zzvm | Root Man Blues

In this column: root man, root man blues, dentist blues, naughty blues songs, Georgia Slim, Georgia Tom Dorsey, Kansas City Kitty, Walter Davis, Bo Carter, Bull Moose Jackson

Root Man Blues

Well, I'll tell you people, got another root man in town
Hoo well, got another root man's in town
Well, well, they don't be careful, hoo-well-well, they take your wife and leave town

He's a root man, and he's 'round every night
Hoo-well-well, he's 'round every night
Well, well, he's around, hoo-well-well, for another man's wife
...

Root = the part of a plant which grows down into the earth, some have medicinal properties

Root man  = medicinal herbs (roots) that are good for everything, the Root Man is used in a metaphorical sense that gives women a "special" nice feeling. In slang, root also denotes the male genitals.

Georgia Slim – Root Man Blues

Georgia Tom Dorsey and Kansas City Kitty - Root Man Blues

Come in mister root man, rest your head and sit right down 2x (Kitty)
I've got a root to sell you, it's known all over town (Tom)

Oh mister root man, roots you've got too much for me 2x (Kitty) It don't hurt you (Tom)
If you put that roots to me, it drives me back to Tennessee (Kitty)

Now listen sweet woman, this root I've got won't do you no harm 2x (Tom) You mean that? (Kitty)
If you don't believe I tell, take it into your home
...

Tom Dorsey and Kansas City Kitty – Root Man Blues

Three great blues musicians, from Left to Right: SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON I (harmonica ace, here with guitar), WALTER DAVIS (piano master, seated), and BIG BILL BROONZY (here with an arch-top guitar).

Root Man Blues and Dentist Blues (Walter Davis)

Root Man Bues
...
Mama, here come your root man, don't abandon him and let him in 2x
It is just about time you're using some of your roots again

Your face is getting bumpy and your skin looks awful bad 2x
I'll believe my roots do you more good mama, than any herbs you ever had
...

Dentist Blues
I'm a surgeon and a dentist, mama you said you have big teeth 2x
And if you let me grinding for you, I ain't grinding too deep

I'm a experienced doctor and I know how just to grind 2x
I can't put up with you frowning, but baby please don't mind
...

The dentist in this song has the same intentions as the Root Man.
On the "Fore Day Creep" page "grinding" is described.

Walter Davis – Root Man Blues

Naughty blues songs

Bo Carter, previously discussed (see page zzvs), has added a number of naughty songs to the blues repertoire with such titles as: ‘Pin In Your Cushion’, ‘Banana In Your Fruit Basket’, ‘Don’t Mash My Digger So Deep’, ‘Please Warm My Weiner’  and In ‘Let Me Roll Your Lemon’ (he sings about healthy sexual appetites).

Bo Carter – Let Me Roll Your Lemon

Rather more to the point was Louis Prima who recorded ‘Please No Squeeza De Banana’ (1945), while Hank Penny’s ‘Let Me Play With Your Poodle’ (1947), released on King, had to be withdrawn. A year later Bull Moose Jackson stated ‘I Want A Bowlegged Woman”, and the reason? “Because her legs are so far apart.” Professor Longhair sang about shaved pubes in ‘She Ain’t Go Hair’, in 1949.

Bull Moose Jackson and his Buffalo Bearcats – I Want A Bowlegged Woman

Spencer Leigh writes extensively about The Dirty Dirty Blues in his blog.