January 20, 2007

Empty Bed Blues

Bessie Smith sang songs that were gritty and provocative. She could pump out some seriously saucy metaphores. If you like this, you should check out Gimme a Pigfoot.

Empty Bed Blues
by Bessie Smith

I woke up this morning
With awful aching head
My new man had left me
Just a room and an empty bed
Bought me a coffee grinder,
Got the best one I could find
So he could grind my coffee
Cause he had a brand new grind
He's a deep-sea diver,
With a stroke that can't go wrong
He can touch the bottom,
And his wind holds out so long
He knows how to thrill me
And he thrills me night and day
He's got a new way of loving,
Almost takes my breath away
Oh, he's got that sweet something
And I told my girlfriend Lou
But the way she's ravin'
She must have gone and tried it too
When my bed get empty
Make me feel awful mean and blue
My springs are getting rusty
Sleepin' single like I do
Bought him a blanket
Pillow for his head at night
And I bought him a mattress
So he could lay just right
He came home one evening
With his spirit way up high
What he had to give me
Made me ring my hands and cry
He give me a lesson
That I never had before
When he got through teachin' me
From my elbow down was sore
He boiled my first cabbage
And he made it awful hot
When he put in the bacon
It overflowed the pot
When you get good lovin'
Never go and spread the news
I'll build up to cross you
And leave you with them empty bed blues

2 comments:

Eddie Waring said...

You're preaching to the perverted here. Mrs.Waring has a large collection of 78's including a number if Bessie Smith records. Nothing like kicking back with a bottle of Old Bedwetter and playing scratchy old records.

Fresh Hell said...

Eddie, you and Mrs. Waring are a decent and marginally depraved element. there is some serious street cred in cozying up to Old Bedwetter and some scratchy 78's.