Blues Challenge

[alwaysawake]

Here is an old song by Jim Croce...The Car Wash Blues (I still like the lyrics after all these years!) If my schedule ever slows down this summer, I will try my hand at writing one. Give me any guitarist that can lay down a good blues riff...for example, Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, or BB King--and I am in heaven!

Well, I had just got out from the county prison
Doin' ninety days for non-support
Tried to find me an executive position
But no matter how smooth I talked
They wouldn't listen to the fact that I was a genius
The man say, We got all that we can use.
Now I got them steadily depressin', low down, mind messin',
Working at the car wash blues

Well, I should be sittin' in an air conditioned office in a swivel chair
Talkin' some trash to the secretaries
Sayin', Here, now mam-ma, come on over here.
Instead, I'm stuck here rubbin' these fenders with a rag
And walkin' home in soggy old shoes
With them steadily depressin', low down, mind messin',
Workin' at the car wash blues


You know a man of my ability
He should be smokin' on a big cigar
But till I get myself straight I guess I'll just have to wait
In my rubber suit a-rubbin' these cars


Well, all I can do is a shake my head
You might not believe that it's true
For workin' at this end of Niagara Falls
Is an undiscovered Howard Hughes
So baby, don't expect to see me
With no double martini in any high-brow society news
Cause I got them steadily depressin', low down, mind messin',
Workin' at the car wash blues
Yeah, I got them steadily depressin', low down, mind messin',
Workin' at the car wash blues

 

[steve porter]

bartender blues

ive poured a lot of whiskey
and ive slung my share of gin
i guess ive seen some honesty
but i know ive seen sin
ive got the bartender blues
you cant win you cant lose
the bartender knows life comes and goes
ive got the bartender blues.

ive worked a lot of places
from dining rooms to greasy spoons
ive seen a lot of faces
come and go in saloons
ive got the bartender blues
you cant win you cant lose
the bartender knows life comes and goes
ive got the bartender blues.

 

[Angeline]

bartender blues

ive poured a lot of whiskey
and ive slung my share of gin
i guess ive seen some honesty
but i know ive seen sin
ive got the bartender blues
you cant win you cant lose
the bartender knows life comes and goes
ive got the bartender blues.

ive worked a lot of places
from dining rooms to greasy spoons
ive seen a lot of faces
come and go in saloons
ive got the bartender blues
you cant win you cant lose
the bartender knows life comes and goes
ive got the bartender blues.

Steve, this is brilliant--I love it, but you need a blues name buddy.

 

[steve porter]

well lets see...im not very good with names angie, but im always open for suggestions...heres one...how about stevie ray blooze...it just so happens that during my bartending days the only venue in dallas for stevie ray vaughn to play (and by the way i live in the same oak cliff neighborhood he grew up in and three doors down from cousin connie), happened to be in the same nightclub where i "slung gin"...so for about a year (1981-82) I had the good fortune (me and maybe 300 others) to watch that boy blow the house down maybe half a dozen times...annnnnd my middle name IS ray...so anyway... thats all i got...thanx for the mention.

 

[Angeline]

Stevie Ray Blooze it is! I didn't grow up near anyone famous. But my grandmother lived on the same nyc block as Bugsy Seigel. Really. But, that's infamous lol. And I'm something-cousin something removed to the Ritz Brothers. (Sort of second-rate Marx Brothers. Not the cracker makers--if it were, I might actually have some dough, er money--you know, lol).

God. What a legacy. I feel a new blues coming on...

Flat Foot Catskills Mrs. Lester Young

 

[Angeline]

Here is an old song by Jim Croce...The Car Wash Blues (I still like the lyrics after all these years!) If my schedule ever slows down this summer, I will try my hand at writing one. Give me any guitarist that can lay down a good blues riff...for example, Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, or BB King--and I am in heaven!

AA! You can write the Nobody Ever Sees Me Anymore Cause I Work Too Hard blues.

 

[Beatles5]

Suicide Blues..

Hey! What happened to my Suicide Blues?

 

[The_Fool]

We talked about this once....(Pondering)

 

[Angeline]

We talked about this once....(Pondering)

I remember that.

