HarpTab – Lyrics – Blind Joe Reynolds – Nehi Blues
Lyrics – Blind Joe Reynolds – Nehi Blues
byBlind Joe
(Willie) Reynolds
recording of November 1929, Grafton, Wisconsin
from
Complete Recorded Works of Son House & The Great Delta Blues Singers (Document DOCD 5002)
Some girls wear short dresses, and these married women wears ‘em too
Some girls wear short dresses, and these married women wears ‘em too
That’s the reason single men, Lord, don’t know what we want to do
When the proper judges make these women let these dresses down
When the proper judges make these women let these dresses down
Told that tremblin’ soul, doggone, what you learnin’ in town
Women tarry too long, pullin’ this short dress style
Women tarry too long, pullin’ the short dress style
So we single men can’t tell a married woman from a child
Hmmm, Hmm, Hmmm, hmmm
Let me tell you boys what these nehi
dresses will do
Let me tell you boys what these nehi dresses will do
Get you broke, ragged, and hungry boy, then come down on you
All of you women, you all oughta be ashamed
All of you young women, the whole lot oughta be ashamed
makin’ these old men naughty, when they’re walkin’ on walking canes
Hmmm, Hmmm, Hmmm, Hmmm
An old man ain’t nothin’ but a young woman’s slave
These old mens ain’t nothin’ but a young woman’s slave
He works hard all the time tryin’ to stay in a young man’s ways
Hmmm, hmmm, hmmm, hmmm
__________
Notes: recorded under the performing name, Blind Joe Reynolds. This song reflects Blind Joe’s moral commentary and criticism about women of the 1920′s wearing their dresses too short, evidently exposing too much of their thighs, knee’s and legs which was uncommon in earlier decades. This fad of wearing short dresses came into fashion during the roaring 1920′s when morals loosened. One could consider this as moral hypocrisy for Blind Joe to have made such observations about women since he basically held women in low esteem and was such a womanizer himself.;
Note 1: nehi, is slang for a knee-high.
