Woody Guthrie – Mean Talking Blues – Lyrics and rambling!

Posted on by Opher

I’m having a bad day. I’m feeling frustrated, disgruntled, miserable and down

I got up this morning and the central heating was off. The house was freezing. I switched on the lights and a bulb blew and flicked the electrics. The toilet was blocked. My computer is not functioning properly. The internet is a snails pace. I can’t open emails or big documents. I can’t write. I’m too grouchy and annoyed. Nobody has bought any of my books today. I have three books to correct and I can’t download them. I’m fed up!

Well I unblocked the loo, changed the bulb and did the electrics and got the central heating going.

Doesn’t make a jot of difference. I’m still down.

So I went and sorted a Woody Guthrie song that fitted my mood. Woody Guthrie is a master poet/songwriter and I love him. He has a song for every occasion. This song is about the meanest guy that ever lived. I figured that this guy must have been around messing up my life. What d’ya think?

Mean Talking Blues Lyrics
“Mean Talking Blues” was written by Woody Guthrie.
I’m the meanest man that ever had a brain
All I scatter is aches and pains
I’m carbolic acid and a poison face
And I stand flat-footed in favor of crime and disgrace
If I ever done a good deed, I’m sorry of it

I’m mean in the East, mean in the West
Mean to the people that I like the best
I go around a-causin’ lot of accidents
And I push folks down and I cause train wrecks
I’m a big disaster, just goin’ somewhere’s to happen
I’m an organized famine studyin’, now I can be a little bit meaner
I’m still a whole lot too good to suit myself, just mean

I ride around on the subway trains
Laughin’ at the tight shoes dealin’ you pain
And I laugh when the car shakes from side to side
I laugh my loudest when other people cry
Can’t help it, I was born good, I guess
Just like you or anybody else
But then I just turned off mean

I hate ev’rybody don’t think like me
And I’d rather see you dead than I’d ever see you free
Rather see you starved to death than see you at work
And I’m readin’ all the books I can to learn how to hurt
Daily misery, spread diseases, keep you without no vote
Keep you without no union

Well, I hurt when I see you gettin’ ‘long so well
I’d ten times rather see you in the fires of hell
I can’t stand to fixed
See you there all fixed up in that house so nice
I’d rather keep you in that rotten hole with the bugs and the lice
And the roaches and the termites
And the sand fleas and the tater bugs

And the grub worms and the stingaree’s
And the tarantulas, and the spiders, childs of the earth
The ticks and the blow-flies, these is all of my little angels
That go ’round helpin’ me do the best parts of my meanness
And mosquiter’s

Well, I used to be a pretty fair organized feller
Till I turned a scab and then I turned off yeller
Fought ev’ry union with teeth and toenail
And I sprouted a six-inch stinger right in the middle of the tail
And I growed horns
And then I cut ’em off, I wanted to fool you
I hated union ever’where, ’cause God likes unions and I hate God

Well, if I can get the fat to hatin’ the lean
That’d tickle me more than anything I’ve seen
Then get the colors to fightin’ one another
And friend against friend, and brother and sister against brother
That’ll be just it

Everybody’s brains a-boilin’ in turpentine
And their teeth fallin’ out all up and down the streets
That’ll just suit me fine
‘Cause I hate ever’thing that’s union
And I hate ever’thing that’s organized
And I hate ever’thing that’s planned
And I love to hate and I hate to love
I’m mean, I’m just mean

 

Hope I don’t get like that. Mean people aren’t born; they are made. Life warps them. Our job is to give ’em a smile and a helping hand. What those fascists and fundamentalists need are cuddles.

My grandson Nathan invented a love-gun that turned baddies into goodies.

Today I wished he’d developed a happy gun that turned miseries into ecstasies and fixed all your problems. Wouldn’t that be great.

 

31 thoughts on “Woody Guthrie – Mean Talking Blues – Lyrics and rambling!”