And I can't believe I forgot to put this here, but I wrote a blues sonnet a while back.

 

[The_Fool]

Dusty, dreary days and melancholy nights...

Married Man Blues…


Shuffle in the house
Dusty shoes by the door
Done worked so hard today
I cain’t do no more…no more
I wants to settle down
I wants to take a sit
That old woman gets to goin’
Tells me what I’m gonna do
That old woman gets to goin’
Tells me I ain’t close to bein’ through.
“Get you lazy carcass up
Get on out that old broken door
Pick up that old hoe you got
And get that paintbrush goin’
You got stuff to do if you want to eat
You got dues to pay before you sleep
And you can forget about bein’ lucky
Ain’t got no time to give you lovin’
Just get on out that door old man
Get on out and get sumpthin done.
Come see me when them chores is through
And we’ll see if we got time for fun.”
I looks at her and stands on up
Looks her in the eye as I walk by.
Picks up my shoes and walks on out.
I slams the door and she starts to shout.
But I don’t pay no mind.
I ain’t even listenin’
I head on to the shed
And my mason jar of ‘shine.
That old door can still be broken
My old hoe has lost its edge.
And that paint is all done dried up.
I don’t need to eat.
That old porch swing’s where I’ll sleep.
And if I don’t get to lick her.
Then I can still enjoy my likker…

Likker Lovin’ Michael Moonshine

 

[The_Fool]

I remember that.

And I can't believe I forgot to put this here, but I wrote a blues sonnet a while back.

This one's going on the wall....

 

[steve porter]

good lordy mizz angeline but ladydaypoem2 is a mighty fetching piece of finnnnnne work...yes yes yes, thems sum tasty dumplins'
darlin'...that should be a poster...wail your blues away...and to The Fool...well, im just finishing up a 2-week housepainting project...my left shoulder is sore, my back aches, and i want to assassinate the paint brush...yeah baby i can dig them married man bluz raps too...

heres an impromptu blooze poem inspired by you both...

down 'n' out in dallas

now im down 'n' out in dallas
where the heat do wear you down
if the sun dont get ya the sheriff will
in this sweatin' little town.

i walk around deep ellum
and jefferson boulevard
i see the faces around me
and i knows that life is hard.

but people keeps on going
the shufflin' of they feet
is the lazy sound be makin'
to this citys southbound beat.

so im down 'n' out in dallas
and the heat do wear you down
if the sun dont get ya the sheriff will
in this sweatin' little town.

stevie ray blooze

 

[The_Fool]

Poetry and Blues

Wanted to share one of my favorite CDs. Fits in well with the discussion. The following is a link to Amazon for a CD of Langston Hughes reading some of his poetry in which he is backed up by Charlie Mingus, et. al. Anyway, hope you get a chance to check it out.

Langston Hughes - Weary Blues

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...f=sr_1_1/102-9671007-4471309?v=glance&s=music

 

[Angeline]

Weary Blues

Wanted to share one of my favorite CDs. Fits in well with the discussion. The following is a link to Amazon for a CD of Langston Hughes reading some of his poetry in which he is backed up by Charlie Mingus, et. al. Anyway, hope you get a chance to check it out.

Langston Hughes - Weary Blues

!!!!! I'm thrilled that someone mentioned this incredible piece of work. I'm a major Langston Hughes fan. The more I read him (and my credit card was recently steaming from Hughes book purchasing, lol), the more I respect his work. He's the single best representative voice of the Harlem Rennaisance (imho), so you can touch the world of that culture in his writing. He is also though a tower of outspoken strength in his beautifully articulated themes of equality, humanity, and justice.

The blues in his poetry are never more evident than on that cd. And he's not singing--if anything he seems pretty careful not to fall into "blues" cliche, but instead to articulate to get his thematic points across. And then there's Mingus and Leonard Feather, who I heretofore knew as a writer--not a composer.

This wonderful collaboration is on the web:

Weary Blues

You only need RealPlayer to access it. The Fool ain't no fool. Listen, listen, listen!

