Bessie Smith - The Essential Bessie Smith [compilation] (2004) by Bessie Smith (보컬) on maniadb.com

I know a triflin' man
They call him Triflin' Sam
He lives in Birmingham
Way down in Alabam'

Now the other night
He had a fight
With a gal named Mandy Brown
She plainly stated
She was aggravated
And she shouted out to him

Aggravatin' papa, don't you try to two-time me
I said, don't two-time me
Aggravatin' papa, treat me kind or let me be
I mean, just let me be

It's been a while, I'll get you told
Stop messin' round, sweet jellyroll
If you stay out with a high-brown baby
I'll smack you down, and I don't mean maybe

Aggravatin' papa, I'll do anything you say
Anything you say
But when you go struttin', do your strut around my way
So papa, just treat me pretty, be nice and kind
The way you treated me will make me lose my mind
Aggravatin' papa, don't you try to two-time me

Just treat me pretty, be nice and sweet
I got a darn forty-four that don't repeat
Aggravatin' papa, don't you try to two-time me

There ain't nothing I can do, or nothing I can say
That folks don't criticize me
But I'm goin' to, do just as I want to anyway
And don't care if they all despise meIf I should take a notion
To jump into the ocean
'T ain't nobody's bizness if I do, do, do doIf I go to church on Sunday
Sing the shimmy down on Monday
Ain't nobody's bizness if I do, if I doIf my friend ain't got no money
And I say "take all mine, honey"
'T ain't nobody's bizness if I do, do, do doIf I give him my last nickel
And it leaves me in a pickle
'T ain't nobody's bizness if I do, if I doThere are _________________ would hit me
Since _______________up and quit me
'T ain't nobody's bizness if I do, do, do doI swear I won't call no copper
If I'm beat up by my poppa
'T ain't nobody's bizness if I do, if I do

Lord, this house is goin' to get raided, yes, sir

Thirty days in jail with my back turned to the wall, turned to the wall
Thirty days in jail with my back turned to the wall
Look here, Mr. Jail-keeper, put another gal in my stall

I don't mind bein' in jail, but I got to stay there so long, so long
I don't mind bein' in jail, but I got to stay there so long, so long
When every friend I have is done shook hands and gone

You better stop your man from tickling me under my chin, under my chin
You better stop your man from tickling me under my chin
'Cause if he keeps on tickling, I'm sure gonna take him on in

Good morning, blues, blues, how do you do? How do you do?
Good morning, blues, blues, how do you do?
Say, I just come here to have a few words with you

Hey boweavil, don't sing them blues no more
Hey boweavil, don't sing them blues no more
Boweavil's here, boweavil's everywhere you go

I'm a lone boweavil, been out a great long time
I'm a lone boweavil, been out a great long time
For to sing this song, to ease boweavil's troublin' mind

I don't want no sugar, put into my tea
I don't want no sugar, put into my tea
The mens are so evil, I'm scared they might poison me

I went down town
I bought myself a hat
I brought it back home
I laid it on the shelf
I looked in my bedroom
Tired sleepin' by myself
I'm tired sleepin' by myself

I hate to see de evenin' sun go down,
Hate to see de evenin' sun go down
'Cause ma baby, he done lef' dis town.
Feelin' tomorrow like I feel today,
Feel tomorrow like I feel today,
I'll pack my trunk, make ma git away.

Saint Louis woman wid her diamon' rings
Pulls dat man 'roun' by her apron strings.
'Twant for powder an' for store-bought hair,
De man ah love would not gone nowhere, nowhere.
Got de Saint Louis Blues jes as blue as ah can be.
That man got a heart lak a rock cast in the sea.

Or else he wouldn't have gone so far from me. Doggone it!
I loves day man lak a schoolboy loves his pie,
Lak a Kentucky Col'nel loves his mint an' rye.
I'll love ma baby till the day ah die.