    1. I’m going to have to take myself off for a few days until my internet is mended! It’s driving me nuts!!
      It didn’t get better! I did my three miles exercise and then had a shower and got all soapy and slipped over. So now I’ve bruised all my ribs!
      I’m not having a good day!
      I’m hoping I’ve got all the nasty things out of the way. So now I’m going to drive everyone crazy by singing that crappy song ‘It can only get better’. We’ll see if that works.
      But thanks for the sympathy Cheryl. It’ll pass. What doesn’t kill you only serves to make you stronger!

      1. Careful there, you might pull a muscle in your throat, next!
        Bet you can’t wait for a week on Friday, eh?

  2. Now reading my rubbish must surely help you, I had a new washing machine on Tuesday and when the two fellows delivered it they said they could not fit it, I was supposed to disconnect old one and fit new one, I told them I was informed they would fit it, “well let’s put it this way” one shifty looking fellow said “if you make it worth our while, say a good drink we we fit it” knowing they were taking the p..s out of me I still gave them £10 I could tell it was not enough but they fitted the machine. When they left I phoned the company where they delivered it from, and asked do you fit the machine “yes Mrs Cottage of course we do”, so I then got annoyed and relayed what had happened, the woman on the other end was furious and asked me to tell her what they had said to me, I did and she said it had to be reported and they would be fired on the spot. Now I did not want that and said so, but looking at it they played a game that backfired and were in the wrong. I was refunded the £10 by the company, worried these two might come back on me. Go depressed and cried that night because I am such a fool being taken like that, too soft and always look so vulnerable big house lots of money they thought, big house does not mean the occupants can afford the upkeep, I am stuck here (another story – for another day). So you moan as much as you want to, I am here to listen or rather read.

    1. That’s a shocker, Anna. You did the right thing as these two nasties would be doing that to many others, too.

      1. Yes I know, they probably make a lot of money each week between them imagine if some people give a £20 or more to them. Looking back they took me for a fool but because I am friendly to people, maybe too much, they took advantage they saw I was soft so “mug” they had. I should not worry if they get the sack just worried that they might come back. Thanks Opher, I am off to the Dallas/New York auction – via internet sorry to say, in the hope I may pick up the items from Rod McKuen estate, can’t believe so called “brother” he had and what he is doing, nasty. Try and see you later, keep your fingers and everything else crossed for me.

        If, Andrew is online “Hello”.

      2. They won’t come back. You can count on that.
        Everything is crossed that can be crossed – though why – I haven’t a clue. I’m not a bit superstitious! It won’t do any good at all. Besides, with my luck today it’s best I keep out – right? Hope you come up with some tasty bargains!

    2. That’s terrible. They shouldn’t do that. They deserve to lose their jobs.
      But you failed. That didn’t make me feel better. It just made me angry as well. That really wasn’t nice what those guys did.

  3. Indeed, the temperature has plummeted right down – only a few days ago Glasgow was reportedly warmer than in Rome. It’s miserably damp now and that’s it until the end of March. Thankfully upon my return to UK in early `14, I was lucky to find a very warm and well insulated spot just a stone’s throw from all the amenities that I need. 2 minute walk to the tube, 1 minute to the bus stop. It’s a managed building with just 7 flats, run by a very cool, heavy duty “socially concerned” private housing association. It’s so quiet I can’t ever hear any traffic, as I face the back court area with trees and gardens. You wouldn’t believe just how little I pay for it – it’s not what you know – it’s who you know. That’s too true in this case. I had owned my previous place in Glasgow for 17 years and it cost a bomb to heat and the council rates were about treble compared to here, for no good obvious reason.
    As much as like all the tech-stuff, my good hi-fi and being surrounded floor to ceiling with more records/cd’s/dvd’s than I’ll ever have time enough left to play all again, sometimes for days I give it all a rest and just go for walks. Or if it’s lousy weather can quite easily sit in silence reading for hours, sometimes maybe with Radio 4 on quietly in the background.
    Very recently my friend gave up on his 2nd hand record shop – not because of business, but he’s been there since `91, reached 60 and wanted to spend his time without being stuck static. The shop has been taken over by a way-too-confidant young gun (23), who know’s jack-shit about music pre-2005. So I’ll be watching that space. Plus it’s very much harder these days acquiring vinyl to trade on. Gone are the days of guys walking in on a Saturday, with a box in hand, saying “the wife’s told me to get rid of these, do you want them?” – Oh HELLO! As he walks out having received 25 pence a piece. It’s all over in that respect.
    So Opher, I have you to thank in the last week or so for providing alternative entertainment and/or saving me a lot of shoe rubber!
    Cheers Up! – the future’s so bright you gotta wear shades!

