New! Nonstop Internet Blues Radio: listen to your favorite blues music while you surf!

All lyrics on this site are for private study, scholarship, or research purposes only. Read the copyright notice before printing/copying anything from this page.

about... printing

Table Of Content (7 songs, 5 soundclips)

You are now in page 1

Page 1	Page 2	Page 3
Alcohol And Jake Blues Big Fat Mama Big Road Blues Bye Bye Blues Canned Heat Blues Cool Drink Of Water Blues (1) Cool Drink Of Water Blues (2)

Alcohol And Jake Blues

by Tommy "Snake" Johnson
recording of December 1929, Crafton, Wisconsin
from Complete Recorded Works (1928-1929) (Document DOCD-5001), copyright notice

Alcohol, alcohol, cryin', sure Lord's killing me (spoken: Is that so, boy?)
Alcohol, mama, sure, Lord, killing me (spoken: Ought to let it alone, then!)
Alcohol don't kill me, I believe, Lord, I'll never die

I woke up early this morning, crying, alcohol 'round my bed (spoken: What happened then?)
Woke up this morning, alcohol was 'round my bed
Says, "I'm gonna get drunk, I'm gonna have to speak my trouble in mind"

Mmm, mmm, (spoken: Oh, moan it a long time) mmm
Mmm, I ain't gonna be here long (spoken: Moan it a long time, boy)
Says, "I'm leaving town, I'm going to worry you off my mind"

I drink so much of Jake, till it done give me the limber leg
(spoken: And that's sure to mess you up)
Drinking so much of Jake, till it done give me the limber leg
(spoken: Sure messes you up, boy, [there's no cure for] that)
If I don't quit drinking it every morning, sure gonna kill me dead (spoken: You ain't no lying man)

Mmm, mmm
Mmm, (spoken: You ain't got), alcohol gonna kill me dead
And if it don't kill me, Lord, it sure gonna put me down
(spoken: You ain't gotta put 'em on me 'cause you got 'em)

I woke up, up this morning, crying, alcohol on my mind
Woke up this morning, alcohol was on my mind
I got them alcohol blues and I can't rest easy here

__________
Note: originally issued as Paramount 12950.

Top

Big Fat Mama Blues

by Tommy "Snake" Johnson
recording of 1928-1930
from Complete Recorded Works (1928-1929) (Document DOCD-5001), Tommy Johnson (1928-1930) (Wolf 104), copyright notice

Crying, big fat mama, meat shaking on her bones
Time the meat shake, it's a skinny woman¹ lose a home

Well, I'm going away, mama, won't be back till fall, won't be back till fall, mmmm
Going away, mama, won't be back till fall, big fat mama with the meat shake on her bones

Well, aaah, mmm, got to murmur, got to murmur low, mmm
No need to holler, I got to murmur low
Big fat mama, Lord, meat shake on her bones

Every time the meat shake, fat mouth lose a home, fat mouth lose a home, mmm
Time the meat shakes, it's a fat mouth lose a home
Time the meat shakes, it's a fat mouth lose a home

Mmm, what's the matter rider?
Where did you stay last, where did you stay last night, mmm?
What's the matter rider?
Where did you stay last night?
Hair all down, baby, and you won't treat me right

__________
Note 1: skinny woman, skinny women, during this period, were considered unattractive.

Top

Big Road Blues

soundclip

by Tommy "Snake" Johnson
recording of 1928-1930
from Complete Recorded Works (1928-1929) (Document DOCD-5001), Tommy Johnson (1928-1930) (Wolf 104), copyright notice

Cryin', ain't goin' down this big road by myself
Now don't you hear me talkin', pretty mama?
Lord, ain't goin' down this big road by myself
If I don't carry you, gon' carry somebody else

Cryin', sun gonna shine in my back door someday
Now, don't you hear me talkin', pretty mama?
Lord, sun gon' shine in my back door someday
And the wind gon' change, gon' blow my blues away

Baby, what makes you do me like you do do do, like you do do do?
Don't you hear me now?
What makes you do me like you do do do?
Now you think you gon' do me like you done poor Cherry Red

Taken the poor boy's money now, sure, Lord, won't take mine
Now don't you hear me talkin' pretty mama?
Taken the poor boy's money; sure, Lord, won't take mine
Taken the poor boy's money now; sure, Lord, won't take mine

Cryin', ain't goin' down this big road by myself
Now, don't you hear me talkin', pretty mama?
Lord, ain't goin' down this big road by myself
If I don't carry you, gon' carry somebody else

