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This song was written back in 1892. There was a terrible flood
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that year. People lost all their crops and everything. They lost
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their homes and everything they had. And the only man they know
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that could help them was a guy by the name of Joe Turner. And
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Joe Turner was a man who's known to help all poor people -
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the white and the black. And they would start cryin' and singin'
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this song:
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(sings:)
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Tell me Joe Turner been here and gone
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Lord, they tell me Joe Turner been here and gone
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They tell me Joe turner been here and gone
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Then they would go out hunting rabbits, 'coons, 'possoms
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- anything they could catch to eat. Sometimes they would
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catch something - then most of the time they didn't. And when they
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would come home, they would find flour, meat and molasses,
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and everything in their house to eat; and they would know that
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Joe Turner had been there and left food for them. And they would
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start cryin' and singin' this song:
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(sings:)
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They tell me Joe Turner been here and gone
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Lord, they tell me Joe turner been here and gone
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They tell me Joe Turner been here and gone
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Then they would go out looking for things; then they would come
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home and they would find wood, clothes, everything in their homes
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when they would come back. Then they would get happy, 'cause
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they had food, clothes, wood to make their fires and everything.
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And they would get happy and start a-doing a little dance.
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Then they would do a little boogie-woogie too.
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(Plays a little boogie guitar)
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Joe Turner No. 2
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| Big Bill Broonzy |
