early recordings
See-Line Woman
George Bass
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The exact origins of the song are unknown but it is believed to have originated in the southern United States. It was first recorded by folklore researcher Herbert Halpert on May 13, 1939. Halpert was compiling a series of field recordings for the Library of Congress in Byhalia, MS, when he ran across Walter Shipp, a minister, and his wife Mary, a choir director of a local church. Halpert recorded Shipp's daughters, Katherine and Christine, singing a sparse version of "Sea Lion Woman" that defined the basic rhymes and rhythm of the song. Two weeks later the song was covered by musicologist and folklorist John Lomax. This proved to be the first of many covers, though most are based on the version introduced to the pop catalog by Nina Simone in 1964.
-Wikipedia |
| Recording sessions |
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah alright now alright
See Line Woman she drink coffee
See Line Woman she drink coffee
She drink tea and then go home
See Line woman
See Line Woman dressed in green
Wear silk stockings with golden seams
See Line Woman
See Line Woman dressed in red
Make a man lose his head
See Line Woman
See Line Woman black dress on
For a thousand dollars she'll wail and she'll moan
See Line Woman
Wiggle wiggle purr like a cat
Wink at a man and he wink back now child
See Line Woman
Empty his pockets and wreck his days
Make him love her and shoo-fly 'way
See Line Woman take it on out now
Empty his pockets and she wreck his days
And she make him love her and she shoo-fly 'way
She got a black dress on
For a thousand dollars she'll wail and she'll moan
(Lyrics transcription by Roger Nupie)
See Line woman
See Line Woman dressed in green
Wear silk stockings with golden seams
See Line Woman
See Line Woman dressed in red
Make a man lose his head
See Line Woman
See Line Woman black dress on
For a thousand dollars she'll wail and she'll moan
See Line Woman
Wiggle wiggle purr like a cat
Wink at a man and he wink back now child
See Line Woman
Empty his pockets and wreck his days
Make him love her and shoo-fly 'way
See Line Woman take it on out now
Empty his pockets and she wreck his days
And she make him love her and she shoo-fly 'way
She got a black dress on
For a thousand dollars she'll wail and she'll moan
(Lyrics transcription by Roger Nupie)
Do you know "See Line Woman" you do
Yes it is isn't it
Oh je l'aime beaucoup le Français
Yes it is isn't it
Oh je l'aime beaucoup le Français
Right there right there
See line woman see line
She drink coffee see line
See line woman see line
She drink coffee see line
We're going to do "Four Women" coming up soon.
Let's do "See Line Woman". Remember it?
Let's do "See Line Woman". Remember it?
1990 [4:14] CD 7 Madame Nina Simone TS RRC 019 (NL)
