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."

Murder In The First Degree

I'm flat-out guessing on some of these lyrics. They don't seem to be anywhere on the wide webs. The biggest question is, the first half of the last line in the third verse--"Any charge that I'm makin" makes the most sense, but it isn't what it sounds like she's actually saying. Let me know if you've got a different interpretation.

Well, I'm layin' here in this jailhouse, scared as any fool can be (2x)

I believe they're gonna hang me, from what my lawyer said to me

My man got runnin' around with a woman he know I can't stand (2x)

There's one notch on my gun, and the world's rid of one triflin' man

I scrubbed them pots and kettles, I washed and ironed them white folks' clothes (2x)

Any charge that I'm makin', I killed him, Judge, and that's all I know

Judge, if you had killed your woman, and had to come before me

If you'da killed a woman who trifled and had to come before me

I'd send her to the gallows, and, Judge, would let you go free

I said I ain't done nothin but killed a man what belonged to me (2x)

And here they got me charged with murder in the first degree

Jug Band Blues Sept. 16, 1924

For the life of me I can't figure out the last line of this song, which makes me pretty sad cause the rest of this song is so groovy. Sara Martin.

Did you ever wake up, find your daddy gone?

Turn over on your side, sing this lonesome song

I woke up this morning between midnight and day

You oughta see me grab the pillow where my daddy used to lay

Crying, hey, hey, ain't got no daddy now

If my country goes to war don't need no thing no how

Cause I'm singing this song for women just like myself

Running wild about a man when you know he's got someone else.

You can always tell when your man is treating you mean

You can always tell when your man is treating you mean

Lord, his meals ain't reg'lar and your house ain't never clean.

I ain't got nobody to carry my troubles to

I ain't got nobody to carry my troubles to

I've got the blues so bad I don't know what to do

I'll tell you now, I can't be satisfied

If I don't get my man, gonna catch a train and ride

Gonna sing this verse and I ain't gonna sing no more

The way this man goes to ___ ___ it makes me sore

Any-Kind-A Man

Another song about a woman who's leaving her no-good fella, this time from Victoria Spivey.

Daddy, there's a big change in your life

Why you don't treat me like you should a wife

Why you stay out all night

And you don't come home for days

But daddy you know, that isn't right

And now I've changed my ways

Well, you dragged me around until I'd lost my pride

And when I lose you, I'll be satisfied

Cause any-kind-a man will be better than you

If he's got one leg, that'd be alright

Just so he brings that one leg home to mama every night

Cause any-kind-a man will be better than you

Well, I tried being good, I meant to live like I should

That didn't matter to you

Now my good days are done, man I'm having my fun

Don't care what I do

Aw, I'm really glad I found you out in time

I mean to get me a good man while I'm in my prime

Cause any-kind-a man will be better than you

Mama Will Be Gone

For the life of me I cannot figure out what Rosa Henderson is saying in that third line. Someday, maybe, I will decipher it. Or someone will enlighten me. Which is to say, please do.

ETA: The folks over at WeenieCampbell.com have offered help deciphering the lyrics of the third line; Uncle Bud suggests "two-time me"; although not everyone is completely satisfied with that, it scans and it makes sense. Thanks, guys and gals!

I'm tired of fussing and calling you down

Your trifling ways is the talk of the town

You played around and tried to two-time me

You caused such misery

Done everything that a sweet mama should

Done everything I could

Still you won't appreciate

Til it will be too late

You're gonna wake some morning

You're gonna be in mourning

Cause sweet mama will be gone

You're gonna wake up sighing

You're gonna wake up crying

You'll be all alone

You used to call me

Your ace in the hole

But papa, papa,

You'll miss sweet jelly roll

You're gonna wake some morning

You're gonna be in mourning

Cause sweet mama will be gone

Fifty Miles Of Elbow Room

I think this song is what first truly alienated me from my metal-head friends. They just couldn't get it why I would like a song so much that was about going to heaven. They sneered at the "three great chords" progression typical of the Carter Family tunes, and I just gave up explaining it. It's not supposed to be difficult to play; it's supposed to be fun to play. And that tune is kind of a doozy to sing, for all it's no "Oh Danny Boy."

One hundred miles its length and breadth

The four-square city stands

With gems its walls of jasper shine

Not made with human hands

One hundred miles the gates are wide

Abundant entrance there

With fifty miles of elbow room

On either side to spare

For the gates are wide on the other side

Just beyond the sunset sea

There'll be room to spare as we enter there

Room for you and room for me

For the gates are wide on the other side

Where the flowers ever bloom

On the right hand, on the left hand

Fifty miles of elbow room

Sometimes I'm cramped and crowded here

And long for elbow room

I want to reach for altitude

Where fair flowers bloom

It won't be long til I shall fade

Into that city fair

With fifty miles of elbow room

On either side to spare.