Been to de gypsy to get ma fortune tole,
To de gypsy, done got ma fortune tole,
Cause I'm most wile 'bout ma Jelly Roll.
Gypsy done tole me, "Don't you wear no black."
Yes, she done told me, "Don't you wear no black.

Go to Saint Louis, you can win him back."
Help me to Cairo, make Saint Louis by maself,
Git to Cairo, find ma old friend Jeff,
Gwine to pin maself close to his side;
If ah flag his train, I sho' can ride.
Got de Saint Louis Blues jes as blue as ah can be.
That man got a heart lak a rock cast in the sea.

Or else he wouldn't have gone so far from me. Doggone it!
I loves day man lak a schoolboy loves his pie,
Lak a Kentucky Colonel loves his mint an' rye.
I'll love ma baby till the day I die.

You ought to see dat stovepipe brown of mine,
Lak he owns de Dimon' Joseph line,
He'd make a cross-eyed o'man go stone blin'.
Blacker than midnight, teeth lak flags of truce,
Blackest man in de whole of Saint Louis,
Blacker de berry, sweeter am de juice.
About a crap game, he knows a pow'ful lot,
But when worktime comes, he's on de dot.
Gwine to ask him for a cold ten-spot,
What it takes to git it, he's cert'nly got.

Got de Saint Louis Blues jes as blue as ah can be.
Dat man got a heart lak a rock cast in the sea.
Or else he wouldn't have gone so far from me. Doggone it!
I loves day man lak a schoolboy loves his pie,
Lak a Kentucky Col'nel loves his mint an' rye.
I'll love ma baby till the day ah die.

A black-headed gal makes a freight train jump the track, said a black-headed
Gal makes a freight train jump the track,
But a long tall gal makes a preacher ball the jack.

Lawd, a blonde-headed woman makes a good man leave the town, I said
Blonde-headed woman makes a good man leave the town,
But a red-headed woman makes a boy slap his papa down.

Oh, ashes to ashes and dust to dust, I said ashes to ashes and dust to dust,
If my blues don't get you, my jazzing must.

When it rained five days and the sky turned dark as night
When it rained five days and the sky turned dark as night
Then trouble's takin' place in the lowlands at night

I woke up this mornin', can't even get out of my door
I woke up this mornin', can't even get out of my door
There's enough trouble to make a poor girl wonder where she wanna go

Then they rowed a little boat about five miles cross the pond
Then they rowed a little boat about five miles cross the pond
I packed all my clothes, throwed 'em in and they rowed me along

When it thunders and lightnin' and the wind begins to blow
When it thunders and lightnin' and the wind begins to blow
There's thousands of people ain't got no place to go

And I went and stood up on some high old lonesome hill
And I went and stood up on some high old lonesome hill
Then looked down on the house were I used to live

Backwater blues done called me to pack my things and go
Backwater blues done called me to pack my things and go
'Cause my house fell down and I can't live there no more

Mmm, I can't move no more
Mmm, I can't move no more
There ain't no place for a poor old girl to go

Now listen honey while I say
How can you tell me that you're going away?
Don't say that we must part
Don't break my achin' heart

You know I love you true for many years
Love you night and day
How can you leave me
Can't you see my tears?
So listen while I say

After you've gone
And left me cryin'
After you've gone
There's no denyin'
You'll feel blue
You'll feel sad
You'll miss the dearest pal
You ever had

There'll come a time
Now don't forget it
There'll come a time
When you'll regret it
Someday
When you grow lonely
Your heat will break like mine
And you'll want me only
After you've gone
After you've gone away

After you've gone
Left me cryin'
After you've gone
There's no denyin'
You'll feel blue
You'll feel sad
You'll miss the best pal
You ever had

There'll come a time
Now don't forget it
There'll come a time
When you'll regret it
Someday
When you grow lonely
Your heat will break like mine
And you'll want me only
After you've gone
After you've gone away

Oh my honey
Oh my honey
You better hurry and let's go down there
Ain't you goin'?
Ain't you goin'?
To that leaderman, ragged meter man

Oh honey
Oh honey
Let me take you to Alexander's
Grand stand brass band
Ain't you coming along?

