|
05 Dec 07 - 11:30 AM (#2209169) Subject: Lyr Req: Southern Casey Jones From: Roberto Please help with the text of this magnificent recording, Southern Casey Jones, by "Jesse James", 1936. Please, someone to check, correct and complete the text. Thanks. R I heard the people say Casey Jones can't run l'm 'on' tell you what the poor boy done: Left Cincinnati 'bout half past nine Got to Newport News 'fore dinner time 'Fore dinner time, at 'fore dinner time Got to Newport News 'fore dinner time Now Casey Jones said before he died He'd fix the road so a bum couldn't ride And if he ride he had to ride the rod Rest his heart in the hand of God Hand of God, in the hand of God And rest his heart in the hand of God Now li'l gal say: "Mama it's that a fact Papa got killed on the I. C. track" "Yes, yes, honey, but hold your breath Git that money from your daddy's death From your daddy's death, from your daddy's death You'll get money your daddy's death Lord, your daddy's death, from your daddy's death You'll get money your daddy's death When the news reached town Casey Jones was dead Women went home and re-ragged in red Slipping and sliding across the street With their loose mother hubbard and their stocking feet Stocking feet, stocking feet Loose mother hubbard and their stocking feet Now Casey Jones went from place to place 'Nother train hit his train right in the face People got off, Casey Jones stayed on Nat'al born eastman, but he dead and gone Dead and gone, he's dead and gone He's a nat'al born eastman, but he's dead and gone. Here come the biggest boy coming right from school Holl'ing and crying like a doggone fool: "Look here, mama, now that papa dead Women go home and re-ragged in red ..................children (?) in their evening gown Following papa to the burying ground To the burying ground, to the burying ground Following papa down to the burying ground" "Now tell the truth, mama" he said "it's that a fact Papa got killed on the I. C. track" "Quit crying, boy, and don't do that You've got another daddy on the same durn track On the same track, on the same track Say you've got another daddy on the same track" |
|
05 Dec 07 - 01:42 PM (#2209253) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Southern Casey Jones From: Peace http://www.dylan61.se/MTBluesJ_L/Michael%20Taft,%20Blues%20Anthology%20with%20Index%20by%20Artist%20J-L.htm#_Toc71651203 http://www.dylan61.se/MTBluesJ_L/Michael%20Taft,%20Blues%20Anthology%20with%20Index%20by%20Artist%20J-L.htm#_Toc71651203 |
|
05 Dec 07 - 06:02 PM (#2209453) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Southern Casey Jones From: GUEST,Hootenanny Roberto, your version seems pretty well accurate to me, more so than the words on the site referred to by Peace. The words missing in the penultimate verse I have always heard as: No good shoes and their evening gowns The opening I have always heard as: A lot of people say Casey Jones Can't run Second verse; so a bum could ride Haven't heard it for a few years but had the 78 for a long long time, one of the greats. Hoot |
|
05 Dec 07 - 07:07 PM (#2209505) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Southern Casey Jones From: Stewie Roberto, I don't think it is 're-ragged in red'. Sounds to me more like 'now they're out in red'. I agree with Hoot - 'no good shoes' and 'a bum could ride' - but, like you, I hear 'I heard the people say'. --Stewie. |
|
05 Dec 07 - 09:47 PM (#2209571) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Southern Casey Jones From: Q (Frank Staplin) Of the many versions, that by Jessie James is one of the most unusual. For comparison, here are a couple of verses from other versions. From Furry Lewis: Lord, some people said Mister Casey couldn't run, Let me tell you what Mister Casey done; He left Memphis, was a quarter to nine, Got to Newport News, it was dinner time; It was dinner time, Got to Newport News, it was dinner time. It uses a partial chorus, On the road again, I'm a natural born eastman, on the road again. Possibly Cornelius Steen. On a Sunday mornin' it begin to rain, Around the curve he spied a passenger train; On the pilot lay poor Jimmie Jones, Dead and gone, oh, he's dead and gone; He's a good old porter but he's dead and gone. Versions like that sung by Jesse James show the hand of the Black railroad worker; they are quite different from the standard versions. Verses above from Norm Cohen, "Long Steel Rail." |
|
06 Dec 07 - 02:58 AM (#2209673) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Southern Casey Jones From: Roberto Thank you. Now I think the text can be set this way: I heard the people say Casey Jones can't run I'm 'on' tell you what the poor boy done: Left Cincinnati 'bout half past nine Got to Newport News 'fore dinner time 'Fore dinner time, at 'fore dinner time Got to Newport News 'fore dinner time Now Casey Jones said before he died He'd fix the road so a bum could ride And if he ride he had to ride the rod Rest his heart in the hand of God Hand of God, in the hand of God And rest his heart in the hand of God Now li'l gal say: "Mama it's that a fact Papa got killed on the I. C. track" "Yes, yes, honey, but hold your breath Git that money from your daddy's death From your daddy's death, from your daddy's death You'll get money your daddy's death Lord, your daddy's death, from your daddy's death You'll get money your daddy's death When the news reached town Casey Jones was dead Women went home and now they're out in red Slipping and sliding across the street With their loose mother-hubbard and their stocking feet Stocking feet, stocking feet Loose mother-hubbard and their stocking feet Now Casey Jones went from place to place 'Nother train hit his train right in the face People got off, Casey Jones stayed on Nat'al born eastman, but he dead and gone Dead and gone, he's dead and gone He's a nat'al born eastman, but he's dead and gone. Here come the biggest boy coming right from school Holl'ing and crying like a doggone fool: "Look here, mama, now that papa dead Women go home and now they're out in red No good shoes and their evening gowns Following papa to the burying ground To the burying ground, to the burying ground Following papa down to the burying ground" "Now tell the truth, mama" he said "it's that a fact Papa got killed on the I. C. track" "Quit crying, boy, and don't do that You've got another daddy on the same durn track On the same track, on the same track Say you've got another daddy on the same track" |
|
22 Nov 12 - 03:59 PM (#3440626) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Southern Casey Jones From: GUEST,Hylda Just one amendment - not 'eastman' but 'easeman' : 'a natural born easeman' i.e he don't work that hard...the phrase occurs in one or two other songs of the period |