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Home , Blues, Cross Road Blues, Dust My Broom, Find My Baby, Just Like, Like a Man

“Three O’clock Blues,” by B.B. King “If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day,” by Johnson Well now it’s three o’clock in the morning And I can’t even close my eyes If I had possession Three o’clock in the morning baby over judgment day And I can’t even close my eyes if I had possession Can’t find my baby over judgment day And I can’t be satisfied Lord, the little woman I'm lovin' wouldn't I’ve looked around me have no right to pray And my baby she can’t be found And I went to the mountain I’ve looked all around me, people lookin' far as my eyes could see And my baby she can’t be found And I went to the mountain You know if I don’t find my baby lookin' far as my eye could see I’m going down to the golden ground Some other man got my woman and the -'a That’s where the men hang out lonesome blues got me Goodbye, everybody And I rolled and I tumbled and I I believe this is the end cried the whole night long Oh goodbye everybody And I rolled and I tumbled and I I believe this is the end cried the whole night long I want you to tell my baby Boy, I woke up this mornin' Tell her please please forgive me my biscuit roller gone Forgive me for my sins Had to fold my arms and I slowly walked away “Stones in My Passway,” spoken: I didn't like the way she done Had to fold my arms and I I got stones in my passway slowly walked away and my road seem dark as night I said in my mind, "Yo," I got stones in my passway trouble gon' come some day and my road seem dark as night Now run here, baby I have pains in my hearts set down on my knee they have taken my appetite I wanna tell you all about the I have a bird to whistle way they treated me and I have a bird to sing Have a bird to whistle “I Believe I'll 1936,” by Robert and I have a bird to sing Johnson I got a woman that I'm lovin' boy, she don't mean a thing I'm goin' get up in the mornin', I believe I'll dust my broom My enemies have betrayed me I'm goin' get up in the mornin', I believe I'll dust my broom have overtaken poor Bob at last Girlfriend, the black man you been lovin', girlfriend, can get my My enemies have betrayed me room have overtaken poor Bob at last I'm gon' write a letter, telephone every town I know An ' 'ere's one thing certainly I'm gon' write a letter, telephone every town I know they have stones all in my pass If I can't find her in West Helena, she must be in East Monroe I know Now you tryin' to take my life I don't want no woman, wants every downtown man she meet and all my lovin' too I don't want no woman, wants every downtown man she meet You laid a passway for me She's a no good doney, they shouldn't allow her on the street now what are you trying to do I believe, I believe I'll go back home I'm cryin' please I believe, I believe I'll go back home plea-ease let us be friends You can mistreat me here, babe, but you can't when I go home And when you hear me howlin' in my passway, rider And I'm gettin' up in the mornin', I believe I'll dust my broom plea-ease open your door and let me in I'm gettin' up in the mornin', I believe I'll dust my broom I got three legs to truck home Girlfriend, the black man you been lovin', girlfriend, can get my boys, please don't block my road room I got three legs to truck home I'm gonna call up Chiney, see is my good girl over there boys, please don't block my road I'm gonna call up China, see is my good girl over there I've been feelin' ashamed 'bout my rider 'F I can't find her on Philippine's island, she must be in Ethiopia babe, I'm booked and I got to go somewhere

