Lyr Req/Add: Beedle Um Bum

Subject: Beedle Um Bum
From:
Date: 06 Jul 00 - 12:50 AM

Jim Kweskin and the Jug Band recorded "Beedle Um Bum" and it appeared on their "greatest hits". Does anyone have the lyrics?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Beedle Um Bum
From: Pene Azul
Date: 06 Jul 00 - 12:55 AM

If this is the same one, you can get the lyrics here (click).

(also e-mailed)

PA

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Beedle Um Bum
From: Mrrzy
Date: 17 Oct 00 - 10:13 AM

What a great site! I was looking for this exact tune's lyrics, but what a great site! I am refreshing because of that, not because it didn't have the right lyrics.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Beedle Um Bum
From: GUEST,CraigS
Date: 17 Oct 00 - 08:20 PM

There was a Hit Version in the 30s by Tampa Red - might give you a fesh approach

Subject: Lyr/Chords Add: BEEDLE-UM-BUM (Tampa Red)
From: martoons
Date: 07 Sep 01 - 05:06 PM

Here they is folks!!

BEEDLE-UM-BUM
Tampa Red

3/5   3/5   2/5   0/5    3/6    

G                           G                          G /  D
  Down in Memphis, Tennessee, there lives a girl named Cindy.
  G                          G                           D  / G
  With a meat shop on her block, she's always got the gimme.
  G                               G                                  G / D
  There's a meal called Southern eel that you can't resist from tryin'.
  G                      G                             D    / G
  Every time you pass her by you can hear Miss Cindy cryin'    

[3/6   0/5  2/5  3/6]    

Chorus:
               G                       G
  "Oh, the Beedle-um-Bum
  G   & [0/5              2/5]          C          [3/5   2/5  3/5  4/5]
  Come and see me if you ain't had none.
  D                                          D
  Make a dumb man speak, A lame man run
  G -  (downstroke)             [3/5   2/5  3/5  0/5]
  You sure missed plenty if you ain't had none."
  G                                   G   [0/5            2/5]
  Oh, the Beedle-um-Bum
  C                             C [3/5   2/5  3/5  4/5]
  The Beedle-um-Bum.
      D                        [D  &  0/6  2/6]  G
  She makes the best Beedle-Bum down in  Tenn - es  -  see.    

Scat a verse
  3/5   2/5  3/5  4/5
  repeat verse 1    

Chorus:

HTML line breaks added --JoeClone, 1-Dec-01.

Subject: Lyr Add: BEEDLE UM BUM (from Big Bill Broonzy)
From: Will Fly
Date: 14 Aug 08 - 05:28 AM

I was trying to take down Big Bill Broonzy's lyrics to "Beedle Um Bum", which diffr slightly from, and are longer than the Jim Kweskin version listed here. What I've got so far is below, but I can't make out some words (old, crackly original). I've indicated the phonetic sound of, to me, some words in [ ] - even if they make no sense! Any help, from anyone who has the Broonzy version, on getting the right words would be appreciated.


BEEDLE UM BUM

Down in Memphis Tennessee, there's a gal named Cindy
Runs an eat shop on the block, she's always got the gimme
Serves a meal with a tadpole heel, you can't resist by dying
And every time you pass her door, you'll hear miss Cindy crying

Oh my Beedle Um Bum, come and see me if you ain't had none
Makes a dumb man speak, makes a lame man run,
You'll sure miss something if you don't get some
My Beedle Um Bum – oh my Beedle Um Bum
It's the best Beedle Um that's made in Tennessee

[Instrumental]

Every day at ten o'clock, she'll go down to the station
Soon as the post has come in town, she'll give a little invitation
Every day from noon til night, she's always busy belling
Beedle Um hot and Beedle Um cold, you could always hear her yelling

Oh my Beedle Um Bum, come and see me if you ain't had none
Ain't made salt and it ain't made [-ass?],
Just made up in a [medium fast?]
My Beedle Um Bum – oh my Beedle Um Bum
It's the best Beedle Um that's made in Tennessee

[Instrumental]

Oh my Beedle Um Bum, come and see me if you ain't had none
You don't have to hurry, you don't have to go,
You get a little taste make you want some more
My Beedle Um Bum – oh my Beedle Um Bum
It's the best Beedle Um that's made in Tennessee

Subject: Lyr Add: BEEDLE UM BUM (McKinney's Cotton Pickers
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 17 Aug 08 - 11:00 PM

BEEDLE-UM-BUM
Thomas A. Dorsey

Down in Memphis, Tennessee
Lives a girl named Simmy.
She's got a meat shop on her block.
She's always got the gimme.

Serves a meal with a tadpole heel.
Can't resist for trying.
Every time you pass her door,
Hear Miss Simmy crying:

"Oh, beedle-um-bum,
Come see me if you ain't had none."
She'll make a dumb man speak, a lame man run.
Sure missed something if you ain't had none!

Oh, the beedle-um-bum,
Oh, the beedle-um-bum,
Got the best beedle-dum
Down in Tennessee!

Oh, that beedle-um-dum-bum,
Got that beedle-um-dum-bum,
[Scatting]

[As recorded by McKinney's Cotton Pickers (1929). Also recorded by The Harlem Dudes (1928), The Hokum Boys (1928), Big Bill Johnson (1932), The Chicago Sheiks (1932), The Memphis Nighthawks (1932), Big Bill Broonzy, Jim Kweskin, Blind Willie McTell, Memphis Slim, Tampa Red, and several others.]

Subject: Lyr Add: BEEDLE UM BUM (from Blind Willie McTell)
From: 12-stringer
Date: 18 Aug 08 - 01:07 AM

Blind Willie McTell recorded this in 1956, at his "Last Session." He was pretty well lubed with corn whiskey through the session and his lyrics aren't always crystal clear. His first two verses are more or less the same as Will Fay has posted from the singing of Big Bill, but with some occasional differences that may help in working out the song. The last verse would have passed for a smutty one in 1956, let alone the 1930s, and evidently isn't included in the Broonzy version.

