Edited by Azizi Powell
This post showcases five examples of the song "Baby Please Don't Go". That Blues classic which was first composed & recorded in 1935 by Big Joe Williams.
The content of this post is presented for folkloric, entertainment, and educational purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
****
INFORMATION ABOUT THE SONG "BABY PLEASE DON'T GO"
From From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby,_Please_Don't_Go
“Baby, Please Don't Go" is a classic blues song which has been called "one of the most played, arranged, and rearranged pieces in blues history".[1 First recorded by Delta blues musician Big Joe Williams in 1935, it is likely an adaptation of "Long John", an old folk theme which dates back to the time of slavery in the United States.[1] "Baby, Please Don't Go" is related to a group of early twentieth-century blues songs that include "I'm Alabama Bound", "Elder Green Blues", "Another Man Done Gone", "Don't Leave Me Here", and "Turn Your Lamp Down Low", which have been traced back to late nineteenth-century work songs.[2] It has become a blues and rock standard and has been recorded by a variety of artists...
Big Joe Williams' "Baby, Please Don't Go" is included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame list of "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll".[8] In 1992, it was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame in the "Classics of Blues Recordings--Singles or Album Tracks" category.[9]"
-snip-
Many versions of this song include the line "turn your lamp down low". Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/09/what-turn-your-damper-down-turn-your.html for information about the meaning of that song and the related saying "turn your damper down".
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FEATURED EXAMPLES
These featured performances are presented in chronological order with the oldest example given first.
Example #1: Big Joe Williams Baby Please Don't Go [1935]
BloodOfTheAncestors, Uploaded on Mar 24, 2011
-snip-
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/10/big-joe-williams-baby-please-dont-go.html for a pancocojams post which showcases three versions of Big Joe Williams' performances of "Baby Please Don't Go".
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Example #2: Lightnin Hopkins - Baby Please Dont Go [1947]
longtall75011, Uploaded on Apr 24, 2008
"Baby, Please Don't Go" is a blues song first recorded by Big Joe Williams in 1935. It is related to a group of early 20th century blues and work songs that include "Alabama Bound", "Another Man Done Gone", and "Don't Leave Me Here", and "Turn Your Lamp Down Low".
Here is the great version of that song by Sam "Lightnin' Hopkins
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Example #3: Muddy Waters - Baby Please Don't Go [1953]
DAVO1984FI, Uploaded on Apr 5, 2010
Performed by Muddy Waters. Featuring Little Walter Jacobs on harp. Recorded in 1953
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Example #4: Sonny Terry feat Brownie Mcghee - Baby please don't go
[1959]
TheBluesfan12 Uploaded on May 1, 2010
-snip-
Click http://www.lyricsforsong.net/lyrics/sonny-terry-brownie-mcghee-baby-please-don-t-go-lyrics_liipmp.html
for the lyrics to this version of "Baby Please Don't Go".
****
Example #5: James Brown performs "Please Please Please" to a live audience on the TAMI Show. [1964]
James Brown, Published on Mar 16, 2013
James Brown performs "Please Please Please" to a live audience on the TAMI Show.
"Please, Please, Please" was written by James Brown and Johnny Terry and released as a single on Federal Records in 1956, it charted #6 R&B. It was the group's debut recording and first chart hit, and became their signature song.
The TAMI Show is a 1964 concert that included performances by numerous popular rock and roll and R&B musicians from the United States and England. TAMI stood for both "Teenage Awards Music International" and "Teen Age Music International". The concert was held at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium on October 28 and 29, 1964. Free tickets were distributed to local high school students. The best footage from each of the two concert dates was edited into the film, which was released on December 29, 1964. The TAMI Show is particularly well known for James Brown's performance featuring his legendary dance moves and explosive energy.
-snip-
A transcript of the lyrics to this song is included in the publisher's summary for this video.
*****
Thanks to all the vocalists/musicians who are featured in this post. Thanks also to those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publishers of these examples on YouTube.
Thank you for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
Showing posts with label Big Joe Williams. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Big Joe Williams. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Big Joe Williams - Baby Please Don't Go (lyrics, sound files, & comments)
Edited by Azizi Powell
This post is part of a continuing series about Blues songs that include the expression "turn your lamp down low" or the expression "turn your damper down".
This post showcases four Big Joe Williams performances of his composition "Baby Please Don't Go". Example #1 & #2 showcase Big Joe Williams' 1935 version of this song. Example #3 is the 1941 version with harmonica player extraordinaire Sonny Boy Williamson. Example #4 is probably Big Joe Williams' 1947 recording of this Blues Classic.
