Anyone have the lyrics to this song?
Steve
Really good number, Gregg NAILS it ! Tough to transcribe if you can't decipher the French. I think lyrics were in the notes of Ton-Ton Macoute! , Johnny Jenkins' record out of Capricorn 1970 - great record, Duane producer and guitars, and with Berry, Jaimoe, and Butch. Donna Thatcher (later Godchaux) with Southern Comfort on backup vox.
Will check and get back.
Hi BrerRabbit,
I have that album but have not looked at it in many years. Turntable is in mothballs. I'll dig it out and check. Thanks for the heads up. I believe Donna is on the Boz Scaggs album too.
eap,
Steve
This is Gregg’s version, which has a few very minor differences from Johnny Jenkins’ version. There are two Creole phrases I couldn’t get, and I’m guessing at least one is food related since so many of the other lyrics are about food. I think I got the others but since I don’t know the language, I may not have.
“New Orleans
Red beans
Mardi Gras
Filé [?]
French Quarter
Okra stew
Voodoo
Basin buns
[[?]]
Red ripe tomatoes
Comme ci comme ça*
Blind bats and swamp rats
Waiting on the Mississippi bottoms
Singing como se va**
The jury’s out
If we lose, the judge says we’ve got ‘im
They tried to get him off with life
But how can that be?
If they get him off with life
You know it’s death to you and me
Cajun man
Cutting sugar cane
Came home early one night
Singing ‘la da di da
The house gone too far
The night we’ll set her surely
To bake a pie
Burn some shoo-shoo, get high
And maybe, when I do
She’ll realize by the look in my eyes
I want my ooh-poo-pa-doo’
He stepped on his porch
As he approached
And heard the Bayou Insurance man
Saying ‘go and tell him
That you is sick, so we can get together ahain’
One swing of his knife
Cut the insurance man and wife
And laid them out over the yard
Someone please call the Parrish Sheriff
They took him to Tulane and Bard
They tried to get him off with life
But how can that be?
If they get him off with life
You know it’s death to you and me
Blind bats and swamp rats
Waiting on the Cajun man
*So-so (Italian)
**How are you? (French/Spanish)
[Edited on 9/28/2017 by Marley]
[Edited on 3/21/2020 by Marley]
Really good number, Gregg NAILS it ! Tough to transcribe if you can't decipher the French. I think lyrics were in the notes of Ton-Ton Macoute! , Johnny Jenkins' record out of Capricorn 1970 - great record, Duane producer and guitars, and with Berry, Jaimoe, and Butch. Donna Thatcher (later Godchaux) with Southern Comfort on backup vox.
Will check and get back.
I would love to know what you found, BrerRabbit!
Nothing yet. You did a great job transcribing, I hit the Creole and gave up, also a few English that I couldn't get from Gregg's wailing - Gotta find Ton-ton Macoute!
Man, it's like Gregg left a signpost to follow back to the roots. Revisiting Johnny Jenkins' Ton Ton Macoute, incredible. If you haven't heard this you gotta. Essential ABB backstory record . Still no lyrics - Marley's transcription stands as the only source out there.
Comme ci comme ça*
Singing como se va***So-so (Italian)
**How are you? (French/Spanish)
"Comme ci comme ça" is French, and "so-so" is a very good translation.
"Como se va?" is Spanish.
"Filé" is more likely to be filet.
"Could "Basin buns" be "Basin (Street) bums"?
[Edited on 10/20/2017 by Shavian]
"Comme ci comme ça" is French, and "so-so" is a very good translation.
"Como se va?" is Spanish.
I can't take credit for the translation, but I can take credit for messing up which language that comes from.
"Filé" is more likely to be filet.
I don't think so. File is a seasoning used in gumbo and other Cajun cooking. It's made from dried sassafras leaves.
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/16987/seafood-file-gumbo/
"Could "Basin buns" be "Basin (Street) bums"?
Sure. I'm pretty doubt I have that one right, but since a lot of those lyrics are food I guessed that's what was written there.
Bi-annual bump for Johnny Jenkins Ton Ton Macoute! In case someone hasn't heard of it. Spinning today, fantastic. Sweet session work from ABB folks, Donna Godchaux et al. In my top 10 ez.
Listened to Southern Blood while enjoying my Friday morning drive around town. Great tune and a great album. Cheers! 
Bi-annual bump for Johnny Jenkins Ton Ton Macoute! In case someone hasn't heard of it. Spinning today, fantastic. Sweet session work from ABB folks, Donna Godchaux et al. In my top 10 ez.
It's in my Top 10 as well, just oozes swamp blues. From what I read, Johnny didn't like the album much, he felt that it didn't represent his music. Gregg's version of "Blind Bats" is solid, I dig he put his spin on it, but I still prefer Johnny's.
