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Table Of Content (19 songs, 6 soundclips)

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Beautiful But Dumb Best Jockey In Town Big Leg Woman Bill Crowin' Rooster Blues Careless Love Cat You Been Messin' Around Chicago Blues Death Valley Is Just Half Way To My Home	Don't Drive Me From Your Door Fine Booze And Heavy Dues Go Back To Your No Good Man Got The Blues For Murder Only Happy New Year, Darling Life Saver Blues Low Down St. Louis Blues Men, Get Wise To Yourself Racketeer's Blues	Sam, You're Just A Rat She's Making Whoopee In Hell Tonight

Don't Drive Me From Your Door

soundclip

by Lonnie Johnson
recording of January 23 1930, New York City
from Matchbox (LP MSE1013), copyright notice

Just look how it's rainin', my feet's on the ground
Just look how it's rainin', and my poor feet's on the ground
For the woman I've made happy, well she's after every man in town

Friends please open your door, and don't drive me away
Please open your door, and don't drive me away
The rent man has put me outdoors, and I've got no place to stay

Let me stay here tonight, it's ice all on the ground
Let me stay here tonight, it's ice all over the ground
'Cause I'm motherless and I'm fatherless, and please don't turn me down

When I had plenty money, I had friends all over town
When I had plenty of money, I had friends all over town
But just as soon as I got outdoors, none of my friends could be found

After mother and father's gone, a dollar's your right-hand friend
After mother and father's gone, dollar's your right-hand friend
Then after your last dollar's gone, you're like a road that has no end

Mmmmmmmm1m, lord where will I go
I'm beggin' you my friend, don't drive me from your door
I cannot sleep on the ground, there's nothing but ice and snow

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Fine Booze And Heavy Dues

soundclip

by Lonnie Johnson
recording of 1962
from (Bluesville), copyright notice

I've got the blues for San Francisco, it's where I long to be
I've got the blues for San Francisco, it's where I long to be
There's a club they call Sugar Hill, and that's where I long to be

Everybody starts to jumpin', when the clock is strikin' nine
Yes the house starts rockin', when the clock is strikin' nine
There's so many fine chicks walk in the door, make a single man lose his mind

The name is Sugar Hill Club, it's the home of the natural blues
Name is the Sugar Hill Club, the home of the natural blues
You get nothing but big legged women and the fine booze, oh Jack and it's heavy dues

She said "Daddy, buy me a drink", she's so fine you can't refuse
Yes she said "Daddy, buy me a drink", she's so fine you can't refuse
'Cause it is the home of the blues, fine women and heavy dues

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Go Back To Your No Good Man

by Lonnie Johnson
recording of 19
from Blues in My Fingers (Indigo 2009), copyright notice

It's true you bake good jelly roll, the best I've ever found
It's true you bake good jelly roll, the best I've ever found
But, it's one thing you gotta stop mama, that's serving it all over town

Don't you think because I love you, you can play me for a chump¹ to my face
Don't you think because I love you, you can play me for a chump to my face
But I'm not as dumb as you think, there's another woman to fill your place

Give me them clothes I bought you, take my diamonds off your hand
Give me them clothes I bought you, take my diamonds off your hand
Now, you just like I found you, go back to your handy man

Now, I put shoes on your feet when your bare feet was pattin' the ground
Now, I put shoes on your feet when your bare feet was pattin' the ground
While I was out slaving for you, you was chasin' every rat in town

Now, woman I stuck with you when you didn't have a friend at all
Now, woman I stuck with you when you didn't have a friend at all
So give them shoes I bought you, and that wig, and let your head go bald

__________
Note 1: chump, fool.

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Got The Blues For Murder Only

by Lonnie Johnson
recording of January 7 1930, New York City
from Steppin' On The Blues (CBS Records 467252 2), originally released as OKeh 8846, copyright notice

Down in old Mexico where a child will slap your face
Down in old Mexico where a child will slap your face
They make a bread with cayenne pepper, drink gun powder to kill the taste

Women down in Mexico they's bad as bad can be
Women in old Mexico they're bad as bad can be
They eats rattlesnakes for breakfast and drink the rattlesnakes' blood for tea

Down in old Mexico their bed is made out of thorns and trees
Bed is made out of thorn trees and the pillows out of rocks and stones
They got rattlesnakes for body guards, wildcats will watch over them all night long

I'm going back to old Mexico where there's long, long reaching guns
I'm going to old Mexico where there's long, long reaching guns
When they want real excitement they kill each other one by one

Down in old Mexico where's everybody's wild and free
Down in old Mexico where everybody's wild and free
'Cause over here in this country they don't kill 'em fast enough for me

Down in old Mexico where they kill 'em both night and day
Down in old Mexico where they kill 'em both night and day
Where the chief locks up the jail house and the judge goes home and stays

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Happy New Year, Darling

by Lonnie Johnson
recording of 19
from , copyright notice

Christmas Eve mornin' baby I was on my way back home to you
Christmas Eve mornin' baby I was on my way back home to you
It was your love that kept me fighting, kept me safe the whole war through