That song include the line "turn your lamp down low". Comments about the meaning of "turn your lamp down low" and "turn your damper down" are found in http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/09/what-turn-your-damper-down-turn-your.html.
The content of this post is presented for folkloric, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
****
INFORMATION ABOUT BABY PLEASE DON'T GO
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby,_Please_Don't_Go
“Baby, Please Don't Go" is a classic blues song which has been called "one of the most played, arranged, and rearranged pieces in blues history".[1 First recorded by Delta blues musician Big Joe Williams in 1935, it is likely an adaptation of "Long John", an old folk theme which dates back to the time of slavery in the United States.[1] "Baby, Please Don't Go" is related to a group of early twentieth-century blues songs that include "I'm Alabama Bound", "Elder Green Blues", "Another Man Done Gone", "Don't Leave Me Here", and "Turn Your Lamp Down Low", which have been traced back to late nineteenth-century work songs.[2] It has become a blues and rock standard and has been recorded by a variety of artists...
The song became a big hit[5] and established Williams recording career. On December 12, 1941, he recorded a second version titled "Please Don't Go" in Chicago for Bluebird, with a slightly different arrangement and lyrics. Called "the most exciting version",[1] backing Williams (vocal and nine-string guitar) are Sonny Boy Williamson I (harmonica) and Alfred Elkins (imitation bass). Since both songs appeared before recording industry publications began tracking such releases, it is unknown which version was more popular. In 1947, he recorded it for Columbia Records with Williamson and Ransom Knowling (bass) and Judge Riley (drums). This version did not reach the Billboard R&B chart,[6] but represents a move toward a more urban blues treatment of the song...
Big Joe Williams' "Baby, Please Don't Go" is included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame list of "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll".[8] In 1992, it was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame in the "Classics of Blues Recordings--Singles or Album Tracks" category.[9]"
-snip-
Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Joe_Williams for information about Big Joe Williams (October 16, 1903 – December 17, 1982).
****
FEATURED YOUTUBE EXAMPLES
Example #1: 'Baby Please Don't Go - Original' BIG JOE WILLIAMS (1935) Delta Blues Guitar Legend
RagtimeDorianHenry, Uploaded on Apr 18, 2009
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Example #2: Big Joe Williams Baby Please Don't Go
BloodOfTheAncestors, Uploaded on Mar 24, 2011
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Example #3: Roots of Blues Big Joe Williams „Please Don't Go
Slowtubbi, Uploaded on Jan 3, 2009
Please Don't Go
(Joe Williams)
Recorded: Chicago, December 12, 1941
Big Joe Williams (g) (vcl)
Sonny Boy Williamson (h), Alfred Elkins (imb)
****
Example #4: Big Joe Williams - Baby Please Don't Go
Santi GO, Published on Mar 9, 2012
Album: Blues From The Southside
-snip-
In response to the comment "I miis the harmonica", TheRunner75 wrote "Sorry, this is not the 1935 original recording of this song. You'll find it in RagtimeDorianHenry's channel. Williams is backed by a fiddle and a washboard and an acoustic guitar. His second recording was done in 1945 with Sony Boy Williamson on harmonica. I don't know about this one."
-snip-
The Wikipedia page whose link is given above mentions a 1947 version of this song. This is probably that version.
****
LYRICS: BABY PLEASE DON'T GO
(Joe Lee Williams, first version 1935)
1. “Now baby, please don’ t go,
Now baby please don’t go.
Baby, please don’t go back to New Orleans
an’ get your cold ice cream”.
2. “I believe it - a man done gone,
I believe it - a man done gone.
I believe it - a man done gone to the county farm,
now with his long chain on”.
3. “Turn your lamp down low,
You turn your lamp down low.
Turn your lamp down low, I cried all night long,
‘now baby please don’t go’”.
4. “I begged you night before,
I begged you night before.
Begged you night before, turn your lamp down low,
‘now baby, please don’t go’”.
5. “I believe my baby’s done lyin’,
I believe my baby’ s done lyin’.
I believe my baby she’s lyin’ says she didn’t have a man,
now while I had my time”.
6. “Fo’ I be your dog,
Spoken: “Play it”.
Ah! fo’ I be your dog.
Fo’ I be your dog, I’d pack my trunk this mornin’, baby,
go back to rollin’ fog”.
7. “I believe I’ll leave here,
I believe I’ll leave you here.
I believe I’ 11 leave you here, ‘cos you got me way up here
an’ you don’ t feel my care”.
8. “Now baby please don’t go,
Oh! baby, please don’ t go.
Ah! Baby, please don’t go, back to New Orleans,
you know I love you so”.
