Double-Entendre Blues
Jim Witteveen
>more subtle (or perhaps not-so-subtle) blues metaphors for
>sex...you know, songs about food, cars, trains, etc. that aren't really
>about those things.
>
Here's a couple that I know of :
Cigarette Blues (I've got Roy Book Binder's version, but according to the
notes it was done by Bo Carter in 1938.)
Keep on Churnin' (til the butter come), Lollipop Mama... Wynonie Harris has
a bunch of excellent double-entendre jump blues - great stuff!
That's just a couple - I'm sure others could come up with a good list...
-Jim (hnd...@uniserve.com)
Peter Welch
being running its annual week-long Rock department fundraising
marathon.
As usual they've thrown out a few slots to the blues
DJ's at the station, and the special show I'm doing is on
"double-entendre" blues songs.
I don't want to focus on explicit songs about sex, but on
more subtle (or perhaps not-so-subtle) blues metaphors for
sex...you know, songs about food, cars, trains, etc. that aren't really
about those things.
I've already compiled a pretty good list, but I'd like to hear
some suggestions and favorites people may have.
Thanks,
-Peter
Charles J. Masenas
<pw...@POE.ACC.VIRGINIA.EDU> writes:
> As usual they've thrown out a few slots to the blues
> DJ's at the station, and the special show I'm doing is on
> "double-entendre" blues songs.
> I don't want to focus on explicit songs about sex, but on
> more subtle (or perhaps not-so-subtle) blues metaphors for
> sex...you know, songs about food, cars, trains, etc. that aren't really
> about those things.
> I've already compiled a pretty good list, but I'd like to hear
> some suggestions and favorites people may have.
Bo Carter had only one thing on his mind his whole life. So much so that
Roy Bookbinder calls him the master of the single-entendre. His less
explicit songs might meet your needs.
Don't put any more baking powder in your bread you see
You know your biscuits are tall enough for me.
And don't put any more sugar in your jelly you see
you know your jelly is sweet enough for me.
Some folks call you ugly
And you know that that is true
But there's one thing about you mama
That makes me love you the way I do ...
--
-------
Regards,
Charles J. Masenas
Norman W. Mangum
version of it.
- Walker Mangum
Barry Bean
<hnd...@UNISERVE.COM> writes:
>>I don't want to focus on explicit songs about sex, but on
>>more subtle (or perhaps not-so-subtle) blues metaphors for
>>sex...you know, songs about food, cars, trains, etc. that aren't really
>>about those things.
>>
>Cigarette Blues (I've got Roy Book Binder's version, but according to the
>notes it was done by Bo Carter in 1938.)
Bo Carter was the King of dirty songs, and in my opinion may be the most
unduly neglected bluesman on record. Anything of his would be appropriate
to this show.
BBB
B.B. Bean bbb...@cris.com
Peach Orchard, MO http://www.cris.com/~bbbean
DUTTWEILER.J
To: Internet
From: DUTTWEILER.J@GOMAIL
Subject: Re: Double-Entendre Blues
In-Reply-To: The letter of Wednesday, 14 February 1996 10:04am ET
Seeing as how I'm listening to John Lee Hooker doing it right now, I would
suggest Terraplane Blues. I like the Hook's version, but also Robert
Johnson's original (I think there are two versions in the RJ box set).
Scott Mikusko
I must be on this mailing list without my knowing it! Please unsubscribe
this account from BLUES-L. May it's mixed up with my DANCE-L subscription.
-Scott
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Internet Services Technical Support My high hopes keep me alone..."
Concentric Network Corporation -Gin Blossoms
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DUTTWEILER.J
To: Internet
From: DUTTWEILER.J@GOMAIL
Subject: Re: Double-Entendre Blues
Terraplane blues as performed by John Lee Hooker and Roy Rogers from the Roy
Rogers "Slidewinder" album:
Who been driving my Terraplane, Terrapline,
little girl, since I been gone?