(See Lauren I'm still obnoxiously excited about this, lol.)

 

[Angeline]

LadyDay Poem

And thanks for the kind words on my blues sonnet. I love twisting poetic forms around--why can't one have a blues sonnet or blues-ku or whatever, right? Change is growth!

(And re: the poster--you are kind steve, but I think I gotta fix the weird stuff doin with her arm first, lol.)

Here's another, similar thing I did for the great MaryLou Williams.

 

[Angeline]

A Real Blues

well an attempt at it anyway. This is meant to sound more like a song (because a friend is going to write music for it and record it--I hope). Does it sound like a real blues?

Old News Blues

Without a warning
you broke a storm in my heart
My whole soul is in mourning
Since the day we fell apart

So maybe I was old-fashion
Simply for wanting to believe
and getting lost inside a passion
That only proved I was naive

I don't know how to find tomorrow
I can't stop reading yesterday's news
For now I'm wrapped inside my sorrow
So for today I'll sing the blues.

I let a child's heart be gentle
Where a woman's should be strong
I liked myself too sentimental
And closed my eyes to what was wrong

And I don't even know if losing
Means losing you or nights alone
This endless sadness is confusing
I had a heart but now it's stone

I don't know how to find tomorrow
I can't stop reading yesterday's news
For now I'm wrapped inside my sorrow
So for today I'll sing the blues.

 

[Angeline]

Great Blues Lyric

This is, for me, one of the best blues songs ever. It was written by Tracy Nelson, who originally recorded it in the late 1960s (I think) with her band Mother Earth. It has since been recorded by Linda Ronstadt and others, but the Tracy version is powerful--she sounds like she could knock the roof down with her voice. Very worth listening to if you like blues.

Down So Low

When you went away I cried
Cried for so long
And I wanted you to stay
Ah but that was all wrong

The pain you left behind
Has become part of me
And it's burned out a hole
Where my love used to be

But it's not losing you
That's got me down so low
I just can't find another man
To take your place

Well you know I love you
But that wasn't enough
We both fell apart
When things got too tough
And I've learned how to give now
But what good
But what good would that do
No one can touch me
The way you used to do

And it's not losing you
That's got me down so low
I just can't find another man
To take your place

Well I know your opinion
Of me is not good
Please try to understand
That I'd change
Well I'd change if I could
And this coldness inside me
Well it's starting to build
And a woman can't be a woman
Unless she's fulfilled

But it's not losing you
That's got me down so low
I just can't find another man
To take your place
There's no one can

 

[Floater]

London Blues

When you’re livin in London
Your socks can soak up a lotta rain
On the losin end of London
You can soak up a lotta pain
You guts can be cold an empty
You can have cardboard in your shoes
You can be abandoned by your woman
But you can NOT have the blues

‘f I was poor in New Orleans
I might still feel misery
‘f I chewed my boots in Chicago
I might suffer grievously
‘f I hit the skids in Virginia
Might be the end of me
But in these legendary locations -
At least my moans of desperation -
Would be dignified by association -
And a bluesy authenticity . . .

To have the blues in Pinner
It‘s more than flesh and blood can take
To wake up blue in Bayswater
Is the loneliest mistake
Admit dispair in Wimbledon
And you’re lower than the worms
(The blues and the stiff upper lip
Are still not on speaking terms.)

Cobblestone Jack O'Grieved

 

[denis hale]

Rory Gallagher

This guy was not only (IMHO) one of the greatest guitar players who ever graced a stage, but also a prolific and profoundly gifted blues lyricist.

I give you

Rory Gallagher


"Country Mile" by rory gallagher (blues shuffle, up tempo)

Well I was born on the side of the road,
A gap in the hedge,
Did you hear what I said?
Born in a house with no slates,
But I wouldn't switch,
I didn't have a stitch,
Always been out on a limb,
I've been hard to mend,
Like a kick in the shin.

You'll only see me smile,
When I eat up a country mile.

Born on the green light,
A mission to move,
Something to prove,
An itch in my shoes,

I heard then wail of a train,
From a burnin' stack,
And I jumped on the back,
Well the engineer threw the switch,
And it got to my brain,
I've never been the same.

