Big Bill Broonzy

You say you're gettin' old, Lord, older every day
You say you're gettin' old, yeah, you say you're gettin' older every day
Now you ain't but fifty, oh Lord, boy you shouldn't feel that way

Now when you get so old, you can't work at no mill
Yeah, when you get so old, Lord boy you can't work at no mill
Now don't you make no date, oh Lord buddy that you can't fill

Now if your luck don't change, boy don't you be sad
Yeah, if your luck don't change, now buddy don't you be sad
Now you really gotta learn Lord to take the good now with the bad

Now when you get old, and your good girl don't want you around
Oh Lord, when you get old, and your good girl don't want you around
Now you know you done run out of commission, ooh boy I declare you are poorhouse bound

Now don't laugh buddy, Lord it nobody's downfall
Oh Lord, don't laugh buddy, I mean it nobody's downfall
Because if your woman would check up on you, ooh Lord she put another mule in your stall

I'm gonna tell you, baby
Something I want you to do
Don't stay out all night, baby
And I want your little heart to be true

Gal, because night time is the right time
To be with the one you love
Oh, with the one you love

Now don't forget, baby
I love you with all my might
If you get home before midnight, baby
I declare everything will be all right

Gal, because night time is the right time
To be in the bed with the one you love
With the one you love

I ain't gonna beat you, baby
I declare I ain't gonna dog you around
Gal, I'm just gonna warn you, baby
Before the news gets all over town

Gal, that night time is the right time
To be in the bed with the one you love
With the one you love

Play it, mister man
Night time is the right time

Listen to me, baby
I mean with your whole heart and mind
I just want to hold you, baby
In my arms and hold you for a long, long time

Gal, because night time is the right time
Baby, to be with the one you love
Oh, with the one you love

Early early one morning, water was comin' in my door
Early one morning, water was comin' in my door
It was the old high(?) river, tellin' us to get ready and go

It was dark and it was rainin', you could hear that howlin' wind
It was dark and it was rainin', baby you could hear that howlin' wind
If I get away this time, I will never come here again

Hey my baby was cryin', I didn't have a thing to eat
Hey hey hey, I didn't have a thing to eat
Hey the water had come in, wash everything I had down the street

I was hollerin' for mercy, and it weren't no boats around
Hey I was hollerin' for mercy, and it weren't no boats around
Hey that looks like people, I've gotta stay right here and drown

Hey my house started shakin', started floatin' on down the stream
Hey my house started shakin', went on floatin' on down the stream
It was dark as midnight, people began to holler and scream

Mississippi River Blues 2:39 Trk 4
(Bill Broonzy)
Bill Broonzy - vocal & guitar, unk. piano
Recorded: Chicago, March 23, 1934
Original issue Bluebird 5535/-80395-1.
Album: Vol. 1 'Walk Right In'
Bluebird Records 'When The Sun Goes Down'


Mississ-ippi river
Is so long, deep and wide
I can see my good girl
Standin' on that other side

I cried an I called
I could not make my baby hear
Lord, I'm 'on get me a boat, woman
Paddle on away from here
(guitar)

Ain't it hard to love someone
When they are so far from you
Lord, I'm on' get me a boat and
Paddle this old river blue

I went down to the landing
To see if any boats were there
And the fareman told me
Could not find the boats nowhere
(guitar)

The big boat ease up the river
Are turnin' 'round an 'round
Lord, I'm 'on get me a good girl
Or jump overboard an drown.

~

Alberta, Alberta, oh, Alberta
Alberta, Alberta, oh, Alberta

I've been gambling all night
And I've lost all of my money
So ride, Alberta, ride

Ride, Alberta, ride
Ride, ride to me

I don't care what time of night
As long as you just treat me right
Baby, and ride, ride to me

Ride, Alberta, ride
Ride, ride to me

You don't need no saddle, baby
You don't need no gun
Baby, just ride, ride to me

Ride, Alberta, ride
Ride, ride to me

I don't care what time of night
Long as you just treat me right
Baby, and ride, Alberta, ride

Oh, ride, Alberta, ride
Ride, ride to me

Oh, saddle up your pony
Put everything you got on him
Baby, just ride, ride to me

Oh, ride, Alberta, ride
Ride, ride to me

I don't care what time of night
Long as you just treat me right
Baby, just ride, ride to me

This is a song was sung back in 18 and 92
There was a terrible flood that year
People lost everything they had

Their crops, their live stock
That means their horses, their mules, cows
Goats and everything they had on their farm

And they would start cryin' and singin' this song

They tell me, Joe Turner been here and gone
Lord, they tell me, Joe Turner been here and gone
They tell me, Joe turner been here and gone

Then they would go out hunting rabbits, 'coons and 'possoms
Anything they could catch
Sometimes they would catch something, then again they didn't

And when they would come home, they would find
Flour meat and molasses
In their homes and they would know that
Joe Turner had been there and left food for them

And they would start cryin' and singin' this song

They tell me, Joe Turner been here and gone
Lord, they tell me, that Joe turner been here and gone
They tell me, Joe Turner been here and gone

Then they would start out lookin' for wood
And stuff to make a fire
And they would look in their yards, and they would find axes, wood
That Joe Turner had brought there for them

Then they would get happy
And start singin' and cryin' this song
They would get happy and do a little boogie-woogie too

This is a song was sung back in 18 and 92
There was a terrible flood that year
People lost everything they had

Their crops, their live stock
That means their horses, their mules, cows
Goats and everything they had on their farm

And they would start cryin' and singin' this song

They tell me, Joe Turner been here and gone
Lord, they tell me, Joe Turner been here and gone
They tell me, Joe turner been here and gone

Then they would go out hunting rabbits, 'coons and 'possoms
Anything they could catch
Sometimes they would catch something, then again they didn't

And when they would come home, they would find
Flour meat and molasses
In their homes and they would know that
Joe Turner had been there and left food for them

And they would start cryin' and singin' this song

They tell me, Joe Turner been here and gone
Lord, they tell me, that Joe turner been here and gone
They tell me, Joe Turner been here and gone

Then they would start out lookin' for wood
And stuff to make a fire
And they would look in their yards, and they would find axes, wood
That Joe Turner had brought there for them

Then they would get happy
And start singin' and cryin' this song
They would get happy and do a little boogie-woogie too