Cryin', sun gon' shine, Lord, my back door someday
Now don't you hear me talkin', pretty mama?
Lord, sun gon' shine in my back door someday
And the wind gon' change, blow my blues away

Top

Bye Bye Blues

soundclip

by Tommy "Snake" Johnson
recording of 1928-1930
from Complete Recorded Works (1928-1929) (Document DOCD-5001), Tommy Johnson (1928-1930) (Wolf 104), copyright notice

Cryin' bye an' bye, baby bye an' bye
It's bye an' bye, baby won't you bye an' bye
Cryin' bye an' bye, baby won't you bye an' bye

Says the good book tell you, reap just what you sow
The good book tell you, baby, reap just what you sow
Gonna reap it now or, baby, reap it bye an' bye

Well I'm going away, Lord, won't be back till fall
I'm going away, Lord, won't be back till fall
If I meet my good gal, then baby, won't be back at all

Says the good book tell you, reap just what you sow
The good book tell you, baby, reap just what you sow
Gonna reap it now or, baby, reap it bye an' bye

Well it's two trains running, running side by side
It's two trains running, and baby, running side by side
You've got my woman, babe I know you're satisfied

Top

Canned Heat Blues

soundclip

by Tommy "Snake" Johnson
recording of December 1929, Crafton, Wisconsin
from Complete Recorded Works (1928-1929) (Document DOCD-5001), Tommy Johnson (1928-1930) (Wolf 104), copyright notice

Crying, canned heat, canned heat, mama, crying, sure, Lord, killing me
Crying, canned heat, mama, sure, Lord, killing me
Takes alcorub to take these canned heat blues

Crying, mama, mama, mama, you know, canned heat killing me
Crying, mama, mama, mama, crying, canned heat is killing me
Canned heat don't kill me, crying, babe, I'll never die

I woked up, up this morning, with canned heat on my mind
Woked up this morning, canned heat was on my mind
Woke up this morning, with canned heat, Lord, on my mind

Crying, Lord, Lord, I wonder, canned heat, Lord, killing me
Jake alcohol's [ruined me, churning] 'bout my soul
Because brownskin women don't do the easy roll

I woke up, up this morning, crying, canned heat 'round my bed
Run here, somebody, take these canned heat blues
Run here, somebody, and take these canned heat blues

Crying, mama, mama, mama, crying, canned heat killing me
B'lieve to my soul, Lord, it gonna kill me dead

__________
Note: originally issued as Paramount 12950.

Top

Cool Drink Of Water Blues (Version 1)

soundclip

by Tommy "Snake" Johnson
recording of 1928-1930
from Complete Recorded Works (1928-1929) (Document DOCD-5001), Tommy Johnson (1928-1930) (Wolf 104), copyright notice

I asked her for water, and she gave me gasoline
Man, that's the evilest woman, that I ever seen
Cryin' Lawd, now mama, will I ever get back home?
Lawd, Lawdy Lawd

I went to the depot, looked up on the board
I looked all over, "How long has this eastbound train been gone?"
"It's done taken your faror, blowed its smoke on you"
Lawd, Lawdy, Lawd

I asked the conductor, "Can I ride the blinds?"
(Want to know, can a broke man ride the blinds?)
"Son, buy your ticket, this train ain't none of mine"

Top

Cool Drink Of Water Blues (Version 2)

soundclip

by Tommy "Snake" Johnson
recording of 1928
from Complete Recorded Works (1928-1929) (Document DOCD-5001), Tommy Johnson (1928-1930) (Wolf 104), copyright notice

I asked for water, and she gave me gasoline
I asked for water, she gave me gasoline
I asked for water and she gave me gasoline
Lord, Lordy, Lord

Crying, Lord, I wonder will I ever get back home
Crying, Lord, I wonder will I ever get back home
Lord, Lordy, Lord

I went to the depot, looked up on the board
I looked all over, "How long has this east bound train been gone?
Lord, Lordy, Lord

Lord, I asked the conductor, "Could I ride these blinds?"
(Want to know, can a broke man ride the blinds)
"Son, buy your ticket, buy your ticket, 'cause this train ain't none of mine"

"Son, buy your ticket, train ain't none of mine"
"Son, buy your ticket, 'cause this train ain't none of mine"
Lord, Lordy, Lord

"Train ain't none of mine"

Top

Page 1	Page 2	Page 3

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