Lyr Req: Match Box Blues (Blind Lemon Jefferson)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Match Box Blues (Blind Lemon Jefferson)
From: Mark Ross
Date: 07 Apr 15 - 12:23 PM

Lead Belly used that verse as part of his BLACK SNAKE MOAN.


Mark Ross

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Match Box Blues (Blind Lemon Jefferson)
From: GUEST,#
Date: 07 Apr 15 - 12:16 PM

I heard Lonnie do that live. He was a wonderful singer, guitarist and person. I think too often that blues songs 'fail' because the singers don't know what they're really singing about. The Perkins rendition is a disaster: rock-a-billy my Aunt Mehitabel's petunias. It's bad blues.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Match Box Blues (Blind Lemon Jefferson)
From: PHJim
Date: 07 Apr 15 - 11:53 AM

This is one of those verses that appears in many old blues. I first heard it on a Lonnie Johnson record where Lonnie sang:

I'm sittin' here wonderin' will a matchbox hold my clothes
Yes I'm sittin' here wonderin' will a matchbox hold my clothes
Well I ain't got so many, but I sure got a long way to go.

This always made perfect sense to me. I ain't got so many clothes; so few that they might fit in a matchbox.
Then I heard the "I ain't got so many matches..." line, probably from Carl Perkins, which does not make any sense. A shortage of clothes seems more logical than a shortage of matches.

If you want a really garbled version, listen to the Beatles sing this song.
Beatles Matchbox

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Match Box Blues (Blind Lemon Jefferson)
From: GUEST,#
Date: 07 Apr 15 - 08:57 AM

It means ya have very few clothes.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Match Box Blues (Blind Lemon Jefferson)
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Apr 15 - 06:01 PM

someone explain what match box hold my cloths means please
thanks

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Match Box Blues (Blind Lemon Jefferson)
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 09 Oct 14 - 07:16 PM

stewie - what a bum i was - thankyou for your efforts!

Subject: Lyr Add: MATCH BOX BLUES (Blind Lemon Jefferson)
From: Stewie
Date: 23 Jul 05 - 11:16 PM

Blind Lemon did a recording of it for Okeh in March 1927 and two takes for Paramount in April 1927. Some stanzas are modified and appear in different order in these takes. Given the 'river' stanza you refer to above, it looks like you are after the Okeh recording:

MATCH BOX BLUES

I'm goin' to the river goin' walk down by the sea
I'm goin' to the river, walk down by the sea
I've got those tadpoles and minnows eyein' over me

Standin' here wonderin' will a matchbox hold my clothes
I was settin' here wonderin' will a matchbox hold my clothes
I ain't got so many matches but I got so far to go

Lord, mama, who may your manager be
Hey hey mama, who may your manager be
Reason I ask so many questions can't you make 'rangements for me

I got a girl 'cross town she crochet all the time
I got a girl 'cross town, crochet all the time
Baby if you don't quit crochetin' you're gon' lose your mind

I wouldn't mind marryin' but I can't stand settlin' down
I don't mind marryin' but, Lord, settlin' down
I'm gon' act like a preacher so I can ride from town to town

I'm leavin' town; cryin' won't make me stay
I'm leavin' town, eeee! cryin' won't make me stay
Baby, the more you cry, the further you drive me away


Transcription of 'Match Box Blues' as recorded by Blind Lemon Jefferson on 14 March 1927 and issued as Okeh 8455.

Transcription by Jeff Todd Titon in 'Early Down Home Blues' Uni of Nth Carolina Press 2nd edition 1994, pp 34-35.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: lyric required Matchbox Blues by BLJ
From: Tannywheeler
Date: 23 Jul 05 - 07:51 PM

Don't know about BLJ, but there's a Willie Dixon (sp?) song similar to the Perkins words. Haven't heard it in a long time. Jazz clarinetist in Austin (name of Stan Smith) used to do it. Not sure how to reach him right now. Sorry I can't be more help. Keep trying.    Tw

Subject: RE: lyric required Matchbox Blues by BLJ
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 23 Jul 05 - 06:48 PM

come on, i was expecting to be inundated with brilliant insights by bluesologists hither and thus

Come on BLJ fans there must be hundreds of you out there.

all the best

big al whittle

Subject: RE: lyric required Matchbox Blues by BLJ
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 23 Jul 05 - 04:00 PM

thanks for your efforts. I found those.

I remember three verses of it, but to be frank it means damn all to me. Unfortunately the only bit of it that made any impression on me was when Hamish Imlach played it on guitar - the guitar part I remember well! which incidentally sounds sod all like BLJ, but what the hell - I've been playing it for forty years this way I'm buggered if I'm changing at this advanced period in the state of my evolution.

i used to have Sam Charters record with it on and it went:-

I'm going by the river, going right by the sea X2
Get so damn cold living, I guess you know what I mean
(kind of ironic as they found BLJ's body in the streets after a snow storm)
Matchbox verse

then something like

Tell me honey, who may your manager be X2
and another line I've forgotten

altogether a more sinister piece than Carl's cut and paste rockabilly thing. But then a sinister character altogether - he treated Josh White, the little boy leading him around, like shit.

apparently phenomenally successful as a recording artist. Seriously I would welcome ideas, and insights and thoughts on the matter and the lyrics of course.

all the best

Big Al Whittle

Subject: Lyr Add: MATCHBOX (Carl Perkins)
From: Peace
Date: 23 Jul 05 - 03:33 PM

I have to leave soon. If the Perkin's lyrics will do until someone comes up with BLJ's, here ya go.

Matchbox Lyrics

Well I'm sitting here wondering, will a matchbox hold my clothes
Yeah I'm sitting here wondering, will a matchbox hold my clothes
I ain't got no matches, but I got a long way to go

I'm an ol' poor boy and a long way from home
I'm an ol' poor boy and a long way from home
Guess I'll never be happy, eveything I do is wrong, yeah

Well let me be your little dog, 'till your big dog comes
Let me be your little dog, 'till your big dog comes
When the big dog gets here, show him what this little puppy done

Yeah I'm sitting here wondering, will a matchbox hold my clothes
Yeah I'm sitting here wondering, will a matchbox hold my clothes
I ain't got no matches, got a long way to go
Let 'er go boy, go, go!

Subject: RE: lyric required Matchbox Blues by BLJ
From: Peace
Date: 23 Jul 05 - 03:24 PM

Tabs here--it's right this time.

Subject: RE: lyric required Matchbox Blues by BLJ
From: Peace
Date: 23 Jul 05 - 03:15 PM

It was recorded by BLJ in the late 1920s. Can't locate the lyrics just now. However, Carl Perkins did a version of it and lyrics are readily available for his rendition. He titled it, "Matchbox".

Subject: RE: lyric required Matchbox Blues by BLJ
From: Peace
Date: 23 Jul 05 - 03:07 PM

SORRY. That's Prison Cell Blues. SORRY. I misread the link. I'll keep lookin'. SORRY.

Subject: RE: lyric required Matchbox Blues by BLJ
From: Peace
Date: 23 Jul 05 - 03:05 PM

Lyrics here.

Subject: RE: lyric required Matchbox Blues by BLJ
From: Peace
Date: 23 Jul 05 - 03:01 PM

Tabs on this link. Will look for chords, WLD.

Subject: lyric required Matchbox Blues by BLJ
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 23 Jul 05 - 07:52 AM

As well the lyrics - anybody who can offer me some insight into some of the verses, their comments would be most welcome

big al whittle