Three Kings

♦   FREDDIE KING  [1934-1976]

I’m goin’ down, down, down, down, down, down . . .
I got my big feet in the window, my head is on the ground

Let me down and closed that box car door . . .
I’m going back to Chattanooga and sweep up so sorry’s floor

I’m goin’ down, down, down, down, down, down . . .
I got my big feet in the window, my head is on the ground

•  Have You Ever Loved A Woman  [1973]→

Have you ever loved a woman so much you tremble in pain?
And all the time you know she bears another man’s name.

But you just love that woman so much it’s a shame and a sin…
But all the time you know she belongs to your very best friend.

Have you ever loved a woman and you know you can’t leave her alone?
But something deep inside of you won’t let you wreck your best friend’s home.

∞  «Hide Away» – ↓ – «I Love That Woman.»

I love the woman, an’ learned a lesson that I can’t forget . . .
(I want you to come on now … ) Yes, she’s mean an’ she’s evil and now my life is in a solid mess
Yeah…

She wakes me in the mornin’ right before the break of day
Tellin’ me to get up and go out – I had a earn myself some pay
She scolds me like an orphan and treats me like a clown
And when I need some lovin’ that woman can’t be found

Let me tell you  I love the woman and learned a lesson that I can’t forget
Yes, she’s mean an’ she’s evil and now my life is in a solid mess!

÷            ÷                      ÷            ÷                      ÷            ÷

♦    ALBERT KING   [1923-1992]

A.K.  forged a style which is one of the most easily identified and widely copied in blues. His distinctive guitar sound has been a major influence on electric guitarists from the early 60s:  Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix are just a few of the well-known musicians who borrowed heavily from Albert’s bag of tricks.

◊  ‘Oh Pretty Woman’  ↓

Oh pretty woman she’s the rising sun
Says all your cheap paint and powder

ain’t gonna help you none
She’s a pretty woman right down to the bone
So you just might as well still leave your skin alone

Pretty woman – What’s the matter with you
Can’t make you love me, no matter what I do

Oh pretty woman what you trying to do
You kept on foolin’ around till I got stuck on you
So you just drop that mess and come down off your throne
Stop using my poor heart as a stepping stone

Pretty woman – What’s the matter with you
Can’t make you love me, no matter what I do

Oh pretty woman that’s all right for you
Now you just go on doing what you want to do
But someday when you thing you’ve got it made
You get in water deep enough so you can’t wade

Pretty woman – What’s the matter with you
Can’t make you love me, no matter what I do

◊  ‘Born Under A Bad Sign’  ⇓

One, two
Born under a bad sign – I been down since I begin to crawl
If it wasn’t for bad luck, I wouldn’t have no luck at all

Hard luck and trouble is my only friend
I been on my own ever since I was ten
Born under a bad sign – I been down since I begin to crawl
If it wasn’t for bad luck, I wouldn’t have no luck at all

I can’t read, haven’t learned how to write
My whole life has been one big fight
Born under a bad sign – I been down since I begin to crawl
If it wasn’t for bad luck, I wouldn’t have no luck at all
I  ain’t  lyin’
If it wasn’t for bad luck I wouldn’t have no kind-a luck
If it wasn’t for real bad luck, I wouldn’t have no luck at all

Wine and women is all I crave
A big legged woman is gonna carry me to my grave
Born under a bad sign – I been down since I begin to crawl
If it wasn’t for bad luck, I wouldn’t have no luck at all

Yeah, my bad luck boy – Been havin’ bad luck all of my days, yes

◊  ‘Blues Power’  ⇓  [Fillmore_1970]

This is blues power!  Are you listening?  Ev’rybody understands the blues – Now from one day to another everybody has the blues

Can ya dig it?   YEAH!    [audience replies]

Now you take the little baby that’s layin’ in the cradle
He go to kickin’ an’cryin’ an’ goin’ on, tearin’ up the little baby bed – He can’t get that milk bottle fast enough – He’s got the blues
Do you hear me?   YEAH!    [audience replies]

