Song Help Request Need some help with lyrics: Take it slow and easy

I think, my English isn‘t that bad, really, yet I can‘t really figure out what Milton and his Brownies sing here.

Obviously, I‘m fine with the „Take it slow and easy“ part, and I can get the first verse:

„I had a little mama all dressed in red,
I called her in the morning, this is what she said“

But I‘m lost after the first half of the second verse:

„I was born in the country but raised in town,
...“

And then:
„I ain‘t the preacher nor the preacher‘s son,
But I can do the ... until the preacher comes“

„Tom cat sittin' on the railroad track,
Hollered at the man … she answered back—„???

At least, I‘ve got the last and final verse again:

„Now, listen, honey, while I get you told:
Don't mess around with my sweet jelly roll.“


Maybe somebody out there could help me with missing parts? Or maybe somebody even has the full lyrics. I searched for quite some time all up and down the internet (I‘m talking about weeks, not hours, here...), but I couldn‘t find it anywhere.

Please note: I‘m not talking about the Jesse Fuller version here (as also sung by Dave van Ronk and the Ragtime Jug Stompers), but the Milton Brown and his Musical Brownies version (as also sung by Aaron and Nicole Keim).

Any help is REALLY appreciated!

"I can do the *job* until the preacher comes."

Other than that, I got nothing.

Do you have Aaron's version? http://quietamericanmusic.com/storestore/born-in-the-country-raised-in-town-digital-downlaod

You might have better luck deciphering that one. Or you could send him an email.

Thanks, Jim, for your help. I was torn between „job“ and „show“ here, guess you‘re right.

And you‘re absolutely right about Aaron Keim‘s version. And writing to him would be my next step. I just thought that maybe someone here might have been there, so before bothering him I rather ask here first.

So here‘s Aaron and Nicole‘s vversion, but I have to confess, I don‘t get any further here.... Maybe one of you would?

Aaron does sound more like "show"

I can do the job until the preacher comes.

Tom cat settin' on a railroad track, hollered at the man the cat she answered back

Still working on the other line.

I believe he's singing " I was born in the country but raised in town, smell your bread a-burnin, turn your damper down. "

It might be "buns a-burnin"

In either case, I think it almost definite he's singing he smells something is burnin' and turn your damper down. A damper being a part of a wood fired stove that can be closed to restrict air flow and thus lower the temperature. That line " turn your damper down" is very common in American folk music and blues lyrics.

I have a Jesse Fuller record with this song on it, but different lyrics for the part that changes. Some of these also come from songs with the same two changing lines in each verse, like You Can't Tame Wild Women, They're Red Hot, Bring It On Home . . .

I got 1-2-3-4-5-6 reasons,
Double-crossin' me is an Act of Treason
Just take it slow and easy
If you want to get along with me.

Way you act you oughta be ashamed,
You been runnin' round like you're insane
Just take it slow and easy
If you want to get along with me.

Dishes in the sink, a pile o' dirty clothes
Runnin' round town with a bunch of winos
Just take it slow and easy
If you want to get along with me.


Up in the morning and you can't eat a bite
Dirty old wine done took your appetite
Just take it slow and easy
If you want to get along with me.

I ain't no fireman, ain't no fireman's son
But I can keep you warm till that fireman comes. . .

Got a pocket full of nickels and a hand full of dimes
And a house full of children, ain't none of 'em mine. . .

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust
Just show me a woman that a man can trust. . . (I've heard it sung by a woman as "Just show me a man that a woman can trust")

If you don't need it to be exactly like Milton Brown did it, these will make the song long enough and make as much sense.

Do you have any chords for this? Other than deciding to put my capo on fret 2, I am still trying to pick this one apart.
Edit: my capo theory did not hold up long!

Thanks a lot, guys! You were very helpful, and I indeed got the bits I couldn‘t come to terms with. Thanks a lot for the explanation, Swamp Yankee. the damper, or rather my not-knowing about it, was probably the biggest hurdle. And I‘m quite sure, that Aaron sings about the bread a-burning. Anyway, I got all the missing bits I was looking for. Thanks also Jim for the Jesse Fuller version. I found some of the lines also in diffferent songs, most notably in the Hesitation Blues, also sung by Aaron Keim, by chance.
I found version of this myself some time ago, which I couldn‘t find again this time, so I‘m afraid it disappeared from the net. That was basically the version that Dave van Ronk also recorded with his Jug band.

Anyway, as for the chords, they‘re pretty standard ragtime stuff. Aaron Keim‘s version is in D, which woulld make the chords for the verses:

D - B7 - E7 - A7 - D (first line)

D - B7 - E7 - A7 (second line)

D - D7 - G - G#dim7 -

D - B7 - E7 - A7 - D

I think the Milton Brown version is in F, which to me is easier to sing.

That would make it:

F - D7 - G7 - C7 - F

F - D7 - G7 - C7

F - F7 - Bb - Bdim7

F - D7 - G7 - C7 - F

Hope that helps.

They're the same as for Alice's Restaurant, or They're Red Hot or a bunch of other raggy blues tunes.

On the ukulele, I like to play in C, using the closed C chord at the 3rd fret:

[C] Take it slow [Bb] and [A] ea[A7]sy
If you [D7] wanna get a[G7]long with [C] me [G7]
[C] Take it slow [Bb] and [A] ea[A7]sy
[D7] Easy's anyone can [G7] be
I [C] had a little woman [C7] dressed in red
Well I [F] called her in the morning and [C°] this is what she said
She said, [C] Take it slow [Bb] and [A] ea[A7]sy
If you [D7] wanna get a[G7]long with [C] me [A7]
If you [D7] wanna get a[G7]long with [C] me.

frolicks said:

Thanks a lot, guys! You were very helpful, and I indeed got the bits I couldn‘t come to terms with. Thanks a lot for the explanation, Swamp Yankee. the damper, or rather my not-knowing about it, was probably the biggest hurdle. And I‘m quite sure, that Aaron sings about the bread a-burning. Anyway, I got all the missing bits I was looking for. Thanks also Jim for the Jesse Fuller version. I found some of the lines also in diffferent songs, most notably in the Hesitation Blues, also sung by Aaron Keim, by chance.
I found version of this myself some time ago, which I couldn‘t find again this time, so I‘m afraid it disappeared from the net. That was basically the version that Dave van Ronk also recorded with his Jug band.

Anyway, as for the chords, they‘re pretty standard ragtime stuff. Aaron Keim‘s version is in D, which woulld make the chords for the verses:

D - B7 - E7 - A7 - D (first line)

D - B7 - E7 - A7 (second line)

D - D7 - G - G#dim7 -

D - B7 - E7 - A7 - D

I think the Milton Brown version is in F, which to me is easier to sing.

That would make it:

F - D7 - G7 - C7 - F

F - D7 - G7 - C7

F - F7 - Bb - Bdim7

F - D7 - G7 - C7 - F

Hope that helps.

Click to expand...

If it's any consolation, after listening to Aaron's version, I came to believe that he himself was never able to figure out what Milton was singing in that line that ends with "damper down" so he just mumbled something that sounded right