Comments on: The mysterious Kid Bailey

The mysterious Kid Bailey

flapjax at midnite — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 17:34:33 -0800

Kid Bailey was a Mississippi Delta bluesman blessed with the kind of slightly gravel-tinged voice that emanates authority. His recording career was a very short one, however, consisting of precisely one day, and yielding precisely two songs. Very little is known about Bailey himself, and the identity of the 2nd accompanying guitarist on his only known recording remains a mystery, though there has been some some speculation. I've been doing a little speculating myself, regarding some of Bailey's lyrics, and any of you blues linguists who might want to help fill in the blanks, please see the [more inside].

Can you help to fill in the blanks? Or suggest any corrections for words I might be hearing wrong? Mississippi Bottom Blues Way down in Mississippi, where I was bred and born _____________ be my native home _________ and my hair is turning gray _________ hair is turning gray I know it would break her heart to find I was barrelhoused in this way I'm going where the water drinks like wine I'm going where the water drinks like wine Where I can be drunk down and staggering all the time Ain't but the one thing lordy worries my mind Ain't but the one thing lordy worries my mind That's a house full of women _________ (lord and none of 'em mine)? My baby passed me and she never said a word And my baby passed me and she never said a word Nothing I had did but ______ she had heard (something?) Rowdy Blues Ain't gonna marry, (no) need to settle down I'm gonna stay right here til I tear this barrelhouse down I love you baby, and I tell the world I do And I love you baby, and I tell the world I do I don't love nobody in this whole round world but you Ain't no use of weeping, ain't no need to cry Ain't no use of weeping, ain't no need to cry You've got a home just long as I've got mine Is you ever been lucky now woke up cold and ______ I was _______ nothing but a monkey man And I love you baby, you so nice and brown And I love you baby, you so nice and brown Cause you put up _______ so it won't come down Did you get that letter now, mailed in your back yard Did you get that letter now, mailed in your back yard Said what it said but you ______friend have to part

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 17:36:58 -0800

There has also, in fact, been some speculation that "Mississippi Bottom Blues" and "Rowdy Blues" are by two different singers. Big mystery, big ol' mysterious mystery.

By: goatdog

goatdog — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 18:21:41 -0800

The first blank sounds like "be that way forever". That's an odd verse--seems like it's missing the first four bars.

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 18:26:56 -0800

That's an odd verse--seems like it's missing the first four bars Actually, in the first verse of both songs Bailey doesn't do the usual blues-form repeat of the first line: he only sings the first line once. Subsequent verses in each song feature the standard repeating of the first line.

By: goatdog

goatdog — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 18:31:33 -0800

I noticed that when I listened to the second song. I agree with the guy at the pre-war blues site--that one doesn't sound like the same voice singing. And I think the final blank in the second one sounds like "best old". (your best old friend have to part? maybe I'm wrong.) In any event, thanks for posting--I love a good blues mystery.

By: goatdog

goatdog — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 18:34:46 -0800

The obvious word for the "wake up cold and ___" line would be "dead," which in the singer's pronunciation might sort of rhyme with "man." "Dayd" and "mayn"?

By: OmieWise

OmieWise — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 19:34:25 -0800

In Mississippi Bottom Blues, I think the start of the second verse goes: "And my woman Lola, hair is turning gray." Or something to that effect. I don't think it's "my hair," and while grammar isn't always the strong-suit of Delta blues lyrics, that would accord with using "her" as the pronoun in the third line.

By: amyms

amyms — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 19:44:59 -0800

I found these lyrics for "Mississippi Bottom Blues"... "Mississippi Bottom Blues" Way down in Mississippi where I was bred and born I believe that will forever be my native home My poor mother's old and her hair is turning gray My poor mother's old and her hair is turning gray I know it would break her heart if she found out I was barrelhousing this a-way I'm going where the water tastes like wine I'm going where the water tastes like wine Where I can be drunk and staggering all the time Ain't but the one thing and Lord, it worries my mind Ain't but the one thing and Lord, it worries my mind Well, there's a house full of men, Lord, ain't none of them mine My baby passed me and he never said a word My baby passed me and he never said a word Nothing' I had did but 'twas something he had heard

By: amyms

amyms — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 19:48:30 -0800

And these lyrics for "Rowdy Blues"... well i ain't gonna marry neither settle down i'm gonna sit right here 'til i tear this barrel house down ain't no use a weepin' and there ain't no need to cry because you got a home just as long as i got mine well i loves you baby and i'll tell the world i do i don't love nobody in this whole round world but you did you get that letter mailed in your backyard well it's sad what they said but your best old friend had to part

By: amyms

amyms — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 19:49:19 -0800

Oops, here's the link for the source of the "Rowdy Blues" lyrics.

By: amyms

amyms — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 19:50:32 -0800

Note: the lyrics I found were from covers, not from Kid Bailey, but maybe they'll be helpful.

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 19:53:34 -0800

Well, damn, amyms, if that ain't helpful as all heck! I did lyrics searches, guess I just didn't stay at it long enough, just didn't look hard enough. Thanks!

By: amyms

amyms — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 19:55:15 -0800

You're welcome :) I like searching for obscure things.

By: rdone

rdone — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 20:27:25 -0800

The "cold" bit is actually "cold in hand." In the Delta dialect money warms the palm, and its absence leaves one "cold in hand." By extension, it also means missing your "special rider" or "faro," with connotations of infidelity. Here's the typical usage: Ever dream lucky, (but) wake up cold in hand (2x) Sure sign, baby, your woman's got another man Bailey's verse is a variant: "Monkey man" is a cuckold. What Bailey sings before "nothin' but a monkey man" is virtually indecipherable ("cold that night, uh. . .?"), but clearly signifies the cuckold's "cold in hand" status. In the next verse, it's "Cause you['re] put up solid so it won't come down." This is a reference to laying railroad tracks so the ties don't sink; by extension, the woman is a "solid" lay so the monkey man's "it" won't come down.

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 20:59:32 -0800

Yeah, rdone! I thought that was "solid" he was saying, but wasn't sure enough to commit. Very informative, my friend! (And thanks to you other commenters, so far, for your guesses and insights.) Anyway, this is really starting to come together! Later on in this thread I'll post a "final" version of the lyrics, with (almost?) every blank filled in!

By: not_on_display

not_on_display — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 12:07:12 -0800

I'm glad you're all Sherlock Holmesin', but can I just interject? This music sounds goooood.

By: snsranch

snsranch — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 17:24:58 -0800

Yea, I'm terrible with deciphering lyrics but this is a great and interesting post. Can't get enough blues, baby!