Pedro Mendes 6 months ago
ActivityRank: 32

Hey dudes! Anyway, whenever I enjoy a certain song, I want to know it's lyrics. That can be hard for fans of old blues songs, since so much little is avaliable online, and much of what is avaliable can be incorrect. So I started transcripting some lyrics I noticed did not have any online lyrics avaliable. They are quite advanced lyrics, but still lack some parts. I would love some help completing them
They are:
Cave Man Blues, by Memphis Jug Band: http://freetexthost.com/myz5re4upc
Move That Thing, by Memphis Jug Band: http://freetexthost.com/eyyhn30p2o
Hard Pushin' Papa, by Blind Blake: http://freetexthost.com/fw6jtd1d4n

I searched the internet for them and didn't find any, but if you do, I'd love to hear about already existant lyrics.

jrewald 6 months ago
ActivityRank: 68

We are looking for Charley Patton "Going to Alabama" lyrics. Can't find them anywhere.

therailroadguy 6 months ago
ActivityRank: 30

Hello All,

New here,but I hope this will help out on the lyrics search:

Cave Man Blues,one of those "Challenge Songs" as I call them,this one is much like Memphis Minnie's
"What's A Matter With The Mill"

http://www.humpnightthumpers.com/songs/Cave%20Man%20Blues.pdf

therailroadguy 6 months ago
ActivityRank: 30

Check these lyrics out for Blind Blake"s "Hard Pushin Pappa" :


I come to town and I come to stay
Better watch out women when I come your way
'Cause I'm a hard pushing papa, I don't know when to stop
"Cause I'm a hard pushing papa, push you until you drop

Listen all you fellas, I beg to state
Break up your loving and haul your freight
'Cause I'm a hard pushing papa, don't know when to stop
"Cause I'm a hard pushing papa, push you until you drop

Three years [pullman porter?] never lost a bet
Three years in jail and I ain't done yet
'Cause I'm a hard pushing papa, don't know when to stop
"Cause I'm a hard pushing papa, push you until you drop

If you want to fight you soon will see
A cat and dog ain't got a thing on me
I'm a hard pushing papa, don't know when to stop
"Cause I'm a hard pushing papa, push you until you drop

I'm rough and tumble, I never been to school
Nobody can beat me 'cause I break all the rules
'Cause I'm a hard pushing papa, don't know when to stop
"Cause I'm a hard pushing papa, push you until you drop

Take my liquor standing up, my women sitting down
Man cross my path I'm gonna run him out of town
'Cause I'm a hard pushing papa, don't know when to stop
"Cause I'm a hard pushing papa, push you until you drop

Never use a razor, pistol [lies to the side?]
But take one look at a man and he lays down and dies
Said I'm a hard pushing papa, don't know when to stop
I'm a hard pushing papa, push you until you drop

Don't get scared, sweet mama, what I tell you is true
You'll like my South Street jelly roll in you
'Cause I'm a hard pushing papa, don't know when to stop
"Cause I'm a hard pushing papa, push you until you drop

jrewald 6 months ago
ActivityRank: 68

Great post!

Welcome to the board - I hope we hear more from you!

Still looking for those Patton lyrics.....

therailroadguy 6 months ago
ActivityRank: 30

Thanks for the welcome there,jrewald.I am bot nor do I claim to be a Charley Patton authority,but I may have a clue as to why your search for these lyrics has proven difficult.Is it possible that the title of the song you seek is actually "Going To Move To Alabama" which Patton recorded in 1929?

I know some claim this is the first "Rock and Roll" song and given the upbeat tempo and hard to understand lyrics,I suppose this "first" claim has some validity.

Here is the link to this "Going To Move To Alabama",give this one a listen and see if this is indeed the song you are seeking the lyrics for:

http://charleypatton.skyrock.com/2448082221-Going-To-Move-To-Alabama-1929-Grafton.html

jrewald 6 months ago
ActivityRank: 68

Yes, that is the song!

However, I can't find the lyrics for it anywhere online. I see a bunch of people advertising it, but no one has the lyrics.

I guess the search continues.....

therailroadguy 6 months ago
ActivityRank: 30

Yes,I am afraid you are right on the "search continues" as this seems to be one of the more elusive songs in regards to written lyrics of all the songs that Patton recorded.Some folks have suggested that all one has to do is listen and transcribe the lyrics as the song plays.Apparently those who make this suggestion have not listened to
Patton's recordings,as indeed he was never noted as being an icon of clarity and diction with the songs he recorded.The refrain in this "Going To Move To Alabama" being a prime example of this,with parts of the refrain
bordering on more of a slurred moan with faint allusions to words.