______Note 1: both West Helena and East Monroe are in , some 30 miles apart.

“Dust My Broom 1951,” by Robert Johnson,

I'm gonna get up in the mornin', I believe I'll dust my broom (2x) Girlfriend, the black man you been lovin', girlfriend, can get my room I'm gon' write a letter, “John Henry,” by & Brownie McGhee Telephone every town I know (2x) If I can't find her in West Helena, When John Henry was a little baby, She must be in East Monroe, I know Sitting on his daddy's knee, I don't want no woman, Pointed he figured out a little piece of steel, Wants every downtown man she meet (2x) Steel's gonna be the death of me, Lord, Lord, She's a no good doney, Steel's gonna be the death of me, They shouldn't 'low her on the street Well, now steel's gonna be the death of me, Lord, Lord, I believe, I believe I'll go back home (2x) Steel's gonna be the death of me. You can mistreat me here, babe, John Henry told his captain one day, But you can't when I go home A man ain't nothin' but a man, And I'm gettin' up in the morning, Before I will let you steam drill beat me down, I believe I'll dust my broom (2x) Would die with this hammer in my hand, Lord, Lord, Girlfriend, the black man that you been lovin', Die with this hammer in my hand, Girlfriend, can get my room I would die with this hammer in my hand, Lord, Lord, I'm gon' call up Chiney, Die with this hammer in my hand. She is my good girl over there (2x) John Henry had a little woman, If I can't find her on Philippine's Island, Her name was Polly Ann, She must be in Ethiopia somewhere John Henry got sick and had to go to bed, You know Polly, she drove steel like a man, Lord, Lord, Polly, she drove steel like a man. How she drive? “The ,” Langston Hughes John Henry drivin' on the right hand side, Steam drill drivin' on the left, Droning a drowsy syncopated tune, Before I will let your steam drill beat me down Rocking back and forth to a mellow croon, I will drive my poor self to death, Lord, Lord, I heard a Negro play. Drive my poor self to death. Down on Lenox Avenue the other night John Henry drove steel on the Southern By the pale dull pallor of an old gas light He drove steel on the C&O. He did a lazy sway . . . He drove steel for that Big Ben Tunnel He did a lazy sway . . . Steel drivin' kill John you know, To the tune o' those Weary Blues. Steel drivin' kill John you know, With his ebony hands on each ivory key Well, now steel drivin' kill John you know, Lord, Lord, He made that poor moan with . Steel drivin' kill John you know. O Blues! Some says John Henry was born in , Swaying to and fro on his rickety stool Some people thinks he was born in Maine, He played that sad raggy tune like a musical fool. John Henry was born down in , Sweet Blues! He was a leader of a steel-driving-gang, Lord, Lord, Coming from a black man's soul. Leader of a steel-driving-gang, O Blues! Was a leader of a steel-driving-gang, Lord, Lord, In a deep song voice with a melancholy tone Leader of a steel-driving-gang. I heard that Negro sing, that old piano moan-- Well, the captain loved to see John Henry, "Ain't got nobody in all this world, One of all loved to hear him sing, Ain't got nobody but ma self. But most of the paymaster loved, I's gwine to quit ma frownin' He just loved to get John Henry's hammer ring, And put ma troubles on the shelf." He just loved to get John Henry's hammer ring,

Thump, thump, thump, went his foot on the floor. He just loved to get John Henry's hammer ring, Lord, Lord, He played a few chords then he sang some more-- Loved to get John Henry's hammer ring. "I got the Weary Blues They carried John Henry on the mountain, And I can't be satisfied. Upon a mountain so high, Got the Weary Blues Last words I heard that poor boy say: And can't be satisfied-- Give me a cool drink of water 'fore I die, I ain't happy no mo' Give me a cool drink of water 'fore I die, And I wish that I had died." Give me a cool drink of water 'fore I die. And far into the night he crooned that tune. Well, they carried John Henry's body to the White-house, The stars went out and so did the moon. And they laid it in the sand, The singer stopped playing and went to bed Everytime a locomotive follows go rollin' by, While the Weary Blues echoed through his head. They say: Yonder lays a steel-drivin' man, He slept like a rock or a man that's dead. Well, now yonder lays a steel-drivin' man, They say yonder lays a steel-drivin' man, Yonder lays a steel-drivin' man.

“Stack O'lee Blues,” John Hurt “To Midnight Nan At Leroy's,” Langston Hughes Police officer, how can it be? You can 'rest everybody but cruel Stack O' Lee Strut and wiggle, That bad man, oh, cruel Stack O' Lee Shameless gal. Billy de Lyon told Stack O' Lee, "Please don't take my life, Wouldn't no good fellow I got two little babies, and a darlin' lovin' wife" Be your pal. That bad man, oh, cruel Stack O' Lee "What I care about you little babies, your darlin' lovin' wife? Hear dat .... You done stole my Stetson1 hat, I'm bound to take your life" Jungle night. That bad man, cruel Stack O' Lee Hear dat music...... with the forty-four And the moon was white.

When I spied Billy de Lyon, he was lyin' down on the floor Sing your Blues song, That bad man, oh cruel Stack O' Lee . "Gentleman's of the jury, what do you think of that? You want lovin' Stack O' Lee killed Billy de Lyon about a five-dollar Stetson hat" And you don't mean maybe. That bad man, oh, cruel Stack O' Lee And all they gathered, hands way up high, Jungle lover.... at twelve o'clock they killed him, they's all glad to see him die Night black boy.... That bad man, oh, cruel Stack O' Lee Two against the moon And the moon was joy.

“Blues Fantasy ,” Langston Hughes Strut and wiggle, Shameless Nan. Hey! Hey! Wouldn't no good fellow That's what the Be your man. Blues singers say. minor They laugh, Hey! Hey!

My man's done left me, “Po’ Boy Blues,” Langston Hughes Chile, he's gone away. My good man's left me, When I was home de Babe, he's gone away. Sunshine seemed like gold. Now the cryin' blues When I was home de Haunts me night and day. Sunshine seemed like gold.

Hey!....Hey! Since I come up North de Whole damn world's turned cold. Weary, Weary, I was a good boy, Trouble, pain. Never done no wrong. Sun's gonna shine Yes, I was a good boy, Somewhere Never done no wrong, Again. But this world is weary

I got a railroad ticket, An' de road is hard an' long. Pack my trunk and ride. I fell in love with Sing 'em sister! A gal I thought was kind. Fell in love with Got a railroad ticket, Pack my trunk and ride. A gal I thought was kind. And when I get on the train She made me lose ma money I'll cast my blues aside. An' almost lose ma mind.

