ADD: On a Monday / I'm Almost Done (Leadbelly)

Subject: Leadbelly's On A Monday aka Almost Done
From: GUEST,Joe Martin
Date: 15 Nov 01 - 06:54 PM

I've been trying to locate the lyrics for Leadbelly's "On A Monday" which I understand is also refered to as "Almost Done." I've searched the Mudcat lyrics database and several others with no luck. I also came up empty doing a general search of the web. Does anyone here know the lyrics or know where I can find them?

Sincerley, Joe Martin

PS - This is a great site. I was surprised that the lyrics weren't here.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Leadbelly's On A Monday aka Almost D
From: GUEST,dharmagirl
Date: 15 Nov 01 - 07:04 PM

...they are in the forum somewhere....hmmmmmm let me look

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Leadbelly's On A Monday aka Almost D
From: Pene Azul
Date: 15 Nov 01 - 07:07 PM

You can get the lyrics here in the forum (click).

Jeff

---

Thread #3669   Message #18864
Posted By: Joe Offer
08-Jan-98 - 03:32 AM
Thread Name: Lyr Req: On a Monday
Subject: Lyr Add: ON A MONDAY (Lead Belly)

ON A MONDAY

On a Monday, Monday I was arrested,
On a Tuesday, locked up in jail.
On a Wednesday, my trial was attested,
On a Thursday, nobody wouldn't go my bail.

[chorus]
Well, it's all, almost done
Well, it's all, almost done
And I ain't gonna see them pretty girls no more.

On a Monday, me and my baby was a-walkin'
On a Tuesday, she locked me out of doors.
On a Wednesday, were settin' down a-talkin'
On a Thursday, she pawned all of my clothes.
[chorus]

Take these stripes, stripes from 'round my shoulder
Take these chains, chains from 'round my leg.
Lord these stripes, stripes sure don't worry me,
But these chains, chains gonna kill me dead.
[chorus]

-taken from the Jerry Silverman Folk Song Encyclopedia-
There's no songwriter name, so I suppose it's public domain.
Arlo Guthrie did a nice rendition of this song on a 1975 album he recorded with Pete Seeger, "Together in Concert." Certain topical songs on the album are no longer relevant, but it's still a wonderful album - but it's out of production, I believe.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Leadbelly's On A Monday aka Almost D
From: GUEST,dharmagirl
Date: 15 Nov 01 - 07:13 PM

your link is kinked jeff...I refreshed the old thread...hg

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Leadbelly's On A Monday aka Almost D
From: GUEST,dgirl
Date: 15 Nov 01 - 07:18 PM

Hi Joe. Just put Leadbelly in the "Digitrad and Forum" box and you will see all the discussions of Leadbelly mentioning his name. There is a bunch! And they are sooo interesting!!! hg

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Leadbelly's On A Monday aka Almost D
From: Pene Azul
Date: 15 Nov 01 - 07:19 PM

Ouch! :^) Yes, it was. I fixed it.

Thanks,
Jeff

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Leadbelly's On A Monday aka Almost D
From: GUEST,Joe Martin
Date: 16 Nov 01 - 10:50 PM

Thanks to all of you for your help!! I really appreciate it. I haven't been on this forum before but I will be back. dgirl, I did try searching on Leadbelly in the "Digitrad and Forum" box but, for whatever reason, didn't find it. I also looked through the lyrics database. Thanks for your help.

Jeff, thanks for finding the post in the forum archive.

Sincerely, Joe Martin

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Leadbelly's On A Monday aka Almost D
From: GUEST,Brighton England
Date: 17 Nov 01 - 03:16 PM

Talking of Leadbelly I was in the back of a car going to Stony Stratford near Milton Keynes (after a night at the Cannon Pub in Newport Pagnell singing English folk songs) when a German friend,sitting in the front passenger seat, who was over in England for the wedding of the neice of a South African, sang a number of Leadbelly songs and accompanied himself on harmonica. It and several pints of real ale brought tears to my eyes. Unfortunately it was on a Wednesday not a Monday

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: On a Monday / I'm Almost Done (Leadbelly)
From: GUEST,david
Date: 06 Oct 06 - 12:18 PM

So did you guys actually find the lyrics to Almost Done anywhere? It a tune that Ive had in my head for 45 years, having listened to it on the old Smithsonian tracks of Ledbetter in the 1960s.

