Lyr Req: Walking in My Sleep (Prairie Ramblers)

Subject: Lyr Add: WALKIN' IN MY SLEEP (Casey Bill Weldon)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 29 Sep 09 - 06:22 PM

This should fill in the gaps of Stewie's transcription.

Here's my transcription from the recording by Casey Bill Weldon at YouTube:


WALKIN' IN MY SLEEP

CHORUS: Walkin' in my sleep,
Walkin' in my sleep,
Wasn't makin' no 'fore-day creep;
I's walkin' in my sleep.

The gal I love lives across the hall (with no clothes on).
I dreamed another mule was kickin' in my stall (with no clothes on).
Oh, walkin' in my sleep begins (with no clothes on).
The door wasn't locked and I walked in (with no clothes on). CHORUS

That gal did scream and by heck (with no clothes on),
When I got on the street, I had the window round my neck (with no clothes on).
I had to run, 'cause I just couldn't stand (with no clothes on).
It's a cop behind me, with a gun in his hand (with no clothes on). CHORUS

They took me to the county jail (with no clothes on).
I had nobody to go my bail (with no clothes on).
The judge said, "I oughta give you life (with no clothes on).
What you doin' in the room with this man's wife (with no clothes on)?" CHORUS TWICE

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Walking in My Sleep (Prairie Ramblers)
From: Richie
Date: 28 Sep 09 - 07:35 AM

Hi,

This appears to be a cover of Casey Bill Weldon's 1937 version:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZDPGxI7o7I

Does anyone have the lyrics to Fiddlin' Arthur Smith's version or other early versions?

Do most of the bluegrass versions come from Alice and Hazel's 1965 recording?

Richie

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Prairie Ramblers Walking in my Sleep
From: GutBucketeer
Date: 27 Oct 04 - 10:42 AM

I listened to the song again very carefully and hear the following in the version I have:

At the end the first line of several of the Choruses someone adds a filler:

Chorus 1 - Walkin' in my sleep
Chorus 2 - Walkin' in my sleep (little baby)
Chorus 3 - Walkin' in my sleep (Oh Mammie)
Chorus 4&5 - Walkin' in my sleep

The line:
The judge said, 'Order! [here's Eli ]
sound like:
The judge said, 'Oughta, give ya life'

Again, Great job Stewie and thanks a lot

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Prairie Ramblers Walking in my Sleep
From: GutBucketeer
Date: 14 Oct 04 - 12:25 AM

Stewie:

You are truly amazing! I hear the same thing where you have the brackets. I've just discovered the early Prairie Home Ramblers, Bill Boyd, Bill Nettles, etc. that seem to combine Jug Band, western swing, jazz, and other influences that existed at the time and before they were locked into set genres. I love the stuff!

JAB

Subject: Lyr Add: WALKING IN MY SLEEP (the Prairie Ramblers
From: Stewie
Date: 13 Oct 04 - 07:10 PM

Jim, the expression you are looking for is "'fore day creep". See Ida Cox's 1927 recording 'Fore Day Creep [Pm 12488] - often given erroneously as 'Four Day Creep'. Refers to nocturnal [pre-dawn] excursions of a sexual nature. Ida Cox sang:

And I'm gonna buy me a bulldog to watch my man while he sleeps
I'm gonna buy me a bulldog to watch my man while he sleeps
Men are so doggone crooked, afraid he might make a 'fore day creep

Below is my transcription of the Prairie Ramblers recording. I am not sure of the bits in square brackets.

WALKING IN MY SLEEP

Chorus:
Walkin' in my sleep
Walkin' in my sleep
Wasn't makin' no 'fore day creep
While walkin' in my sleep

The gal I love lives across the hall
With no clothes on
I seen another mule kickin' in my stall
With no clothes on

Oh walkin' in my sleep, [beginning]
The door wasn't locked
And I walked in
With no clothes on

Chorus

The gal did scream and by heck
With no clothes on
When I got on the street, I had the wind around my neck
With no clothes on

I had to run, I just couldn't stand
With no clothes on
There's a cop behind me, had a gun in his hand
With no clothes on

Chorus

They took me to the county jail
With no clothes on
I had nobody to go my bail
With no clothes on

The judge said, 'Order! [here's Eli ]
With no clothes on
What you doin' in the room with this man's wife?
With no clothes on

Chorus (x2)

Source: transcription of The Prairie Ramblers ' Walking in my sleep' Vo 04010, recorded 25 February 1938 in Chicago.   Reissued on The Prairie Ramblers 'Swingin' Down the Old Orchard Lane' Bronco Buster CD9038.

--Stewie.

Subject: Lyr Req: Prairie Ramblers Walking in my Sleep
From: GutBucketeer
Date: 13 Oct 04 - 03:18 PM

I've been trying to figure out the lyrics to the Prairie Ramblers version of "Walking in My Sleep" for some time. Their version also seems to have different lyrics than posted in a related thread some time ago and others I have found. It tells a story about a guy walking into his girlfriends room in his sleep "with no clothes on". Her husband is there, so he runs out into the street "with no clothes on". The cops chase him, he ends up in jail "with no clothes on". It really is quite funny.


I just can't make out the chorus and several of the versus from the recording that I have.

It sounds something like:

Walkin in my sleep,
Walkin in my sleep,
Wasn't going to take a four day trip
Walkin in my sleep.

As you can tell the band also sings "With no clothes on" throughout the song.

Can someone help, and post the lyrics? If you have the chords and can post them too, that would be like putting icing on the cake.

Thanks

Gutbucketeer
aka Jim Bunch