Week Six

Ma Rainey

Deep Moanin’ Blue

Mmmn, mmmn
Mmmn, mmmn

My bell rang this morning, didn’t know which way to go
My bell rang this morning, didn’t know which way to go
I had the blues so bad
I sit right down on my floor

I felt like going on the mountain, jumping over in the sea
I felt like going in the mountain, jumping over in the sea
When my Daddy stay out late he don’t care a thing for me

Mmmnn, mmmn
Mmmmn, mmmn

Daddy, daddy, please come home to me
Daddy, daddy, please come home to me
I’m on my way, crazy as I can be
Black Eye Blues
Down in Hogan’s Alley lives Miss Nancy Ann
Always always fuss and fighting with her man
Than I heard miss Nacy say
Why do you treat your girl that way

I went down the alley other night
Nancy and her man just had a fight
He hit miss Nancy ‘cross her head
Then she rose to her feet and she said

You low-down alligator

Just watch me soon or later
Gonna catch you with your britches down

You abuse me and you mistreat me
You dog around and beat me
‘Til I’m gonna hang around

Take all my money, blacken both of my eyes
Give it to another woman come home and tell me lies
You low-down alligator
Just watch me soon or later
Gonna catch you with your britches down
I mean
Gonna catch you with your britches down

You low-down alligator
Just watch me soon or later
Gonna catch you with your britches down

Farewell Daddy Blues

1. I’m wild about my daddy. I want him all the time.
Wild about my daddy, I want him all the time.
But I don’t want you, daddy, if I can’t call you mine.

2. Got the farewell blues-y, and my trunk is packed.
Got the farewell blues-y, and my trunk is packed,
But I don’t want no daddy because that I ain’t comin’ back.

3. Oh, fare you well, daddy. Hon, it’s your turn now.
Fare you well, daddy. Hon, it’s your turn now.
After all I’ve done, you mistreated me anyhow.

4. Going through the wood-field feeling sad and blue.
Going through the wood-field feeling sad and blue.
Lord, up jumped a rabbit, said, “Mama, I’ve got ’em too.”

5. Pig starts to singin’. Oh, how his voice could ring!
Pig starts to singin’. Oh, how his voice could ring!
He says, “I’m no yellow jacket, but Lord, how I can sting!”

6. Since my man left me, the others can’t be found.
Since my man left me, others can’t be found,
But before he left me, the other men was hangin’ around.

7. So fare you well, daddy. Someday you’ll hear bad news.
So farewell, daddy. Someday you’ll hear bad news.
When you look for your mama, she’s gone with the farewell blues.


Sources

“Deep Moanin’ Blues” by Ma Rainey is in the public domain. This version was retrieved from Genius.

“Black Eye Blues” by Ma Rainey is in the public domain. This version was retrieved from Genius.

“Farewell Daddy Blues” by Ma Rainey is in the public domain. This version was retrieved from Genius.

License

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Poetry and Poetics Copyright © 2021 by is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.