Come on and hear
Come on and hear
Alexander's ragtime band
Come on and hear
Come on and hear
It's the best band in the land

They can play the bugle call like you've never heard before
Sounds so natural that you'll wanna go to war
That's just the best band in the land
Oh honey lamb

Come on along
Come on along
Let me take you by the hand
Up to the man
Up to the man
Who is the leader of the band
And if you care to hear the Swanee River played in ragtime
Come on and hear
Come on and hear
Alexander's ragtime band

Come on and hear
Come on and hear
Alexander's ragtime band
Come on and hear
Come on and hear
It's the best band in the land

Listen to the bugle call

Just the best band in the land
Oh honey lamb
Come on along
Come on along
Let me take you by the hand
Up to the man
Up to the man
Who is the leader of the band
And if you care to hear the Swanee River played in ragtime
Come on and hear
Come on and hear
Alexander's ragtime band

Judge, you wanna hear my plea
Before you open up your court
But I don't want no sympathy
'Cause I done cut my good man's throat

I caught him with a trifling Jane
I warned him 'bout before
I had my knife and went insane
And the rest you ought to know

Judge, Judge, please, Mr. Judge
Send me to the 'lectric chair
Judge, Judge, good Mr. Judge
Let me go away from here

I wanna take a journey
To the devil down below
I done killed my man
I wanna reap just what I sow

Oh, Judge, Judge, lordy, lordy, Judge
Send me to the 'lectric chair
Judge, Judge, hear me, Judge
Send me to the 'lectric chair

Judge, Judge, send me there, Judge
I love him so dear

I cut him with my Barlow
I kicked him in the side
I stood there laughing over him
While he wallowed 'round and died

Oh, Judge, Judge, lordy Judge
Send me to the 'lectric chair
Judge, Judge, please, Mr. Judge
Send me to the 'lectric chair

Judge, Judge, good, kind Judge
Burn me, for I don't care

I don't want no bumbling man
To go my bail
I don't want to spend no
Nine and ninety years in jail

So Judge, Judge, good kind Judge
Send me to the 'lectric chair

My heart is sad and I'm all alone
my man's treating me mean
I regret the day that I was born
And the man I ever seen

My happiness is less today
My heart is broke, that's why I say
Lord, a good man is hard to find
You always get another kind

Just when you think that he's your pal
You look and find him foolin' 'round some old gal
Then you rave, you all crave
You want to see him in his grave

So if your man is nice, take my advice;
Hug him in the morning, kiss him at night
Give him plenty lovin'; treat your good man right

Oh, a good man is so hard to find
We always get that roughed old kind
Just when you think that he's your pal
You like and find him hangin' 'round some old gal

Then you rave, how you crave
You wanna see him dead layin' in his grave

So if your man is nice, take my advice
Hug him in the morning, kiss him at night
Give him plenty love madam, treat your man right
'Cause a good man nowadays sure is hard to find

"Stay away from me 'cause I'm in my sin.
Stay away from me 'cause I'm in my sin.
If this place gets raided, it's just me and my gin.

Don't try me nobody, oh, you will never win.
Don't try me nobody 'cause you will never win.
I'll fight the army, navy just me and my gin.

Any bootlegger sure is a pal of mine.
Any bootlegger sure is a pal of mine.
'Cause a good ol' bottle o' gin will get it all the time.

When I'm feeling high ain't nothing I won't do.
When I'm feeling high ain't nothing I won't do.
Get me full of liquor and I'll sure be nice to you.

I don't want no pork and I don't need no beer.
I don't want no pork and I don't need no beer.
I don't want no porkchop just give me gin instead."

