Lyr Add: Am I Blue (from Ethel Waters)

Subject: Lyr Add: AM I BLUE
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 29 Aug 04 - 12:17 AM

Lyr. Add: AM I BLUE
Version by Ethel Waters, recorded April 1929
(Original lyrics, Grant Clark; music Harry Akst, 1929)

I'm just a woman, a lonely woman,
Waiting on the weary shore;
I'm just a woman, that's only human,
One you should be sorry for.
Woke up this mornin' along about dawn,
Without a warnin' I found he was gone.
How could he do it? Why should he do it?
He never done it before.

(Chorus)
Am I blue? Am I blue?
Ain't these tears in these eyes tellin' you?
Am I blue? Why, you'd be too,
If each plan with your man done fell through,
There was a time when I was his only one,
But now I'm the sad and lonely one,
Lawdy- was I gay? Until today-
Now he's gone and we're through,
Am I blue.

I know it- He's in Chicago
And I'm down here in Birmin'ham,
Tryin' to git the money to go and find my honey,
I am; yes indeed I am!
I've got the blues in my heart,
And my shoes want to start
And I'm in a jam; a terrible jam.

Oh, don't ask me about you
Why do you ask me about you?
Can't you see with these eyes telling you.
How can you ask me about you?
Why wouldn't you be too,
If your plan with your man had done fell through.
Don't I remember the time when I was his only one,
But look at me now,
I'm the sad and lonely one.
Oh, didn't I used to be gay,
Oh, 'til today,
Oh, dear Lord, tonight(?)
Am I blue.

The verses following the chorus depart from the song as sung by the many who followed Ethel Waters. Her version is unique. On the recording, Tommy Dorsey was on trombone and Manny Klein on trumpet.
Help is needed to verify the next to last line.

The MP3 may be heard here: Am I Blue

I don't have the original Clark-Akst sheet music, but the first verse and chorus may have been followed by this verse two:

It's aggravatin', to stand here waitin',
Waitin' for a triflin' man.
It set me hatin' to stand here waitin', Suicide's my only plan.
I think it's awful, his treatment of me,
It's most unlawful how mean he can be.
I can't forget him, I'm bound to get him,
I'll run him down if I can.

Lyr. Add: Am I Blue
Billie Holiday version

It was a morning, long before dawn
Without a warning I found he was gone.
How could he do it
Why should he do it
He never done it before.

Am I blue
Am I blue
Ain't these tears, in these eyes telling you
How can you ask me "Am I blue"?
Why, wouldn't you be too,
If each plan with your man done fell through.

There was a time
When I was his only one
But now I'm, the sad and lonely one. Lonely.

Was I gay, until today,
Now he's gone, and we're through,
Am I blue.
Am I Blue

The Travelers sang the last verse "Lordy, was I gay 'til today..."

Lyr. Add: Am I Blue
Bette Midler version

I'm just a woman, a lonely woman,
waiting on the weary shore.
I'm just a woman who's only human,
One you should feel sorry for.

Well, I woke up this morning along about dawn.
Without a warning I found that he was gone.
Why did he do it? How could he do it?
He'd never done it before.

Am I blue. Am I blue.
Ain't these tears in these eyes tellin' you?
Oh, am I blue? Well, I bet you would be, too,
If esch plan with your man done fell through.

There was a time I was his only one.
But now I'm the sad and lonely one.

Was I gay 'til today?
But now that man is gone,
He's gone and we are through.
Am I blue.

There was a time I was his only one.
But now, a now, now, now,
I'm the sad and lonely one.
Oh God, I'm lonely.

But I remember, Oh I remember when I was gay,
That was up until today,
'Cause now that man is gone,
He's gone and we are through,
Am I, am I, well, would you believe it if I told you I'm blue?