When one examines the story behind this song,there is a rather fascinating history behind this song.A history involving Kansas City,medicine shows,Hank Williams and Bill Hayley and the early days of Rock N Roll.Plus a changing variety of destinations with various versions that were recorded in successive years.

http://www.earlyblues.com/essay_catfish.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Jackson%27s_Kansas_City_Blues

jrewald 6 months ago
ActivityRank: 68

Yeah, I was afraid of that. I spent part of yesterday listening to the song on repeat, and sometimes I hear one word, sometimes another... and sometimes just moaning and groaning.

It is not easy to transcribe. I did find an interesting site though - I don't have the address handy - where you can request this guy to get the lyrics for you. He keeps a tally of what is requested, and does his best to track them down. The thing is, I know those lyrics are out there somewhere.

I look forward to reading about the story behind the song, and posting it on the blog. I will be sure to give you credit as well.

THanks for your help, thanks for posting, and I hope we can find those lyrics!

therailroadguy 6 months ago
ActivityRank: 30

I certainly thank you for your thoughtfulness in giving me credit on the story behind this song in this forthcoming blog.However ,I do request that you give the folks that did the actual research and wrote the articles full credit for their efforts.I realize the Wiki article's author would be difficult to ascertain,but the Max Haymes article certainly lends his authorship to full recognition and credit.

Haymes by the way is the author of "Railroadin' Some:Railroads In The Early Blues" which details the development of the railroads and how this development contributed to the evolution and rising popularity of the Blues.Early Country music had a very similar parallel development and advent of popularity with the rise of the railroads.In fact I have found in all my years of research into the origins of early Country music that the Blues and Country share remarkably intertwined historical origins,i.e. it is virtually impossible to research one genre's history without delving into the other genre's history.

Two such examples of this interwined relationship can be found in the music of Han Williams Sr and Chuck Berry.Hank Williams,growing up in the South Alabama small towns of Georgiana and Greenville,received his
musical education from one Rufus 'Teetot' Payne,a Black street musician, who learned his musical trade as a youngster on the streets of New Orleans."Teetot" taught Hank how to play a guitar and how to project himself and hold a crowd's attention.
The second example id that of Chuck Berry who often played a song he titled "Ida Mae"."Ida Mae" was actually a cover of an old Texas fiddle song made popular by the dean of Texas Swing,Bob Wills,under the traditional title of "Ida Red".Chick Berry of course recorded "Ida Mae" in the mid-50's,but at the insistence of Leonard Chess,retitled this song 'Maybelline' ,as Chess felt like "Ida Mae" was too country sounding for the Chess label.

jrewald 6 months ago
ActivityRank: 68

I would definitely give credit to those that did the actual research and write up, but you can't stop me from giving credit to you for the inspiration. I don't know when I will publish the story, but I am sure I will get to it sooner or later.

I agree with the country vs. blues assertion. While I try to focus my blog and this forum on blues related topics, it is quite amazing how they intertwine. It's almost like one can't escape the other. There are quite a few artists in blues that learned from country - actually, it was common for the early bluesmen to play popular songs of the time, not just their own home grown blues. From what I have heard, it was quite common to see a blues performer belting out popular country tunes of the times. If this is true, it is obvious that country worked its way into the blues genre - as almost everything the old masters heard and played influenced their own music greatly.

As far as the other way around, I think that it is just as evident in today's country genre the influence the blues have had. Often times the Blues Scale is used in both rock and country, and the simple 8 bar blues has been transformed and tweaked into a number of country classics.

I like the story about Chess. I actually have the movie Cadillac Records, though not the most historically correct movie, it was still pretty good. Not better than Crossroads with Ralph Machio though!

therailroadguy 6 months ago
ActivityRank: 30

I certainly await this article with much anticipation,jrewald.

jrewald 6 months ago
ActivityRank: 68

Thank you!

I have a backlog of stories currently, but it is definitely one I will be working on.

Thanks for the support!

therailroadguy 6 months ago
ActivityRank: 30

Glad to hear of this backlog,Jrewald,as such a backlog represents and abundance of material with which to work with rather than a dearth of material from which to develop these stories.

This raises a related question of how does one go about opening new topics here on the Forum?I have looked and do not see the means to post new topics here on the Forum.I am thinking that topics relating to time and place might garner more participation .In particular a topic related to the very influential 1920's in relation to the development of the Blues via the emergence of recording technology might attract more members.Place topics
are another field where we see various cultures being exposed to each other in New Orleans,Texas,Memphis and in the post WW-II era,Chicago.