Subject: Lyr Add: ON A MONDAY / I'M ALMOST DONE (Leadbelly)
From: Peace
Date: 06 Oct 06 - 07:07 PM

That Monday, I was arrested
Tuesday, I locked up in jail
Wednesday baby, my trial's tested
On Thursday, nobody could blow my bail


Yes, I'm almost done (3x)
And I ain't gonna yell against no bells


On Monday, baby I went a-walking
Tuesday, I .... asked to go
On Wednesday I sat down a-talking
On Thursday she hock all a my clothes


Yes, I'm almost done (3x)
And I ain't gonna .... no more

Subject: Lyr Add: ON A MONDAY / I'M ALMOST DONE (Leadbelly)
From: Peace
Date: 06 Oct 06 - 07:10 PM

ON A MONDAY
(Huddie Ledbetter)

Recorded by:

Ry Cooder; Lonnie Donnegan; Arlo Guthrie;
Huddie Ledbetter (Leadbelly); Dave Plaehn;
Pete Seeger; Doc Watson.



On a Monday, I was arrested
On a Tuesday, I was locked up in jail
On a Wednesday, my trial was attested
On a Thursday, nobody would go my bail

Almost done, I'm almost done, almost done
And I ain't gonna bring them yellow women no pail

Take these stripes, stripes from around my shoulder
Take these chains, these chains from around my legs
Lord, these stripes, it sure don't worry me
But these chains, these chain's gonna kill me dead

Yes, I'm almost done, almost done, almost done
And I ain't gonna bring them yellow women no pail

On Friday, my baby went a-walking
On a Saturday, she locked me outa the door
On a Sunday, we were sitting down a-talking
On a Monday, she pawned all of my clothes

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: On a Monday / I'm Almost Done (Leadbelly)
From: Declan
Date: 06 Oct 06 - 08:17 PM

I've had a copy of the Leadbelly of this recording for about thirty years now, and have heard other versions of the song from various other sources.

It is very hard to be definitive on this but I'm fairly sure that the second line of the chorus is "I ain't going to ring those yella women's door bells"

I've heard people sing "pail" as in the above post and also "bail". Door bell just makes more sense to me. I'm just as likely to be wrong as anyone else, so you can take what I'm saying for what its worth.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: On a Monday / I'm Almost Done (Leadbelly)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 06 Oct 06 - 10:09 PM

Similar comments, and versions that can be compared in Thread 3669: On a Monday
Or use link provided by Penny Azul.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: On a Monday / I'm Almost Done (Leadbelly)
From: Peace
Date: 06 Oct 06 - 10:09 PM

Another thread that's related. Reference to Yellow Woman's Doorbell in it and som other interesting stuff.

thread.cfm?threadid=88553#1662036

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: On a Monday / I'm Almost Done (Leadbelly)
From: Amos
Date: 06 Oct 06 - 10:26 PM

I have vivid memories as a child, of this song from an early recording. I believe the line as Leadbelly sang was "I ain't gonna bring them yaller women no bail".

Make sense to me, anyway.

A

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: On a Monday / I'm Almost Done (Leadbelly)
From: Peace
Date: 06 Oct 06 - 10:30 PM

However, it's possible also that 'no pail' is a reference to drinking water. Leadbelly had first-hand experience with chain gangs. Never been on a 'gang', but it sure looks like thirst work if the movies are to be believed.

Subject: Lyr Add: ON A MONDAY / I'M ALMOST DONE (Josh White
From: Amos
Date: 06 Oct 06 - 10:48 PM

Sam Hinton, one of the great folklorists of our time, added this to a newsgroup thread on the subject:

*******************
Josh White made a recording of this song back in the late 940's. I still have the 78 rpm album of 10" disks, but can't locate it at the moment. As I remember the words, they went like this:

Well, on a Monday, Monday I was arrested.
And on a Tuesday, Tuesday I was tried.
On a Wednesday, Wednesday I was sentenced,
And on a Thursday, Thursday chain-gang bound.

If I can only make June, July and August (3x)
I'll be a man, Lawd, Lawd, Lawd, I'll be a man.

Oh, Eloisa, she got a [manicubaleezer] (3x) [I never understood that word]
Above her knees, Lawd, Lawd, Lawd, between her legs.

