I Used To Be Your Sweet Mama (1928)

I heard this song on my pre-war blues Pandora channel (For you blues-lovers out there, I recommend doing this. Start a channel on Pandora with one of your classic favorites--Bessie, Victoria Spivey, Memphis Minnie, etc.--and then stubbornly thumbs-down anything they give you that was recorded after 1950. You'll wind up with a wonderful listening station, and you'll probably discover some great gems--I know I have!) and I was frustrated to find it wasn't on my computer. It's my new "favorite" Bessie Smith number.

Yes, I'm mad, and have a right to be
After what my daddy did to me
I lavished all my love on him
But I swear I'll never love again
All you women understand what it is to be
In love with a two-time man
The next time he calls me sweet mama in his lovin' way
This is what I'm going to say:

I used to be your sweet mama sweet papa
But now I'm just as sour as can be
So don't come stalling around my way
Expecting any love from me.

You had your chance, and proved unfaithful,
So now I'm gonna be real mean and hateful
I used to be your sweet mama sweet papa
But now I'm just as sour as can be

I ain't gonna let no man worry me sick
Or turn this hair of mine grey
Soon as I catch him at his no good trick
I'm gonna tell him to be on his way
To the world I scream, no man can treat me mean
And expect my love all the time
When he roams away, he'd better stay
If he comes back, he'll find...

You had your chance, and proved unfaithful,
So now I'm gonna be real mean and hateful
I used to be your sweet mama sweet papa
But now I'm just as sour as can be

Do-wop and Rock

I used to only ever listen to the Beatles. I never would have gone near Elvis, and I thought Buddy Holly was a dweeb. Therefore it is with some embarrassment that I admit to really enjoying that stuff now. Here's some of the songs I've decided I want to work up:

• "Good Luck Charm"
• "Girl Machine"
• "Don't Be Cruel"
• "I Heard It Through The Grapevine"
• "Too Much"
• "The Wanderer"
• "I Wanna Be Your Lover," the Cascades
• "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do," Carole King
• "You're So Square (Baby I Don't Care)," Lieber and Stoller
• "Leader Of The Pack"
• "Devil In Disguise"
• "Little Bitty Pretty One"
• "Cathy's Clown"
• "Da Do Ron Ron"
• "Heartbreak Hotel"
• "It's My Party"
• "Lonely Weekends"
• "Love Potion No. 9"

Designs On You

The Old 97's. Nothing original here, just notes for me, basically. I always bring out this song when the evening is winding down. It has that mellow energy that comes at the end of a good time, that reminds you that the party was awesome even if now you're exhausted.

Standin' on the corner of 6th, and how'd I forget

| G | G | Am | Am |

Try and do right by you all night, Annette.

| D | D | G | G |

You can go ahead and get married

| Am | Am | Am | Am |

And this'll be our secret thing

| Em | Em | Em | Em |

I won't tell a soul

| C | C |

Except the people in the night club where I sing

| G | G |

I don't mean to get you all worked up

| Am | Am | Am | Am |

Except secretly I do,

| Em | Em | Em | Em |

I'd be lyin if I said I didn't have designs on you,

| G | D | Am | G |

I'd be lyin if I said I didn't have designs on you.

| G | D | Am | G |

Standin' on the corner of 6th, and where do I go,

The parade shut down now the rain is runnin' the show

Where did these people come from

And how soon will they leave?

Normally I'd be into it

But I've got to get some sleep

And I do wish you'd come over

But I'm warning you if you do,

[chorus]

Standin' on the corner of 6th, and how'd I forget

Try and do right by you all night, Annette.

This was just an experiment

In things that might have been

And you can go ahead and get married

And it'll prob'ly never happen again

Now, I don't mean to get you excited

Except secretly I do.

[chorus]

Take It Right Back

Oh, sass in the extreme. Repetitive, but man, what a tune. I found these words in the comments of the YouTube video below; I must confess, I find them suspect. It just doesn't sound like she says "good enthused"; frankly, I'm not sure Bessie Smith would even know the word enthused. And I can't find anything that DBA would stand for. I've put the questionable lyrics in bold.

ETA: My mother, once again, to the rescue... She pointed out last night, after giving me some tips on chords, that "DBA" stands for "Doing Business As." Dur. She also suggests "good and through" to replace "good enthused," which I totally like.

You came home about half past three

| D | D7 |

Wakin' me up, papa, you was ballin' me

| G | GM7 |

Take it right back to the place where you got it

| D | D - B7 |

I don't want a bit of it left here

| E - A7 | D |

You just leapin' in rollin' drunk

Smellin' just like you been with any old skunk

Take it right back to the place where you got it

Mama don't want a bit of it left here

Please, let me understand

I don't want nothin' that is secondhand

Take it right back to the place where you got it

You can't leave a bit of it in here

When I tell you that I'm good and through,

There ain't nothin' that your mama wouldn't do

Take it right back to the place where you got it

You can't leave a bit of it in here

Been your cook, but I'm gettin' you told

You got the last of my jelly roll

Take it right back to the place where you got it

Child, you shan't leave a bit of it in here

You just like one of these old tomcats

Always chasin' these no good rats

Take it right back to the place where you got it

You can't leave a bit of it in here

Don't come shootin your no good sass

You ain't got nothin' that I must have

Take it right back to the place where you got it

You can't leave a bit of it in here

I ain't worried, I'm doing very fine

You keep yours, and I'll hold on to mine

Take it right back to the place where you got it

You can't leave a bit of it in here

If you think that I miss you, say

That's just simply your DBA

Take it right back to the place where you got it

I'm gonna pick up the broom and sweep it out of here!

