Lyr Req: Framer's Blues (Eli Framer)

Subject: Lyr Req: Eli Framer lyrics
From: Nickhere
Date: 12 Oct 06 - 08:47 PM

Just wondering if anyone has (or has heard of someplace I could get) lyrics for a 1920s blues guitarist called Eli Framer? He had a song called (unsurprisingly) "Framer's Blues". I've tried all the usual sites (lyrics.com etc,) but maybe someone out there has heard the same song and noted down the lyrics (his voice is hard to decipher) and might also have chord/ key notation.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Eli Framer lyrics
From: Joe Offer
Date: 13 Oct 06 - 07:31 PM

Well, I thought our best bet would be a book chock full of blues lyrics called Talkin' to Myself: Blues Lyrics, 1921-1942, by Michael Taft (1983, 2005). But no cigar - no Eli Framer lyrics at all in that book.
Maybe somebody can wake up Roger in Baltimore and see if he knows.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: Lyr Add: FRAMER'S BLUES (Eli Framer)
From: GUEST,Richie
Date: 13 Oct 06 - 08:14 PM

LYR ADD: Framer's Blues

Well I'm going to the river, stand there by myself,
Said I'm going to the river baby, stand there by myself,
Said I'm going to the river babe cause (I) don't want nobody else.

Said if it weren't for my mother, *been this girl I love
Said if it weren't for my mother, baby, been this girl I love,
Give my body to the fishes, soul to (the) Lord above.             *onliest girl I love.

Said my Mama fuss at me when I young and wild
Said my Mama fuss at me when I young and wild
Well you oughta consider Ma, (Lord,) you done been a child.

Well I ain't gonna marry baby, I swear I ain't (gonna) settle down
Well I ain't gonna marry baby, I swear I ain't (gonna) settle down
So I'll stay round here baby and I (cain't turn) these good brown down.

[changes from standard blues here]
Said these blue gonna kill me baby, and ah, take my measure, smiling down Lord
Blue gonna kill me baby take my measure down
Said these blue gonna kill me baby take my measure down.

Ain't (no) change in the ocean, (no) change in the deep blue sea.
Ain't (no) change in the ocean, (no) change in the deep blue sea,
Say you take me back baby find no change in me.

Said I follow my rider baby to the burying ground,
Said I follow my rider baby to the burying ground,
Say easy preacher, let her boy down.

In this transcription, I've added words in parenthesis to make the lyrics clearer. For example when Eli means to sing, "Ain't no change in the ocean," the no is barely audible and left out completely before "change in the deep blue sea."

Richie

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Eli Framer lyrics
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Oct 06 - 08:34 PM

The following is from a google of

done gone » 2006 » May


"Framer plays the song in standard tuning, E position. I've transcribed the lyrics below and definitely had some trouble in spots, denoted by square brackets.

Framer's Blues - Eli Framer

Well I'm going to the river, sit down there by my self
Said I'm going to the river, baby, going to sit down there by myself
Thought of the one I love, don't want nobody else

Said, it weren't for my mother and this girl I love
Said, it wasn't for my mother, baby, and this girl I love
Hear my [] [suspicion], [] [] lord above

Said my mama [busted] me when I was young and wild
Said my mama [busted] me when I was young and wild
[] you ought to consider mama, lord, you done been a child

Girl, I ain't going to marry, babe, I swear I ain't going to settle down
Said I ain't going to marry, babe, I swear I ain't going to settle down
Send my babe around here until we going to [] [] good brown down

If the blues going to kill me baby, take my measure, now n-now lord
Blues going to kill me baby, take my measure now
Said the blues going to kill me baby, take my measure now

There's a change in the ocean, mama, change in the deep blue sea
There's a change in the ocean, mama, change in the deep blue sea
Say you take me back, baby, find no change in me

If I follow my rider, baby, to her burying ground
If I follow my rider, baby, to her burying ground
Say "Easy, preacher, let her body down." "

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Eli Framer lyrics
From: GUEST,Richie
Date: 13 Oct 06 - 09:00 PM

Thanks for posting the lyrics.

I think the first verse is right, mine isn't:

Well I'm going to the river, sit down there by myself
Said I'm going to the river, baby, going to sit down there bymyself
Thought of the one I love, don't want nobody else

I think the second verse is right as:

Said, it weren't for my mother and this girl I love
Said, it wasn't for my mother, baby, and this girl I love
Give my body to the fishes, soul to (the) Lord above.

Since I sing similar lyrics and have other versions I think the third line is right.

I left the d off on the last verse:

Said I follow my rider baby to the burying ground,
Said I follow my rider baby to the burying ground,
Say easy preacher, let her body down.

The fifth verse goes into a vamp that adds a couple extra measures then goes back to the normal blues pattern for the end of the verse. The rest is regular.

Hope this helps.

Richie

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Eli Framer lyrics
From: Nickhere
Date: 17 Oct 06 - 05:09 PM

Nice one, many thanks to Joe, Richie and Guest. I'm delighted to finally be able to put the lyrics to the tune on guitar instead of mumbling some psuedo-lyrics of my own!