From Am I Blue

Lyr. Add: Am I Blue (parody)
Funny Lady Soundtrack- Fanny

Am I blue
Am I blue
Ain't these tears in these eyes telling you
Am I blue
You'd be too if each plan with your man
Done fell through
There was a time, I was his only one
But now I'm the sad and lonely one
Lonely
Was I gay
Till today
Now he's gone and we're through
Am I blue
There was a time, I was his only one
But now I'm the sad and lonely one
Oh lonely
Was I gay
Till today
Now he's gone and we're through
Now he's gone and we're through
Oh God, did you hear that note
It was given to me by my friend Grace Moore on my birthday
Oy, was she glad to get rid of it
Though
I think I give it to her back, or her front
Am I blue
Oy, is this thing heavy.

Am I Blue

Lyr. Add: Am I Blue
George Strait version

Chorus:
Am I blue
Yes I'm blue
It started the day I lost you
Nobody ever loved somebody like I do
Am I blue
Am I blue.

Just this mornin'
Over coffee
I sat there cryin'
cause you're gone, long gone
I didn't know just how much
I was gonna miss you
till I spent my first night alone
Am I blue
Yes I'm blue
How could I have been such a fool
Now look at all the misery I'm going through
Am I blue
Am I blue
Tried to call and say I'm sorry
I couldn't get you on the line
You'll never know just how much
I'm wishin' you would show up
and say you've changed your mind.

Chorus:

From Am I Blue
(unintentional parody)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Am I Blue
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 30 Aug 04 - 01:32 PM

Still looking for help on the next to last line of Ethel Waters, "Am I Blue." The MP3 is at the link provided.

Correction: Clark and Akst wrote the lyrics and published the sheet music in 1919. The musical was "On With the Show," with Ethel Waters.
Also in the show was "Birmingham Bertha."
Original sheet music lyrics:

Lyr. Add: Am I Blue
Clark and Akst, 1919

I'm just a woman, a lonely woman
Waitin' on the weary shore.-
I'm just a woman that's only human,
One you should be sorry for.-

Got up this mornin' along about dawn,-
Without a warnin' I found him gone.-
Why should he do it? How could he do it?
He never done it before.-

Chorus:
Am I blue? -
Am I blue? -
Ain't these tears in these eyes - tellin' you? -
Am I blue? -
You'd be too -
If each plan - with your man - done fell through.
Was a time - I was his only one, -
But now I'm - the sad and lonely one, -
"Lawdy," Was I gay? - till today, -
Now he's gone - and we're through, -
Am I blue? - Am I blue?

It's aggravatin' to stand here waitin'
Waitin' for a triflin' man. -
It set me hatin' to stand here waitin'
Suicide's my only plan. -
I think it's awful, his treatment of me, -
It's most unlawful how mean he can be -
I can't forget him, I'm bound to get him,
I'll run him down if I can.

Levy Sheet Music:
Am I Blue

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Am I Blue
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 31 Aug 04 - 09:32 AM

One of my favourite versions is the one by Jimmy Rushing. The words are, from memory, the same as the Billie Holliday version quoted by Q. That's the one I "sing".

RtS

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Am I Blue
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 01 Sep 04 - 11:43 PM

I can't get that last line either, but I do have some corrections to other lines in your Ethel Waters transcription:

Yet I'm in a jam, a terrible jam.

Oh, don't ask me am I blue
Why do you ask me am I blue?
Ain't these tears in these eyes telling you?
How can you ask me am I blue?
Why, wouldn't you be too,
If each plan with your man had [or "has"?] done fell through?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Am I Blue
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 02 Sep 04 - 02:05 AM

Thanks, Jim, I will listen again tomorrow.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Am I Blue
From: Brakn
Date: 02 Sep 04 - 05:40 AM

I couldn't make it out either.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Am I Blue
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 02 Sep 04 - 02:03 PM

Going over the last part of the Ethel Waters recording again-

Yet I'm In a jam- a terrible jam.

