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."
My Pencil Won't Write No More
Bo Carter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My old pencil won't write no more
Because the lead's all gone, oh the lead's all gone,
Oh the lead's all gone, the pencil won't write no more
I lay down at my bed, just to write a line,
I could feel my old pencil droppin' forward all the time
Because the lead's all gone, oh the lead's all gone,
I gets outta my bed, down on the floor,
I was worryin' 'bout my old pencil won't write no more
Because the lead's all gone, oh the lead's all gone,
Oh the lead's all gone, the pencil won't write no more
I met a hot mama, I wanted to love her so bad,
I lost all the lead in my pencil I had
Now, the lead's all gone, oh the lead's all gone,
Oh the lead's all gone, the pencil won't write no more
I hugged and kissed her, all last night,
It wasn't nothin' doin', my old pencil wouldn't write
Because the lead's all gone, oh the lead's all gone,
Oh the lead's all gone, the pencil won't write no more
You sure can tell when a man's pencil is wrong,
His mama's always, shiftin' from home
Because the lead's all gone, oh the lead's all gone,
Oh the lead's all gone, the pencil won't write no more
Now listen here man, you ought to know,
Can't write for that woman you have to let her go
Because the lead's all gone, oh the lead's all gone,
Oh the lead's all gone, the pencil won't write no more
Bo Carter's "My Pencil Won't Write No More" is a song that is full of innuendos that describe a man's struggle with impotence. The song is composed entirely of double entendres that revolve around a pencil that's all out of lead. The singer here has a pencil that won't write, and he's using it as a metaphor for his inability to perform sexually.
The song opens with the singer claiming that his old pencil won't write any more and that the lead is all gone. He says this repeatedly, and it's clear that he's not talking about a literal pencil. He continues to describe the frustrations of trying to write with a pencil that won't work, getting up in the night to find it, and feeling like everything is out of his control.
The second verse focuses on the same theme, only this time the singer is unable to please a woman he's with because of his "broken" pencil. He tries everything, but the lead is all gone, and he can't get it up anymore. This creates a sense of humor that underlies the entire song, which takes a taboo topic and makes it accessible to a casual audience.
Line by Line Meaning
Now listen here folks, there's one thing sure,
The singer wants the audience's attention and wants to make a definitive statement.
My old pencil won't write no more
The singer is unable to write with their pencil anymore.
Because the lead's all gone, oh the lead's all gone,
The reason the pencil won't write is due to a lack of lead.
I lay down at my bed, just to write a line,
The artist attempted to write something from their bed.
I could feel my old pencil droppin' forward all the time
The pencil was not working properly and the artist could feel it failing.
I gets outta my bed, down on the floor,
The singer got out of bed to try and find a solution.
I was worryin' 'bout my old pencil won't write no more
The singer was concerned about their inability to write with the pencil.
I met a hot mama, I wanted to love her so bad,
The artist met an attractive person they desired.
I lost all the lead in my pencil I had
The artist used up all the lead in their pencil while with this person.
I hugged and kissed her, all last night,
The artist spent the evening embracing and kissing the person they met.
It wasn't nothin' doin', my old pencil wouldn't write
Despite their attempts to be intimate, the singer was still unable to write with their pencil.
You sure can tell when a man's pencil is wrong,
The artist believes that a person's pencil can indicate whether they are able to perform sexually.
His mama's always, shiftin' from home
The singer implies that if a man can't write anymore, their partner will leave them.
Now listen here man, you ought to know,
The singer is addressing someone directly and giving advice.
Can't write for that woman you have to let her go
The singer advises the person to break off their relationship if they are unable to write anymore.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, SPIKEDRIVER LLC
Written by: ARMETIA BO CARTER CHATMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@VisualparanormalChannel
Bo was a master of true roots music. This guy could play and sing with the best of them. He obviously had a great sense of humor too. Excellent guitar player, deceptively simple sounding but his picking is outstanding.
@ellyem1885
I discovered this guy a day ago, and I have to say, his "body songs" are a work of art. They're great when I need to have an uncomfortable kind of laugh, or when I want to make fun of somebody. Some people...
@d-arkangelmusic875
Same. I just found out about him today. I learned more about the “Dirty Blues” of long ago. I just say, I’m thoroughly entertained, and educated on this great historical find.
@Adrilu2
bello sonido, expresión pura de todos los sentimientos del hombre. Puro talento.
@florinivan6907
'the lead's all gone' I feel ya buddy.😭
@edr777
May all the dudes out there have plenty of lead in their pencils. :)
@Michael_______
Amen friend
@Punki001
Too late 🥲
@trimbandit9636
I love it. It is almost Swiftian in its rapier-like subtlety
@pwkpilot
My pencil continues to amaze me everyday!