|
• Harptabs.com Home
• Harp Tab Symbols
• Blues Harp
• Song Snippets
• Blues Lyrics
• Rock & Roll Lyrics
|
Blues Lyrics - Skip James
.20-20 Blues
All rights to lyrics included on these pages belong to the
artists and authors of the works.
All lyrics, photographs,
soundclips and other material on this
website may only be used for private study,
scholarship or research.
(Recorded under the title of ".22-20 Blues")
by
Nehemiah Curtis "Skip" James
recording of 19
from probably
Complete Early Recordings (Yazoo 2009)
If I send for my baby and she don't come
If I send for my baby and she don't come
All the doctors in Wisconsin
, they won't help her none
And if she gets unruly and gets so she don't wanna do
My baby gets unruly and she don't wanna do
I'll take my .32-20, I'll cut her half in two
You're talkin' about your .44-40, buddy, it'll do very well
Talkin' about your .44-40, it'll do very well
But my .22-20, Lord, it's a burnin' hell
I had a .38 Special, buddy, it's most too light
Aw, that .38 Special, buddy, it's most too light
But my .22-20 make the caps
alright
Aw, if she gets unruly, thinks she don't wanna do
She gets unruly and she don't wanna do
I'll take my .22-20, I'll cut her half in two
I, I, I can't take my rest
I, I, I can't take my rest
And my .44 layin' up and down my breast
__________
Note 1: the ".22-20", which James saw as a simple riffle, doesn't properly exist. He opted for this caliber in meeting the studio request of a Paramount Records official for a "gun blues" that could be used to "cover" Roosevelt Sykes' successful ".44 Blues" on the Okeh label. If his rifle aims was no more accurate than his spontaneous versifying, which advertently evokes different caliber revolvers, it is safe to say that the unruly girlfriend of the song easily survived his barrage;
Note 2: this piece was originally recorded in 1931 at Paramount's Crafton, Wisconsin studio's. Robert Johnson's "
32-20 Blues
" was eh... "inspired" on this song;
Note 3: caps, percussion caps, a paper or metal container holding an explosive charge (as for a pistol).
Here is the table of contents.
|
