Milk Cow Blues
Arnold Kokomo Lyrics
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Just to get along with you
And now I'm gonna tell you
Just what I'm gonna do
Well, I'm sick of all your cryin'
When you should be leavin' me alone
If you don't believe me
Won't you please
Don't that sun look good goin' down
You almost lost your love, girl
When your old man ain't around
Won't you please
Don't that sun look good goin' down
Won't you please
Don't that sun look good goin' down
And you best believe I love you, baby
When your old man ain't around
Won't you please
Don't that sun look good goin' down
Won't you please
Don't that sun look good goin' down
You almost lost your love, girl
When your old man ain't around
'Round and 'round and 'round
'Round and 'round
'Round
'Round
'Round
The lyrics of the song "Milk Cow Blues" by Arnold Kokomo reflect the frustration and dissatisfaction of the singer in a relationship. He has tried everything to get along with his partner, but she keeps crying and bothering him. He decides that he has had enough and tells her that he is leaving. The line "If you don't believe me, you pack my bags, I'm gone" shows his determination to end the relationship. The chorus "Don't that sun look good goin' down" is a metaphor for the end of the day and the end of their relationship. The singer suggests that he loves her only when her old man (her boyfriend or husband) isn't around. This suggests that their relationship is secretive or illicit.
The repetitive nature of the closing lines "Round and round and round" creates a sense of finality and closure. The singer seems to be relieved that he has made a decision and is moving on. The song is a classic blues song in which the lyrics express the sadness and difficulty of life, particularly in relationships. The song has a slow tempo and the guitar and harmonica provide the melancholic and soulful music that is typical of blues.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I've tried everything
Despite trying all sorts of methods, I have yet to find success in my endeavors to connect with you.
Just to get along with you
I have continuously made efforts to get along with you and create a positive relationship.
And now I'm gonna tell you
It is time for me to be honest with you and reveal my next steps.
Just what I'm gonna do
I am going to tell you exactly what actions I plan on taking.
Well, I'm sick of all your cryin'
Your constant weeping and complaining has become intolerable to me, and I am tired of it.
When you should be leavin' me alone
You should be leaving me alone to sort things out by myself, rather than adding to the issue with your crying.
If you don't believe me
In case you are not convinced of my next steps, and the gravity of the situation, I will explain further.
You pack my bags, I'm gone
If you are still unsure of my plans, know that I am leaving, and you will find my bags packed and ready to go.
Won't you please
I am pleading with you.
Don't that sun look good goin' down
Don't you think the sunset looks beautiful?
You almost lost your love, girl
You almost lost me, but I am still here.
When your old man ain't around
When your significant other is absent from the picture.
And you best believe I love you, baby
It is imperative that you believe my love for you is real and sincere.
'Round and 'round and 'round
This could be an additional emphasis on the repetitive nature of the situation.
'Round and 'round
This could be an additional emphasis on the repetitive nature of the situation.
'Round
This could be the last emphasis on the repetitive nature of the situation.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOHN ESTES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Soul Man
I'm weighing in here with a copy & paste from a friend of mine below. His statements on another forum fit very closely with what needs to be set on this thread. And I would suggest specifically that people like kahlildopeboi dopeboimagic give this a read. You made some comments that my friend actually touched on in his writing on the other forum.
~~~~~~~~~~~
His quote
"No, Elvis didn't invent rock & roll, and to his credit he himself acknowledged this in numerous interviews.
One of them even went so far as to point out what other music historians have been saying for decades when talking Rock & Roll history .... he told the interviewer "Rock & roll was around before I came along ...only they were calling it rhythm & blues before they called it rock & roll".
This is historically correct, as some of the greats like BB King, Little Richard and James Brown also would tell anyone that had a question about the history.
But speaking of those three, one of the reasons those three had so much respect for Elvis is because of the honest Integrity Elvis had.
Elvis acknowledged he didn't invent rock & roll, just as he acknowledged black music, artists and their impact on his roots.
But BB King said in his autobiography Elvis was the one most responsible for the Rock N Roll Explosion. He and James Brown also credited Elvis with "giving black people a voice". Little Richard talked about it also in one interview, and actually defended Elvis against some of his critics.
I would caution people to take a humble deep breath and learn to recognize something that is often overlooked in discussions regarding Elvis and 50s rock and roll... which is that many of the Blues and R&B artists not only spoke highly of Elvis, but they actually defended him over the years.
There's a big difference between saying nice things about a person, compared to saying nice things and defending them.
Even Bo Diddley went on in one interview to say put it on record he felt Elvis really was a great man and spoke a lot about Elvis's impact on music. He went on to clarify his only issue with the industry at that time was that he felt he himself and other artists were overshadowed by Elvis' huge coronation. But he was trying to make it clear this was more of an indictment on the American music culture, but nothing against Elvis personally, whom he respected
Of all the great rockers to arrive on the scene almost at the exact same time in music history... Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Elvis and Bo Diddley all reaching the national charts around Summertime of 1955.... and leading into the rock music explosion of 1956.