One Hour Mama

Here's the tune, with my cobbled-together chords. Missing the intro, I'll add it once I've gotten the chords. This is from Ida Cox's version of this song, which I like better than Victoria Spivey's. Ida does it more sultry, slow-paced, and, best of all, more blunt. This song works better brassy than cute, if you ask me.

ETA: This song was far more complicated than I had anticipated! Here's the final product.

I've always heard that haste makes waste

| D - DM7 | Em - A |

So I believe in taking my time

| A | D |

The highest mountain can't be raced

| D - Dm | A |

It's something you must slowly climb

| B7 - E | A |

I want a slow and easy man

| D - DM7 | Em - A |

He needn't ever take the lead

| A | D |

Cause I work on that long time plan

| A - E | A |

And I ain't a-looking for no speed

| B7 - E | A |

I'm a one hour mama, so no one minute papa

| D | D - B7 |

Ain't the kind of man for me.

| E7 - A7| D |

Set your alarm clock, papa; one hour that's proper

| D | D - B7 |

Then love me like I want to be

| E7 | A7 |

I don't want no lame excuses 'bout my lovin' bein' so good

| D | D7 |

That you couldn't wait no longer; now, I hope I'm understood

| G | F#º|

I'm a one hour mama, so no one minute papa

Ain't the kind of man for me.

I can't stand no greenhorned lover, like a rookie goin' to war

| D | G |

With a load of big artillery, but don't know what it's for.

| D - B7 | E - A7 |

He's got to bring me reference, with great long pedigree,

| D | G |

And must prove he's got endurance, or he don't mean that to me.

| D - B7 | E-A7-D |

I don't like no crowin' rooster, what just hits a lick or two

Action is the only booster of just what my man can do.

I don't want no imitations, my requirement ain't no joke,

Cause I've got pure indignation for a guy what's lost his stroke.

I'm a one hour mama, so no one minute papa

Ain't the kind of man for me.

Set your alarm clock, papa; one hour that's proper

Then love me like I want to be

I may want love for one hour, then decide to make it two

It takes an hour 'fore I get started, may be three 'fore I am through

I'm a one hour mama, so no one minute papa

Ain't the kind of man for me.

You're So Vain

Okay, I admit it: I love to sing this song. It's got a great tune, with some impressive low notes that aren't actually that hard to hit. Plus, you can stick it to anyone in the room who needs to be taken down a few notches. I play it a lot faster than Carly Simon's original, with a kind of home-grown rockabilly kind of feel to it. These are the chords I play.

3rd Capo

Well, you walked into the party

| Em | Em |

Like you were walking onto a yacht

| C | Em |

Your hat strategically dipped below one eye

| Em | Em |

Your scarf it was apricot

| C | Em |

You had one eye in the mirror as

| C - D | G - Em |

You watched yourself gavotte

| C | G |

And all the girls dreamed that they'd be your partner,

| D - C |

They'd be your partner, and

| C |

[chorus]

You're so vain

| G | G |

You prob'ly think this song is about you

| Em | G |

You're so vain

| Em |

I bet you think this song is about you, don't you?

| C | D |

Don't you? (Don't you?)

| D |

Well, you had me several years ago

When I was still quite naive

When you said that we made such a pretty pair

And that you would never leave,

Well you gave away the things you loved

And one of them was me

I had some dreams they were clouds in my coffee

Clouds in my coffee, and

[chorus]

[instrumental--first 6 lines of verse]

I had some dreams, they were clouds in my coffee

Clouds in my coffee, and

[chorus]

Well, I hear you went up to Saratoga

And your horse naturally won

Then you flew your new jet up to Nova Scotia

To see the total eclipse of the sun

Well, you're where you should be all the time

And when you're not you're with

Some underworld spy or the wife of a close friend

Wife of a close friend, and

[chorus]

| G | G | Em | G | Em--

You Gotta Give Me Some

I'll forgive any song its sexism with innuendoes like these. Bessie Smith sure knew how to say something incredibly dirty without saying anything dirty.

Lovin' is the thing I crave

For your love I'd be your slave

You gotta give me some

Yes, give me some

Can't you hear me pleading?

You gotta give me some.

Said Miss Jones to Old Butcher Pete

"I want a piece of your good old meat:

You gotta give me some

Oh, give me some,

I crave your round steak,

You gotta give me some."

Sweetest candy in the candy shop

It's just your sweet, sweet lollipop

You gotta give me some

Please, give me some

I love all these suckers

You gotta give me some

To the milkman I heard Mary scream

That she wanted lots of cream

You gotta give me some

Oh, give me some

Catch it when you come, sir

You gotta give me some.

Hear me cryin' on my bended knees

If you want to put my soul at ease

You gotta give me some

Please, give me some

Can't stand it any longer

You gotta give me some.

Zebra called the camel sugar lump

Said, "I'm goin' crazy about your hump:

You gotta give me some

Please, give me some

I can't wait eight days

You gotta give me some."

Jay bird said to the pecker wood

"I'll let you peck like a pecker should,

But give me some

Yes, give me some

I'm crazy bout them worms

You gotta give me some."