Special Stream Line - Mono - Bukka White

Special Streamline 2:54 Trk 14

Bukka White (Booker T. Washington White)

Bukka White — vocal & guitar

& Washboard Sam (Robert Brown) — wshbrd

Recorded: March 7th & 8th 1940 Chicago, Illinois

Album: Parchman Farm Blues, Roots RTS 33 055

Spoken:

That’s that fast Special Streamline

Leavin' outta Memphis, Tennessee

Goin' into New Orleans

She runnin' so fast the hobos don’t

Fool with this train.

They stand on the

Track with their hat in their hands

I had a friend girl that mornin' was

Catchin' that train

She got up singin' this song:

Sings:

'Hey Dad, I’m sorry to leave my home

Mm-mm-mm

Lord, Lord, Lord, Lordy'

Spoken:

She heard that 8:30 local blowin' that

Mornin'.

She hadn’t rid the train in a good while

She thought it’d have that Special Streamline

She heard at 8:30 local when she is comin'

To the line, declared up for that Streamline

Blowin' like this:

(plays guitar w/wshbrd)

She said, 'Daddy, is that my train?'

I say, I ain’t keepin' up with the train time

I’m tryin-a make a few dimes.'

She dropped her head went to singin'

An cryin':

Sings:

'It's alright how you turn me down

Mm-mm-mm

I ain’t got a dime

Spoken:

After she called for a ticket

She heard this Special Streamline

Going 36 miles from Memphis, Tennessee

Make ya lonesome now

Cause I hobo myself, sometimes

(plays guitar & w/wshbrd)

Man asks her, 'Where the other train?'

She told him she didn’t know

If she heard a bell she could tell him all about it

As she dropped over that hill

And stopped off in the valley

She heard the bell begin to toll like this:

(plays guitar w/wshbrd)

'Make a sound like a church bell toll'

Before she got to that ten mile tunnel

She blowed and throw’d on the airbrakes

(plays guitar & w/wshbrd)

Airbrakes!

When she got to that ten mile tunnel

She was gettin' close

She was tippin cars on automatic switch

Gettin' her water and coal on the fly

You could hear her when she was strikin'

That double iron like this:

(plays guitar w/wshbrd)

When she run 'cross the last one

She squalled in

(plays guitar w/wshbrd)

This girl looked out an seen that train

She commenced to singin' an cryin'

Sings:

'Hey, dad I don’t wanna leave'

Mm-mm

I believe I’ll lose my mind'

When that train got a little closer

Down to New Orleans, she went around

That curve, you would hear her

When she’s blowin' like this:

(plays guitar w/wshbrd)

The people’s always standin' at the station

Lyin' there to see that train come in

You would hear her when she squalls

(plays guitar w/wshbrd — to end)

Spoken:

'Boy, ev’rywhere but here'