Charley Patton (1891-1934)

" Sees a little boll weevil keeps movin' in the, Lordie!
You can plant your cotton and you won't get a half a bale, Lordie Bo weevil, bo weevil,
where's your native home? Lordie
"A-Louisiana raised in Texas,
least is where I was bred and born", Lordie
Well, I saw the bo weevil,Lord,
a-circle, Lord, in the air, Lordie
The next time I seed him, Lord,
he had his family there, Lordie
Bo weevil left Texas, Lord,
he bid me "fare ye well", Lordie
(spoken: Where you goin' now?)
I'm goin' down the Mississippi,
gonna give Louisiana hell, Lordie
(spoken: How is that, boy?)
Suck all the blossoms and he leave your hedges square,
Lordie The next time I seed you,
you know you had your family there,
Lordie Bo weevil meet his wife,
"We can sit down on the hill",
Lordie Bo weevil told his wife,
"Let's trade this forty in",
Lordie Bo weevil told his wife, says,
"I believe I may go North", Lordie
(spoken: Hold on, I'm gonna tell all about that)
"Let's leave Louisiana, we can go to Arkansas",
Lordie Well, I saw the bo weevil,
Lord a-circle, Lord, in the air,
Lordie Next time I seed him, Lord, he had his family there, Lordie Bo weevil told the farmer that
"I 'tain't got ticket fare", Lordie
Sucks all the blossom and leave your hedges square, Lordie
Bo weevil, bo weevil, where your native home? Lordie
"Most anywhere they raise cotton and corn", Lordie
Bo weevil, bo weevil, "Outta treat me fair", Lordie
The next time I did you had your family there, Lordie "

" I'm goin' away, to a world unknown
I'm goin' away, to a world unknown
I'm worried now, but I won't be worried long
Her heart hurts so bad, she try to keep it hid
Her heart hurts so bad, she try to keep it hid
Ah, Lord, I got some, hmm, finer love somewhere
I feel like choppin' it, chips flyin' everywhere
I feel like choppin' it, chips flyin' everywhere
I'm glad, but I'm leavin', Lord, but I couldn't stay there
Some people say them overseas blues ain't bad
(spoken: Why, of course they are)
Some people say them overseas blues ain't bad
(spoken: What was the matter with 'em?)
It must not been them overseas blues I had
Everyday seems like murder here
(spoken: My Lord, of course they are)
Everyday seems like murder here
I'm gone leave tomorrow, I know you don't a bit more care
I can't go down a dark road by myself
I can't go down a dark road by myself
(spoken: My Lord, who ya gonna carry?)
I don't carry my heart, gonna carry me someone's else "

" I'm gonna buy me a banty, put him at my backdoor
I'm gonna buy me a banty, put him at my backdoor
So when he see a stranger a-comin', he'll flap his wings and crow
What you want with a rooster, he won't crow 'fore day?
What you want with a rooster, he won't crow 'fore day?
What you want with a man, when he won't do nothin' he say?
What you want with a hen won't, cackle when she lays?
What you want with a hen won't, cackle when she lays?
What you want with a woman, when she won't do nothin' I say?
Ah, take my picture, hang it up in Jackson wall
Ah, take my picture, hang it up in Jackson wall
Anybody asks you "What about it", tell 'em "That's all I saw"
My hook's in the water, and my cork's on top
My hook's in the water, and my cork's on top
How can I lose, Lord, with the help I got
I know my dog anywhere I hear him bark
I know my dog anywhere I hear him bark
I can tell my rider
if I feel her in the dark "

" Laid down last night, hopin I would have my peace, eee
I laid down last night, hopin I would have my peace, eee
But when I woke up, Tom Rushen was shakin' me
When you get in trouble,
it's no use to screamin and cryin', hmm
When you get in trouble,
it's no use to screamin and cryin', hmm
Tom Rushen will take you, back to the prison house flyin'
It were late one night, Halloway was gone to bed, hmm
It were late one night, Halloway was gone to bed, hmm
Mister Day brought whiskey taken from under Halloway's head
An' it's boozy booze, now, Lord, to cure these blues
It takes boozy boo, Lord, to cure these blues
But each day seems like years in the jailhouse
where there is no boo'
I got up this mornin, Tom Day was standin' around
I got up this mornin, Tom Day was standin' around
If he lose his office now, he's runnin' from town to town
Let me tell you folksies just how he treated me
Let me tell you folksies just how he treated me
Aw, he caught me yellin, I was drunk as I could be "

" You can shake it, you can break it,
you can hang it on the wall
Throw it out the window, catch it 'fore it roll
You can shake it, you can break it,
you can hang it on the wall
...it out the window, catch it 'fore it falls
My jelly, my roll, sweet mama, don't let it fall
Everybody have a jelly roll like mine, I lives in town
I, ain't got no brown, I, an' I want it now
My jelly, my roll, sweet mama, don't let it fall
You can snatch it, you can grab it, you can break it,
you can twist it, any way that I love to get it
I, had my right mind since I, I blowed this town
My jelly, my roll, sweet mama, don't let it fall
Jus' shake it, you can break it,
you can hang it on the wall
.. it out the window, catch it 'fore it falls
You can break it, you can hang it on the wall
...it out the window, catch it 'fore it...
My jelly, my roll, sweet mama, don't let it fall
I ain't got nobody here but me and myself
I, stay blue all the time, aw, when the sun goes down
My jelly, my roll, sweet mama, don't let it fall
You can shake it, you can break it,
you can hang it on the wall
... it out the window, catch it 'fore it fall
You can break it, you can hang it on the wall
...it out the window, catch...
My jelly, my roll, sweet mama, don't let it fall
You can snatch it, you can grab it,
you can break it, you can twist it,
any way that I love to get it
I, had my right mind, I, be worried sometime
'Bout a jelly, my roll, sweet mama, don't let it fall
Just shake it, you can break it,
you can hang it on the wall
... it out the window, catch it 'fore it falls
You can break it, you can hang it on the wall
...it out the window, catch it 'fore it falls
My jelly, my roll, sweet mama, don't let it fall
I know I been to town, I, I walked around
I, start leavin' town, I, I fool around
My jelly, my roll, sweet mama, don't let it fall
Just shake it, you can break it,
you can hang it on the wall
... it out the window, catch it 'fore it falls
You can break it, you can hang it on the wall
...it out the window, catch it 'fore it...
My jelly, my roll, sweet mama, don't let it fall
Jus' shake it, you can break it,
you can hang it on the wall
... it out the window, catch it 'fore it...
My jelly, my roll, sweet mama, don't let it... "