You take this girl that’s got this main squeeze – That’s her boyfriend, that is, you know, haha…

An’ he just bought a brand new GTO
You know she wanna be wit’ him ev’rytime he cranks it up an’ go around the corner to the soda fountain

She wants to be with him an’ show it off – This is why all the guys […], you know… haha…

In this particular night she gets ready to go out

An’ her mother say, “Daughter you was just out last night – You can’t go out tonight, that’s too many nights in a row”

She go in the room an’ fasten the door – She won’t eat – she won’t talk to nobody
What’s wrong wit’ her? I can’t hear you. What’s wrong with her?

She’s sure got the blues.

Some people call them the reds, the pinks
But when ya get through, it’s the old-fashioned country blues – That’s all it is.

I haven’t seen my main squeeze in ten long weeks, today – You know I got ‘em…

♦        B B KING      [1925-2015]

«…Now that it’s all over, all I can do is wish you well.»

•→  ‘The Thrill Is Gone‘ ⇑

The thrill is gone, the thrill is gone away
The thrill is gone baby, the thrill is gone away
You know you don’t me wrong baby, but you will be sorry someday

The thrill is gone, it’s gone away from me
The thrill is gone away from me
Although, I’ll still live on, but so lonely I’ll be

 

The thrill is gone, it’s gone away for good
The thrill is gone baby, it’s gone away for good
Someday I know I’ll be over it all baby,

just like I know a good man should

You know I’m free, free now baby, I’m free from your spell
Oh I’m free, free, free now, I’m free from your spell
And now that It’s all over, all I can do is wish you well

♦ →’How Blue Can You Get‘   ⇓

I’ve been down hearted baby ever since the day we met . . .
Our love is nothing but the blues, baby, how blue can you get?

you’re evil when I’m with you and you are jealous when we’re apart . . .
how blue can you get baby?  The answer is right here in my heart

I gave you a brand new ford but you said «I want a Cadillac»
I bought you a ten dollar dinner and you said «Thanks for the snack»!
I let you live in my penthouse; you said, it was just a shack!
I gave you seven children and now you wanna to give ‘em back!

Yes I’ve been downhearted baby ever since the day we met
our love is nothing but the blues baby – baby, how blue can you get?

I’ve got the key to the highway  ↑
Feel I got to go – Gonna leave here running
Walking is both too slowI’m going back to the border
Baby where I’m better known
Because you haven’t done nothing baby
But draw the good man from home

When the moon peeps over the mountain
Little girl I’ll be on my way
I’m gonna roll the highway until the break of day

Oh give me one more kiss darling just before I go
‘Cause when I leave this time little girl
I won’t be back no more

I’ve got the key to the highway
Little darling I got to go
I’m gonna leave here running
Walking is both too slow

∇   ‘Why I Sing the Blues’  ⇓  [Africa_1974]

Everybody wants to know why I sing the blues …
I’ve been around a long time,  really paid my dues

When I first got the blues, they brought me over on a ship
Men were standing over me, and a lot more with a whip
And everybody wanna know why I sing the blues
I’ve been around a long time,  really paid my dues

I’ve laid in a ghetto flat, cold and numb
I heard the rats tell the bedbugs to give the roaches some
And everybody wanna know why I’m singing the blues
I’ve been around a long time,  really paid my dues

My son’s gonna grow up – gonna grow up to be a fool
‘Cause they ain’t got no more room – No more room for him in school
Everybody wanna know why I’m singing the blues
I’ve been around a long time –  really paid my dues

You know the company told me, ‘Son you’re born to lose’
But it seems like everybody around me,  everybody got the blues
But I had ‘em a long time, really paid my dues
But you know I ain’t ashamed of it, brother, I just love to sing my blues

∞  with Irma Thomas ↓ ‘You Can Have My Husband’  [1993]

You can have my husband but please don’t mess with my man . . .
I’m telling all you women – I want you all to understand

Now, when I was with my husband he was really mean
But when I’m with my man he treats me like a queen
You can have my husband but please don’t mess with my man
I’m telling all you women – I want you all to understand

Now the money my husband made was for red beans and rice
My man gives me steaks, now ain’t that nice?
You can have my husband but please don’t mess with my man
I’m telling all you women – I want you all to understand

The money my husband made was for red beans and rice
My man keeps me in steaks, now ain’t that nice?
You can have my husband but please don’t mess with my man
I’m telling all you women – I want you all to understand

Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!

