The All-Music Guide's infor on Victoria Spivey should be here.
This page contains lyrics to the following song(s):
Recorded in Chicago, Oct. 15, 1936. Miss Spivey wrote the song, as she later recalled, inspired by "a very cold winter spell in Detroit which made it tough on everybody" (from Spivey LP 2001, with reissues of her blues from the '20s and '30s).
Detroit's a cold, cold place, and I ain't got a dime to my name Detroit's a cold, hard place, and I ain't got a dime to my name I would go the poorhouse, but Lord you know I'm ashamed I been walkin' Hastings Street, nobody seems to treat me right I've been walkin' Hastings Street, nobody seems to treat me right I can make it in the daytime, but Lord these cold cold nights Well I'm tired of eatin' chili, and I can't eat beans no more Yes I'm tired of eatin' chili, and I can't eat beans no more People'll hurt my feelings, Lord from door to door I got to leave Detroit, if I have to flag number ninety-four I'm gonna leave Detroit, if I have to flag number ninety-four And if I ever get back home, I ain't never comin' to Detroit no more
Recorded by Victoria Spivey in 1937; this song is included on the Columbia Roots 'n' Blues CD "Legends of the blues Volume Two".
Hmmmmm.... Aah, got a down hill pull and I ain't gettin' you no more There's an undercurrent somewhere, and I can't put my foot on land Undercurrent somewhere, can't put my foot on land I don't seem to nowhere no matter how hard I plan There's a change in the ocean, baby there's a change in me There's a change in the ocean, baby there's a change in me I'm gonna find solid ground, you'll travel on to the deep blue sea Oooh... done laid my love down for you Mmm... laid my love down for you The middle o' the time I do anything you told me to do Got a down hill pull, and I ain't gettin' you no more Got a down hill pull, and I ain't gettin' you no more Can find a man to give my money most anyplace I go Oooh... done dropped my love for you Mmm... dropped my love for you Ain't got you on my mind, any man I find will do.
Recorded July 10, 1929 in New York, with Louis Armstrong and Zutty Singleton, among others, in the line-up. The composition was written by Reuben Floyd and Victoria Spivey in Missorui, inspired by a rooster chasing a hen! (From the LP, "The Victoria Spivey Recorded Legacy of The Blues", on her own label, Spivey LP 2001).
Have you ever had a feeling that someone would come out leadin' you? If you had it's not so bad unless you found that it is all untrue Take a good girl to keep her man, some can't do it, others can I'm no chump but I would jump if I could find someone that's not unlike me too Oh when the river runs, flowers are bloomin' in May And if you get good business, how do you do it that way? Streetwalkin' women, they are happy and gay But I'm never happy, how do you get that way? I want a man to be near, because he bring good care But the men don't like me, they don't seem to care Now they can come and go, to and fro every day But I can't make 'em like me, how do you do it that way? Now if you want somethin' good, you mustn't knock on wood Just get a good man to look up under your hood And when the rooster and the hen go to the barn to play Oh the hen has chickens, how do they do it that way?
Spivey wrote this song and recorded it on 20 August, 1936 in Chicago, as "Jane Lucas and the State Street Four", with her sister Sweet Peas Spivey as well (she duetted on the final verse).
The song was reissued on Victoria Spivey's own label, on the LP #2001 ("The Victoria Spivey Recorded Legacy Of The Blues").
Lonesome, lonesome, Yes I'm sinkin', sinkin', sinkin' down below my grave Done had a good time, but Lord how I done paid Cause the rising sun ain't gonna shine no mo' No the rising sun ain't gonna shine no mo' Well it's dark and dreary, no matter where I go Well the lights in my room even refuse to shine Oh the lights in my room even refuse to shine If my baby don't come back, I know I'll be doin' time Because ooooh, I can't stand no more Mmm-mmm, I can't stand no more Well he quit me for my best friend, and don't come to see me no more Tell all my good friends, cause I know I can't last long Tell all my good friends, I know I can't last long Please don't you wait, for I'll be dead and gone Mmmmmmmm, - Ooo-oooh, - Mmmmmmmm, - Mmmmmmmm, Please don't you wait, cause I know I'll be dead and gone
Victoria Spivey recored this Clarence Williams classic on September 12, 1928 in New York, with accompaniment by a.o. King Oliver (cornet), Clarence Williams (piano), and Eddie Lang (guitar).
The song was also recored by Ethel Waters on 23 August of the same year.
See also:
Organ grinder, organ grinder, organ grinder, play that melody Take your organ, and grind some more for me Grind it north, grind it north, grind it north, and grind it east and west, When you grind it slow, I like it the best Organ grinder, organ grinder, you don't have to pass your hat no more You're the grinder I've been waitin' for Organ grinder, organ grinder, your sweet music seems to ease my mind It's not your organ, but it's the way you grind Organ grinder, organ grinder, Organ grinder, don't tell me you're through If you are tired, let mama grind a while for you
Not strictly a blues song, this one from Rosetta LP 1311.
Did you ever smell a flower, ah that smelled so sweet Ah till it would knock you off of your feet? If you haven't, just follow me And you soon will see For I know of one, can't be beat Why you are sweeter 'n any flower That I ever seen And I'm sure that you know Ah, you're sweeter 'n any flower that grow Why you are sweeter than a lily And you're sweeter than a rose And what I'm dyin' to know is Where did they get that seed I mean that seed of sweet pea? I say you are sweeter 'n any flower That I ever seen I'm sure that you know Ah, you're sweeter 'n any flower that grow Why you are sweeter than a lily Yes you're sweeter than a rose And what I'm dyin' to know is Where did they get that seed I mean that seed of sweet pea?
Victoria Spivey wrote this as a sequel to her previous "Dirty TB Blues" and the original "TB Blues". She recorded it on 7 July 1936 in Chicago with Dot (Dorothy) Scott's Rhythm Dukes.
The song was reissued on an LP on her own Spivey record label, LP-2001, "The Victoria Spivey Recorded Legacy Of The Blues", subtitled "Fourteen Historic Reissue Collector-Item Performances Including Unissued Material and New Discographical Information".
Here I lay a-cryin' Somethin' is on my mind It's midnight, I wonder where the nurse can be? TB's got me, all my friends have thrown me down TB's got me, and all my friends have thrown me down But they treated me so nice, when I was able to run around Oh, my poor lungs are hurtin' me so Mmmm, my poor lungs are hurtin' me so I don't get no peace or comfort, no matter where I go Lord, my good man don't want me no more Mmmm, my good man don't want me no more well I wish I was dead and in the land I'm doomed to go
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