Lyr Req: Put the Sugar to Bed (J Cash/M Carter)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Put the Sugar to Bed
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 07 Sep 10 - 11:23 AM

Thanks, Slag and Jim. This is a new aspect of Johnny Cash for me.

Subject: Lyr Add: PUT THE SUGAR TO BED (J Cash/M Carter)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 07 Sep 10 - 12:31 AM

From The LP Discography (and tweaked a bit by me, based on a couple of samples I was able to hear):


PUT THE SUGAR TO BED
(Johnny Cash - Maybelle Carter)
« © '66 House Of Cash, BMI / Unichappell Music, BMI »

Out upon a shrimp boat, I just dropped the net
When the wind she come to blowin' worse 'n bad oughta get.
I look southeast and, golly me, what I see?
A black thundercloud with them fuzzy eyebrows
Come a-lookin' dee-rect towards Boudleaux and me.
I turned to Boudleaux and me I said:
"Put the sugar to bed. put the sugar to bed.
Lock up the coffee and the coffee pot.
Put the flour in your pillow 'cause it's all we got.
Hang the lantern from the ceiling and watch your head.
Ho, Boudleaux, put the sugar to bed.
Boudleaux-O-O-O, put the sugar to bed.

[ guitar ]

Well, the sky she get dark and then she turn dark black.
I yell: "She gonna blow one right out of the Almanac."
A big raindrop smacked me right on the ear,
And I hollered "Hey, Boudleaux!" but the way the wind blow
He'd just as soon be deaf. There wasn't no-how to hear.
I try to call to Boudleaux but slid instead,
Then me and Boudleaux put the sugar to bed.

[ trumpet - guitar ]

Well, the ends of that shrimpin' boat was switchin' around.
She turned sideways and inners and outers and upside down.
The water come in tryin' to drown the both of us.
The closet pop open and the skillet went a-flyin',
And me I hid my head and kinda cuss,
But most all I proud when she calmed that I said:
"Put the sugar to bed. Put the sugar to bed."
Ain't nothin' dry but my railroad watch.
The salt got soggy but we still can botch.
We build a fire for the coffee and we chicory fed,
'Cause me and Boudleaux put the sugar to bed.
Me and Boudleaux put the sugar to bed.


[From Johnny Cash, "More of Old Golden Throat" (1969).]

Subject: Lyr Req: Put the Sugar to Bed
From: Slag
Date: 03 Sep 10 - 08:27 PM

I have remembered this song from the 60's and every now and then it comes rolling through my mind. Johnny Cash sang it and it was the flip side of a 45 rpm. I think I have it up in the attic somewhere. Nonetheless I Googled it. One lyrics site had pretty much what I remembered the lyrics to be but they aren't exactly how it was sung by Mr. Cash. I still don't know who wrote (John and Maybelle Cash?) it but it is a unique (to my experience) little ballad, well worth a listen. For those of you have heard this or remember it, would you classify it as "folk"? I believe I would, but what do I know? I don't know the protocol for copying lyrics and putting them on the site here, sorry.