Whose been driving my Terraplane, Terrapline, Teraplane
little girl, since I been gone?
I flash my lights, and my horn won't even blow.
Raise your hood, raise your hood,
gotta check your oil this morning.
Hey, raise your hood, raise your hood, mash up your hood,
gonna check your oil this morning.
I think you gotta lose connection, lose connection,
little girl way, way down low.
You gotta good little car, good little car baby,
you drive it too much night and day.
You gotta good little car, good little, good little car,
you drive it too much, too much night and day.
You gotta nice Terraplane, nice Terraplane,
but it won't last long the way you drive.
It seems pretty clear throughout the song what he was talking about, but, as
many have pointed out before, RJ had a very imaginative way of putting things.
Another good one of his would probably be Phonograph Blues (a line about
"wearing my needle off" or something to that effect.)
Jon Duttweiler
Art Schuna
Alberta Hunter - "My Handy Man Ain't Handy No More" - she sings about her
man greasing her griddle among other things. "You Can't Tell The Difference
After Dark"
Art Schuna
David Silberberg
>Alberta Hunter - "My Handy Man Ain't Handy No More" - she sings about her
>man greasing her griddle among other things. "You Can't Tell The Difference
>After Dark"
I should listen to it again, but...
Isn't "You Can't Tell the Difference...." saying "you won't care if I'm
black or white while we're making love in the dark...."?
Not sure if this is really double entendre....
David Silberberg |Woman I love got 2 teeth
dav...@interaccess.com | solid gold
|Got a lien on my body
| mortgage on my soul
| Johnny
Shines
Shaun T Cronin
and Kansas Joe McCoy? Also, Robert Johnson's "Terraplane Blues" was a more
than a about cars, was it not? Dave Hole, the Australian slide master has a
song called "The Plumber" which, in a way, is about work around the house.
And, not really a blues song, but there is AC/DC's tribute to ballroom
dancing, "Big Balls". Actually, most of AC/DC's songs a double-entendres if
notjust straight out single-entendre, or is that just entendre or am I
rambling at this late hour:-)
Shaun
Shaun Cronin 'The Blues is what exists between a man and a
sh...@wavenet.com woman.' Son House and John Lee Hooker.
David Blanken
>more subtle (or perhaps not-so-subtle) blues metaphors for
>sex...you know, songs about food, cars, trains, etc. that aren't really
>about those things.
Robert Lucas does a great double-entendre blues on his "Layaway" album on
Audioquest. The tune is called "Chiropractor blues"
"Let me be your chiropractor, baby
I want to pop a bone or two in you ..."
****************************************************************************
******
David Blanken National Library of Australia
Email: D.Bl...@nla.gov.au
Phone: (06) 262 1473
****************************************************************************
******
Daniel Bruce
> Bill Broonzy - "Too Many Drivers"
> man greasing her griddle among other things. "You Can't Tell The Difference
> After Dark"
>
>
My Favourite is 'The Hunter' as performed by Albert King, and I quote,
'Ain't no use to hide,
Ain't no need to run
I got you in the sights of my love gun'
Gotta love it!
--
Daniel Bruce | Genasys II Pty Ltd, Sydney, Australia
| "Born under a bad sign, been down since I began to crawl
| If it wasn't for Bad Luck, Wouldn't have no luck at all"
| Albert King
| Internet: dan...@genasys.com.au
Barry Bean
<Jinx...@AOL.COM> writes:
>I have been suprised that no one has mentioned Roosevelt Sykes, so well known
>for his material within this genre:
Good call, Dick. I've been doing a version of Roosevelt's Ice Cream
Freezer long enough that its become one of my signature songs. Great
stuff.
Dick Waterman
for his material within this genre:
Say it . . . say it again ... say it fast . . .
Naughty . . .
Dick Waterman
edward c liu
Has anybody mentioned Dinah Washington's "Dentist Man(?)" ?
She's got a priceless line in there about how the dentist
checks her out and says she's got a cavity that needs fillin'.