9. “I believe you’re tryin’ to leave me here,
Try to leave your daddy, here.
Try to leave your daddy, here, you got me way down here
an’ you don’ t feel my care”. (1)
Source: http://www.earlyblues.com/BabyPleaseDont.htm "Baby Please Don't Go (Origins of a Blues)" by Max Haymes
Click that page for the lyrics to Big Joe William's 1945 version of this song and for more information about this Blues classic.
While the original version of "Baby Please Don't Go" is about a man pleaing to his lover not to leave him, contrary to some other versions of that song, the man isn't pleaing to his woman to remain faithful to him because he's going to prison. Notice that in verse #6 the singer indicates that "Fo’ I be your dog, I’d pack my trunk this mornin’, baby,
go back to rollin’ fog” [the name of his home in another area].
****
EXPLANATIONS OF & COMMENTS ABOUT CERTAIN WORDS & LINES
Baby & daddy = a woman and her man (lover)
**
"a man done gone to the county farm" - "county farm" = prison
This verse is from the song entitled "Another Man Done Gone" which is a precusor to "Baby Please Don't Go". Both songs have the same tune. Click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=749523cHwyc for a sound file of "Another Man Don't Gone" as sung by Vera Hall.
**
"Turn your lamp down low" - stop being so heated (angry)
**
"Rollin fog" - the name of Joe William's home [information given in thee Maz Haymes page above
**
“Fo’ I be your dog" - "fo"= before; before you treat me like a dog [before I let you treat me as bad as people treat dogs]
**
"Play it" - interjection to continue to play that musical instrument very well
*****
RELATED LINKS
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/08/birmingham-jubilee-singers-sweet-mama.html for a post about the Blues song "Sweet Mama Tree Top Tall". That song includes the related saying "turn your damper down".
**
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/09/blind-willie-mctell-statesboro-blues.html Blind Willie McTell - Statesboro Blues (sound file & lyrics). That song includes the saying "turn your lamp down low".
****
Thanks to Big Joe Williams for his musical legacy. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publishers of these examples on YouTube.
Thank you for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
This post is part of a continuing series about Blues songs that include the expression "turn your lamp down low" or the expression "turn your damper down".
This post showcases four Big Joe Williams performances of his composition "Baby Please Don't Go". Example #1 & #2 showcase Big Joe Williams' 1935 version of this song. Example #3 is the 1941 version with harmonica player extraordinaire Sonny Boy Williamson. Example #4 is probably Big Joe Williams' 1947 recording of this Blues Classic.
That song include the line "turn your lamp down low". Comments about the meaning of "turn your lamp down low" and "turn your damper down" are found in http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/09/what-turn-your-damper-down-turn-your.html.
The content of this post is presented for folkloric, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
****
INFORMATION ABOUT BABY PLEASE DON'T GO
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby,_Please_Don't_Go
“Baby, Please Don't Go" is a classic blues song which has been called "one of the most played, arranged, and rearranged pieces in blues history".[1 First recorded by Delta blues musician Big Joe Williams in 1935, it is likely an adaptation of "Long John", an old folk theme which dates back to the time of slavery in the United States.[1] "Baby, Please Don't Go" is related to a group of early twentieth-century blues songs that include "I'm Alabama Bound", "Elder Green Blues", "Another Man Done Gone", "Don't Leave Me Here", and "Turn Your Lamp Down Low", which have been traced back to late nineteenth-century work songs.[2] It has become a blues and rock standard and has been recorded by a variety of artists...
The song became a big hit[5] and established Williams recording career. On December 12, 1941, he recorded a second version titled "Please Don't Go" in Chicago for Bluebird, with a slightly different arrangement and lyrics. Called "the most exciting version",[1] backing Williams (vocal and nine-string guitar) are Sonny Boy Williamson I (harmonica) and Alfred Elkins (imitation bass). Since both songs appeared before recording industry publications began tracking such releases, it is unknown which version was more popular. In 1947, he recorded it for Columbia Records with Williamson and Ransom Knowling (bass) and Judge Riley (drums). This version did not reach the Billboard R&B chart,[6] but represents a move toward a more urban blues treatment of the song...
Big Joe Williams' "Baby, Please Don't Go" is included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame list of "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll".[8] In 1992, it was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame in the "Classics of Blues Recordings--Singles or Album Tracks" category.[9]"
-snip-
Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Joe_Williams for information about Big Joe Williams (October 16, 1903 – December 17, 1982).
