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."
The Ins and Out of My Girl
Bo Carter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I mean, the gal got something, I don't know what it is
I mean, my baby got something, I don't know what it is
I mean, every time she love me, man you know I can't be still
She got something like a stingaree
I mean, She got something like a stingaree
I mean, the girl got something like a stingaree
What she's got now it is surprise
Ah what she got is really surprise
Ah what she got now is really surprise
I mean what she got man surly will appetize
She taught me things that was a fact
I mean, she taught me things that was a fact
I mean, she taught me things that was a fact
She said man if you love me you surely will trot along back
She got something that I really do love
I mean, she got something that I really do love
I mean, she got something that I really do love
It ain't in her stocking, man its just above
I told her things that I want her to on?
I mean, I told her things that I want her to own
Ah, I told her things that I want her to own
Said I want you to come and do my loving' in my own home, a-home
In this song, Bo Carter is expressing his admiration and puzzlement for his girlfriend. He emphasizes that she has a certain quality that he cannot put his finger on, but it is something that keeps him enthralled and unable to stay still when she's around. He describes this quality as being similar to a stingray, which is intriguing and causes him to submit to her. He acknowledges that her mysterious allure is surprising, but also very enticing.
Carter goes on to explain the significant impact his girlfriend has had on his life. She has taught him things that he never knew before and has demanded a level of commitment that is undeniable. He loves her for who she is, and he appreciates what she adds to his life. Together, they have built an intimate connection that is beyond just physical attraction, and he expresses his desire to have her come home with him.
Line by Line Meaning
Say's my baby's got something, I don't know what it is
My significant other possesses some compelling, indescribable quality
She got something like a stingaree
She possesses a certain attraction comparable to that of a stingaree
What she's got now it is surprise
The unknown aspect of what she holds adds mystery to the allure of her affections
She taught me things that was a fact
Through our relationship, she has shown me particular lessons that have proved to be true
She got something that I really do love
I find myself deeply fond of a particular characteristic that she possesses
I told her things that I want her to on?
I shared with her certain desires that I would like her to fulfill
Contributed by Victoria B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@buckananda
What's the words?
@OscarWolf84
Says my baby got something, I don't know what it is
I mean the gal got something, I don't know what it is
I mean my baby got something I don't know what it is
I mean every time she love me, man, you know I can't be still
She got something like a stingaree
I mean she got something like a stingaree
I mean the girl got something like a stingaree
She can stand in Memphis, man, and put the checks on me
What she got now, it is surprise
Eh, what she got is really surprise
Eh, what she got now is surprise
I mean what she got, man, surely will appetize
SOLO
She told me things that was a fac'
I mean, she told things that was a fac'
I mean, she told me things that was a fac'
She said, "Man, if you love me you surely will trot along back."
She got something that I really do love
I mean, she got something that I really do love
I mean, she got something that I really do love
It ain't in her stockin', man, you know it's just above
I told her things that I want her to iron
I mean, I told her things that I want her to iron
Ey, I told here things that I want her to iron
Says, "I want you to come and do my lovin' in my own home, a-home."