Lyr Req: Dust my Broom

Subject: RE: Dust my broom
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 16 Jan 04 - 09:56 PM

"Sissy Man Blues," "Sagefield Woman Blues;" Arnold reworked some of his material into several songs.
The lines-
I woke up this mornin' with my pork-grinder in my hand,
If you can't send me no woman, please send me a sissy man-
shorly carry the song beyond "Dust My Broom."

Subject: RE: Dust my broom
From: PoppaGator
Date: 16 Jan 04 - 06:48 PM

Heard a radio feature just a couple of days ago showcasing Kokomo Arnold's "Sissy Man Blues" as the direct precursor to Rbt Johnson's "Dust My Broom." Same tune, same guitar riff, completely different lyrics. ("If you can't get me a woman / at least bring me some sissy man.")

Kokomo was a *big* selling blues artist at the time, while Robert Johnson was a nobody until after he died. The "authority" being interviewed, who brought the Arnold rcording, was on a crusade to increase awareness of the forgotten blues artists who were more successful in their own time than those like Robert Johnson who have been lionized in retrospect. "Not that I don't love and respect Johnson, we just need to rememebr thse others as well."

I was once told that to "dust one's broom" meant to masturbate. I found the idea interesting, but have no idea whether there's any truth to it, and cannot cite the source. Might make some kind of sense, since the singer's woman done left him.

Subject: RE: Dust my broom
From: Brian Hoskin
Date: 16 Jan 04 - 05:58 AM

Ed Komara in Gayle Dean Wardlow's (1998) Chasin' That Devil Music also suggests Leroy Carr's 'I Believe I'll make a Change' (1934), Josh White's 'I Believe I'll Make a Change' (1934), Jack Kelly's 'Believe I'll Go Back Home' (1933) and the Sparks Brothers 'I Believe I'll Make a Change' (1932) as precursors / influences on Johnson's song.

Robert Palmer (1981) notes in his Deep Blues:

"And hearing Arnold sing "I believe, I believe I'll dust my broom" on his next record, "Sagefield Woman Blues," must have inspired Johnson to invent his celebrated signature piece, "Dust My Broom." Even Robert's "Dust My Broom" guitar riff, a dramatic full-octave slide . . . seems to have been adapted from the more fluid, less agressive, but still recognizable bottleneck guitar fills on "Sagefiled Woman."" (pp114-115)

I have a copy of Sagefield Woman Blues somewhere (but not to hand), I'll try to transcribe the lyrics later, if no one beats me to it.

Brian

Subject: RE: Dust my broom
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 16 Jan 04 - 03:51 AM

Much as I admire Elmore Leonard's writings I didn't know he had a theme tune, but then I haven't read any novels by Elmore James.
What a rave from the grave to see an old thread where I used my original Mudcat handle!

RtS
(Smartarse)

Subject: RE: Dust my broom
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 15 Jan 04 - 03:13 PM

Anyone have the lyrics to Arnold's "Sagefield Woman Blues"?

Subject: Lyr Add: I BELIEVE I'LL DUST MY BROOM (R Johnson)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 15 Jan 04 - 03:00 PM

Paul Oliver, in "Screening the Blues," says "Robert Johnson is widely considered as the composer of "I Believe I'll Dust My Broom, which was later adopted by Elmore Leonard as his theme. It was, however, already a traditional blues, having been recorded by Kokomo Arnold as "Sagefield Woman Blues," by Carl Rafferty as "Mr. Carl's Blues" and in fragments elsewhere.

Lyr. Add: I BELIEVE I'LL DUST MY BROOM
Robert Johnson version

I'm goin' get up in the mornin', I believe I'll dust my broom
I'm goin' get up in the mornin', I believe I'll dust my broom
Girlfriend, the black man you been lovin', girlfriend, can get my room.

I'm gon' write a letter, telephone every town I know
I'm gon' write a letter, telephone every town I know
If I can't find her in West Helena, she must be in East Monroe I know.

I don't want no woman, wants every downtown man she meet
I don't want no woman, wants every downtown man she meet
She's a no good doney, they shouldn't allow her on the street.

I believe, I believe I'll go back home
I believe, I believe I'll go back home
You can mistreat me here, babe, but you can't when I go home.

And I'm gettin' up in the mornin', I believe I'll dust my broom
I'm gettin' up in the mornin', I believe I'll dust my broom
Girlfriend, the black man you been lovin', girlfriend, can get my room.

I'm gonna call up Chiney, see is my good girl over there
I'm gonna call up China, see is my good girl over there
'F I can't find her on Philippine's island, she must be in Ethio[ia somewhere.

Blues Songbook

Subject: RE: Dust my broom
From: GUEST,Leo
Date: 15 Jan 04 - 11:58 AM

I thought Dust My Broom meant - to leave town in a hurry and that Robert Johnson 'borrowed' the lyrics from Kokomo Arnold just like EJ 'borrowed' them from RJ!

