Edited by Azizi Powell
This post provides information about Henry Thomas ("Ragtime Texas") and showcases several YouTube sound file examples of that pre-Blues and early Blues singer/musician's songs.
The content of this post is presented for historical, folkloric, and cultural purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to Henry Thomas (Ragtime Texas) for his musical legacy. Thanks also to the publishers of these songs on YouTube.
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INFORMATION ABOUT HENRY THOMAS ("RAGIME TEXAS")
From
"Henry Thomas (1874–1930) was an American country blues singer, songster and musician, who enjoyed a brief recording career in the late 1920s which has latterly been influential.[1][2] He was often billed as "Ragtime Texas".[3] His style was an early example of what later became known as Texas blues guitar.[4][5]...
Life and career
Thomas was born into a family of freed slaves in Big Sandy, Texas in 1874.[4] He began traveling the Texas railroad lines as a hobo after leaving home in his teens. He eventually earned his way as an itinerant songster, entertaining local populaces as well as railway employees.[1]
He recorded 24 sides for Vocalion Records between 1927 and 1929, 23 of which were released.[3][4] They include reels, gospel songs, minstrel songs, ragtime numbers, and blues.[5] Besides guitar, Thomas accompanied himself on quills, a folk instrument fabricated from cane reeds whose sound is similar to the zampona played by musicians in Peru and Bolivia. His style of playing guitar was probably derived from banjo-picking styles.[6]
His life and career after his last recordings in 1929 have not been chronicled. Although one report places him in Texas in the 1950s,[5] most biographers indicate he died in 1930, when he would have been 55 or 56 years old.[1][7]
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Recordings
Thomas recorded 24 sides for Vocalion Records,[3] 23 of which were released.[16] The following list is ordered by date of release; dates of recording are given after the songtitles.
1927 – "John Henry" / "Cottonfield Blues", June 30, 1927 in Chicago, IL, Vocalion 1094
1927 – "The Fox and the Hounds" / "Red River Blues", October 5, 1927 in Chicago, IL, Vocalion 1137
1927 – "The Little Red Caboose" / "Bob McKinney, October 5, 1927 in Chicago, IL, Vocalion 1138
1927 – "Shanty Blues" / "Woodhouse Blues", October 7, 1927 in Chicago, IL, Vocalion 1139
1927 – "Jonah in the Wilderness" / "When the Train Comes Along", October 7, 1927 in Chicago, IL, Vocalion 1140
1927 – "Honey, Won't You Allow Me One More Chance" / "Run, Mollie, Run", October 7, 1927 in Chicago, IL, Vocalion 1141
1928 – "Don't Ease Me In" / "Texas Easy Street Blues", June 13, 1928 in Chicago, IL, Vocalion 1197
1928 – "Bull-Doze Blues" / "Old Country Stomp", June 13, 1928 in Chicago, IL, Vocalion 1230
1928 – "Texas Worried Blues" / "Fishing Blues", June 13, 1928 in Chicago, IL, Vocalion 1249
1928 – "Arkansas", July 1, 1927 in Chicago, IL, b/w Georgia Tom and Tampa Red – "Lonesome Man Blues", Vocalion 1286
1929 – "Railroadin' Some" / "Don't Leave Me Here", October 7, 1929 in Chicago, IL, Vocalion 1443
1929 – "Charmin' Betsy" / "Lovin' Babe", October 7, 1929 in Chicago, IL, Vocalion 1468"...
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Additional information about Henry Thomas is given in some of the summaries to the sound files that are showcased below.
Lyrics to "Run Mollie Run" and partial lyrics to "Bull-Doze Blues" are included in this pancocojams post: http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/09/a-shared-music-repertoire-in-rural.html
A Shared Music Repertoire In The Rural South USA Before Jim Crow
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SHOWCASE EXAMPLES
With the exception of "Fishin' Blues", these examples are presented in chronological order based on their publishing date on YouTube, with the oldest dated sound file given first.
Example #1: Henry Thomas- Fishing Blues
Nico Fournier, Published on Jun 19, 2014
Henry Thomas- "Ragtime Texas" (1927-1929) Buy the album on which this track appears by going to www.document-records.com Document Records has the largest catalogue of vintage blues, gospel, jazz and old-time country music in the world.
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Commenter Pedro Hesiquio posted the lyrics to Henry Thomas' composition "Fishin Blues" in this sound file's discussion thread:
"Went up on the hill about twelve o'clock.
Reached right back and got me a pole.
Went to the hardware and got me a hook.
Attached that line right on that hook.
Says you've been a-fishin' all the time.
I'm a-goin' fishin' too.
I bet your life, your lovin'wife.
Can catch more fish than you.
Any fish bite if you've got good bait.
Here's a little somethin' I would like to relate.
Any fish bite, you've got good bait.
I'm a-goin' a-fishin', yes, I'm a-goin' a-fishin',
I'm a-goin' a-fishin' too.
Looked down the river about one o'clock.
Spied this catfish swimmin' around.
I've got so hungry, didn't know what to do.
I'm gonna get me a catfish too.
Yes, you've been fishin' all the time.
I'm a-goin' a-fishin' too.
I bet your life your lovin' wife.
Catch more fish than you.
Any fish bite, got good bait.
Here's a little somethin' I would like to relate.
Any fish bite, you've got good bait.
I'm a-goin' a-fishin', yes, I'm goin' a-fishin',
I'm a-goin' a-fishin' too.
Put on your skillet, don't never mind your lead.
