Lyr Req: Stop All the Buses (Cecil Augusta)

Subject: Lyr Req: Stop All The Buses, by Cecil Auguta
From: simon-pierre
Date: 08 Mar 15 - 08:23 PM

Hi all,

This song appeared on the album "Alan Lomax Blues Songbook" published by Rounder in 2003.

It's a powerful cut that has strucked many listeners, but not enough, it seems, to push one of them to transcribe and publish the lyrics on the web. As english is my second language, I must admit that I understand almost nothing of them.

If someone is willing to give it a shot, it's there : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1e06cTBuMk

I would be grateful.

++ SP

Subject: Lyr Add: BLUES ABOUT MY BABY (Sonny Boy Williamson
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 17 Mar 15 - 01:44 PM

STOP ALL THE BUSES is a variant of an older song recorded by Sonny Boy Williamson (and some others). Alan Lomax recognized this and said so in his notes, although he didn't give the title. It wasn't hard to track down, and it was much easier to transcribe, so I'll give it first:


BLUES ABOUT MY BABY
As recorded by Sonny Boy Williamson on RCA Victor 22-0001 (a 78-rpm single), 1949.

1. Baby, stop your fooling,
And stop doing me wrong.
Stop your fast way of living.
Bring your clothes back home.

CHORUS: 'Cause I've got the blues about my baby.
I know my baby got the blues about me.
Now if you ain't gonna treat me no better,
Why in the world don't you let me be?

2. You know, I've had trouble so long
Until the trouble don't worry me.
You know being in the jailhouse
Is just like being on the job of ease.

3. I'm gonna stop the New York Central.
I'm gonna stop all buses on line.
I'm gonna stop the streetcar; don't move a thing
Till I find that little gal of mine.

4. I'll get a … way 'cross the country
Where there ain't nobody else around.
That must-a be my baby
She must-a be trying to put me down.


[There were two different artists who used the name Sonny Boy Williamson. The second one assumed the name after the first one died. I don't have the dates of their careers at hand, but I'm sure they would be easy to look up, if you want to know which one this is.]

Subject: Lyr Add: STOP ALL THE BUSES (Cecil Augusta)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 17 Mar 15 - 04:26 PM

There is another copy of the recording at the Association for Cultural Equity web site. That's where I learned that Lomax made the notation "derived: Sonny Boy Williamson."

This was very difficult for me to transcribe, because of the singer's dialect and the way he slurs words. Several parts of this song make no sense to me, so I just put down the words that sound closest to what he's saying:


STOP ALL THE BUSES
As sung by Cecil Augusta, 1959.

1. Yeah, stop all the buses, darling,
Streetcars on line.
Stop New York Central; don't move; bang that mule.
Find that little girl of mine.

CHORUS: I got the blues 'bout my babe.
My babe ought to have blues 'bout me.
Yeah, now, treat me no better, baby,
Then why in the world you let me be?

2. Start right now, babe.
Quit your doing me wrong.
Stop your fast way of living, woman, and bring
Your clothes back home.

3. Get a song(?) cross the country, darling,
Nobody else around.
That must be my little baby, God knows,
Trying to put me down.

4. Saw you well(?), baby.
I ain't got no more to say.
Got me son so taking chemo (???)
And I'm wanted to how your way. (???)