This song was written back in 1892. There was a terrible flood
that year. People lost all their crops and everything. They lost
their homes and everything they had. And the only man they know
that could help them was a guy by the name of Joe Turner. And
Joe Turner was a man who's known to help all poor people -
the white and the black. And they would start cryin' and singin'
this song:
(sings:)
Tell me Joe Turner been here and gone
Lord, they tell me Joe Turner been here and gone
They tell me Joe turner been here and gone
Then they would go out hunting rabbits, 'coons, 'possoms
- anything they could catch to eat. Sometimes they would
catch something - then most of the time they didn't. And when they
would come home, they would find flour, meat and molasses,
and everything in their house to eat; and they would know that
Joe Turner had been there and left food for them. And they would
start cryin' and singin' this song:
(sings:)
They tell me Joe Turner been here and gone
Lord, they tell me Joe turner been here and gone
They tell me Joe Turner been here and gone
Then they would go out looking for things; then they would come
home and they would find wood, clothes, everything in their homes
when they would come back. Then they would get happy, 'cause
they had food, clothes, wood to make their fires and everything.
And they would get happy and start a-doing a little dance.
Then they would do a little boogie-woogie too.
(Plays a little boogie guitar)
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