It seems a long time since I been fightin' the Japs 'cross the deep blue sea
It seems a long time since I been fightin' the Japs 'cross the deep blue sea
Yes, that's why I'm so glad darlin', to have a li'l wife love still waitin' for me

It's so great to have you darlin', to have a li'l wife like you
It's so great to have you darlin', to have a li'l wife like you
My three brothers couldn't make it but they say happy new year to you

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Life Saver Blues

by Lonnie Johnson
recording of 19
from , copyright notice

It's raining and storming on the sea, we're miles and miles from shore
It's raining and storming on the sea, we're miles and miles from shore
The way the waves is rockin this ship, we won't see home no more

The wind is so strong, turnin' this old ship round and round
This wind is so strong, turnin' this old ship round and round
Something tells me, won't be long before we're sinkin' down

The captain say, "Get your lifesavers, fasten them around your waist"
Captain say, "Get your lifesavers, and fasten them around your waist"
Because we're sinkin' down, and the lifeboat is your safest place

And we floated all night long in the storm, lost miles and miles from shore
And the water was freezin', and the rain begin to pour
I say, "Girls and boys, let's pray, 'cause we won't see home no more"

Uncle Sam's ship was comin', painted in red, white and blue
Uncle Sam's ship was comin', painted in red, white and blue
We said, "We live in New York City", red and white, blue brought us all the way through

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Low Down St. Louis Blues

soundclip

by Lonnie Johnson
recording of March 10 1931, New York City
from Matchbox (LP MSE1013), copyright notice

I love my St. Louis women, but their ways I really can't stand
I love my St. Louis women, but their ways I really can't stand
They always bettin' some woman, how she can take her man

My woman dips snuff¹, and she drinks a good old homemade corn
My woman dips her snuff, and she drinks a good old homemade corn
She get as drunk as she can be, then she fight for the whole night long

And I got another gal, live down on Deep Morgan Street
And I got another gal, she lives down on Deep Morgan Street
If she don't kill a man every day, all I can do is to keep 'r off of me

She drinks her homemade corn whiskey, blackjack and a razor's her friend
She drinks her homemade corn whiskey, a blackjack and a razor's her friend
And she loves to kill a man, just like the devil loves sin

Boys I got another gal, she lives down on Walnut Street
Boys I got another gal, she lives down on Walnut Street
My other gal is so bad, the cops is scared to walk the beat

She can make a blackjack talk and a razor fairly moan
She can make a blackjack talk and a razor fairly moan
From the way that gal kill up men, the graveyard ain't got much more room

__________
Note 1: snuff, a preparation of pulverized tobacco to be inhaled through the nostrils, chewed, or placed against the gums.

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Men, Get Wise To Yourself

by Lonnie Johnson
recording of February 9 1932, New York
from Matchbox (LP MSE1013), copyright notice

Workin' man you better wake up, you've been asleep too long
Workin' man you better wake up, you've been asleep too long
Nothin' but these pimps and gigolos, that's goin' 'round breakin' up your home

You go home sometime and there's no supper, your wife is even cross with you
You go home sometime and find no supper, your wife is even cross with you
It's just some no-good rat showin' her the place, where she don't need a man like you

I've got some friends, supposed to be every good man in town
I've got some friends, supposed to be every good man in town
Soon as my back is turned, they're tryin' to tear my playhouse down

Now some of these married women's so dumb, they don't even know the night from dawn
Some of these married women's so dumb, they don't even know the night from dawn
But put them chasin' some other woman's man, they got more brains than anybody in town

Now some of these married women's so wild, their husbands they can't even understand
Some of these married women's so wild, their husbands can't even understand
All they think about, is chasin' some other woman's man

Now a good woman will say sometime, that every man is just the same
A good woman will say sometime, that every man is just the same
But men when we look into it, these home-wreckers is just to blame

Sometime we give a social party, to make 'em happy as we can
Sometime we give a social party, to make 'em happy as we can
There will be some no-good woman, to lead your wife to some no-good man

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Racketeer's Blues

by Lonnie Johnson
recording of August 12 1932, New York City
from Steppin' On The Blues (CBS Records 467252 2), originally released as OKeh 8946, copyright notice

If you've got over fifteen grand's, better split it ninety-nine different ways
If you've got over fifteen grand's, you better split it ninety-nine different ways
'Cause the racketeer¹ has got no certain place to dig your grale²

When they demand your money, you've got to give it up with a smile
When they demand your money, you've got to give it up with a smile
And if you refuse, they'll read about you in a short little while

When the gang is out to get you, it don't do no good to run
When the gang is out to get you, it don't do no good to run
It's true you can dodge a log but you can't dodge them slugs out the machine gun

You slave hard for your money, just to give it to some other one
You work hard for your money, just to give it to some other one
And if you refuse, the answer will be from a racketeer's gun

When the gang is out to get you, they'll follow you everywhere
When the gang is out to get you, they'll follow you everywhere
You can even move towards hell ...³ find you there

_________
Note 1: racketeer, one who obtains money by extorsion usually involving intimidation;
Note 2: grale is probably the correct ending of this verse but it could also be grave;
Note 3: this part of the lyrics is unclear, no soundclip available.

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Created by:
Bluesman Harry
Page last updated on:
June 8 2000