with the temps approaching the century mark [100 degrees F] in NE Texas today, decided to take cover behind an air conditioner and dig up an old John Fogerty tune, "One Hundred and Ten in the Shade". thought it was a cover of some old blues tune as in August 10th of 1936 Texarkana recorded 117 F/47.2 C temps.
WRONG, Written by Fogerty for album "Blue Moon Swamp". inspired by a visit to Mississippi in the 1980s that he summed up in below quote:
"I mean, I was there," Fogerty said. "I stood there with Pops Staples, I'm wearin' black, it's 110, he's wearin' white cotton - guess who's from the city?"
Way out here in the cotton
Sun beatin' down so hard
Sweat rollin' off of this shovel
Diggin' in the devil's boneyard
Sure like a cool drink of water
Soft rag to soothe my face
Sure like a woman to talk to in this place
It's a hundred and ten
Hundred and ten in the shade
Goin' way down, mama, won't you carry me
Handle so hot I can't stand it
Might shrivel up and blow away
Noonday sun make you crazy
Least, that's what the old men say
Bottom land hard as a gravestone
Couldn't cut it with an axe
Gonna lay me down right here
And that's a fact
It's a hundred and ten
Hundred and ten in the shade
Goin' way down, mama, won't you carry me
It's a hundred and ten
Hundred and ten in the shade
Goin' way down, mama, won't you carry me
Sometimes late in the evenin'
Everything is quiet and still
I set here and think about leavin'
Lord, I guess I never will
Heartache down in that city
Bright light scares me anyway
Sure like a woman to talk in this place
It's a hundred and ten
Hundred and ten in the shade
Goin' way down, mama, won't you carry me
It's a hundred and ten
Hundred and ten in the shade
Goin' way down, mama, won't you carry me
It's a hundred and ten
Hundred and ten in the shade
Goin' way down, mama, won't you carry me
It's a hundred and ten
Hundred and ten in the shade
Goin' way down, mama, won't you carry me
It's a hundred and ten
Hundred and ten in the shade
Goin' way down, mama
TEXAS LULLABY-THE DOOBIE BROTHERS-WRITTEN BY TOM JOHNSTON
this from "Stampede" album right after Jeff "Skunk" Baxter joined their band. plays pedal steel on this cut. could write pages about his amazing musical career alone, but this is about the song:
[Verse 1]
Sittin' by myself in the summertime, when the heat is burnin' down
Watchin' the golden crops in the field just growin' without a sound
I was a boy raised in the country, it's still a part of me
You see no matter where I go it's a beautiful memory
Rise with sun at the break of day
Lookin' out my window, it's the same as yesterday
[Verse 2]
Sittin' under an old oak tree, pickin' my guitar in the shade
That old tree spreadin' over my head is the closest friend I made
Just me and some lonely wooden music, floatin' through the air
The grass is rustlin' and the birds are singin' and my heart don't have a care
Still another day finds me in the fields
Sweat is soakin' up my ragged clothes, but I'd rather work than steal
[Chorus]
Watchin' the sun settle down over open Texas land
Looking at the cattle and the horses runnin' wild as they can
Life was different in the old days, you just get a day's work done
When you were finished workin' in the fields, there was chores at home to be done
There was work at home to be done
Chores at home to be done
[Verse 3]
So I was always hearin' music, always wanna play me some
As a full-time friend or the way to ease the end of a woman that swayed me some
Hearin' those tunes always had a way of soothin' out my soul
When times got hard and work was slow, music kept me whole
Sun burnin' down through the trees
Gets so hot bring a workin' man to his knees
[Chorus]
Part of my heart, part of my soul, part of a melody
Hands are clappin' and people swayin' in simple harmony
Life was different in the old days, you just get a day's work done
When you're finished workin' in the fields there was chores at home to be done
There was work at home to be done
There was chores at home to be done
[Instrumental Break] (this could be partly "Skunk" influence, he spent a lot of time in Mexico as a young man)
[Verse 4]
Late in the evenin' on the front porch, the sun is settin' in the west
Me and the boys pass around the bottle and sing what we like best
Sing about our wives, sing about our children, singin' out the Delta blues
We're simple folks and we like it that way, got nothin' left to lose
[Chorus]
Watchin' the sun settle down over open Texas land
Looking at the cattle and the silver horses runnin' wild as they can
Life was different in the old days, you just get a day's work done
When you were finished workin' in the fields, there was chores at home to be done
[Chorus]
Part of my heart, part of my soul, part of a melody
Hands are clappin' and people swayin' singin' in harmony
Life was different in the old days, you just get a day's work done
When you're finished workin' in the fields there was chores at home to be done
There was work at home to be done
Singin' a lullaby
mitchfit
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Baxter