∞   BB King  & Bobby Bland  [1930-2013]  ↓  Medley

The thrill is gone – The Thrill Is Gone, babe  

The thrill is gone – The Thrill Is Gone, babe

You done me wrong baby and you gonna be sorry some day

Thrill is gone – Thrill is gone away from me …

You done me wrong baby  («You done me wrong»)  and you’re gonna be sorry some day  …  Lonely . . . so lonely

 

(. . . )  It’s my own fault darling   («It sure is») – Treat me the way you wanna do  

(«Sorry about that sponsor» – «Make them laugh» – «I know»)

It’s my own fault darling – Treat me the way you wanna do  («…all right») . . . («What d’you say?»)

When you were loving me babe,   («What?»)  oh! at that time little girl I didn’t love you 

 

(«Remember this?»  –  «Yeah»)  Darling love me or leave me – either one you wanna do . . .

(«they know damn right to split all out!») – («That’s right») – («You got there …»)  

Darling love me or leave me – either one you wanna do

Because strange things is happening baby and something could happen to you.

 

(«Look here, and I’ll say one more thing – This.»)  – («All right»)

 I got in mind to be a good boy  («No way») and leave ‘em all good women alone

(«Remember that?» – «Yeah I remember that»)   If you know you don’t want me honey, why won’t you let me be?

Because, you see, it’s better to do without you  («Than what?»)  than live in misery

(«Ok I got one more – That one more») 

I’m gonna move baby   («uh, should have better long time ago…») way out on the outskirts of town

(Way out» – «Yeah»)  I’m gonna move baby way out on the outskirts of town

(«Well, you know what»)  –  («What»)  Because you see, I don’t want nobody always hangin’ around.

It may seem funny honey, («Sure it do»)  as funny as funny can be

but if I have any children they’d better all  look like me.

You see, I don’t want nobody always singin’ around me

(«I got one more – I got one more.»)  Now I’m gonna tell you baby, I’m as smart as I can be

Now we got 13 children and don’t NONE of them look like me!

I’m going to the outskirts of town   («That’s why I’m gonna leave you out here all alone»)

I   brought you out here for town, baby, and now you won’t stop fooling around

 

(«What have you got?»)  Sure I’ve had my fun if I don’t get well no more  («Things don’t get no better…»)

I’ve  had my fun people – as though my clock work well no more 

My health is failing on me  («Think about all the beer…») 

I’d better go down slow  («You’d better start drinking wine» – «Not right there»)

Please write my mother  («Go ahead»)  and tell her the shape I’m in  («…look alright to me . OK, Ms Bland, he’s alright»)

Somebody please write my mother – Tell her the shape I’m in

Tell her to pray for me and to forgive me for all of my sins   («Doing all right … doing all right … I like this»)

 

Don’t let them turn you against me baby, because they ain’t giving you a red copper cent   («Neither a dime!»)

Hey don’t let your friends turn you against me baby because they ain’t giving you a red copper cent

(«What were you thinking about when you recorded that?»  –  «?»)

Well I’m leaving this time baby – I wanna know who’s gonna pay your house rent?

Ladies and gentlemen, how about it for Bobby Bland? BOBBY BLAND! Bobby Bland – Thank you …

•→  ‘Stormy Monday’ ⇐ [T-Bone Walker]

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¶  In this clip from BB King: The Life of Riley, a new documentary directed by Jon Brewer, Bobby Bland, Bonnie Raitt, Carlos Santana, Walter Trout, Joe Bonamassa, John Mayall, Aaron Neville and Eric Clapton talk about the great bluesman . . .  →