“Talking Blues”

Description

"If you want to get to Heaven let me tell you what to do, Gotta grease your feet in mutton stew...." The singer boasts of the ways he avoids work and easily acquires food, sex, etc. Many of the verses float

Notes

Robert Lunn and Chris Bouchillon both claim to have written and recorded the canonical "Talking Blues," with the above-quoted lyrics; however, it's likely they acquired the form and some of the verses from anonymous African-American musicians. [Given that Scarborough's text precedes them, I'd say it's nearly certain. - RBW]

[For the items in the "same tune" list, the] discographical information lists Mr. Brown's name as "Hersal" for one record and "Hershel" for another. I don't know which is right. And I've since found one spelled "Hershal." Are we confused yet? - PJS

Same tune

• Talking Dustbowl Blues (File: LoF225)
• Talking Hard Luck (File: CSW214)
• Talking Atom (DT, TALKATOM; Sam Hinton, ABC-Eagle ABC-230, 1950; on PeteSeeger19, PeteSeeger48)
• Chris Bouchillon, "New Talking Blues" (Columbia 15262-D, 1928)
• Hersal Brown & his Band, "New Talking Blues" (OKeh 45247, 1928)
• Hersal Brown & his Band, "Talking Nigger Blues" (OKeh 45247, 1928)
• Hershal Brown, "New Talking Blues No. 2" (OKeh 45337, 1929)
• Hershel Brown & his Boys, "Nigger Talking Blues No. 2" (OKeh 45337, 1929)
• Curly Fox, "Curly's New Talking Blues" (Decca 5185, 1936; rec. 1935)
• Jesse Rodgers, "Jesse's Talking Blues" (Bluebird B-6143, 1935)

Cross references

• cf. every other song with the words "talking" and "blues" in the titles
• cf. "Mourner, You Shall Be Free (Moanish Lady)" (this piece is sometimes sung to a tune similar to that)
• cf. "Henhouse Door (Who Broke the Lock?)" (floating verses)

Recordings

• Chris Bouchillon, "Talking Blues" (Columbia 15120-D, 1927; Vocalion 02977, 1935; rec. 1926)
• Pete Seeger, "Talking Blues" (on PeteSeeger32)
• Roy Shaffer, "Talking Blues" (Bluebird B-8234, 1939/Montgomery Ward M-8493, c. 1940)

References

1. BrownIII 444, "If You Want to Go to Heaven" (1 fragment, apparently this piece)
2. Lomax-FSNA 224, "Talking Blues" (1 text with metrical markings)
3. Spaeth-WeepMore, pp. 116-117, "Jest Talkin'" (1 text)
4. Lomax-ABFS, pp. 254-258, "When de Good Lord Sets You Free" (1 text, 1 tune -- an immense composite containing elements of "Moanish Lady," "Talking Blues," and probably other materials, to the tune of "Mourner, You Shall Be Free")
5. Scarborough-NegroFS, p. 225, (no title) (1 fragment, perhaps one of the items that inspired the Lomax mess)
6. Silber-FSWB, p. 80, "Talking Blues" (1 text)
7. DT, TALKBLUE TALKBLU2
8. Roud #13912, etc.
9. BI, LoF224