Since the 1960s, Carter has become best known for his bawdy songs such as "Banana in Your Fruit Basket", "Pin in Your Cushion", "Your Biscuits Are Big Enough for Me", "Please Warm My Wiener" and "My Pencil Won't Write No More". However, his output was not restricted to risqué music. In 1928, he recorded the original version of "Corrine, Corrina", which later became a hit for Big Joe Turner and has become a standard in various musical genres.
Carter and his brothers (including pianist Harry Chatmon, who also made recordings), first learned music from their father, ex-slave fiddler Henderson Chatmon, at their home on a plantation between Bolton and Edwards, Mississippi. Their mother, Eliza, also sang and played guitar.
Carter made his recording debut in 1928, backing Alec Johnson. Carter soon was recording as a solo artist and became one of the dominant blues recording acts of the 1930s, recording 110 sides. He also played with and managed the family group, the Mississippi Sheiks, and several other acts in the area. He and the Sheiks often played for whites, playing the pop hits of the day and white-oriented dance material, as well as for blacks, using a bluesier repertoire.
Carter went partly blind during the 1930s. He settled in Glen Allan, Mississippi and despite his vision problems did some farming but also continued to play music and perform, sometimes with his brothers. Carter moved to Memphis, and worked outside the music industry in the 1940s.
Carter suffered strokes and died of a cerebral hemorrhage at Shelby County Hospital, Memphis, on September 21, 1964.
Bo Carter's style of playing the guitar and his songwriting won him fans long after he died. One of the most notable examples was blues-rock guitarist, Rory Gallagher from Ireland, who performed several of his songs, including, "All Around Man."
Blue Runner Blues
Bo Carter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's something going on wrong
This old dirty blue runner been suckin' my rider's tongue
I went home last night, looks on my bed, for that old dirty blue runner, says, have been layin'
Been suckin' my rider's tongue
I can see the way she's acting that it haven't been left here long
This old blue runner 'bout nineteen inches long
I can see the way my baby's acting, he sure been bitin' her tongue
Ain't got no rider now
Ain't got no rider now
Old blue runner been bitin' her tongue, I don't need no rider nohow
If I catch that old blue runner, I'm gonna put him down on his knees
I catch that old blue runner, I'm gonna put him down on his knees
I'm gonna make him beg me, "Just don't kill me, if you please."
Bo Carter's song "Blue Runner Blues" is a traditional blues piece that discusses the singer's problems with an old dirty blue runner that has been causing trouble with his rider. The song speaks to the listener about the issues that the blue runner has been causing for the singer's sexual partner, with the 19-inch long object sucking and biting her tongue, causing discomfort and potentially making sex difficult.
The singer goes on to explain that he found the blue runner on his bed, indicating that his rider had left it behind, and the way she acted suggested that it hadn't been there for long. He then states that due to the blue runner, he no longer has a rider or the desire for one. The song ends with the singer threatening to punish the blue runner for its actions, should he catch it.
The lyrics of "Blue Runner Blues" highlight the common theme in the blues genre of sexual tension, relationship trouble and the infidelity of partners. The blue runner itself, whether a literal or metaphorical object, serves as a symbol of the issues in the singer's sexual relationship. The threatening ideas presented in the song, however, can also be seen as the singer's way of reclaiming power over his sexual interactions.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby, something going on wrong
There is something not right that's going on.
It's something going on wrong
The problem is getting worse.
This old dirty blue runner been suckin' my rider's tongue
The dirty blue runner is causing trouble for the rider.
I went home last night, looks on my bed, for that old dirty blue runner, says, have been layin'
Last night, I went to bed and found the blue runner on it.
Been suckin' my rider's tongue
The blue runner has been harming the rider's tongue.
I can see the way she's acting that it haven't been left here long
I can tell from the way the rider is acting that the blue runner is new here.
This old blue runner 'bout nineteen inches long
The blue runner is around nineteen inches long.
I can see the way my baby's acting, he sure been bitin' her tongue
I can see that the blue runner has been biting my baby's tongue.
Ain't got no rider now
The rider is no longer here.
Old blue runner been bitin' her tongue, I don't need no rider nohow
The blue runner has been causing trouble, I don't need the rider anymore.
If I catch that old blue runner, I'm gonna put him down on his knees
If I can catch the blue runner, I will punish it.
I catch that old blue runner, I'm gonna put him down on his knees
I will not let the blue runner get away with harming my baby.
I'm gonna make him beg me, "Just don't kill me, if you please."
I will make the blue runner plead with me to spare its life.
Contributed by Jasmine K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.