Transcribed from vocals by Ethel Waters accompanied
by James P. Johnson, recorded 6/1923.
From Ethel
Waters 1923 - 1925, The Chronogical Classics, vol. 775.
Listen, daddy mine, what do you
want of me?
I've been just as good as can be;
Now the love I had for you has
turned to hate;
You don't appreciate,
So, Daddy, there's the gate.
You can't do what my last man did.
Boss me 'round, and treat me like
he did,
I'm wise to what you'd like to
do,
So from now on, let me miss you,
I weep and pine all the time,
While you show off with friends
of mine!
My last man tried to drag me down,
But he was one good man to have
around;
But when the clock on the wall
strikes half past three,
I want all the things you took
from me,
'Cause you can't do what my last
man did.
Early this morning, you wanted to
fight,
'Cause you heard I cabareted last
night,
Tried to take my money, and pawn
my flat,
Now you've worn the welcome clean
off my mat.
'Cause you can't do what my last
man did:
Hold me tight, treat me right,
every night;
I'd love you if you only did,
Every night, treat me right, hold
me tight,
You're mighty old to be so bold,
And I can't stand a man that's
cold,
Why you can't love me sufficiently,
To make me forget my used-to-be.
He could love like a lover should,
Always could, when he would, he
was good,
You've lost your nest, go east
or west, but go, just go
Now that last cruel papa, he blacked
my eye,
Then left me alone to sigh and
cry,
But you can't do what that last
man did.
[***Note: This song was incorrectly attributed to Anna Jones in the liner notes of this CD.***]
Listen, daddy mine, what do you
want of me?
I've been just as good as can be;
Now the love I had for you has
turned to hate;
You don't appreciate,
So, Daddy, there's the gate.
You can't do what my last man did.
Boss me around, treat me like a
kid,
I'm wise to what you'd like to
do,
So from now on, let me miss you,
I weep and pine all the time,
While you show off with friends
of mine!
My last man tried to drag me down,
But he was one good man to have
hanging around;
When the clock on the wall strikes
half past three,
I want every livin' thing you took
from me,
'Cause you can't do what my last
man did.
Daddy, you can't do what my last
man did,
I'd love you if you were only good,
I feel right now, you must be told,
I can't stand a man that's cold,
Who can't love sufficiently,
To make me forget about my used-to-be.
My last man tried to drag me down,
But he was one good man to have
hanging around;
Now the last cruel papa has blacked
my eye,
The next man that does it, he's
doomed to die,
'Cause you can't do what my last
man did.
Listen, daddy mine, what do you
want of me?
I'm just as blue as can be;
All the love I had for you has
turned to hate;
You don't appreciate,
So, baby, there's the gate.
[Mostly spoken, with Slow Kid Thomas]
You can't do what my last man did.
Why, what do you mean?
I mean dog me 'round, and start
in cheatin' on me like he did,
But I don't understand you.
Well, I'm slowly waking up to you!
Yeah?
Yeah, and I'm wise to what you're
tryin' to do!
So, from now on?
So, from now on let me miss you!
I work and pine all the time,
While you out here signifyin' and
posin' with so-called friends of mine!
Get it straight, big shorty, that
last man tried to drag me down,
So I heared!
Oh, you heared that!
But did you also hear he was a
splendid man at times, at times, just to have around? Ha, ha, ha, ha!
Well I've got a very pressin'
date, just about half past three!
So's you're old man, but before
you meet that other one,
You're going to leave those things
you took from moi!
Because you can't do, you just
can't do what that last man did!
Come get me, Ethel Barrymore!
Now, early this morning, you woke
up and wanted to start another fight,
Because you dreamed I lost my job
last night,
But I'm gonna sue you for non support
and have you held without bail,
But you can't get blood out
of a turnip!
No, but you can keep old turnip
in jail!
Because you never will be able
to do what that last man did:
Hold me tight, treat me right,
every night;
I wouldn't be so hard to get along
with if you stand up here kiddin' on the level, if you halfway did
Every night, stop tryin' to be
tight, treat me right,
You're gettin' too old to be so
bold,
And what in the devil you think
I want with a man that's cold?
You know, you sure ain't loved
me sufficiently,
To make me forget my used-to-be,
and he was seventy!
He could love; oh, he loved me
like a lover should,
Always could, when he would, he
was good,
So, you've lost your nest, go east
or west, or back to jail, you know where I got you from,
Well, you know I got two good
feet and I got two good hands!
Yes, but as it is, you so weak
I'll find out you still need some monkey glands!
Now, you can't do what that last
man did!
Return to the Jazz and Blues Lyrics Page.
Published 4/15/99.
Updated 3/3/00.
Ethel Waters starred in both the stage and film version of Cabin in the Sky. The movie also starred Lena Horne and Eddie "Rochester" Anderson. Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington had minor roles. Waters commented in her remarkable autobiography, His Eye is on the Sparrow, that she didn't enjoy making the movie -- too much behind-the-scenes back-biting.
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