HarpTab – Lyrics – Blind Joe Reynolds – Outside Woman Blues
Lyrics – Blind Joe Reynolds – Outside Woman 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)
When you lose your money, great God, don’t lose your mind
When you lose your money, great God, don’t lose your mind, hmm hmm
And when you lose your woman, please don’t fool with mine
I’m gonna buy me a bulldog, watch my old lady whilst I sleep
I’m gonna buy me a bulldog, watch my old lady when I sleep, hmm hmm
‘Cause women these days, get so doggone crooked, till it might make a ‘fore-day creep
Tell you married men, how to keep young wifes at home
Tell you married men, how to keep young wifes at home
Get you a job, roll for the man, and try to carry your labor home
Tell you married women, how to keep your husbands at home
Tell you married women, how to keep your husbands at home, hmm hmm
You oughta take care of that man’s labor, and let these single boys alone
You can’t watch you wife and your outside women
too
You can’t watch you wife and your outside women too
While you off with your woman, your wife could be at home
Beatin’ you doin’ it, buddy what you trying to do?
Hmmm hmmm, buddy what you tryin’ to do?
__________
Notes: this song was recorded under the performing name, Blind Joe Reynolds. The song describes to the troubles a man has in keeping his wife and a mistress. Blind Joe Reynolds had several "outside" women of his own and was known to have lived with at least 2 women at a time. The Rock and Roll supergroup
Cream
recorded their own variation of this song on their
Disraeli Gears
album in 1967. It is doubtful that Reynolds ever knew of their covering the song;
Note 1: this lyric appears to be common in early blues recordings. It also appears in Tampa Red’s recording of his hokum hit "
Western Bound Blues
" in May 1932";
Note 2: outside woman, slang for a mistress or "woman on the side".