It's also, as far as I know, the only blues song that uses the
word "novocain." Another great double entendre is Ruth Brown's
"If I Can't Sell It (I'm Gonna Sit Down On It)" on her _Blues on
Broadway_ disc. I'd imagine Sony's _Hot Nuts and Lollypops_
disc on their "Roots N' Blues" series would have plenty of double-
entendre (and probably a healthy dollop of single-entendre, too).
Sorry if I'm posting redundant information -- I seem to have
lost an entire day's worth of digest.
-- Ed
Edward C. Liu | "Don't make me nervous, 'cuz I'm holdin'
edw...@cc.bellcore.com | a baseball bat."
| -- Big Joe Turner, "Honey, Hush"
The opinions in this message are mine and not Bellcore's. Really!
Ian Angus
- Get any of Dana Gillespie's CDs on Ace.
- And then get lots of Denise Lasalle.
- And "The Right Key but the Wrong Keyhole" by Charmaine Neville
- And look for "Take Out Your False Teeth Daddy" by Margie Day
Ian Angus
"Built for comfort, not for speed"
Ian Angus
>
> Has anybody mentioned Dinah Washington's "Dentist Man(?)" ?
Actually titled "Long John Blues" -- and truly great. There is also
a fine version of it by Esther Phillips on her "Confessing the blues"
album.
Art Schuna
<dav...@INTERACCESS.COM> writes:
>At 9:15 PM 2/14/96, Art Schuna wrote:
>>Alberta Hunter - "My Handy Man Ain't Handy No More" - she sings about her
>>man greasing her griddle among other things. "You Can't Tell The Difference
>>After Dark"
>Isn't "You Can't Tell the Difference...." saying "you won't care if I'm
>black or white while we're making love in the dark...."?
I don't interpret this as a black-white thing, though I could be wrong (
wouldn't be the first time). I think it has more to do with the perceived
difference between light-skinned African Americans and dark-skin African
Americans. Light-skinned African-Americans were often referred to in pre-
war blues tunes as being "high yellow", I think Alberta says "she may be
brown as a berry, but you can't tell the difference after dark". This tune
fits the double-entendre category not for this line, but because she never
actually tells you what she's doing after dark. The difference between
light and dark skin color must still persist as it was the subject of a
Spike Lee film not too many years ago.
Art Schuna (and I don't want to get into a lengthy white-black discussion
again here so flame me personally - aasc...@facstaff.wisc.edu)
David Wade
He Can't Have My Monkey -- Valerie Wellington
Backed Up Baby -- Jimmy Ley
Kitchen Man -- Bessie Smith
and perhaps too blatant to be double-entendres much of the material
from Saffire -- The Uppity Blues Women
i.e. There's Lightning in these Thunder Thighs
You Got to Know How
Shake the Dew off the Lily
Two in the Hand is Better than One in the Bush
(Mr. Insurance Man) Take Out That Thing
'Nuf for now David Wade
LeaGil
He shakes my ashes, greases my griddle
Churns my butter, strokes my fiddle
MY man is a HANDY MAN...
No that's a man!!!
Lea Gilmore
Baltimore, MD
"Wild Women Don't Have the Blues"
Barry Bean
<edw...@CC.BELLCORE.COM> writes:
>Howdy all,
>
> Has anybody mentioned Dinah Washington's "Dentist Man(?)" ?
>checks her out and says she's got a cavity that needs fillin'.
>It's also, as far as I know, the only blues song that uses the
>word "novocain."
How similar is that to Lonnie Johnson and (I think) Victoria Spivey's
Toothache Blues?
Jim Rocco
Ari Eisinger
versions of the same song more or less) by Georgia Tom Dorsey and Jane
Lucas? One of them is on _Georgia Tom Dorsey: Come On Mama Do That
Dance_ on the Yazoo label.
ARI EISINGER
Blues and Ragtime Guitarist and Singer
==Guitar Teacher==
==(610) 259-6688==