He recorded as one of the first country bluesmen in 1926 for the Paramount and Vocalion labels, on the latter under the name of Sam Butler. His 78 rpm records are highly sought by collectors and have been numerously re-released on LP and CD compilation albums.
You Can't Keep No Brown
Bo Weavil Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Soon this mornin', mama, blues all around my bed
Thinkin' 'bout the kind words that my mama had said
Now my Mama's dead, so is my Daddy, too
Now my Mama's dead, so is my Daddy, too
That's the reason I tried so hard to get along with you
Where there ain't no lovin', there ain't no gettin' along
'Cause you'll have more trouble, honey, now the days is long
So many days, I stoled away and cried
So many days, I stoled away and cried
Poor boy's been mistreated, I can't be satisfied
Now, I'm gonna write a letter, mail it in the air
I'm gonna write a letter, gonna mail it in the air
Because the March wind blows, blows news everywhere
'Cause I'm going up the country, won't be very long
Sweet gal, you can count the days I'm gone
Awful tender-hearted, don't have to fight
The gal I get she's got to try to treat me right
I'm crazy 'bout my Jane, tell the world that I am
'Cause I'm goin' where they sing Long Distance Blues
Now you get way back, you ball the jack
Begin to fight you get to snatch it back
I want to see my Jane, tell the world that I do
'Cause I'm goin' where, sing Long Distance Blues
The lyrics to Bo Weavil Jackson's song "You Can't Keep No Brown" speak to the pain and loneliness experienced by the singer. He wakes up in the morning feeling Blue and thinking about the kind words his mother said to him. It is indicated that both his parents have passed away, and he craves love and understanding from his partner. Without love, the days seem longer, and the singer feels mistreated and can't be satisfied. He plans to write a letter to his lover, telling her that he is going up the country and that he won't be gone for long. He is crazy about Jane and wants to see her, but he is resigned to the fact that he will have to sing Long Distance Blues.
The song's theme is recognizable in many blues songs of the time. It reflects the pain of lost love and of not being able to find a sense of belonging in the world. It speaks to the African American experience in the United States in the early 20th century, where the odds were stacked against people of color, and they had to fight for every little thing, including love and respect.
Line by Line Meaning
I woke up this mornin', mama, blues all 'round my bed
I woke up feeling sad about my life and the things that have been happening to me
Soon this mornin', mama, blues all around my bed
My sadness is continuing and seems to be all-consuming
Thinkin' 'bout the kind words that my mama had said
I'm reflecting on the good things about my past and the positive influences in my life
Now my Mama's dead, so is my Daddy, too
Both of my parents have died, leaving me feeling alone and lost
That's the reason I tried so hard to get along with you
I was looking for companionship and support due to the loss of my loved ones
Where there ain't no lovin', there ain't no gettin' along
Without love and compassion, it's hard to form meaningful relationships and get through life's challenges
'Cause you'll have more trouble, honey, now the days is long
When times are tough and there's no love, life becomes even more difficult to navigate
So many days, I stoled away and cried
I've spent a lot of time alone, crying and grieving over my hardships
Poor boy's been mistreated, I can't be satisfied
As someone who has experienced hardship, I struggle to find satisfaction or contentment in life
I'm gonna write a letter, gonna mail it in the air
I'm going to try and connect with someone, even if they're not close by, through a letter
Because the March wind blows, blows news everywhere
I hope that my message gets carried far and wide because it's a way for me to communicate my feelings
Sweet gal, you can count the days I'm gone
I'm leaving my current situation and going somewhere else for a while
Awful tender-hearted, don't have to fight
I'm someone with a lot of emotions and compassion, and I don't want to fight with anyone
The gal I get she's got to try to treat me right
In any relationship I have, I need that person to treat me with kindness and respect
I'm crazy 'bout my Jane, tell the world that I am
I have strong feelings for someone named Jane and want everyone to know how much I care about her
'Cause I'm goin' where they sing Long Distance Blues
I'm drawn to places where people express and relate to the feeling of missing someone from far away
Now you get way back, you ball the jack
I'm warning someone to back off and leave me alone
Begin to fight you get to snatch it back
If someone tries to start a fight, I won't hesitate to defend myself
I want to see my Jane, tell the world that I do
I miss Jane and want to see her, and I'm not afraid to express that
'Cause I'm goin' where, sing Long Distance Blues
Once again, I'm looking for a place where people can relate to the feeling of missing someone who is far away
Contributed by Adam V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jean-Michel Dehalu
Now I woke up this morning mama, blues all around my bed
Now I woke up this morning mama, blues all around my bed
Thinking about the kinds words, that my mama had said
Now my mama's dead, so is my daddy too
Now my mama's dead, so is my daddy too
That's the reason I tried to hard, to get along with you
Now where there ain't no loving, ain't no getting along
Now where there ain't no loving, ain't no getting along
Because you'll have more trouble, honey than all the day is long
So many days, I stoled away and cried
So many days, I stoled away and cried
Poor boy has been mistreated, now I can't be satisfied
Now I'm going to write a letter, mail it in the air
Now I'm going to write a letter, mail it in the air
Because the March wind blows, it blows news everywhere
Because I'm going up the country : won't be very long
Good gal : you can count the days I'm gone
I often tell my honey, don't have to fight
I often tell my honey, don't have to fight
The gal that gets you, has got to try to treat you right
JK Rost
Gotta love Bo Weavil. After decades of listening to him, it never gets old.
chinoperfect
San Butler, gracias por subirlo, tienes una joya
Jan Haasler
Bob Brozman definately got elements of his blues playing from Bo-Weavil Jackson i think.
His version of Highway 49 Blues quotes a lot of that (besides other influences like hawaiian tones).
Thanks for sharing.
K.M. Slattery
Anybody notice that Boweavil doesn’t play slide on Crow Jane?
27Atomic
Yummy!
E180 TEKNO
it's the same musical sound, same style of cross road blues as r.jonhson.
E180 TEKNO
Kyle Billie at 00:04 00:06 the slide of bottolnek
Bob Jones
sounds like canned heat
velvetunderpants44
You mean Canned Heat sounds like this