You'll only see me smile,
When I eat up a country mile.


[bridge]

Gotta make tracks,
Gotta raise the dust,
Grease my heels,
Out race the bus,
Don't blink your eyes,
You won't see me again.

Born a spoke of the wheel,
Not a part of the set,
And I'm running yet,
I ran before I could walk,
The price of the fare,
Was hardly ever there,
I saw an eight wheeler move,
And I couldn't choose,
I just had to cruise.

You'll only see me smile,
When I eat up a country mile.

[bridge 2]

Gotta make tracks,
Gotta raise the dust,
Grease my heels,
Out race the bus,
Don't blink your eyes,
Or you won't see me again.

Yea

Well I was born on the side of the road,
A gap in the hedge,
Did you hear what I said,
Born in a house with no slates,
But I wouldn't switch,
I didn't have a stitch,
I've always been out on a limb,
I've been hard to mend,
Like a kick in the shin.

You'll only see me smile,
When I eat up a country mile.



p.s. next, just for angeline, i will bring the rory classic--

"Laundromat"


but that's next time..

as rory would say, after an encore, in his inimitable irish hurry up brogue:

thangyouso verymushindeed!!


dh

 

[Beatles5]

Broke Down Air Conditioner Blues

I really don't know how this one is going to go.
But the theme is simple.
The narrator can't sleep because the air conditioner is broken down.
And as a result of the air conditioner being broken.
He stays up all night because the heat is killing him.
As a result of his insomnia.
He finds out that his baby has been stepping out on him.
And kills both her and her lover.
And he is goes the the elctric chair not really upset about killing them.
Because that no good woman of his simply got what she deserved.
But he is pissed off about having to spend eternity in Hell.
Which has no air conditioning.

Any assistance will be appreciated....

I was thinking about starting it with a line like this...

I couldn't even wake up this morning...
Because that Mississippi heat baked me alive...

 

[Angeline]

There are

18 Literotica Blues Poets thus far:

All Man Allman (Dennis Hale)
Blonde Melon Jenson (JUDO)
Cobblestone Jack O'Grieved (Floater)
Cross-eyed, little poor-boy, Fillmore (Rybka)
dr. Howlin' Mabeuse (Dr. Mabeuse)
dug ditch digger peter boy blue eyed foo (smithpeter)
Dyslexic Green Tomato Southern Belle Nixon (Maria2394)
Flat Foot Floozie Mrs. Lester Young (Angeline)
hairy palm jimmy big bluberry johnson (neonurotic)
Insomniac Lola Lime Fillmore-Hayes (Lauren.Hynde)
Likker Lovin’ Michael Moonshine (The Fool)
Li'l Mama Heartburn Kumquat Cordelia Van Buren (Cordelia)
Limpfoot Lowdown (whisperingbass)
O. termite town T (OT)
One-eyed Tiny Willy Pinecone Johnson (darkmaas)
Sarah "Slack-jaw" Smith (GP)
stevie ray blooze (steve porter)
Wicked Breath Watermelon Evie Bush (Wicked Eve)


A few more and we can start our own Woodstock.

Honorary member: Sure (but stay outta Memphis)

 

[whisperingbass]

The Deepest Blues

If we're gonna talk about the real blues, my vote would have to go to a song that doesn't even have words - Blind Willie Johnson's Dark Was The Night - Cold Was The Ground. The vocal is just a wordless moaning that still brings shivers to my spine. Recorded in 1927, and widely available.

BTW, he was also married and recorded with a woman named Angeline

 

[Angeline]

BTW, he was also married and recorded with a woman named Angeline

And your point is??????

 

[trixiefirecracker]

And your point is??????

Annnngieeeeeeee!!

*nibblessssss*

OK i need to go think of something bluesey now.....!

 

[Angeline]

Annnngieeeeeeee!!

*nibblessssss*

OK i need to go think of something bluesey now.....!

Trixxxxerrrrrrrrrrrs!!!! *Chompity Chomp*
(don't forget yer blues name biyatch)

(look lauren trixers is here!)