Otis Hicks, as Lightnin' Slim, is one of the leading figures of the Louisiana "swamp" blues. A guitarist with a harsh, grainy voice, he recorded mostly for the Excello label in the 1950s and 1960s; usually just backed by drums and harmonica (Lazy Lester is the harmonica player on all the songs listed here, which are taken from the Ace/Excello CD "Nothin' but the Devil")
This page contains lyrics to the following song(s):
This song was first released on Excello LP 8011 (1961)
DEATH VALLEY BLUES (J. West) I'm just returning from down Death Valley, where there tombstones and dry bones Yes I'm just from down Death Valley, been where tombstones and dry bones That's where I want you to bury my body Darlin' when I'm dead and gone I wanna be six foot deep darlin', with my arms across my chest Mmmm six feet baby, with my arms across my chest I don't want nobody weepin' and moanin' darlin' cause po' Lightnin' be gone to rest All right let's blow awhile son... Now when I'm dead and gone darlin' Baby please don't wear no black Mmmmmmmm I don't want you to wear no black Cause if you do darlin' Po' Lightnin' he might come sneakin' back
Originally released on Excello 2150 (1959)
FEELIN' AWFUL BLUE (J. West) I woke up early this mornin' I was feelin' awful blue I woke up early this mornin' I was feelin' awful blue Well I felt so bad baby Till I did not know what to do I walked down to the station And fell down on my knees I walked down to the station And I fell down on my knees I had to catch me a freight train baby Just to give my poor heart ease Well blow your harmonica son... Operator operator What time do your next train leave goin' to East? Operator operator What time do your next train leave goin' to East? If I don't leave town These women won't let me see no peace
Recorded in 1964 for Excello; from the ACE CD "Nothing but the devil".
Greyhound Blues (J. West)
I was standin' at the Greyhound bus station
When my little woman stepped on board
I was standin' at the Greyhound bus station
When my little woman stepped on board
Well I was just standin' there thinkin'
Come back baby please don't go
Well when that Greyhound bus was leavin'
With my little woman all inside
When that Greyhound bus was leavin'
With my little woman all inside
Lord Po' Lightnin' couldn't do nothin'
People but hang my head and cry
Well all right son... (harmonica solo by Lazy Lester)
I don't know why she wanna go and leave me
Lord and have me worried every day
Lord I don't know why she wanna leave me
People and have me worried every day
But it don't matter where you go darlin'
Lord you'll surely come back home some day
Released on Excello 2203 in 1961; it came out about a month after Fats Domino's "My girl Josephine" to which it bears an uncanny resemblance.
HELLO MARY LEE (J. West) Hello Mary Lee, do you remember me Well well Mary Lee, do you remember me I been gone so long, I had a break you see I love to hear Mary Lee, a-don't you know my name Looka here Mary Lee, a-don't you know my name You used to love me so hard girl, it was a cryin' shame All right... (break) Yeah yeah... Hello Mary Lee, I love you so Don't you know Mary Lee, that I love you so I love you so hard girl, I will never let you go Looka here Mary Lee, do you remember me Looka here Mary Lee, do you remember me I been gone so long, I had a break you see Oh boy now dig it...
A version of the Sonny Boy Williamson song, appeared on the CD "Nothin' but the devil"
See also:
It's mighty crazy It's mighty crazy It's mighty crazy Just to keep on rubbin' at the same old thing Yes you know it's crazy It's mighty crazy It's mighty crazy Just to keep on rubbin' at the same old thing You know I met a little girl she was all trimmed in blue She saw me rubbin' and she start to rubbin' too It's mighty crazy It's mighty crazy It's mighty crazy Just to keep on rubbin' at the same old thing You know I love the way she got to rubbin' I believe her rubbin's awful fine I'm so crazy about the way she keep a-rubbin' Cause every now and then it run across my mind The way she rub it It's mighty crazy It's mighty crazy Just to keep on rubbin' at the same old thing Well let's rub... It's mighty crazy It's mighty crazy It's mighty crazy Just to keep on rubbin' at the same old thing You know I had on some old dirty clothes, standin' by a tub She pulled me right down in it and she began to rub It's mighty crazy It's mighty crazy It's mighty crazy Just to keep on rubbin' at the same old thing It's mighty crazy...
