Lyr Req: Rag Mama (Fuller; Kweskin; Rush)

Subject: Kweskin's Rag Mama
From: Mrrzy
Date: 02 Aug 00 - 09:24 AM

This one came out of the Jug Band Music thread - now that I've gotten the album, I'm finding all kinds of holes in the songs. This one has a chorus that goes something like this:

OOPS - SORRY - IT ISN'T RAG MAMA I WANT (SAME ALBUM) - Joe can you fix the thread title?

OK, the one I really want is Morning Blues:

I got the morning blues / Oh so bad / (rama cama catcha??) 'Bout the wust I ever had....

What's the rama cama catcha line really?

Aw, what the hey, give me the lyrics to Rag Mama too.

Going downtown with my hat in my hand,
Looking for a woman ain't got no man,
Might as well be looking for a needle in the sand,
Looking for a woman ain't got no man now,
Dee dee dum a deedly dum,
Rag mama, come on baby, let's do that rag.

What's the rest? Something about a pistol in my pocket like a jack in my pants, ran outside with half a brick saying I'm gonna get that so-and-so. Dee dee dum a deedly dum, rag mama, come on baby, let's do that rag

HTML line breaks added, and close italics command added. --JoeClone, 4-Feb-02.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kweskin's Rag Mama
From: Mrrzy
Date: 02 Aug 00 - 09:24 AM

Sorry about forgetting to close the italics after the lyrics to Morning Blues...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kweskin's Rag Mama
From: reggie miles
Date: 02 Aug 00 - 10:31 AM

My friend Oneman Johnson took me out on the town to see Kweskin perform a solo show at the old Rainbow Tavern on 45th St near the U District in Seattle. I remember he played that song Morning Blues. For ten years or so after that evening that song bounced around between my ears till I could stand it no longer. By that time though I couldn't remember the lyrics or even much of the melody. Time has a way of doing that. So I wrote my own verses and constructed my own melody, twisting the folk process to my own needs. In my version that line in the chorus goes, "Honey come an' kiss me they're the worst I ever had".

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kweskin's Rag Mama
From: Mrrzy
Date: 02 Aug 00 - 12:35 PM

That's great! I like your version!

Subject: Lyr Add: RAG MAMA (Blind Boy Fuller)
From: Stewie
Date: 02 Aug 00 - 08:55 PM

Here is the Kweskin version of 'Rag Mama':

RAG MAMA

I am going downtown with my hat in my hand
Lookin' for a woman ain't got no man
Might as well be lookin' for a needle in the sand
Lookin' for a woman ain't got no man
Now, dee dee dum a deedly dum, rag mama
Come on, baby, let's do that rag

Now, you get one woman, you better get two
One for your buddy and one for you
You better get a wife and a sweetheart too
Wife don't love you but your sweetheart do
Now, dee dee dum a deedly dum, rag mama
Come on, baby, let's do that rag

I never thought my gal would treat me so
Lover man in my back door
Now, come on mama, what you know
You gonna reap just what you sow
Now, dee dee dum a deedly dum, rag mama
Come on, baby, let's do that rag

Hey, saw my gal with a man, she was holdin' his hand
I had a pistol in my pocket, blackjack in my back
Run outside with a half a brick
Sayin', I'm gonna get that so-and-so
Dee dee dum a deedly dum, rag mama
Come on, baby, let's do that rag
All right, we gonna rag on out now
Whup, bup …

Source: Jim Kweskin & The Jug Band' 'Acoustic Swing & Jug' Vanguard CD 79521-2

Here is a slighly different version from Tom Rush:

RAG MAMA

I am going downtown with my hat in my hand
Lookin' for a woman ain't got no man
Lookin' for a woman ain't got no man
Is like lookin' for a needle that's lost in the sand
Rag mama, do that rag

If you got one woman, you better get two
There's one for your buddy and one for you
Well you better get a wife and a sweetheart too
If the wife don't love you, then the sweetheart do
Rag mama, do that rag

If you got one woman, you better get five
'Cos one might quit you and the others might die
It's a mighty hard job keepin' women in line
If one'll treat you good, then five'll treat you fine
Rag mama, do that rag

I caught my gal and my buddy together in his shack
There's a pistol in my pocket, blackjack in the back
And I'm goin' out and get myself half a brick
I believe I'll hurt that so-and-so
Rag mama, do that rag

I am going downtown with my hat in my hand
Lookin' for a woman ain't got no man
Lookin' for a woman ain't got no man
Is like lookin' for a needle that's lost in the sand
Yes, rag mama, do that rag

Source: Tom Rush 'Blues, Songs and Ballads' Big Beat CDWIK 948

For the sake of comparison, here is Blind Boy Fuller's original version as best as I can transcribe it. Any corrections welcomed.