And of those four, Elvis was the one that received the most attention, and not all of it good.
He was the lightning-rod for a lot of bigoted hate from mainstream racist white America pushing back, because their white teenagers were embracing this seemingly "dangerous scary negro music".
And beyond that Elvis was really pissing off the white establishment for doing things like showing up at segregated Charity events to support the black community.
As BB King and Soul / Funk Legend Rufus Thomas both said, 'Elvis showed tremendous Guts and had real Integrity to be doing what he was doing'.
Little Richard, BB King, James Brown, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash all spoke in interviews over the years that it was because of Elvis and the polarizing explosion of his arrival that they were all able to 'follow him through the door'.
Too many disingenuous efforts to give ALL the credit to black artists of their influence on Elvis. Let's remember the absolute documented fact that Elvis's first biggest hit was the one that put him on everyone's radar it was Heartbreak Hotel and it was written by a white woman.
And even further, Italian operatic vocalists like Mario Lanza and Dean Martin, were also a tremendous influence on Elvis vocal Style. He was obsessed with both of their voices and songs for a couple years while he was in high school.
No way anyone can listen to those two vocalists and not hear Elvis.
Or all of his country and western influences, of which were many.
He also enjoyed going to the parking Memphis to listen to the orchestra occasionally as a teenager.
And of course yes many black artists throughout the years also an influence.
Elvis's musical roots and influences were as vast as the colors of a rainbow.
It's an exercise and B.S. history to to push anything less.
It's also kind of a slap in the face to a lot of the black folks in Tupelo Mississippi that knew Elvis as a young child and said he first came to black music through the Gospel that he was exposed to and sang.
And no, he didn't learn to sing by copying Otis Blackwell's demos either. LMAO. I see some you fools trying to push that.
Again to imply that would be to play stupid about the fact that Elvis grew up as a child around black folks and black singers. So, over a decade before he ever was even exposed to Otis Blackwell, Elvis already had the Blue Note in his voice and came by it legitimately and naturally.
Black folks from Tupelo have spoke about this in interviews.
People forget Otis Blackwell didn't just give one interview talking about Elvis... and people like to cherry-pick their history.
Many don't realize Otis actually gave quite a few interviews over the years and in a number of them he pointed out that it was only because Elvis already was a natural student & blues vocalist that he and Elvis made such a good team.
Because, in his own words in a 1981 interview, he would try to sing the demos for Elvis in the same vocal manor that he thought Elvis would use because he and Elvis had similar voices and musical backgrounds in gospel, blues and country & western.
Those are Otis' own words that can be found by anyone with Google access.
Trying to reduce Elvis to a mere copycat is laughable.
Too too many people in the industry back at that time acknowledge just how many of Elvis's hits were masterful reworkings of the original recordings.
Some songwriters said when Elvis got done making a hit out of their own song they hardly recognized it, and were very impressed with what Elvis created out of it in the studio.
Elvis was too eclectic and versatile in too many different genres to pigeonhole him as one type of singer influenced by one type of artist, and a mere copycat.
It's ignorant and slop history.
I really recommend some y'all actually do some honest research on this subject instead of pretending you're speaking some truth.
I think those that were there back then and spoke positive words for Elvis as an artist would know more than the ramblings of amateur music historians"
~~~~~~~~~~
Welp.
No lies told.
Anyone that can do basic Google research can look it up. It all checks out.
Slim Davenport
This is some powerful music. Robert learned a great deal from this guy lyric-wise.
ivo maassen
Apart from his amazing guitarplaying (and it is) he was also fantastic singer. (That timing is great.
adonai yah
I love your brackets. He was a very good guitarist
Mark Horton
The first version I ever heard of this song was by Aerosmith in 1977 . It really blew me away!! I love the Kinks version too. But this original is absolutely awesome. This is the first time I've ever heard his version, and here it is 2022. I'm so ashamed of myself.
mretrain
I love how he does those little syncopated licks. It adds an air of sophistication, like something T-Bone Walker would play if he played slide.
JFeezy
Well put sir. Getting into the blues is like going down the rabbit hole, the deeper you get the deeper it goes.
Torbjörn Brunzell
Pure blues... can´t be better than this...
Fredrik Claesson
Amazing singer! You can hear that pretty much every rock artist is inspired by him, especially Little Richard. Btw, this must've been where Bob Dylan got Quit Your Low Down Ways.
Scouser on the Wirral
Bluesman Kokomo Arnold (1901-1968) wrote and recorded “Milk Cow Blues” on 10 September 1934, the American Western Swing fiddler Johnny Lee Wills (1912-1984) recorded the 8th Cover of the song on 28 April 1941, and released in September 1941. By the time a young 19 Year old Memphis truck driver kid called Elvis Presley recorded his version which was the 12th Cover of Milk Cow Blues, on 10 December 1954, the song was older (1934) than he was (b,1935), Elvis changed the Lyrics and arrangement and done a fine different rockabilly version which was released on 8 January 1955, it did not chart Nationally.
Kessler Watson
this is incredible!! nothing else to say.