Subject: RE: Dust my broom
From: Tweed
Date: 16 Jun 02 - 10:21 AM

Harry used to update that place daily, sometimes hourly a couple years ago. There's a huge amount of blues information stuck over in it and he worked really hard putting it together. I think it's so big now, that to move it again (he did that once before when his servers were screwing around with him) it would be too much for one guy to do. Harry's Online Blues is the DT of Blues Music. I don't know of any other site with the words to over 3,000 blues songs collected (and many with sound clips). It would be a real drag to lose all of that to a chintzy server. Maybe a merger with Mudcat would be beneficial? Would that be possible?

Subject: RE: Dust my broom
From: Blues=Life
Date: 16 Jun 02 - 08:20 AM

I just got onto Harry's, but I know what the problem is. This page was listed as THE place to get lyrics in an article about blues sites on the web in a recent magazine. (It might have been Accoustic Guitar). That's how I found out about it. It's always overloaded, because now too many people know about it. Oh well. Great site.

Blues

Subject: RE: Dust my broom
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 15 Jun 02 - 04:22 PM

There is a Spanish expression, translated, it is "Wet the brush." It means to have sexual intercourse. I wonder if "dust my broom" has similar implications.

I have deleted a couple of sites from my bookmarks because of the pop-ups (some of which cycle and don't go away when the "X" is clicked). Any suggestions on handling these? Harry's was one of my favorites, but I don't even bother to check anymore. Like Tweed, no go for a couple of months.

Subject: RE: Dust my broom
From: Tweed
Date: 15 Jun 02 - 03:48 PM

Joe,

I was about to ask how you got into Harry's. I haven't been able to access that place for several months. Just have to hit the right time I guess. Thought it was gone for good (bad).

---

Well, I got there early in the morning. I tried it just now, and I got the "exceeded bandwidth" message again. I think Lycos/tripod and the other "free website" providers are shooting themselves in the foot by being so stingy with bandwitdth and so generous with graphics-heavy popups.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Dust my broom
From: Joe Offer
Date: 15 Jun 02 - 12:20 PM

The site also has the lyrics to the Robert Johnson version, but then the site went offline for two hours because it exceeded bandwith limits. I'll post the Johnson lyrics later.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: ADD: Dust My Broom (Elmore James)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 15 Jun 02 - 12:11 PM

This is from Harry's Blues Lyrics, the site Roger the Zimmer linked to. I thought I'd post the lyrics here, to make them easier to find.
-Joe Offer-

---

Dust My Broom

by Elmore James,
(based on Robert Johnson's "I Believe I'll Dust My Broom")
recording of November 1959, Chicago
from Charly Blues Masterworks Vol. 12 - Elmore James,
The Sky Is Crying (Charly Records CD BM 12), copyright notice

I'm gettin' up soon in the mornin'
I believe I'll dust my broom
I'm gettin' up soon in the mornin'
I believe I'll dust my broom
I quit the best girl I'm lovin',
now my friends can get in my room

I'm gonna write a letter, telephone every town I know
I'm gonna write a letter, telephone every town I know
If I don't find her in Mississippi,
she be in East Monroe I know

And I don't want no woman,
wants every downtown man she meets
No I don't want no woman,
wants every downtown man she meets
Man, she's a no good doney,
they shouldn't allow her on the street, yeah

I believe, I believe my time ain't long
I believe, I believe my time ain't long
I ain't gonna leave my baby,
and break up my happy home

---

Dust My Broom
by Elmore James
recording of 1979
from Deguello (Warner Brothers 2-3361), copyright notice

I'm gonna get up in the morning, I believe I'll dust my broom
I'm gonna get up in the morning, I believe I'll dust my broom
Well my best gal I'll be leaving, so my friend, get out my room

I'm gonna write a letter to China, see if my baby's over there
I'm gonna write a letter to China, see if my baby's over there
If she ain't up in the Hawaiian Islands, must be in Ethiopia somewhere

I believe believe my time alone
I believe believe my time alone
I've had to quit my baby and give up my happy home

Subject: RE: Dust my broom
From:
Date: 20 May 99 - 06:18 AM

Thanks Roger!

Subject: RE: Dust my broom
From: Roger the zimmer
Date: 19 May 99 - 05:50 AM

Yep, Harry's Blues Lyrics has it:http://tinpan.fortunecity.com/kowalski/112/index.htm/
Elmore James' version with soundclip under Title ( D for Dust)
Robert Johnson original under artist J for Johnson title "I believe I'll dust my broom"

Someone in this library has just complained labels won't stick to the older books: too dusty
"I believe I'll dust my books"

Subject: RE: Dust my broom
From: Roger the zimmer
Date: 19 May 99 - 04:55 AM

I'm sure most if not all Robert Johnson lyrics are on the normal & specialist blues lyrics sites (Lyrics Library;Harry's Blues Lyrics)if not on the DT. If no-one comes up with the appropriate blue clicky thing I can look up the URL I got it from when I get home.

Subject: Dust my broom
From:
Date: 19 May 99 - 04:43 AM

Would like to find the words for this but only know a line from it which goes: woke up this morning believe I'll dust my broom.