    1. Today if I wore shades I wouldn’t be able to see. It would be like an eclipse.
      That 2nd hand record shop sounds good. I’m still buying CDs and vinyl. Just bought 21 vinyl albums for £20 – nothing outstanding but Janis Ian, James Taylor, Supertramp, Genesis. Enough to gain my interest. Long gone are the days when you could stumble across the odd Stefan Grossman for 25p.
      With my computer playing up I think I might not be quite so entertaining over the next few days!

      1. I would say the Gabriel era Genesis was outstanding! My bro & I lived and breathed all their albums.

  4. Opher, cannot believe you fell over the sooner you go to bed and the day is over the better, are you alright though, do let me know. I won one auction David did the bidding but I lost two, one went too high and the other I was not quick enough in telling David to keep bidding – some tears of course, Rod McKuen diaries that is what I went for, the one I won the cover is made from Tree Bark. Take some Brandy, have a hot bath and go to bed and forget today, “sleep warm”.

    1. I’m OK. We’ve had friends round and a great evening. My ribs are really sore! I feel such an old fool! Slipping over? What next? Still nothing broken. No more disasters. The day is done. I have determined to take a three day break from the frustration of this internet. Hopefully the guy will come on Monday and fix it!
      Glad you got one of those. Owning a diary is really something – well done!

  5. So sorry, Opher. Feel better soon. Hate to think of you turning mean just mean. 🙂

      1. Ok, good. Joking aside, I really do hope your ribs heal soon.

  6. These things happen, I am always knocking myself, walking into door frames even the freezer – too much G&T if only, no I have “Meniere’s” had it for years a lovely gift from my sister – fist on my head, what more can I say. Hope your ribs will be alright, you take care.

    1. My ribs are sore but I think I was lucky I didn’t break them. They didn’t stop me sleeping. They’ll be OK in a day or two. This getting older lark is no fun. I never used to be so clumsy!

      1. Me too, hate the years passing never thought I would. Just back from surgery INR levels back to normal thank goodness, but still on same dose of tablets, will make my blood even more thinner, no wonder I have no energy.

        Go to Amazon, Review on there just a few minutes ago. Said how I could not get on with your book – JOKING – Loved it especially the drawings. Cried when I read about you and Liz and your happiness and your flat and the babies, you made me feel I was literally seeing it all. I envied you your happiness that shone through, the flat and all the joy there was. You do not need big house to start life off together, does not make one happy believe me. You are so passionate about life the environment/animals I could go on and I agree with you totally, not too sure about no God and afterlife, but then we should not all agree on everything should we. I could not put it down had to stay awake and finish it, tonight I start the next book.

        .

      2. Glad things are going OK.
        So glad you liked the book. Your review was great. I loved it. It would be awful if everyone agreed on everything. Disagreement is OK. The only things I think we should universally agreee on is that we should be kind to each other and look after the planet.

  8. Woody just has a way with words and music. I bet you felt better after listening. My preschoolers are over the moon about Woody. Lots happening on that in my classroom.

    1. Jennie – I don’t think there has been anybody quite like him. A genius. Such a great shame he got ill. I suppose the only equivalent is Dylan

      1. Yup, I think you’re right. I loved Dylan! Stay tuned for our quilt. The biggest project since Millie. I am bummed that the Woodie Guthrie Museum is so far away- Tulsa, Oklahoma.

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