zzvk | Tipple Blues, Tomcat Blues, Diamond dust (word meanings 3)

In this column: Tipple Blues, tipple, minecarts, Austin and Lee Allen, Tomcat Blues, Freddie Spruell, Caldwell "Mississippi" Bracey, Wilbur Joe "Kansas Joe" McCoy, Lightnin' Hopkins, Diamond Dust, hop, Cannon's Jug Stompers 

Tipple Blues

Ain't gonna work on no tipple, ain't gonna load no coal,
Put my head out the window, watch my drive wheels roll, sweet mama,
REFRAIN: You can't read my mind
When you think I'm lovin' you, mama, I'll be quittin' you all the time
...
Ain't gonna marry, ain't gonna settle down
Stay right here, my mama, run these married women down, sweet mama
REFRAIN: You can't read my mind
When you think I'm lovin' you, mama, I'll be quittin' you all the time

Tipple =
1) drink alcohol, especially habitually (to drink liquor especially continuously in small amounts), those who liked to tipple and gamble
2) a device for overturning minecarts, so that they discharge their load

In Tipple Blues, 'tipple' has two meanings: it stands for hard work in a coal mine and the choice to live a free and 'loose' life.

The Allen Brothers (Austin and Lee) were representatives of Kentucky Mountain Music. They played country music

Allen Brothers -Tipple Blues (1934)

The tipple

Tipples were initially used with minecarts or tram cars. These were small hopper cars that carried the product on a mine railway out of the mine. When a mine car entered the upper level of the tipple, its contents were dumped through a chute leading to a railroad hopper car positioned on a track running beneath the tipple. At some facilities, each car was tipped over manually—thus the name, "tipple".
Kentucky coal tipple
Old minecart

Tomcat Blues

It was late last night, I tried so hard to sleep
It was late last night, I tried so hard to sleep
When a mean old tomcat started on his midnight creep

Tomcat's in my window, tomcat's all around my door
Tomcat's in my window, tomcat's all around my door
I never heard so much moanin' and whinin' in my life before
...

Tomcat = a male domestic cat, but used here for a 'cat' looking for a sexual partner

Freddie Spruell – Tom Cat Blues (1924)

Wrong identity

Because there are often few photos of early blues musicians, an error is always lurking. The picture in the video is of Caldwell "Mississippi" Bracey. Wilbur Joe "Kansas Joe" McCoy is also sometimes mistaken for Mr. Freddie, and Sara Martin with Sylvester Weaver.

Caldwell "Mississippi" Bradley
Wilbur "Kansas Joe" McCoy
Sara Martin and Sylvester Weaver (1923)
Mr. Freddie "Papa" Spruell

Lightnin’ Hopkins – Tomcat blues (1960)

Samuel John "Lightnin" Hopkins (March 15, 1912 – January 30, 1982) was an American country blues singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional pianist from Centerville, Texas.

Money never runs out - Cannon's Jug Stompers (1930)

Got a certain yellow joker lives around the town, yes he lays there as lazy as can be
Well as long as they shake it, then he hangs around, I love my hop, says he
Early one morning smoker ran away, to roam the world was said
Then I'll go back to bed for the pain in my head, I don't care if I never wake up

Now if my money was stacked high, I believe it to my soul 'twould touch the sky
I'd polish my teeth with a diamond dust, I don't care if the banks go bust
But my money don't never run out, rich fool, you're making me doubt
Well every good evening when the sun goes down I shout
Now I'm a living good all the time, I don't drink no cheap wine
Well it's always flirt, good money will never run out
...

Yellow joker, hop, smoker = a person addicted to smoking opium
Diamond dust = polish teeth, particular after smoking hop

Cannon’s Jug Stompers – Money Never Runs Out (1930)

Charcoal Tooth Whitening Powder by Diamond Dust