Eloisa, she took sick this morning. (3x)
The poor child died, Lawd,Lawd, Lawd, the poor child died.

Well, ain't you glad that, glad that she had good religion?(3x)
She's heaven-bound, Lawd, Lawd, Lawd, she's heaven-bound.

Cap'n, did you hear 'bout, all your men are gonna leave you? (3x)
Come next pay-day, Lawd, Lawd, Lawd, come next pay-day,

Sam Hinton
La Jolla, CA

Subject: Lyr Add: ON A MONDAY / I'M ALMOST DONE (Leadbelly)
From: GUEST,Uncle Fred
Date: 25 Jul 07 - 11:33 AM

Dear Fellow Folk Enthusiasts; I think you should know that there are printed sources for a lot of songs; you don't need to be agonizing and guessing over recorded lyrics. Almost Done, along with most of Leadbelly's songs were published in Sing Out. There you would find:

On a monday I was arrested
On a tuesday they took me into that jail
On a wednesday my trial was attested
On a thursday nobody wouldn't go my bail

I got stripes, stripes around my shoulders
I got chains, chains around my legs
Them stripes, stripes they do not worry
But them chains, them chains
About to kill me dead

I'm almost done X3
And I ain't gonna ring them yellow womens doorbells

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Leadbelly's On A Monday aka Almost D
From: Mr Happy
Date: 25 Jul 07 - 11:42 AM

Almost D?

C# or Eb??

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Leadbelly's On A Monday aka Almost D
From: greg stephens
Date: 26 Jul 07 - 04:39 AM

Well, printed sources or not, Leadbelly certainly doesnt sing "I got stripes" on the recording I have. He sings
"Take these stripes, stripes from round my shoulders
Take these chains, chains from round my legs"

The chorus is certainly
"And I ain't gonna ring them yellow women's doorbells".

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Leadbelly's On A Monday aka Almost D
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Aug 07 - 04:35 PM

I think it's "gallow's women." That's how I've always heard it...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Leadbelly's On A Monday aka Almost D
From: greg stephens
Date: 12 Aug 07 - 05:48 PM

He pronounces "yellow" more like "yaller"

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Leadbelly's On A Monday aka Almost Done
From: GUEST,Proud Primate
Date: 22 Feb 09 - 01:22 AM

I am finally convinced of a lyric for the last line! For decades, I have carried around this song in my head, having listened to a friend's LP of Leadbelly singing it (many times), and I feel I can now state the whole of that performance, thanks to this last line in the Sing Out version quoted above.

This is the version I know:
=========
"On a monday I was arrested
On a tuesday I landed in jail
On a wednesday my trial was attested
On a thursday nobody wouldn't go my bail

[chos:
Yes, I'm all -- almost done X3
And I ain't gon' -- ring them -- yellow women' doorbells.]

Take these stripes, these stripes from 'round my shoulders
Take these chains, these chains from 'round my legs
Lord, these stripes, stripes sho' don't worry me,
But these chains, chains is bound to kill me dead.

[chos]

On a Sad'day, me 'n my baby went-a walkin',
On a Sunday, she locked me outdo's.
On a Monday, we was settin down a-talkin',
On a Tuesday, she had pawned all 'o my clothes!"

[chos]
=========

Wonderful to know the last line. I heard it as "ain't gon' --bring them -- yalla women no bail". But it just wouldn't wash. Now this line about "doorbell" fits my auditory memory perfectly, and makes elegant sense, in his great pictographic style, as in "yes'n I ain't goin' down to no Red Cross store!"

And, yes, it is indeed "yellow", the lightest skin color of his race. He did a song "my yellow oh my yellow oh my yellow gal" 4x

Also, cf. Ellington's "Black, Brown, & Beige"

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Leadbelly's On A Monday aka Almost Done
From: Cool Beans
Date: 22 Feb 09 - 10:03 AM

I'm surprised nobody has mentioend Johnny Cash's version, "I Got Stripes."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: On a Monday / I'm Almost Done (Leadbelly)
From: GUEST,keberoxu
Date: 29 Sep 19 - 12:14 PM

I recognize this from
a Weavers album.
The lyrics have been sanitized some, though:

after the "Almost Done" part of the refrain,
Fred Hellerman, singing the song's lead,
distinctly pronounces:

"And I ain't gonna see those pretty girls no more."