Another topic idea might encompass the theme of what is old is new again,where songs first recorded back in the pivotal 20's have been "covered" or reintroduced to audiences in later decades,with the latter day audience having no idea that a considerable number songs on the Top 40 charts had origins during the 1930's.The recordings of the group "Canned Heat" in the late 60's being one such example,with their cover of Henry Thomas's "Bull Doze Blues"(192 ,which "Canned Heat" titled "Going Up The Country"This group in fact took it's name from yet another old Blues song ,Tommy Johnson's 1928 recording of "Canned Heat"

jrewald 6 months ago
ActivityRank: 68

Yes, I try to keep a backlog so that way I can publish new content on the fly. I do my best to publish a new article on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

To open a new topic, if you click on the "Forum" button at the top of the page, or rather, look under the big Orange "FORUM" block in the banner - you should see options to post a new topic. If you think we should start breaking out categories, we can do that too. Since you are one of the most vocal on here, any ideas you may have I have no problem to put into fruition.

I can even make you an administrator, which would give you the ability to add categories as well as topics, etc. Let me know if this sounds like an option to you.

I like your ideas! Anything to help the forum kind of get a jump start, and start attracting more users.

Thanks!

therailroadguy 5 months ago
ActivityRank: 30

Thanks for the information Jrewald.I especisally appreciate the offer of administrative rights,but will defer this role ,as all this is your project and I certainly did not spend the time and effort that you have in order to make all this happen.

I did try clicking on both the "Forum" button at the top of the page and the Orange block and neither place opens any such options for posting new topics.Perhaps that is one idea I can propose,that the forum be made easier to navigate in regards to posting new topics.

In regard to additional categories,I would think categories addressing such things as Blues history,Blues towns and locations and the categories along the lines of the "types" of Blues such as Country Blues,Delta Blues and Urban Blues would offer the visitors more venues to post their contributions in.Let's not forget also the possibilities of the time type categories,either pre-WW-II Blues and post WW-II blues or categories related to the respective Blues decades ,i.e. the 1920's,30's etc.

Since I am brainstorming here other categories could include a "Who influenced Who" category as I am always running across these influence references,Blind Lemon Jefferson influencing Lightnin Hopkins being one example,Champion Jack Dupree influencing Professor Longhair another example.And a category on the very roots of the Blues is another category,as I often find references that extend to Africa and European traditions
being very operative in what came to be known as the Blues and for that matter Country music.Just look at the tradition of the African griot and the balladeers of the British Isles to get an idea where this category could lead.

I know there are several forums on the net that delve into the history and development of the recording industry
and yet other forums are devoted to the history and emergence of radio.Perhaps a Technology History category
would be of interest as admittedly there was quite a competition between these two technologies as they developed and the battle for record buyers or listeners propelled both industries to seek competitive innovations
in this battle.

jrewald 5 months ago
ActivityRank: 68

Yeah, I think the option is for a new Thread, and it is actually UNDER the orange block.... You should see a little menu there with some options....

I think I may have to set up the categories. Let me give it some thought. My initial reaction was to keep the categories to a minimum until we had enough members of the forum to warrant breaking them up. However,I do agree- they are definitely in need of some more organization.

Look for it to come soon, and keep those suggestions coming!

therailroadguy 5 months ago
ActivityRank: 30

Ok looked\tried again and there is no such menu under the orange block nor is this menu apparent by clicking on the orange block.It may have something to do with user permissions,i.e. you as administrator can see this menu where other members with lesser permissions can not.

I agree that creating a large number of new categories and topics without "substance" would be an exercise in futility,insofar as getting more members to participate on the Forum. I define the term "substance" as categories
and topics that actually have a topic starter to get the conversation started in a particular topic.

Take for example starting a topic on "The Story Behind The Song".Here the started could be a song such as "The Midnight Special",a traditional song,a prison song,a train song and like many traditional songs,one that has many versions distinguished by differing lyrics over the years.Just look at the Delmore Brothers version vs the Leadbelly version vs the Stony and Wilma Lee Cooper version vs the John Fogerty CCR version and so on.To ad to the merriment here,this song also appears under other titles,such as "Defuniac Blues" as recorded by John Lomax during a Florida song gathering trip,this being only one ,but by no means all retitled versions of this
"Midnight Special"
The above being but one example of a the starter substance for one of the categories and related topics.

Pedro Mendes 5 months ago
ActivityRank: 32

You still having issues with creating topics?
See: http://imgur.com/xqIoZ.png
Quite easy.

therailroadguy 5 months ago
ActivityRank: 30

pedrorm,I know you are trying to be helpful here and I extend a big thanks your way.However ,I am not seeing the same things as you are based on the screen cap you posted a link to.Just to clarify things I am posting a link to a screen cap that I made but minutes ago.Note the area under the forum graphic ,from which the link to create a message etc is absent.

jrewald 5 months ago
ActivityRank: 68

Hey!

No, you wont see the option on the screen you posted. THis is because you are already within a topic. What happens if you click on the "Forum" button all the way at the top, select a category, and then look for that option? You should be able to post a new topic from there.

For instance, can you see that option from here? http://grou.ps/thedeltablues/talks/c0

therailroadguy 5 months ago
ActivityRank: 30

Ok that explains that ,one has to be at the Forum "Home" in order to create a new message.