Oh, don't ask me am I blue
Why do you ask me am I blue?
Can't you see with these eyes telling you.
How can you ask me am I blue?
Why, wouldn't you be too,
If each plan with your man had done fell through.
And now I remember the time when I was his only one.
But look at me now,
I'm the sad and lonely one.
Oh, didn't I used to be gay,
Oh, 'til today,
Oh, I miss you now,
Am I blue.

My wife (from Georgia) suggested the next-to-last line. Any more suggestions?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Am I Blue
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 02 Sep 04 - 10:49 PM

What a great song - I'll produce the dots.

Regards, John

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Am I Blue
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 02 Sep 04 - 11:55 PM

Another recording, with Albury's Blues and Jazz Seven, is on line: Am I Blue with Albury
Not as good a recording, with some bad chorus work in the latter part. A few words changed. Recorded for a Vitaphone short in 1929.
The one I transcribed above also is on this site (Columbia 1837-D) recorded the same year.
A whole bunch of her solos, including "Birmingham Bertha" from the same show, can be had here; the song has a last section which integrates with "Am I Blue."

Also here are 23 of her recordings with her Jazz Masters. Tempting to download them all! Almost a 4cd box set free.   
Her "Down Home Blues" with the Jazz Masters can be compared with the same song recorded in 1921 with her Ebony Four on Black Swan. Recordings with two other groups also are in downloadable audio.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Am I Blue
From: wysiwyg
Date: 03 Sep 04 - 05:18 PM

refresh

Q, can you restate briefly what you are still looking for?

~S~

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Am I Blue
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 03 Sep 04 - 05:38 PM

I think I found it- The next-to-last line in Ethel Water's "Am I Blue?"
'Oh, I miss you now' is our hearing of it. (I first had it as 'Oh dear Lord, tonight' on the post at top of the thread).

When John in Brisbane produces the dots (thanks, John!) I will repost the song with the corrections by Jim Dixon and my wife.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Am I Blue
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 03 Sep 04 - 09:50 PM

Hi Q, it would save me a lot of re-work if you were to reconstruct the lyrics before I post the dots, cos I'll integrate the lyrics and chords in an ABC file plus (hopefully) a .NWC file. The aligning of lyrics is particularly tedious for ABC, even though the end result looks easy. This is my giggest bitch about ABC notation. Sooner or later there'll be a user friendly ABC editor but for the time being it's a PITA.

Regards, John

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Am I Blue
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 03 Sep 04 - 11:22 PM

(Corrected lyrics)

Lyr. Add: AM I BLUE
(Ethel Waters, 1929, Col. 1837-D)

I'm just a woman, a lonely woman,
Waiting on the weary shore;
I'm just a woman, that's only human,
One you should be sorry for.
Woke up this mornin' along about dawn,
Without a warnin' I found he was gone.
How could he do it? Why should he do it?
He never done it before.

Chorus:
Am I blue? Am I blue?
Ain't these tears in these eyes tellin' you?
Am I blue? Why, you'd be too,
If each plan with your man done fell through.
There was a time when I was his only one;
But now I'm- the sad and lonely one,
Lawdy! Was I gay? Until today,
Now he's gone and we're through,
Am I blue.

I know it! He's in Chicago
And I'm down here in Birmin'ham;
Tryin' to git the money
To go and find my honey,
I am- Yes, indeed I am.
I've got the blues in my heart
And my shoes want to start
Yet I'm in a jam. A terrible jam!

Oh don't ask me am I blue,
Why do you ask me am I blue?
Can't you see with these eyes telling you.
How can you ask me am I blue?
Why, wouldn't you be too;
If each plan with your man had done fell through.
Don't I remember the time when I was his only one,
But look at me now,
I'm the sad and lonely one.
Oh, didn't I use to be gay,
Oh, 'til today,
Oh, I miss you now,
Am I blue!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Am I Blue
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 04 Nov 04 - 10:15 AM

Refresh, some outstanding homework for me to do.