Incidentally, this is the song during whose introduction McTell notes how he got his songs: "I used to jump 'em from other writers, but I'd 'range 'em up my way."


Down in Memphis, Tennessee lived a girl named Jenny
She run an eats shop on the block; she always kept good gimme.
That was a meal, was tadpole shield, couldn't resist for tryin'
Every time you pass her door, hear Miss Jenny cryin'.

[chorus is about the same as in the Big Bill version]

Every day about ten o'clock, go down to the station
Folks that come in town she'd give a little invitation.
Every day from noon till night, how she'd keep them selling
Beedle um hot and beedle um cold, you could hear Miss Jenny yellin'.

[For the chorus on this verse, McTell sings:]
'Cause they ain't built tall and not built wide, just built up till a medium size.

[He has one additional verse:]

The gal I love, she won't stand; she loves home brew and toddy.
Every time you take her to a fancy ball, she'll flirt most everybody.
Then I took her out Cadillac ride out to the fields of clover
Tried to make everything pacified when the pleasure all was over.
Then she took me to her home, sat down beside the door
Did keep a raining and I couldn't go home, she was so fine across the floor

CHORUS:
(spoken) And she talked all right
She talked all right
Hugged and kissed till she made me sick
Wringin' and twistin' made me lose my ...*
My Beedle-um-bum, come and see me when you ain't had none
Cause you don't have to worry, you don't have to go
Get a little bit and you'll want some more
Of my beedle um bum, my beedle um bum,
Best beedle um that popped up in Tennessee.


* McTell pinches the strings here with his thumb and fingerpick, between the bridge and the tailpiece, for a high-pitched yelp that replaces the omitted word.

He also frequently breaks the "ee" of "Tennessee" into two syllables, going to falsetto for a sort of yodel effect on the last one.e proud of you For the way you're helping us to carry on."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Beedle Um Bum
From: Will Fly
Date: 18 Aug 08 - 06:37 AM

Thanks for the info, folks - plenty to get my teeth into here!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Beedle Um Bum
From: greg stephens
Date: 19 Aug 08 - 06:59 AM

Well, Will, I sang this with Henry Ayrton a long time ago in Lancaster, and I do believe you might have heard us.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: Beedle Um Bum
From: magician
Date: 07 Jun 13 - 06:57 PM

The late Jim Wright used to sing this and so did Stan Croft. I'll see if I can find Stan and get their version of it.

Subject: Lyr Add: BEEDLE UM BUM (from Thomas A. Dorsey)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 13 Jun 13 - 03:06 PM

BEEDLE UM BUM
As sung by Thomas A. "Georgia Tom" Dorsey on "Early Blues of the '20s and '30s."

Down in Memphis, Tennessee lived a girl named Simmy.
She runs an eat shop on the block; she's always got the gimme.
She serves a meal with a tadpole heel, you can't resist by trying,
And every time you pass her door, you'd hear miss Simmy crying:

"Oh, my beedle-um-bum! Come and see me if you ain't had none.
It'll make a dumb man speak, make a lame man run.
Sure miss something if you don't get some
Of my beedle-um-bum, oh, my beedle-um-bum.
It's the best beedle-um that's made in Tennessee! "

Every day at ten o'clock, she'd go down to the station.
To the folks that come to town she'd give a little invitation.
Every day from noon till night, she's always busy selling
Beedle-um hot and beedle-um cold; you can always hear her yelling:

"Oh, my beedle-um-bum! Come see me if you ain't had none.
It ain't made small and it ain't made wide.
It's just made up in a medium size.
My beedle-um-bum, oh, my beedle-um-bum,
It's the best beedle-um that's made in Tennessee!"

[instrumental break.]

"Oh, beedle-um-bum! Come and see me if you ain't had none.
Now, you don't have to hurry; you don't have to go.
You get a little taste and you'll want some mo'
Of my beedle-um-bum, oh, my beedle-um-bum.
It's the best beedle-um that's made in Tennessee!"

Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: Beedle Um Bum
From: Mrrzy
Date: 09 Sep 13 - 08:53 PM

ok, who performs this? i thought it was jim Kweskin...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: Beedle Um Bum
From: Artful Codger
Date: 10 Sep 13 - 02:48 PM

Lost the ability to scroll up?? In particular, look at the end of Jim Dixon's post with lyrics.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: Beedle Um Bum
From: GUEST,Dixieland Man
Date: 17 Sep 16 - 08:07 PM

Lyrics as recorded by the St. Louis Ragtimers

Verse 1:

Way down in Nashville Tennessee lives that gal named Cindy, Runs a little Meat Shop around the block and she's always got some sweet meat.

Chorus 1: Beedle Um Bum, Come see her if you ain't had none, she'd make a Dumb Man Speak, a Lame Man Run, See Miss Cindy if you ain't getting none of that Beedle Um Bum, That Beedle Um Bum, She's got the best of the Beedle Um Bum down in Tennessee.

Verse 2:

She'll cook a meal like a tadpole's heel, you can't resist for trying, Men did come from a'mile around when you hear Miss Cindy crying.

Chorus 2:

Beedle Um Bum, Come see her if you ain't-a had none, she'd make a Dumb Man Speak, a Lame Man Run, See Miss Cindy if You're looking for a Little of the Beedle Um Bum, Of The Beedle Um Bum, She's got the best of The Beedle Um Bum Way down in Tennessee.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: Beedle Um Bum
From: Mrrzy
Date: 17 Sep 16 - 10:17 PM

Jim Kweskin is the best version, I think, too!