so here, as promised, is the companion to the blind willie mctell lyric: ma rainey's "black eye blues," featuring tampa red on guitar. as annie raines pointed out when i saw her perform this song, it's amazingly perverse. you beat me up etc, but i'm gonna stick with you, simply so that i can take revenge upon you eventually, possibly by castration. ain't life grand? (thanks to annie raines for corrections.)

Black Eye Blues

Down in Hogan's Alley lives Miss Nancy Ann
She's always fussing and squabblin with her man
I heard Miss Nancy say
"why do you treat your gal that way?"
I went down the alley the other night.
Nancy and her man had just had a fight
He hit Miss Nancy across her head
and she rose to her feet and said
"you lowdown alligator,
just watch me soon or later
gonna catch you with your britches down.
You buse me and mistreat me
you dog around and beat me.
Still I'm gonna hang around.
Take all my money, black both of my eyes,
give it to another woman, come home and tell me lies.
You lowdown alligator,
just watch me soon or later
gonna catch you with your britches down.
I mean: catch you with your britches down.
[Tampa Red throws down on slide guitar.]
You lowdown alligator,
just watch me soon or later
gonna catch you with your britches down.
You buse me and mistreat me
you dog around and beat me.
Still I'm gonna hang around.
Take all my money, black both of my eyes,
give it to another woman, come home and tell me lies.
You lowdown alligator,
just watch me soon or later
gonna catch you with your britches down.
I mean, man: cut you with your britches down."

ma rainey (gertrude malissa nix pridgett)