The Prince Albert style is also called "hot fiddling," the groups who play it "hot string bands." It developed in Texas and Oklahoma from the late '20s onward, a bit like a hungry camper trying to set up a larder in the village grocery, grabbing at blues, ragtime, jazz, and old-time fiddle music as if these traditions were cans of beans, loaves of bread, and packs of wieners pulled off the shelves. It was music meant for dancing, before working up an appetite; it was also music that combined black and white influences to the point where terms such as "racial mongrel" have been used, although some may find this type of language distasteful. "Blues in the Bottle" was one of the great tracks cut by Prince Albert Hunt's Texas Ramblers, an amalgam of country blues, ragtime, and old-time that was so good that it was no wonder so many later recording artists wanted to take credit for writing it. "Blues in the Bottle" sounded perfectly fresh when recorded by the Lovin' Spoonful, a great folk-rock band of the '60s, so it is safe to say that this artist had a long-range influence on the American music scene. Some of his records were released under the name of Harmon Clem & Prince Albert Hunt. Guitarist Clem was a frequent sidekick of the fiddler's, and although he is certainly obscure, he also can be said to have done much better in the credit department than the third member of the Texas Ramblers, good ol' "Unknown." A survey of sides by this group seems a bit like a conversation with a travel agent. The tunes include "Canada Waltz," the slippery "Houston Slide," and a pretty oily "Oklahoma Rag." "Wake Up Jacob" became a fiddle standard, frequently covered through the years, and sometimes known under other titles such as "Wild Horse" and "Wild Horse of Stoney Point."
The prince of Texas fiddle was born Archie Albert Hunt in an area just south of Dallas. Besides developing his own group, which featured superb interplay between guitar and fiddle, Prince Alpert also played with his Terrell neighbors Oscar and Doc Harper. A television documentary was done on the fiddler in the '70s by Houston Public Television, bringing to light many interesting aspects of his life. He was sometimes described as a kind of Texas version of the great North Carolina fiddler Charlie Poole, and like Poole, his real specialty was blues music. Both fiddlers may have found fame in different genres than pure blues, but their blues specialty is certainly one of the reasons both Western swing and Appalachian old-time music have such a completely solid blues feeling at their core.
Prince Albert sometimes performed in blackface and had a reputation as an ornery character, to the extent of inspiring hyperbole such as the following excerpt from a Texas music website: "The fiddler who was shot to death at the age of 30 for stealing another man's wife. He growls through dirty teeth, rolls on the floor, punches his fist through his stovepipe hat, passes out, gets up, falls down, and after every verse kicks up a dance-call with a single down-stroke so fat and sweet you're ready to hire him to clean up your yard." If the image of the so-called inventor of Western swing raking one's yard isn't bad enough, Prince Albert Hunt has also been mistaken for a can of tobacco, in the case of a country music devotee hustling transcriptions of a '50s Grand Old Opry production, the Red Foley/Prince Albert Show. Despite claims that the Denton fiddler is present, impossible unless he came back from the dead in some sort of weird collaboration with Henry Lee Lucas, the show's title is surely a reference to its tobacco company sponsor.
Blues In A Bottle
Prince Albert Hunt's Texas Ramblers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Blues in a bottle
Stopper in my hand, purty mama
Blues in a bottle
Stopper in my hand
I'm goin' back to Fort Worth
Find me another man
Oh, dig your taters
It's tater diggin' time, purty mama
Oh, dig your taters
It's tater diggin' time
Old man Jack Frost
Done and killed your vine
That's my baby
That's my baby
Could she stand to see me cry, purty mama?
That's my baby
Could she stand to see me cry?
Then whoa, black daddy
I can stand to see you die
Rooster chews tobacco
Rooster chews tobacco
The hen uses snuff, purty mama
A rooster chews tobacco
And the hen uses snuff
The little chickens don't use nothin'
But they strut their stuff
Went to Chattanoodie
Went to Chattanoodie
See my pony run, purty mama
Went to Chattanoodie
See my pony run
If I win some money
Gonna give my baby some
Blues in a Bottle by Prince Albert Hunt's Texas Ramblers is a traditional blues song with simple yet catchy lyrics. The refrain "Blues in a bottle, stopper in my hand" highlights the singer's inconsolable and isolating state, where he has resorted to drowning his sorrows in a bottle. He longs to return to Fort Worth to find another man, indicating that his current relationship has failed.
Later in the song, the mention of "digging taters" and "Old man Jack Frost done and killed your vine" alludes to the hardships of life. The singer realizes he cannot rely on anyone and must work hard to support himself. The line "that's my baby" has a dual meaning, as it could refer to his significant other or the bottle of blues. He questions whether his baby would be able to tolerate his emotional outburst and vows to toughen up. The lines about roosters and hens chewing tobacco and snuff respectively, juxtaposed with the image of little chicks strutting their stuff, evoke a sense of ironic humor while emphasizing that everyone has their vices. The last verse suggests that the singer is willing to gamble to win some money and offer it to his loved one.
Line by Line Meaning
Blues in a bottle
The singer's sorrow is like a spirit trapped in a bottle that he carries around with him.
Blues in a bottle
The feeling of sadness and despair is ever-present and overwhelming.
Stopper in my hand, purty mama
He has the power to release or contain his sorrow, but it is a burden he carries on his own.
Blues in a bottle
The artist's sadness is not easily cured or forgotten.
Stopper in my hand
The artist has control over his own emotions.
I'm goin' back to Fort Worth
He is leaving his current location to find a new start.
Find me another man
His plan is to find a romantic partner to fill the void left by his previous lover.
Dig your taters
It's the time for harvesting potatoes.
Oh, dig your taters
The artist is using this as a metaphor for dealing with his problems and working hard to overcome them.
It's tater diggin' time, purty mama
The artist is calling on his lover to help him overcome his difficulties.
Old man Jack Frost
The changing seasons and harsh weather has ruined his crops.
Done and killed your vine
He has lost something he cared deeply about due to outside circumstances out of his control.
That's my baby
The singer is thinking of his former romantic partner.
Could she stand to see me cry, purty mama?
He is lamenting over whether his lover would care about his pain.
That's my baby
He still thinks about his lover and still cares for her.
Could she stand to see me cry?
He wonders if his former lover has sympathy for him.
Then whoa, black daddy
He is taking an aggressive, assertive stance towards his own emotions.
I can stand to see you die
He believes he can overcome his sadness and move on without his former lover.
Rooster chews tobacco
The rooster, like the singer, is engaging in unhealthy behavior.
The hen uses snuff, purty mama
Many people, including his lover, indulge in bad habits to escape their problems.
A rooster chews tobacco
The artist is trying to justify his own behavior by pointing out the flaws in others.
And the hen uses snuff
His lover also has problems with addiction and maybe that's why they broke up.
The little chickens don't use nothin'
The younger generation does not yet indulge in the same vices as their parents.
But they strut their stuff
The young still have their own confidence and energy.
Went to Chattanoodie
He went to a new place to try to find a new start.
See my pony run, purty mama
He is hopeful about his prospects and excited about the possibilities.
If I win some money
He has an opportunity to improve his situation.
Gonna give my baby some
He still cares for his lover and wants to provide for her.
Writer(s): Traditional
Contributed by Tristan O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.