Mama gonna cook 'em with the short'nin' bread.
Says you been fishin' all the time.
I'm a-goin a-fishin' too.
I bet your life, your lovin' wife.
Can catch more fish than you.
Any fish bite, if you've got good bait.
Here's a little somethin' I would like to relate.
Any fish bite, you've got good bait.
I'm a-goin' a-fishin', yes, I'm goin' a-fishin',
I'm a-goin' a-fishin' too."
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Notice the lines from "Mama Little Baby's Loves Shortnin' Bread". The word "lead" in the line "Put on your skillet, don't never mind your lead" means the cover of the skillet.
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Example #2: Bull Doze Blues
PreWarMusic's channel, Uploaded on Jul 2, 2008
One of Henry Thomas' most renowned recording which was covered to great acclaim in the 1960's by Blues Rock band Canned Heat. Henry Thomas was more a Songster than a Blues musician who played his own reworks of traditionals and standards alike with the unique touch of the Quills which he plays along with the Guitar in a style which appears to be completely individual for Thomas as a Musician.
Lyrics from Weeniepedia
Bull Doze Blues - Henry Thomas
I'm going away, babe, and it won't be long
I'm going away and it won't be long
I'm going away and it won't be long
Just as sure as that train leaves out of that Mobile yard
Just as sure as that train leaves out of that Mobile yard
Just as sure as that train leaves out of that Mobile yard
Come shake your hand, tell your papa goodbye
Come shake your hand, tell your papa goodbye
Come shake your hand, tell your papa goodbye
I'm going back to Tennessee
I'm going back to Memphis, Tennessee
I'm going back, Memphis, Tennessee
I'm going where I never get bulldozed
I'm going where I never get the bulldoze
I'm going where I never get bulldozed
If you don't believe I'm sinking, look what a hole I'm in
If you don't believe I'm sinking, look what a hole I'm in
If you don't believe I'm sinking, look what a fool I've been.
Oh, my babe, take me back. How in the world, Lord, take me back.
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The term [bull doze" is a] "Southern colloquialism meaning to bullwhip a black person, or to intimidate through threats of violence".17. Stephen Calt, Barrelhouse Words. A Blues Dialect Dictionary University of Illinois Press, Urban & Chicago, 2009, p.40.17” [as found in http://www.mustrad.org.uk/articles/blues.htm].
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Example #3: Henry Thomas - John Henry
elpanchito421, Uploaded on Jul 27, 2009
"John Henry", Henry Thomas' version of an old American folk ballad, was recorded for Vocalion Records in the late 20s. Here he accompanies himself with guitar and quills, an African American equivalent of panpipes.
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Here's a comment from this sound file's discussion thread:
Jeff Romain, 2016
"Evidence suggests this Texas songster was an itinerant street musician, a musical hobo who rode the rails across Texas and possibly to the World's Fairs in St. Louis and Chicago just before and after the turn of the century. Most agree he was the oldest African-American folk artist to produce a significant body of recordings. His projected 1874 birth date would predate Charley Patton by a good 17 years."
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Example #4: Henry Thomas - Texas Easy Street
JamieBarnes11, Uploaded on Jan 5, 2010
Good track.
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Here are the lyrics for Henry Thomas - "Texas Easy Street" from http://metrolyrics.top/texas-easy-street-blues-lyrics-henry-thomas.html
"tell me mama : what’s the matter now
i’m going back to texas : [live, sit] on easy street
when you see me coming : don’t call my name
when you see me coming : heist your window high
i got the texas blues : blue as i can be
tell me mama : what’s the matter now
got a black mule : *really* kicking in my stall
when you see me running : something going on wrong"
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Example #5: Don't Leave Me Here (Don't Ease Me In) Henry Thomas
townesfan10, Uploaded on Oct 13, 2010
aka "Don't Ease Me In" .. "Texas Ragtime" Henry Thomas (1874-19??) was an American pre-World War II country blues singer, songster and musician. He was often billed as "Ragtime Texas."
Thomas was born in Big Sandy, Texas. He began his musical career as an itinerant songster (minstrel), and recorded twenty-three sides for Vocalion Records between 1927 and 1929. Thomas accompanied himself on guitar and on quills, a folk instrument fabricated from cane reeds. The instrument is similar in sound to the zampona, used by musicians in Peru and Bolivia.
His springy guitar-playing, probably inspired by banjo-picking styles, implies that he was used to performing for dances.[2]
His legacy has been sustained by four songs. "Fishin' Blues" was covered by Taj Mahal and The Lovin' Spoonful. "Bull Doze Blues" was recorded by Canned Heat with new lyrics, retitled "Goin' Up The Country". Here Thomas's melody on quills was reproduced note for note by flautist Jim Horn. "Don't Ease Me In" was covered by the Grateful Dead on their album Go to Heaven; and "Honey Won't You Allow Me One More Chance" was covered by Bob Dylan (as "Honey Just Allow Me One More Chance") on The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan. Thomas's vintage recording of "Don't Ease Me In" is included on the compilation album The Music Never Stopped: Roots of the Grateful Dead. In 1993 the band Deacon Blue released a song entitled "Last Night I Dreamed Of Henry Thomas" on their Whatever You Say, Say Nothing LP.
The whereabouts of Thomas after 1929 have not been chronicled, although he was reportedly seen in Texas in the 1950s.[3] The date and circumstances of his death are uncertain. His complete Vocalion recordings were compiled on a 1990 Yazoo Records CD titled Texas Worried Blues.
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