(from Ben Taylor)
Geoff Bartley's 1996 album, "Country Blues" contains the song "Papa's on the Housetop". This song is one among the many variants of the source for Dylan's "Tombstone Blues" (Highway 61 Revisited, 1965) chorus:
Mama's in the fact'ry She ain't got no shoes Daddy's in the alley He's lookin' for food I am in the kitchen With the tombstone blues
And now ... the lyrics:
Papa's on the Housetop / Geoff Bartley (Leroy Carr) 1933 Source: "Country Blues" by Geoff Bartley, 1996 Mama told Papa, "You're quiet as a mouse" So Father climbed up on top of the house Made a lot of whoopi, made a lot of noise Stood up and cheered with the rest of the boys Baby's in the cradle, made a lot of time Sister's in the parlour trying on a gown Mama's in the kitchen messing around And Papa's on the housetop, won't come down The blues they come, the blues they come Nobody knows where the old blues come from The blues they come, the blues they go And everybody's happy when the old blues go Baby's in the cradle, brother's gone to town Sister's in the parlour tryin' on a gown Mama's in the kitchen messing around And Papa's on the housetop, won't come down Drop down, Papa. Hush little baby and don't you cry The blues' gonna leave you by and by Papa come in for the corn Put the baby in the cradle and the blues out the door Baby's in the cradle, brother's gone to town Sister's in the parlour tryin' on a gown Mama's in the kitchen messin' around And Papa's on the housetop but won't come down Papa saw a chicken out in the yard He picked up a rock and he hit him hard Hit him hard? He killed him dead Now the chicken's in the gravy and the gravy's on the bread Baby's in the cradle, sister's gone to town Brother's in parlour tryin' on a gown Mama's in the kitchen messing around And Papa's on the housetop and won't come down
(thanks to Ben Taylor)
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