MILK COW BLUES
(Kokomo Arnold)
Kokomo Arnold - 1934
Birmingham Serenaders - 1935
Pinewood Tom (aka Josh White) - 1935
Bumble Bee Slim - 1935
George Noble - 1935
Cliff Bruner's Texas Wanderers (vocal: Leo Raley) - 1937
Bob Crosby & His Orch. (vocal: Nappy Lemare) - 1938
Johnnie Lee Wills & His Boys (vocal: Cotton Thompson) - 1941
Jack Guthrie - 1945
Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys (vocal: Tommy Duncan) - 1946
Moon Mullican & The Showboys (vocal: Cotton Thompson) - 1946
Billy Hughes' Pals Of The Pecos- 1946
Maddox Brothers & Rose - 1947
Joe Martin - 1952
Elvis Presley - 1954
Jimmy Rodgers Snow - 1956
Ricky Nelson - 1960
The Kinks - 1965
Also recorded by:
Chocolate Watch Band; Aerosmith; Dead Moon; Nashville Pussy;
Flamin' Groovies ..... and others.
As recorded by KOKOMO ARNOLD,
10th September 1934, Chicago, Illinois:
All in good morning, I said, “Blues, how do you do?”
All in good morning, I said, “Blues, how do you do?”
You’re mighty rare this mornin’, can’t get along with you
I cannot do right, baby, when you won’t do right yourself
I cannot do right, baby, when you won’t do right yourself
Lord, if my good gal quits me, Lord, don’t want nobody else
Now you can read out your hymnbook, preach out your Bible
Fall on your knees and pray the good Lord will help you
'Cause you gonna need, gonna need my help someday
Mama, if you can’t quit your sinnin’, please quit your low-down ways
Yes, I woke up this mornin’ and I looked out a door
Still I know my family’s milk cow, pretty mama, by the way she lows
Lord, if you see my milk cow, buddy, I say please drive her home
Said, I ain’t had no milk and butter, mama, since my milk cow been gone
Said, my blues fell this mornin’ and my love come fallin’ down
Said, my blues fell this mornin’ and my love come fallin’ down
Said, I feel, Lord, I’m a dog, mommy, please don’t dog me ’round
Takes a rockin’ chair to rock, mommy, a rubber ball to roll
Takes a tall cheesin’ black, pretty mommy, to pacify my soul
Lord, I don’t feel welcome, please, no place I go
Oh, that woman that I love, mommy, have done drove me from her door
********************
As recorded by GUY "COTTON" THOMPSON
with Johnnie Wills & His Boys, 28th April 1941, Dallas, Texas:
Well, I woke up this mornin’, looked outdoors
I can tell my milk cow, I can tell by the way she lows
If you see my milk cow, please drive her on home
’Cause I ain’t had no milk and butter, woah, since my cow’s been gone
Well, you got to treat me right day by day
Get out your little prayer book, get down on your knees and pray
’Cause you’re gonna need, you’re gonna need my help someday
Yeah, you goin' to be sorry, woah, you treat me this way
Yea, beat it, brother, beat it!
(Piano Solo)
Yes! Yes!
Well, good evenin’, don’t that sun look good goin' down
Well, good evenin’, don’t that sun look good goin' down
Now, don’t your bed look lonesome when your lover ain’t around
I’ve tried everything, baby, to get along with you
And now I’m going to tell you what I’m gonna do
I’m going to stop cryin’ and leave you alone
If you don’t believe I’m leavin’, you can count the days I’m gone
’Cause you won’t see, you won’t see my sweet face no more
Yeah, you’ll just be wonderin’, baby, where in this world I’m gone
********************
Alternate version as recorded by TOMMY DUNCAN with BOB WILLS
& His Texas Playboys, titled "BRAINY CLOUD BLUES" (with additional
lyrics by Wills & Duncan), 5th Sept 1946, Hollywood, Calif.:
My brain is cloudy, my soul is upside-down
Yeah, my brain is cloudy, my soul is upside-down
When I get that lowdown feelin'
I know the blues must be someplace around
Well, you got to treat me right day by day
Get out your little prayer book
Get down upon your knees and pray
'Cause you're gonna need, you're gonna need my help someday
Yeah, you're goin' to be sorry you treat me this way
Well, good evenin', don't that sun look good goin' down
Well, good evenin', don't that sun look good goin' down
Don't your home look lonesome
When your lover ain't around
Now, I've tried everything, baby, to get along with you
And now I'm gonna tell you what I'm gonna do
I'm gonna stop cryin', gonna leave you alone
If you don't think I'm leavin'
You can count the days I'm gone
'Cause you're gonna need, you're gonna need my help someday
Yeah, you're goin' to be sorry you treat me this way
********************
As recorded by COTTON THOMPSON with MOON MULLICAN & The Showboys,
titled "NEW MILK COW BLUES", with additional lyrics by Thompson, October 1946:
Well, I woke up this mornin' 'bout half-past-eight
And I found a brand new milk cow standin' 'round my back gate
If you see my milk cow, please drive her home
I've got plenty milk and butter, hoo, and I'm glad she's gone
Well, I know you didn't love me and you didn't treat me right
And I know you travelled on me almost ev'ry day and night
You gonna need, you gonna need my love someday
Well, don't come back home, you'll just be in the way
(Instrumental Break)
Well, I love my brand new baby 'cause she's slender and she's tall
When she puts her arms around me, I hang my hat up on the wall
Well, I know she'll always, always be the same
Since I found my brand new milk cow, I don't want to hear your name
Now my soul is might happy since I found somebody new
And now I'm going to tell you what I'm gonna to do
Gonna give you lots o' lovin' and I'll always be true
When I hear you call your Poppa, I'll come runnin' home to you
'Cause I hate today that I hung my head and cried
I've got a brand new milk cow, hoo, and I'm satisfied
********************
As recorded by ELVIS PRESLEY, titled "MILKCOW BLUES BOOGIE",
10th December 1954, Memphis, Tennessee:
Well, I woke up this mornin'
And I looked out the door
I can tell that old milk cow
By the way she lowed
(SPOKEN: Hold it fellahs, that don't move me
Let's get real, real gone for a change)
Well, I woke up this mornin'
And I looked out the door
I can tell that that old milk cow
I can tell the way she lowed
Now, if you've seen my milk cow
Please drive her on home
I ain't had no milk an' butter
Since that cow's been gone
Well, I tried to treat you right day by day
Get out your little prayer book
Get down on your knees and pray
For you're gonna need
You're gonna need your lovin' daddy's help someday
Well, then you're gonna be sorry you treated me this way
Aw, let's milk it!
(Guitar solo)
Yeah!
Well, believe me, don't that sun look good goin' down
Well, believe me, don't that sun look good goin' down
But don't that old moon look lonesome
When your baby's not around
Well, I tried everything to get along with you
Now I'm gonna tell you what I'm gonna do
I'm gonna quit my cryin', I'm gonna leave you alone
If you don't believe I'm leavin'
You can count the days I'm gone, I'm gonna leave
You're gonna need your lovin' daddy's help someday
Well, then you're gonna be sorry you treated me this way
(Transcribed by Mel Priddle - February 2019)
