an' shake it like sweet stavin' chain.
Mmm-hmm, don't deny my name.


WININ' BOY BLUES
As recorded by Jelly Roll Morton's New Orleans Jazzmen on Bluebird 10429B, recorded 14-Sep-1939.

I'm the winin' boy. Don't deny my name.
Mmm, I'm the winin' boy. Don't deny my name, deny my name.
I'm the winin' boy. Don't deny my name.
Pick it up an' shake it like sweet Stavin' Chain.
I'm the winin' boy an' I don't deny my name.


WININ' BOY BLUES
As recorded by Jelly Roll Morton's New Orleans Jazzmen on Victor 730605 (LP), recorded 14-Sep-1939.

I'm the winin' boy. Yes, I don't deny my name.
I'm the wining boy. Don't deny my name, my name.
I'm the wining boy. Don't deny my name.
I'll pick it up an' shake it like Stavin' Chain.
I'm the wining boy an' I don't deny my name.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Winin' Boy Blues / Winding Boy Blues
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 27 Apr 09 - 12:28 AM

Pop Wagner does a great rendition of WINDIN' BOY. You can hear it on his MySpace page.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Winin' Boy Blues / Winding Boy Blues
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Apr 09 - 10:21 AM

Hot Tuna - Whining Boy Blues

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Winin' Boy Blues / Winding Boy Blues
From: GUEST,Frank Hamilton
Date: 24 May 08 - 03:39 PM

This was written by Jelly Roll Morton. As he describes it, the "Winin' boy" was the one who kept the piano player well lubricated in the famous cathouses of New Orleans days.

Alan Lomax has recorded a great interview with Jelly Roll Morton in which he discusses this.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Winin' Boy Blues / Winding Boy Blues
From: bobad
Date: 24 May 08 - 10:09 AM

It's spelled "Winding Boy" on the Blues Project album FYI.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Winin' Boy Blues / Winding Boy Blues
From: Chris in Portland
Date: 24 May 08 - 10:06 AM

If I remember the story correctly, the late Ian Buchanan, who recorded Winin' Boy on the sadly not re-released (early '60's) Elektra Blues Project lp, taught the song to his college roommate - a kid named Jorma - and Jorma is still carrying it on! on the internet even!!
Chris in Portland

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Winin' Boy Blues / Winding Boy Blues
From: GUEST,Mark Ross
Date: 23 May 08 - 12:28 PM

YAS, YAS,YAS is from the singing of Blind Blake. I learned it from Van Ronk over 40 years ago.

Mark Ross

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Winin' Boy Blues / Winding Boy Blues
From: GUEST,JackMack
Date: 23 May 08 - 11:45 AM

The missing word in your question is, as the other posts note, "levee."
There are many versions of the lyrics shown here. Personally, I would look to Jelly's Library of Congress recordings for the closest thing to the "real" lyrics. Aside from those most often used, the others that he sang (at least in the Library of Congress recordings)are best left unposted here. Needless to say, they are "a bit smutty" (Jelly's words). From my point of view, they pretty much put most rap lyrics to shame. I was surprised that they even knew those words back then!
Jack

Subject: RE: moma moma look at sis
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 30 Jan 08 - 02:16 PM

Theres a long discussion of the provencance of Winding Boy in Mr Jelly Roll Jelly Roll talking his reminisences to John Lomax. Jelly Roll said he was called Winin' Boy - on acoount of him liking fine wines. The general consensus however was that Whinin' Boy was some sort of slang for pimp.

In fact, viewed dispassionately - rather like Pretty Baby - its graphic message from inside the sex industry.

I first heard the song playing in trad. jazz band, but Ian Buchanan's masterly guitar/vocal version on the Blues Project sampler album followed soon afterwards.

I put the song on my first cd -St Peter and John Dillinger. The sleeve notes for that and on other songs are on this page:-
http://bigalwhittle.co.uk/id1.html

Subject: RE: moma moma look at sis
From: GUEST,mikeb
Date: 29 Jan 08 - 02:24 PM

Dave Van Ronk recorded this around the early '60s. I have it on a cassette called, I think, Dave Van Ronk: The Folkway Years.

Subject: RE: moma moma look at sis
From: GLoux
Date: 28 Jan 08 - 01:10 PM

On Folks, He Sure Do Pull Some Bow there is a cut by Henry Williams and Eddie Anthony doing Georgia Crawl. The liner notes say "The song is a rendition of the popular Georgia Grind, composed by jazz pianist Jimmy Blythe and recorded by both Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington in 1926."

Subject: RE: moma moma look at sis
From: Flash Company
Date: 28 Jan 08 - 11:06 AM

The 'Mama bought a chicken, she thought it was a duck' words I heard from Champion Jack Dupree as Duck's Yaas Yaas Blues.

