Text: Mississippi Fred McDowell. What's The Matter Now.

What's The Matter Now 4:56 Trk 10
Mississippi Fred McDowell
Recorded Sept. 25, 1959, Como Mississippi
(previously unreleased)
Fred McDowell - guitar & vocal
w/unk 'broom sweeping' background
Album: Portraits The First Recordings
Rounder CD 1718
Transcriber: Awcantor@aol.com


Note: 2 women on track with spoken comments
having fun throughout song. (poss. 3rd ,young man)
#1 prob. standing in back, #2 prob. broomsweeper.



Unk 1: 'Thought I would stand in the back
I gotta hear those.'


Fred begins:
Well, what's the matter now?
Unk 1 'She left'
'Yeah-yeah-yeah'
'Ooh, what she's doin'
Lord, I wonder
Baby, what's the matter now?

Unk 1 'Lord! Hoo!
Unk 2
Unk 1 'She left you'

Where were you when that
Little rooster crowed 'fore day?
Unk 1 'You go'd a-plenty out'
'You know where I was!'
Unk 2 'Don't tell!'

It was soon one mornin'
Baby, ev'rything was quiet
(Yeah!) (Hoo!)
Unk 'Good sound, Fred'
It was soon one mornin'
When ev'rything was quiet

(guitar)

Unk 1 'On my merry way, like he goin'
Unk 2 'You better tell him to stop then!
Unk 2 'I can't stop him!'
Unk 1 'You better!'

Lord, bring me my pistol
Lord, my shotgun, too
poss Unk 3 'Book him, now'
Unk 2


Bring me my pistol
Bring me my shotgun, too
Unk 1 'Bet he kill little birdies'
Unk 1 'Little lambs, too'
If I meet my baby's nigger
Ain't no tellin' what he might do
Unk 1 'He, right'
Unk 1 'Um-hm'

(guitar)

Unk 3 'You ain't know'd his name'

Well, it's bye-bye, baby
I ain't got no mo' t'say
Well, it's bye-bye, baby
I ain't got no-ooh mo' t'say

(guitar)

Unk 1 'Sayin' them, THINGS!'
Unk 2 'Go ahead 'n pull!'
Unk 2 'I can't keep doin' this broom!
Be happy if He Shot Me!'


'He try then, he see'



I'd rather see my mama
You come in sloppy drunk
(Yes, yes)

Ruther see my mama
Come in-in-in sloppy drunk
Then to see my baby, Lord
Packin' up her trunk

Unk 'Who says?'

Well, it's bye-bye, baby
Lord, if you call that gone

Well, it's bye-bye
If you call that gone.

(Alright!)

(Yeah!)
ha-ha-ha

~