Wheatstraw was born William Bunch in Ripley, Tennessee but grew up in Cotton Plant, Arkansas, where his family relocated soon after his birth. Little is known of his early life, other than that he took up playing both the piano and guitar at a young age.
Bunch left Cotton Plant in 1927 and began living the life of an itinerant musician traveling throughout the Deep South. Like many African Americans of this time period, the great migration eventually drew his attention to the cities of the North. Places such as Chicago, Indianapolis and Detroit were favoured destinations, due to the wealth of employment in the factories located in these cities. St. Louis was another city that drew its share of uprooted individuals who sought a better life than that offered by the toil of sharecropping. It was in St. Louis that Bunch landed in 1929.
Having honed his musical talents while travelling, and influenced by the popularity of the Blues duet of pianist Leroy Carr and guitar player Scrapper Blackwell, Bunch found easy work in the clubs of both St. Louis and East St. Louis on the other side of the Mississippi River.
It was around this time Bunch decided to change his name to Peetie Wheatstraw. He also called himself "The Devil's Son-in-Law" and this title is under his name starting with his earliest recordings.
Wheatstraw's self-promotion swiftly paid off as he became a popular performer in East St. Louis, to the extent that he was asked to Chicago in 1930 to partake in recording sessions. He first entered the Vocalion Studios on August 13, 1930, and recorded a handful of numbers which included "Four O'Clock In The Morning" and "Tennessee Peaches Blues". Over the following decade, he would make several such treks, recording over 160 sides for the Vocalion, Decca and Bluebird labels.
Wheatstraw was known for his laid-back approach and adept singing and songwriting, though his instrumental talents were average at best. His songwriting appealed to working class minorities, due to their nature of the content—he often wrote about social issues such as unemployment and public assistance. There were also pieces about the immoral ways of loose women, and true to his own self-publicity, death and the supernatural. Almost all of his songs included his trademark "Ooh, well well", usually accentuated in the third verse, and this has been carried on by many subsequent Bluesmen, most noteworthy today being R.L. Burnside.
On his records Wheatstraw is occasionally heard playing guitar, but he usually took to the piano and required a guitarist to play with him—among his collaborators were Kokomo Arnold, Lonnie Johnson, Charlie Jordan, Charlie McCoy and Teddy Bunn, in addition to pianist Champion Jack Dupree. On some of his last dates, Peetie Wheatstraw recorded within a jazz inspired framework, collaborating with Lil Armstrong and trumpeter Jonah Jones.
Wheatstraw's influence was enormous during the 1930s. Perhaps the most obvious example of Wheatstraw's impact can be seen in the writings of Robert Johnson, often considered the most important Blues figure of the era. Many of Johnson's own recordings were actually re-workings of other popular artists of the time, and he drew heavily from Wheatstraw's repertoire.
The Last Dime
Peetie Wheatstraw Lyrics
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Peetie Wheatstraw (William Bunch)
(Bunch)
Mar 25, 1934 Vocalion 92712
Peetie Wheatstraw - vocal, prob Charlie Jordan - gtr
Album: Peetie Wheatstraw Essentials Album
Allego Classic Blues CBL 200037
Umm-um-um
I believe that I'll go back home
Well now I'm goin', hardly matters
Ooo-well-brown, than if I be treated wrong
Well, now this not my home
Mama, an I sure don't have to stay
Umm-mm-mm
Babe, I sure don't have to stay
Well now-now, give me a good going
Hoo-hoo-well-well, then I believe I'll go away
Please now don't never give
The woman you love, dime
I said, please don't never give
The woman you love, dime
Well then after you do it
Hoo-hoo-well now
She gon' mistreat you all the time
(piano)
Well, my little woman now she called me
An asked me for my last dime
Well, my little woman she called me
An asked me for my last dime
Well, well now when she get it
Hm-mm, 'Now', she said, 'You is no man a-mine'
You been a-lyin', baby
You been a-lyin'
I don't know how I love you what you do
Hmm-mm-mm
Feedin' me lies will hurt you, too
Well now the same old thing
Hoo-hoo, now is gon' come creeping after you.
~
The song The Last Dime by Peetie Wheatstraw is a blues song that speaks about the singer's desire to return home. The lyrics express a sense of hopelessness in the current situation and a longing for something better. The opening lines, "I believe, I believe that I'll go back home," reflect this sentiment. The repetition of this phrase in the song emphasizes the singer's desire to leave his current circumstances and to find a better place.
The second verse speaks to the singer's dissatisfaction with his current surroundings. He declares that his current location is not his home and that he does not have to stay there. The use of the phrase "Babe, I sure don't have to stay" conveys a sense of determination and resilience. The singer is determined to leave and find a better place for himself.
In the final verse, the singer warns against giving money to women. He advises men not to give their last dime to the women they love, as it will only result in mistreatment. This warning speaks to the dangers of being taken advantage of and the importance of being careful with one's resources. Overall, the song conveys a message of hopelessness in the current situation and a desire to find something better.
Line by Line Meaning
I believe, I believe that I'll go back home
I plan to leave this place and go back to where I belong
Umm-um-um
Expressing agreement or satisfaction
I believe that I'll go back home
My desire to return home remains unwavering
Well now I'm goin', hardly matters
I am leaving regardless of what happens next
Ooo-well-brown, than if I be treated wrong
The color of my skin affects how I am treated, and I hope to avoid mistreatment
Well, now this not my home
I don't feel at home where I currently am
Mama, an I sure don't have to stay
I don't have any obligation to stay here
Umm-mm-mm
Expressing uncertainty or contemplation
Babe, I sure don't have to stay
I am trying to assert my freedom to leave
Well now-now, give me a good going
Offer me a proper farewell or send-off
Hoo-hoo-well-well, then I believe I'll go away
I will definitely leave after an appropriate goodbye
Please now don't never give
I am imploring you not to give
The woman you love, dime
Your loved one shouldn't receive your last bit of money
I said, please don't never give
I am repeating my request in earnest
Well then after you do it
If you do give her the dime
Hoo-hoo-well now
Expressing concern or dread
She gon' mistreat you all the time
She will take advantage of your generosity
(piano)
Instrumental break
Well, my little woman now she called me
My girlfriend contacted me recently
An asked me for my last dime
She is in need of my last bit of money
Well, my little woman she called me
Reiterating the context of the situation
An asked me for my last dime
Reiterating the request for money
Well, well now when she get it
If she does get the money
Hm-mm, 'Now', she said, 'You is no man a-mine'
She would question my manliness if I don't give her the money
You been a-lyin', baby
I accuse my girlfriend of lying
You been a-lyin'
Repeating the accusation of dishonesty
I don't know how I love you what you do
I still love her despite her actions
Hmm-mm-mm
Expressing empathy or understanding
Feedin' me lies will hurt you, too
Her lies will eventually affect her negatively as well
Well now the same old thing
The usual routine or patterns of behavior
Hoo-hoo, now is gon' come creeping after you.
The consequences of her actions will catch up with her eventually
Contributed by Colin N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.