FC

Subject: RE: moma moma look at sis
From: GUEST,GI Joe
Date: 28 Jan 08 - 09:59 AM

Thanks guys you are all fantastic The version I remember was the one from John "Giork" MacKenzie "Chicken was a Duck, and Black cat with the line Yass Yass Yass. I do remember Stavin Chain that was sung by Ian Mc Call
So it appears that much of it was "Travling verses" in other words the same verse can appear in many songs. Again thank you all

Subject: RE: moma moma look at sis
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 27 Jan 08 - 08:39 PM

Morton's copyright on it is from 1938 according to Lomax's book on him; I thingk the record was released in 1939 but recorded in 1938. But, as you say, he invented everything and wrote everything, so Morton's version may have come from something he heard earlier, but offhand I don't know if there are earlier versions (and it's too late for me to follow it up now!).

Notwithstanding that, I still say that Winin' Boy has the lyrics requested and Georgia Grind doesn't - it has the double twist and with levee for the given ???? it's almost exact. It was certainly the first thing I thought of when I saw it! I say we settle this like folklorists of old with a good bout of manly fisticuffs next time I'm back in the South.

Mick

Subject: RE: moma moma look at sis
From: Leadfingers
Date: 27 Jan 08 - 07:47 PM

Aart from Jelly Roll Morton , who claimed to have been first with EVERYTHING !! LOL

Subject: RE: moma moma look at sis
From: Leadfingers
Date: 27 Jan 08 - 07:27 PM

The first set of lyrics I ever heard with that line was Satchmo - the 1926 recording - though it seems to be closely relate to a 'Shake That Thing' credited to Papa Charlie Jackson - When does Wining Boy first appear ?

Subject: RE: moma moma look at sis
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 27 Jan 08 - 04:31 PM

Terry

How can you say the answer's STILL The Georgia Grind when the lyrics are clearly from Winin' Boy and have only a little in common with the line in GG? Even allowing for sex-change (Papa, Papa) they diverge completely after sis, unlike WB. Have you had a weekend on the mead again?


Mick

Subject: RE: moma moma look at sis
From: Azizi
Date: 27 Jan 08 - 04:14 PM

Thanks, GUEST,gi joe for starting this discussion.

I wasn't aware of the songs with the "moma moma look at little sis" line that were mentioned thus far in this thread. The line "I can shake it east, I can shake it west, but way down south I can shake it best" was quoted in a book that I have on Black children's rhymes. But before reading this thread, I didn't know where it came from.

Somewhat off-topic

I've heard a blues version of "Shortin Bread" in which the male singer recites a word at the end of a line in the same profanity avoidance way as some of these songs that have been posted to this thread. The line I'm thinking of is after one that says something like

Mama, here's comes the man with the flour
???.....hour
Hurry Mama, but don't move to fast
Mama Mama don't show him your fine....shortnin bread

-snip-

I {and I'm sure that other listeners} thought that the singer was going to say "Mama Mama don't show him your fine ass".

**

The "Miss Susie Had A Steamboat" children's handclap rhymes are contemporary examples of profanity avoidance. For instance, see these lines from that rhyme:

Behind the refrigerator
there was a piece of glass
Miss Susie sat upon it and broke her
Ask me no questions
tell me no lies...."

**

When I read the title to this thread, my first thought was this verse from Johnny Otis's "Willie and the Hand Jive"

Mama, Mama look at Uncle Joe
He's doin' that hand jive with sister Flo
Grandma gave baby sister a dime
Said, do that hand jive one more time.

http://www.guntheranderson.com/v/data/williean.htm
Willie and the Hand Jive

-snip-

I know that these stream of thought entries are only tangentially related to the thread starter's query. But other folks might be interested in them anyway.

Subject: RE: moma moma look at sis
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 27 Jan 08 - 04:13 PM

Georgia Grind can be found here.
Giok

Subject: RE: moma moma look at sis
From: Leadfingers
Date: 27 Jan 08 - 04:02 PM

But the answer to the original question is STILL The Georgia Grind !!!

Subject: RE: moma moma look at sis
From: bobad
Date: 27 Jan 08 - 03:56 PM

I got the lyrics from here, it seems that many musicians like to add their own little touches.

Subject: RE: moma moma look at sis
From: PoppaGator
Date: 27 Jan 08 - 03:52 PM

"Steven Chain"? Usually rendered as "Stavin' Chain."

I remember reading some theories about what it means just recently in one of these Mudcat threads.

Also a bit different what what I remember: "Trying to be a bad girl
Needs me to show her how." I learned it as "Tryin' to be a bad girl / But she don't know how." Either way is OK, certainly.

