Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives to Me -- Adam Swanson and Tom Brier

Just messing around at the party following the 2010 West Coast Ragtime Festival.

Adam began playing this song from 1919, but it took a while before Tom recognized it.

Tom Warner (YouTube's "tdub1941") joins in on washboard, and other audience members are clinking spoons, knives and forks to the rhythm as well.

This song is by N. Swanstone, Charles R. McCarron and Carey Morgan.

Lyrics are below, as well as some links to period recordings.

[Verse 1]
What is that song about kissing; What is that song about smiles,
If I could have my way I'd sing a song today that would beat them all by miles.
I wouldn't sing about smiling; that's not the topic I'd choose.
What I'd sing about's what I've got, and what I've got's the weary blues.

[Chorus 1]
There are blues that you get from worry,
There are blues that you get from pain.
There are blues when you're lonely for your one and only
Those blues you can never explain
There are blues that you get from longing,
But the bluest blues to me,
Are the only blues that's on my mind; they're the very meanest kind,
The blues my naughty sweetie gives to me.

[Patter]
There are blues you get from wimmin when you see 'em goin' swimmin'
And you haven't got a bathing suit yourself.
There are blues you get much quicker when you hide a lot of liquor
And your lady goes and swipes it off the shelf.
There are blues that come from waitin' on the dock, wondering if the boat is gonna rock,
And there's blues that come from gettin' in a taxicab and frettin'
Everytime you hit a bump and jump the clock.
There are blues you get from tryin' when you save a guy from dyin'
And he afterwards forgets you in his will.
But the blues much worse than this is when you're walkin' with the missus
And some chorus lady shouts, "Hello there, Bill!"
But the blues that make me crazy mad and sorer than a bunion
'Til I feel like goin' out and stabbin' someone with an onion
Are the blues my naughty sweetie gives to me.

[Chorus]
There are blues that you get from worry,
There are blues that you get from pain.
There are blues when you're single and just want to mingle
And blues when you have to abstain;
There are blues that you get from sleepless nights,
But the bluest blues to me,
Are the blues that make me hot and cold and make me want to shiver
And make me want to end it all by jumping in the river,
Are the blues my naughty sweetie gives to me, gives to me.
The blues my naughty sweetie gives to me.

---

Here's a song recording probably from the year it was composed, 1919:
http://www.archive.org/details/Blues_58

And here's a dance band recording from 1920:
http://www.archive.org/details/EDIS-SRP-0099-15

(Notice how much faster tunes were played for dancing!)

http://www.adamgswanson.com

Category:

Music

Tags:

• ragtime
• song
• piano
• duet
• pianos
• rag
• blues
• 1919

[LudwigVonKoopa64]

this sounds kinda like Oh By Jingo haha

[Keeper1st]

@LudwigVonKoopa64 That sort of "ethnic" sound was all the rage. There were loads of songs written to sound "Hawaiian", "Chinese", "Arabic", "Indian" or generic "jungle" -- anything considered "exotic".

[MarioNintendoh]

Hey, Keeper, I sent you a PM about using Tom's interpretations of video game rag in FlashFlashRevolution. I was wondering what your answer was about it. Did you manage to read it? Cheers!

[Keeper1st]

@MarioNintendoh I passed your message and contact info on to Tom, as it would be his decision.

[KawhackitaRag]

This really is a FANTASTIC duet, however!

[KawhackitaRag]

Now I want to hear the Pete Wendling QRS roll version... very brooding, and very epic!!!

[steinwaygrande1]

@jr0014 Hear hear !!! Sick of the rubbish thats rammed down our throats.

[MarioNintendoh]

@Keeper1st Alright, thanks a lot! :D I simply wanted to make sure you read the request!

[75egcg]

@jr0014 Older generations who witnessed it go more viral with it's irregular patterns and syncopation said the same thing about ragtime.