****
FEATURED YOUTUBE EXAMPLES
Example #1: 'Baby Please Don't Go - Original' BIG JOE WILLIAMS (1935) Delta Blues Guitar Legend
RagtimeDorianHenry, Uploaded on Apr 18, 2009
****
Example #2: Big Joe Williams Baby Please Don't Go
BloodOfTheAncestors, Uploaded on Mar 24, 2011
****
Example #3: Roots of Blues Big Joe Williams „Please Don't Go
Slowtubbi, Uploaded on Jan 3, 2009
Please Don't Go
(Joe Williams)
Recorded: Chicago, December 12, 1941
Big Joe Williams (g) (vcl)
Sonny Boy Williamson (h), Alfred Elkins (imb)
****
Example #4: Big Joe Williams - Baby Please Don't Go
Santi GO, Published on Mar 9, 2012
Album: Blues From The Southside
-snip-
In response to the comment "I miis the harmonica", TheRunner75 wrote "Sorry, this is not the 1935 original recording of this song. You'll find it in RagtimeDorianHenry's channel. Williams is backed by a fiddle and a washboard and an acoustic guitar. His second recording was done in 1945 with Sony Boy Williamson on harmonica. I don't know about this one."
-snip-
The Wikipedia page whose link is given above mentions a 1947 version of this song. This is probably that version.
****
LYRICS: BABY PLEASE DON'T GO
(Joe Lee Williams, first version 1935)
1. “Now baby, please don’ t go,
Now baby please don’t go.
Baby, please don’t go back to New Orleans
an’ get your cold ice cream”.
2. “I believe it - a man done gone,
I believe it - a man done gone.
I believe it - a man done gone to the county farm,
now with his long chain on”.
3. “Turn your lamp down low,
You turn your lamp down low.
Turn your lamp down low, I cried all night long,
‘now baby please don’t go’”.
4. “I begged you night before,
I begged you night before.
Begged you night before, turn your lamp down low,
‘now baby, please don’t go’”.
5. “I believe my baby’s done lyin’,
I believe my baby’ s done lyin’.
I believe my baby she’s lyin’ says she didn’t have a man,
now while I had my time”.
6. “Fo’ I be your dog,
Spoken: “Play it”.
Ah! fo’ I be your dog.
Fo’ I be your dog, I’d pack my trunk this mornin’, baby,
go back to rollin’ fog”.
7. “I believe I’ll leave here,
I believe I’ll leave you here.
I believe I’ 11 leave you here, ‘cos you got me way up here
an’ you don’ t feel my care”.
8. “Now baby please don’t go,
Oh! baby, please don’ t go.
Ah! Baby, please don’t go, back to New Orleans,
you know I love you so”.
9. “I believe you’re tryin’ to leave me here,
Try to leave your daddy, here.
Try to leave your daddy, here, you got me way down here
an’ you don’ t feel my care”. (1)
Source: http://www.earlyblues.com/BabyPleaseDont.htm "Baby Please Don't Go (Origins of a Blues)" by Max Haymes
Click that page for the lyrics to Big Joe William's 1945 version of this song and for more information about this Blues classic.
While the original version of "Baby Please Don't Go" is about a man pleaing to his lover not to leave him, contrary to some other versions of that song, the man isn't pleaing to his woman to remain faithful to him because he's going to prison. Notice that in verse #6 the singer indicates that "Fo’ I be your dog, I’d pack my trunk this mornin’, baby,
go back to rollin’ fog” [the name of his home in another area].
****
EXPLANATIONS OF & COMMENTS ABOUT CERTAIN WORDS & LINES
Baby & daddy = a woman and her man (lover)
**
"a man done gone to the county farm" - "county farm" = prison
This verse is from the song entitled "Another Man Done Gone" which is a precusor to "Baby Please Don't Go". Both songs have the same tune. Click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=749523cHwyc for a sound file of "Another Man Don't Gone" as sung by Vera Hall.
**
"Turn your lamp down low" - stop being so heated (angry)
**
"Rollin fog" - the name of Joe William's home [information given in thee Maz Haymes page above
**
“Fo’ I be your dog" - "fo"= before; before you treat me like a dog [before I let you treat me as bad as people treat dogs]
**
"Play it" - interjection to continue to play that musical instrument very well
*****
RELATED LINKS
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/08/birmingham-jubilee-singers-sweet-mama.html for a post about the Blues song "Sweet Mama Tree Top Tall". That song includes the related saying "turn your damper down".
**
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/09/blind-willie-mctell-statesboro-blues.html Blind Willie McTell - Statesboro Blues (sound file & lyrics). That song includes the saying "turn your lamp down low".
****
Thanks to Big Joe Williams for his musical legacy. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publishers of these examples on YouTube.
Thank you for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
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