Madam Buff's was quite deluxe
Servants by the score
Footmen at each door
Butlers and maids galore

But one day Sam, her kitchen man
Gave in his notice, he's through
She cried, "Oh Sam, don't go
It'll grieve me if you do"

I love his cabbage gravy, his hash
Crazy 'bout his succotash
I can't do without my kitchen man

Wild about his turnip top
Like the way he warms my chop
I can't do without my kitchen man

Anybody else can leave
And I would only laugh
But he means too much to me
And you ain't heard the half

Oh, his jelly roll is so nice and hot
Never fails to touch the spot
I can't do without my kitchen man

His frankfurters are oh so sweet
How I like his sausage meat
I can't do without my kitchen man

Oh, how that boy can open clam
No one else is can touch my ham
I can't do without my kitchen man

When I eat his doughnuts
All I leave is the hole
Any time he wants to
Why, he can use my sugar bowl

Oh, his baloney's really worth a try
Never fails to satisfy
I can't do without my kitchen man

Once I lived the life of a millionaire
Spending my money, I didn't care
I carried my friends out for a good time
Bying bootleg liquor, champagne and wineThen I began to fall so low
I didn't have a friend, and no place to go
So if I ever get my hand on a dollar again
I'm gonna hold on to it till them eagle's greenNobody knows you when you down and out
In my pocket not one penny
And my friends I haven't any
But If I ever get on my feet again
Then I'll meet my long lost friend
It's mighty strange, without a doubt
Nobody knows you when you down and out
I mean when you down and outMmmmmmmm.... when you're down and out
Mmmmmmmm... not one penny
And my friends I haven't any
Mmmmmmmm... Well I felt so low
Nobody wants me round their door
Mmmmmmmm... Without a doubt,
No man can use you wen you down and out
I mean when you down and out

Back in Black Mountain, a child will smack your face
Back in Black Mountain, a child will smack your face
Babies cryin' for liquor, and all the birds sing bass

Black Mountain people are bad as they can be
Black Mountain people are bad as they can be
They uses gunpowder just to sweeten their tea

Back in Black Mountain, can't keep a man in jail
Back in Black Mountain, can't keep a man in jail
If the jury finds him guilty, the judge'll throw they bail

Had a man in Black Mountain, sweetest man in town
Had a man in Black Mountain, the sweetest man in town
He met a city gal, and he throwed me down

I'm bound for Black Mountain, me and my razor and my gun
Lord, I'm bound for Black Mountain, me and my razor and gun
I'm gonna shoot him if he stands still, and cut him if he runs

Down in Black Mountain, they all shoot quick and straight
Down in Black Mountain, they all shoot quick and straight
The bullet'll get you, if you start dodgin' too late

Got the devil in my soul, and I'm full of bad booze
Got the devil in my soul, and I'm full of bad booze
I'm out here for trouble, I've got the Black Mountain blues

Note: I'm unsure of the underlined/blank lyrics-- any idea?

to provide money for someone's bail is to "throw" their (they) bail.

Captain, tell your men to get on board
I sure see 'em just pull into another shoreI'm dreary in mind and I'm so worried in heart
Oh the best of friends sho' has got to partBlow your whistle captain, so your men'll know what to do
Blow your whistle captain, so your men'll know what to do
When a woman gets dreary ain't no tellin' what she won't doIt's cloudy outdoors as can be
Oh it's cloudy as can be
That's the time I need my good man with meIt's rainin' and it's stromin' on the sea
It's rainin', it's stormin' on the sea
I feel like somebody has shipwrecked poor me

Tired of bein' lonely, tired of bein' blue
I wished I had some good man, to tell my troubles to
Seem like the whole world's wrong
Since my man's been gone

I need a little sugar in my bowl
I need a little hot dog on my roll
I can stand a bit of lovin', oh so bad
I feel so funny, I feel so sad

