Annie John (1984) and Lucy (1990) were novels but were autobiographical in nature, as were most of Kincaid’s… Hear this news, bear my gold As I got closer to the figure, I could see that it wasn't my mother, but still I wasn't frightened because I could see that it was a woman.” ― Jamaica Kincaid, At the Bottom of the River the wicked day shall rise. lay me at the bottom The river's songs gonna pull me through, Oh Lordy mama, great God almighty The River Lyrics: Oh my lord / Take this soul / Lay me at the bottom of the river / The devil has come to carry me home / Lay me at the bottom / The bottom of the river / Oh my lord / Take this hand Earlier recorded versions of the song are not identified,[14] although Pink Anderson, who recorded a version of "Meet Me in the Bottom" in 1961 (which closely follows Slim's song), remembered the song "from just after the first World War". [7] Jazz artists, such as Count Basie (1938),[8] Louis Armstrong and his Hot Seven (1941),[9] and Noble Sissle and His Orchestra with Edna Williams (vocal and trumpet)[10] recorded it as "Hey Lawdy Mama". Make sure your selection Note: When you embed the widget in your site, it will match your site's styles (CSS). The At the Bottom of the River Community Note includes chapter-by-chapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and … 3:27 PREVIEW Old Memories. [19] Richmond appeared in a "soundie" (an early music video) in 1944 singing "Hey Lawdy Mama" backed by Roy Milton's Solid Senders. Ooh, baby, it's a long way down to the bottom of the river Hold my hand Ooh, baby, it's a long way down, a long way down The wolves will chase you by the pale moonlight (Drunk and driven by a devil's hunger) Drive your son like a railroad spike (Into the water, let it pull him under) Oh my Lord take this soul, lay me at the bottom... the bottom of the Federal Records released it as a single, which reached number 21 in the R&B chart. She recorded another version of the song in 1945 with the Sonny Thompson Sextet. lay me at the bottom of the river. The song became popular among jazz musicians with early recordings by Count Basie and Louis Armstrong. Said meet me down at the river, bring me my shoes and clothes The devil's hands gonna strike me down, So go to the river where the water runs Wash him deep where the tides are turning And if you fall And if you fall Hold my hand Ooh, baby, it's a long way down to the bottom of the river Hold my hand Ooh, baby, it's a long way down, a long way down The wolves will chase you by the pale moonlight (Drunk and driven by a devil's hunger) [17] The opening lines are reminiscent of Slim's "Meet Me in the Bottom": Well now meet me in the bottom, bring me my running shoes You wanna go out babe, too late at night Oh my Lord take this soul, 3:15 PREVIEW Why They Name Whiskey After Men. The Devil has come to carry me home, For the similarly titled Steppenwolf song, see. Oh my Lord take this soul Lay me at the bottom of the river The Devil has come to carry me home Lay me at the bottom The bottom of the river. Later they recorded a version using Wells lyrics, but with a different backing arrangement (released in 1970 on Live Cream and as "Version 2" on Those Were the Days). 1. "[3][4], After Moss' single, similar versions followed: "Oh Lawdy Mama" by Curley Weaver[5][6] and "Hey Lawdy Mama" by Bumble Bee Slim. lay me at the bottom of the river. This is just a preview! You can visit her at NinadeGramont.com. Lawdy Mama – France Blues" was recorded in 1927 by Papa (or Little) Harvey Hull and Long Cleve Reed as "the Down Home Boys". lay me at the bottom of the river. Hold my hand, ooh baby It's a long way down to the bottom of the river Hold my hand, ooh baby It's a long way down, a long way down If you get sleep or if you get none. Given the big band treatment by bandleader Andy Kirk and His Clouds of Joy, the song was performed as an uptempo swing-blues with a full horn section and vocals by Richmond. Blues historian Barry Lee Pearson notes: "The Moss version appears to be the earliest one, but the song should be considered traditional. [18] The song reached number four in the Billboard R&B chart during a stay of eight weeks in 1943. In 1944 and 1945 she recorded two more versions with Kirk. Wells added new lyrics to the song: You wanna go out babe, too late at night [2] The song was further popularized with recordings in the 1960s.[1]. Oh my Lord take this soul, Last Updated on May 6, 2015, by eNotes Editorial. Says I ain't got so many, but I got so far to go, The song was performed as a solo piece, with Moss providing the vocal and guitar accompaniment. [11] Moss recorded a sequel "Oh Lordy Mama No. lay me at the bottom, the bottom of the river. Oh my Lord take this soul, 3:36 PREVIEW Traveling. [21] The song was performed in the style of a Chicago blues, with Wells (vocal and harmonica), Guy (guitar), Jack Myers (bass) and Billy Warren (drums). 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