RAG MAMA RAG
(Blind Boy Fuller)

Said I'm goin' uptown, hat in my hand
Lookin' for the woman ain't got no man
This the way be lookin' for a needle in the sand
Lookin' for a woman ain't got no man
Oh rag, rag, rag
Said do that rag
Oh rag, oh rag
Rag, said do that rag

Said I wouldn't have thought my gal would treat me so
Love another man, stay at my back door
Mind mama what you sow
You gotta reap just what you sow
Oh rag, rag now
Rag baby, rag mama
Said do that rag
Oh rag, do it a long time
Rag, said do that rag

Now, if you get you one woman better get you two
One for your buddy, other one for you
Got me a wife and a sweetheart too
Wife don't love me but my sweetheart do
Oh rag, rag baby, rag
Rag mama, said do that rag
Oh rag, rag
Rag baby, said do that rag

[Long instrumental and scat singing plus more oh rag, rag baby etc]

Said my gal hollered 'murder', I ain't raised my hand
Pistol in my pocket, blackjack in my hand
Took my girl under the willow tree
Heard the girl holler 'don't murder me'
Oh wretch,
Oh rag, rag now baby
Rag, said do that rag
Oh rag, oh rag baby
Rag again, said do that rag
Rag now, girl

Source: Blind Boy Fuller 'East Coast Piedmont Style' Roots 'N Blues Series Columbia/Legacy CK 46777

Cheers, Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kweskin's Rag Mama
From: GUEST,Peter
Date: 25 Feb 04 - 05:18 AM

Does anyone have the chords to this song?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kweskin's Rag Mama
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Jan 10 - 12:03 AM

As far as I can tell the basic progression is VI, II, V, I (with some extensions). At least that's how I play it... in G so its: E7, G7, A7, G.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kweskin's Rag Mama
From: GUEST,JonR
Date: 14 Jan 10 - 05:23 AM

Correction to GUEST's typo:
A VI-II-V-I in G should be E7-A7-D7-G. ;-)
Blind Buy Fuller's in in F, played (I'm guessing) as C with capo on 5. Making the shapes A7-D7-G7-C.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kweskin's Rag Mama
From: GUEST,Evan
Date: 14 Jan 10 - 09:25 PM

Right! thanks for the correction

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rag Mama (Fuller; Kweskin; Rush)
From: GUEST
Date: 22 Oct 10 - 12:33 AM

I got the mornin blues, oh so bad, Momma come and kiss me, there the worst I've ever had.

Douglas Fraser
The Genuine Jug Band

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rag Mama (Fuller; Kweskin; Rush)
From: Mrrzy
Date: 22 Oct 10 - 11:51 AM

they're, maybe?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rag Mama (Fuller; Kweskin; Rush)
From: GUEST
Date: 22 Oct 10 - 01:06 PM

Morning Blues goes something like:
I been in business and I been in love
I used to fly high like a turtle dove
Had the blues many a time
'It's just a woman on a poor boy's mind

I got the morning blues Oh so bad
Come kiss me Mama they're the worst I ever had

Nickel's worth 'a beans and a dime's worth 'a lard
I would buy more but the time's too hard
Ain't no need for me to work so hard
'Cause I can live on the chickens in my neighbor's yard

That's all I can remember for now.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rag Mama (Fuller; Kweskin; Rush)
From: Amos
Date: 13 May 11 - 08:28 PM

NIckel's worth a green stamp, dime's worth a lot
I'd sing more but the times are hot.
Ain't no use I should work so hard,
I can live off the chickens in my neighbor's yard

I got the morning blues
Oh, so baaaaad!
Mama come an' kiss me, they're the worst I ever had.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rag Mama (Fuller; Kweskin; Rush)
From: GUEST,Ann Lovejoy
Date: 14 May 11 - 08:25 PM

Honey come and kiss me they're the worst I ever had

I've been in business and I've been in love
Used to fly high like a turtle dove
Had the blues, many a time
Just some girl on a poor boy's mind
I got the morning blues, oh so bad
Honey come and kiss me they're the worst I ever had