I need a little steam-heat on my floor
Maybe I can fix things up, so they'll go
What's the matter hard papa
Come on and save your mama's soul
'Cause I need a little sugar, in my bowl, doggone it
I need a some sugar in my bowl

I need a little sugar in my bowl
I need a little hot dog between my rolls
You gettin' different, I've been told
Move your finger, drop something in my bowl

I need a little steam-heat on my floor
Maybe I can fix things up, so they'll go
Get off your knees, I can't see what you're drivin' at
It's dark down there looks like a snake!
C'mon here and drop somethin' here in my bowl
Stop your foolin' and drop somethin' in my bowl

"Up in Harlem every Saturday night
When the highbrows get together its just so right
They all congregate at an all night hop
And what they do is Oo Bop Bee Dap
Oh Hannah Brown from way cross town
Gets full of coin and starts breaking 'em down
And at the break of day
You can hear ol' Hannah say
'Gimme a pigfoot and a bottle of beer.
Send me again. I don't care.
I feel just like I wanna clown.
Give the piano player a drink because he's bringing me down!
He's gotta rhyme, yeah! When he stomps his feet.
He sends me right off to sleep.
Check all your razors and your guns.
We gonna be arrested when the wagon comes.
I wanna pigfoot and a bottle of beer.
Send me cause I don't care.
Blame me cause I don't care.
Gimme a pigfoot and a bottle of beer.
Send me again, I don't care.
I feel just like I wanna clown.
Give the piano player a drink because he's bringing me down.
He's got rhyme, Yeah, when he stomps his feet.
He sends me right off to sleep.
Check all your razors and your guns.
Do the Shim-Sham Shimmy 'til the rising sun.
Give me a reaper and a gang of gin.
Play me cause I'm in my sin.
Blame me cause I'm full of gin.'"

You're my man, you're so nice and brown
Sweetest man in this town
I heard you say you was goin' away
And leave me here to stay
I feel like I could cry
And here's the reason why

Daddy, you really know your stuff
When you take me for a buggy ride

I like you when you got your habits on
You can shift your gear with so much pride
I gets a funny feelin'
When you gaze into my eyes
You give me so much thrill
You make my thermometer rise

I'm happy when you're by my side
When you take me for a buggy ride

Daddy, you're as sweet as you can be
When you take me for a buggy ride

When you set me down up on your knee
And ask me to be your bride
When you hug and kiss me
It makes me feel fine
I gets this funny feelin'
Up and down my spine

You don't need no teachin', you don't need no guide
When you take me for a buggy ride

Your lovin' ain't so forte in the park
But you a lovin', poor creature in the dark
You ain't so hot, what can it be
That makes me say? "Daddy, take all of me"

You always ready every time that I call
What I like about you, you never stall
You ain't no preacher, you a good old soul
You done sent salvation to my very soul

I can't kick but I'm satisfied
When you take me for a buggy ride

My man's got somethin', he gives me such a thrill
Every time he smiles at me, I can't keep my body still
I done cried so much, look like I've got the mumps
I can't keep from worryin', 'cause I'm down in the dumps

I had a nightmare last night, when I laid down
When I woke up this mornin', my sweet man couldn't be found
I'm goin' down to the river, into it I'm goin' to jump
Can't keep from worryin', 'cause I'm down in the dumps

Someone knocked on my door, last night when I was asleep
I thought it was that sweet man of mine, makin' his 'fore day creep
Wasn't nothin' but my landlord, a great big chump
Stay away from my door, Mr. Landlord, 'cause I'm down in the dumps

When I woke up, my pillow was wet with tears
Just one day from that man of mine
Seems like a thousand years
But I'm gonna straighten up, straighter than Andy Gump
Ain't no use of me tellin' that lie, 'cause I'm down in the dumps

I'm twenty-five years old, that ain't no old maid
I got plenty of vim and vitality, I'm sure that I can make the grade
I'm always like a tiger, I'm ready to jump
I need a whole lots of lovin', 'cause I'm down in the dumps