This was originally Excello 2276 from 1966.
JUST A LONELY STRANGER (J. West) I'm just a lonely boy here darlin' and a stranger in your town I'm just a lonely boy here darlin' and a stranger in your town Lord I don't know no one here baby and that evenin' sun goin' down Operator oh operator What time do your next train leave goin' to East? Operator oh operator What time do your next train leave goin' to East? I want to send a special deliver' home to my little woman Askin' here to please madam send for me Well now blow your harmonica son... Well my home's in the Rocky Mountains baby And that's way up above the ground Lord my home's in the Rocky Mountains darlin' And that's way up above the ground Well I done got the blues for my little woman And I just can't get out this town
From 1960, Excello 2179. With a cameo vocal appearance by harmonica blower Lazy Lester.
MY LITTLE ANGEL CHILD (J. West) It was rainin' and stormin' I couldn't hardly see the road It was rainin' and stormin' I couldn't hardly see the road You know I wanna see my little angel I kept on drivin' my V-8 Ford You know I wanna see my little angel She got dimples all in her jaws That's why I love my little angel She got dimples all in her jaws You know if I don't see that woman this night (what's gonna happen Lightnin'?) I'll be forced to break these county laws Well all right son... I'm in love with my little angel I just love to see her smile I'm so crazy about my little angel I just love to see her smile You know I want the world to know That she is my little angel child
A previously unreleased take, on the CD "Nothing but the devil"
MY STARTER WON'T WORK (J. West) My starter won't start this mornin' And I'm about to lose my mind My starter won't start this mornin' And I'm about to lose my mind I wanna go and see my little baby But my machine is all outa time I got water in my gas tank and my battery's all run down I got water in my gas tank and my battery's all run down If I don't see my little baby I'm gonn' leave this lonesome town Well blow your harmonica son... (Lazy Lester's solo) My starter won't start this mornin' And my car won't do a thing My starter won't start this mornin' No my car won't do a thing I must begot some kind of bad disconnection Somewhere in my piston ring
Originally Excello 2186 - 1960; Lightnin' changed his voice for the chorus so it sounded like it was somebody else singing.
NOTHIN' BUT THE DEVIL (J. West) Well you know yourself little girl You ain't treatin' your daddy right You leave home in the evenin' And you ride the streets all night That ain't - nothin' but the devil Make you treat me like you do I'm gon' break out just like the measles Girl I'm gonna be all over you Well you know yourself little girl That you treatin' your daddy wrong You leave home in the mornin' And you stay 'way all day long That ain't - nothin' but the devil Make you treat me like you do I'm gon' break out just like the measles Girl I'm gonna be all over you Well now break out son... Well you dressed up early this mornin' babe You're lookin' like a queen You're goin' to see your mother But your mother you ain't never seen It ain't - nothin' but the devil Make you treat me like you do Girl I'm gon' break out just like the measles Girl I'm gonna be all over you
this is from an unreleased take, that is until it was release on the CD "Nothin' but the devil" (ACE CDCHD 616)
ROOSTER BLUES (J. West) Oh well the little red rooster said to the little red hen Ain't been around since God knows when The little red hen told the little red rooster You don't come around now daddy like you used to We got to rock the night baby We got to rock the night baby We got to rock the night baby yes we got to rock the night Oh well the old black cat told the little grey mouse I got a mind to chase you 'round this house The little grey mouse told the old black cat Said looka here dad don't treat me like that We got to rock the night baby We got to rock the night baby We got to rock the night baby yes we got to rock the night Oh well the little green frog told the big black snake Said come on daddy let's swim in the lake The big black snake told the little green frog Said I'm gonna lay here on this log I've got to rock the night baby I've got to rock the night baby I've got to rock the night baby yes I'm gonna rock with you Let's rock awhile... Oh well the pink alligator told the old crocodile Just hang around baby I'm gon' kiss you after while The crocodile said to the pink alligator You got to kiss me now dad and I'll hang around later We got to rock the night baby We got to rock the night baby We got to rock the night baby yes we got to rock the night Well come on let's rock some baby...
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