Subject: RE: moma moma look at sis
From: Amos
Date: 27 Jan 08 - 03:46 PM

I believe it is "Winin' Bpy"/

There's alot of discussion in other threads about the provenance of the terms in the song. But the verse you are looking for is as quoted above.


A

Subject: RE: moma moma look at sis
From: bobad
Date: 27 Jan 08 - 03:13 PM

Winding Boy

I'm just a winding boy
Don't deny my name
I'm just a winding boy
Don't deny my name.

My name
Winding boy, don't deny my name
Just wake it up and shake it up like sweet Steven Chain
Just, winding boy, don't deny my name.

Hey mama, mama
Mama, look at Sis
My mama, mama
Mama, won't you look at Sis.

Look at Sis
Hey mama, mama, take a look at Sis
She's way down on the levee doing the double twist
Just, winding boy, don't deny my name.

Hey little sister
Mama, won't you look at her now
My baby sister
Mama take a look at her now.

Look at her now
My baby sister, won't you look at her now
Trying to be a bad girl
Needs me to show her how.

Just a winding boy
Don't deny my name
Just a winding boy
Don't deny my name.

I'm just a winding boy
Don't deny my name
My name
Winding boy, don't deny my name
Just wake it up and shake it up like sweet Steven Chain
Just, winding boy, don't deny my name.

Subject: RE: moma moma look at sis
From: Banjovey
Date: 27 Jan 08 - 02:38 PM

I think this phrase also occurs in Winin' Boy Blues by Jelly Roll Morton.
Mamma, mamma mamma look at Sis (x3)
She's out there on the levee doing the double twist

Subject: RE: moma moma look at sis
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 27 Jan 08 - 02:37 PM

Hey Momma momma coma and look at sis
She's out on the levee {doing the double twist} an she's dancin' like this
Come in sister and come in fast
And stop that shakin' your
Yass yass yass

Way down yonder in St Augustine,
A black cat sat on a sewin' machine
That sewin' machine it sewed so fast
It sewed 99 stitches in his
Yass yass yass

There'another verse that ends

Shake your shoulders and shake 'em fast
An if you can'y shake your shoulders shake your
Yass yass yass.


It may all come back to me one day.

Leadfingers you should know it, Disley used to sing it.

Giok

Subject: RE: moma moma look at sis
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 27 Jan 08 - 02:32 PM

There's a version called Dirty Dozen I think, by Speckled Red.
G

here

Subject: Lyr Add: GEORGIA GRIND (Spencer Williams)
From: Leadfingers
Date: 27 Jan 08 - 02:25 PM

Recorded February 26, 1926
Track Time 2:36
Written by Spencer Williams
Recorded in Chicago
Louis Armstrong, trumpet, vocal; Kid Ory, trombone; Johnny Dodds, clarinet; Lil Armstrong, piano; Johnny St. Cyr, banjo
Originally released on Okeh 8318

Lil Hardin kicks off the vocal

Papa, Papa, just look at Sis,
Out in the backyard shaking like this,
Doing that Georgia Grind, that old Georgia Grind.
Now everybody's talking about that old Georgia Grind.

I can shake it east. I can shake it west,
But way down south, I can shake it best,
Doing the Georgia Grind, I said, dirty Georgia Grind,
Now everybody's raving about that old Georgia Grind.

[Ory then plays the melody for a few bars before improvising a simple solo that practically screams his name. Then Pops steps up to the mike for a good-time vocal. He was still in his enthusiastic, half-speaking, half-shouting days and I love it:]

Come in here, gal. Come in here right now,
Out there trying to be bad and you don't know how,
Doing the Georgia Grind, oh, the Georgia Grind.
Everybody's trying to do the Georgia Grind.

Say Old Miss Jones was bent and gray,
Saw the Georgia Grind, threw her stick away.
She did the Georgia Grind. Yes, sir, she went crazy about the Georgia Grind.
You know one thing? Everybody's trying to do the Georgia Grind.

Subject: RE: moma moma look at sis
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 27 Jan 08 - 02:23 PM

Can't find the words or the title, but it starts

Momma bought a chicken, you know she thought it was a duck
She put it on the table with it's two legs up
In came sister with a spoon and a glass
Started spoonin' out the gravy from it's
Yass Yass Yass

Giok

Subject: RE: moma moma look at sis
From: Leadfingers
Date: 27 Jan 08 - 01:51 PM

The Georgia Grind , unless I am mistaken !

Subject: moma moma look at sis
From: GUEST,gi joe
Date: 27 Jan 08 - 01:48 PM

Does anyone remember the song with the words   "Moma moma look at sis, standing on the ???? doing the double twist"   I remember it back in the 1950's at the Yale hoots in New Haven, it was considered rather off color due to some of the double meanings of some of the verses