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Cigarette Blues
Bo Carter Lyrics


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//Transcribed from original song on 17/12/07
//Cigarette Blues recorded by Bo Carter (Chatman) on 20th Feburary 1936 in New Orleans.

Says i've come over here sweet baby,
'cause im all alone,
haven't got nobody,
Just to carry my smoking on.
Won't you just drove my cigarette,
smoke it that whole night long.
Just drove my cigarette baby till you make my good ashes come.

Now I got to go up the country,
just to get my cigarette boiled.
The women round this place,
gonna let my cigarette spoil.
Won't you just smoke my cigarette,
drove it the whole night long.
Just drove my cigarette baby until you make my good ashes come.

Now i've come over here sweet baby,
just to get my ashes hauled.
Lord, the women at the other place,
gonna let my ashes fall.
Won't you just drove my cigarette,
smoke it the whole night long.
Just drove my cigarette baby until you make my good ashes come.

Heres one thing I want you to know,
before you leave from home.
My cigarette ain't to big,
and you know it ain't too long.
Won't you just drove my cigarette,
smoke it the whole night long.
Just drove my cigarette baby until you make my good ashes come.

Overall Meaning

Bo Carter's song "Cigarette Blues" was recorded on 20th February 1936 in New Orleans. The lyrics revolve around a man who is all alone and seeks comfort in his cigarette. He finds himself asking a woman to "just drove [his] cigarette, smoke it the whole night long." He feels the need to go up the country to get his cigarette boiled, as the women in his area are not capable of preserving the quality of his cigarette. He pleads with the woman to "just drove [his] cigarette baby until you make my good ashes come." The lyrics suggest that smoking is a vital part of this man's life and he feels lost without it.


The metaphorical significance of the cigarette in the song could be interpreted in different ways. One interpretation is that it symbolizes a relationship that has ended, hence the man is "all alone" and needs someone to "carry [his] smoking on." The cigarette also represents his pride, as he suggests that it is small and manageable, and he doesn't need much to feel satisfied. Interestingly, the song plays with gender roles, as the woman is asked to "drove" and smoke the cigarette, implying an unorthodox power dynamic.


Line by Line Meaning

Says i've come over here sweet baby, 'cause im all alone, haven't got nobody, Just to carry my smoking on.
I'm here all by myself, with no one else around to share in my smoking experience with. So, I was hoping you could help.


Won't you just drove my cigarette, smoke it that whole night long. Just drove my cigarette baby till you make my good ashes come.
I'd like you to smoke my cigarette all night long, until it's burned down to nothing but ashes.


Now I got to go up the country, just to get my cigarette boiled. The women round this place, gonna let my cigarette spoil.
I have to go all the way out of town to get my cigarette heated up correctly. The women here will ruin it for me.


Now i've come over here sweet baby, just to get my ashes hauled. Lord, the women at the other place, gonna let my ashes fall.
I'm just here to find someone who can help me finish my cigarette. The women where I was before kept making me set it down and wait.


Heres one thing I want you to know, before you leave from home. My cigarette ain't to big, and you know it ain't too long.
Before you agree to help me, just know that my cigarette is small and won't take too long to finish.


Won't you just drove my cigarette, smoke it the whole night long. Just drove my cigarette baby until you make my good ashes come.
Please, smoke my cigarette until there's nothing left. Keep puffing until all that's left behind are the ashes.




Contributed by Alexander T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@jean-micheldehalu6572

Says I've come over here sweet baby,
'Cause I'm all alone,
Haven't got nobody,
Just to carry my smoking on.
Won't you just drove my cigarette,
Smoke it that whole night long.
Just drove my cigarette baby till you make my good ashes come.

Now I got to go up the country,
Just to get my cigarette boiled.
The women round this place,
Gonna let my cigarette spoil.
Won't you just smoke my cigarette,
Drove it the whole night long.
Just drove my cigarette baby until you make my good ashes come.

Now I've come over here sweet baby,
Just to get my ashes hauled.
Lord, the women at the other place,
Gonna let my ashes fall.
Won't you just drove my cigarette,
Smoke it the whole night long.
Just drove my cigarette baby until you make my good ashes come.

Heres one thing I want you to know,
Before you leave from home.
My cigarette ain't to big,
And you know it ain't too long.
Won't you just drove my cigarette,
Smoke it the whole night long.
Just drove my cigarette baby until you make my good ashes come.



All comments from YouTube:

@cblanch

Highly original and very underrated guitar stylist....great singer too, as well as a fine fiddle player with (and a core member of) the Mississippi Sheiks, one of the most popular recording acts of the late '20s and early '30's with southern black record buyers...great song too!

@hilmarwensorra1215

In VERY loving memory of Mr. Bo Carter (1893 - 1964 R.I.P. Gone but NOT forgotten).

@rossikins1

Stunning... I always get goosebumps listening to Bo Carter, Mississippi John Hurt, Robert Johnson, others...

@Luke-qi5yo

son house

@steveturner5519

@@Luke-qi5yo
luke jordan

@soonerbred22

led belly too

@ovucaa

This is gold

@patriciakimbrell3734

Great Blues ๐Ÿ’™๐Ÿ’™๐ŸŽธ๐Ÿ’™๐ŸŽธ๐Ÿ’™๐ŸŒŸ๐Ÿ’™๐ŸŒŸ๐Ÿ’™๐ŸŒŸ๐Ÿ’™๐ŸŒŸ๐Ÿ’™๐ŸŒŸ๐Ÿ’™๐ŸŒŸ๐Ÿ’™๐ŸŒŸ๐Ÿ’™๐ŸŒŸ๐Ÿ’™๐ŸŒŸ๐Ÿ’™๐ŸŒŸ

@jean-micheldehalu6572

Says I've come over here sweet baby,
'Cause I'm all alone,
Haven't got nobody,
Just to carry my smoking on.
Won't you just drove my cigarette,
Smoke it that whole night long.
Just drove my cigarette baby till you make my good ashes come.

Now I got to go up the country,
Just to get my cigarette boiled.
The women round this place,
Gonna let my cigarette spoil.
Won't you just smoke my cigarette,
Drove it the whole night long.
Just drove my cigarette baby until you make my good ashes come.

Now I've come over here sweet baby,
Just to get my ashes hauled.
Lord, the women at the other place,
Gonna let my ashes fall.
Won't you just drove my cigarette,
Smoke it the whole night long.
Just drove my cigarette baby until you make my good ashes come.

Heres one thing I want you to know,
Before you leave from home.
My cigarette ain't to big,
And you know it ain't too long.
Won't you just drove my cigarette,
Smoke it the whole night long.
Just drove my cigarette baby until you make my good ashes come.

@sistervluv3556

He is saying "draw my cigarette" not drove.

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