Laughing, Weary, weary, Hey!....Hey! Weary early in de morn. Laugh a loud, Weary, weary, Hey! Hey! Early, early in de morn. I's so weary “New Bumble Bee,” by I wish I'd never been born.

I got a bumble bee ,don't sting nobody but me I got a bumble bee, don't sting nobody but me And I tell the world, he got all the stinger I need And he makes better honey, any bumble bee I ever seen And he makes better honey, any bumble bee I ever seen And when he makes it, oh, how he makes me scream He gets to flying and buzzing, stinging everybody he meets He gets to flying and buzzing, stinging everybody he meets Lord, I wonder why my bumble bee want to mistreat me Hmmmm, where my bumble bee gone? Hmmmm, wonder where's my bumble bee gone? I been looking for him, my bumble bee, so long, so long My bumble bee got ways, just like a natural man My bumble bee got ways, just like a natural man He's stinging somebody, everywhere he lands

“ (Take 1),” by Robert Johnson “Mannish Boy,” by

I went to the crossroad, fell down on my knees Ooooooh, yeah, ooh, yeah I went to the crossroad, fell down on my knees Everythin', everythin', everytin's gonna be alright this mornin' Asked the Lord above "Have mercy, now save poor Bob, if you Ooh yeah, whoaw please" Now when I was a young boy, at the age of five Yeoo, standin' at the crossroad, tried to flag a ride My mother said I was, gonna be the greatest man alive Ooo eeee, I tried to flag a ride But now I'm a man, way past 21 Didn't nobody seem to know me, babe, everybody pass me by Want you to believe me baby, Standin' at the crossroad, baby, risin' sun goin' down I had lot's of fun Standin' at the crossroad, baby, eee, eee, risin' sun goin' down I'm a man I believe to my soul, now, poor Bob is sinkin' down I spell mmm, aaa child, nnn You can run, you can run, tell my friend Willie Brown1 That represents man You can run, you can run, tell my friend Willie Brown1 No B, O child, Y1 That I got the crossroad blues this mornin', Lord, babe, I'm sinkin' That mean mannish boy down I'm a man I'm a full grown man And I went to the crossroad, mama, I looked east and west I'm a man I went to the crossroad, baby, I looked east and west I'm a natural born lovers man Lord, I didn't have no sweet woman, ooh well, babe, in my distress I'm a man I'm a rollin' stone ______I'm a man Note 1: this could either be the close friend of named I'm a with whom he played together when Robert Johnson Sittin' on the outside, just me and my mate first began to play, or the younger Willie Brown who did some You know I'm made to move you honey, recordings for the or yet another completely come up two hours late unknown Willie Brown, who knows(?); Wasn't that a man Note: did Robert Johnson sell his soul to the devil at the ?. I spell mmm, aaa child, nnn Read about it at The Mudcat Café. That represents man No B, O child, Y1 In the Delta of the Mississippi River, where Robert Johnson was That mean mannish boy born, they said that if an aspiring bluesman waited by the side of a I'm a man deserted country crossroads in the dark of a moonless night, then I'm a full grown man himself might come and tune his , sealing a pact for the Man bluesman's soul and guaranteeing a lifetime of easy money, women, I'm a natural born lovers man and fame. They said that Robert Johnson must have waited by the Man crossroads and gotten his guitar fine-tuned. I'm a rolllin' stone Man-child I'm a hoochie coochie man

The line I shoot will never miss When I make love to a woman, she can't resist “Hard Time Killing Floor,” by I think I go down, to old Kansas Stew Hard time here and everywhere you go I'm gonna bring back my second cousin, Times is harder than ever been before that little Johnny Cocheroo And the people are driftin' from door to door All you little girls, Can't find no heaven, I don't care where they go sittin'out at that line Hear me tell you people, just before I go I can make love to you woman, These hard times will kill you just in five minutes time dry long so Ain't that a man Well, you hear me singin' my lonesome song I spell mmm, aaa child, nnn These hard times can last us so very long That represents man If I ever get off this No B, O child, Y1 killin' floor That mean mannish boy I'll never get down this low no more Man No-no, no-no, I'll never get down this low no more I'm a full grown man And you say you had money, you better be sure Man 'Cause these hard times will drive you from door to door I'm a natural born lovers man Sing this song and I ain't gonna sing no more Man Sing this song and I ain't gonna sing no more I'm a rollin' stone These hard times will drive you from door to door I'm a man-child I'm a hoochie coochie man well, well, well, well hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry Don't hurt me, don't hurt me child don't hurt me, don't hurt, don't hurt me child well, well, well, well

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