Blind Boy Fuller lyrics?

[BigBadDom]

I've got my first gig in 2 weeks! Ok, it's not exactly a gig... my mate is having an open mic night for his 40th birthday, so it's time to get up and have a go!!!

I am of course crapping myself, but it will be small, friendly crowd and a safe first audience? After two EBA weekends in Pocklington, I'm ready to go public!

I'm doing my own arrangement of 'Homesick & Lonesome Blues' by Blind Boy Fuller - the only slide I've heard him play. I'm playing it in open C minor - weird, but it works. It then leads neatly into 'Brain Damage' by Pink Floyd - not an obvious choice for playing on a resonator with a slide solo, but I stumbled on it while working out the first song.

Anyway, I'm struggling with some of the lyrics for the BBF song and I wondered whether anyone could help decipher them. I can't find them on the web anywhere.

This is what I reckon he sings:

I lied down last night mama,
I tried to take my rest.
Said I lied down last night baby,
I tried to take my rest.
And you know my mind got to ramblin’
like the wild geese in the west

Ain’t but the one thing,
that’s like to change my mind.
Ain’t but the one thing,
like to change my mind.
Well, I started out in New York
I left a holy crime

I sure can’t sleep mama,
I sure can’t rest at night.
I can’t sleep mama,
I sure can’t rest at night.
When I get to thinkin’ ‘bout my little woman
it takes my appetite.

Play that thing boy… (spoken)

I’m g’warn* tell my baby
Yes, when I go home
I’m g’warn tell my baby
Lord when I go home
Yeah, livin’ in the heart of New York,
Won’t let her baby alone

*the words are 'going to' but it sounds like 'g'warn'

The lines in red are where I'm having difficulty. Whaddya reckon? None of my audience are likely to know the song, so it doesn't really matter, but it would be nice to get it right.

Thanks,
Dom

[marshcat]

Hi there,

According to the Holy Bible (R R Macleod, Yazoo 21-83, PAT Publications 1992, p.313) he's singing:

'When I started to New York, I left little Corley cryin'

and

'These here women in Harlem, New York, won't let her baby alone'.

No idea who Corley might have been... Bob doesn't cite any other transcriptions, unfortunately, so I can't suggest any alternatives.

Otherwise, your transcription pretty much matches up with his - fantastic effort!

The Macleod transcriptions are up to about a dozen volumes now, covering all the Yazoo LPs and lots of the Document CDs. Worth hunting down if you are in this for the long haul...

Good luck with the gig!

[Michael Messer]

Hi Dom,

Hey that's great....your first gig!

Looks like you got the lyrics too

Shine On,
Michael.

[blueshome]

Fuller's wife was called Cora - I suppose this is "Corley". McC is not always strictly accurate - he set himself an immpossible task!

Good luck with the performance.

[marshcat]

"Cora Mae cryin'" ?

[marshcat]

Ps. He was apparently jailed in 1938 for shooting her in the leg. Maybe she was upset about those New York women...

[BigBadDom]

Thanks, marshcat - jobzagoodun!

Dom

[rickS]

Cora Lee?