Testo Mr. charlie Lightnin' Hopkins

Mr. charlie

(spoken, without accompaniment:)
Once in the country there was a little boy; every morning that hewould go to the table with his little two sisters and brothers, you know,he would go there, he couldn't talk but his mother didn't know whatwas wrong with him so...
she would go to the table in the morning, shewould fix for breakfast, she'd fix toast and coffee, enough, coffee forthe tin, toast for the eggs for the church, then she would ask and say,"what you want this morning?" Oh mama, toast and milk, you knowthings like that you know.
But the little old boy he couldn't talk good,so she asked him say "what you want son"? Said "sa-sa-a I want-tt-t-t-" She said "Hush".
Say "I tell you what to do.
You just hush, I justgo bring you what I bring the rest of 'em, cause one of these days I'mgonna learn you how to talk."
She goin' back and she fixes, the next morning same thing.
"So whatwould you children want this morning?" "Butter 'n toast mama." Getaround to the little old boy, say "What you want"? He say, "bu-bu-bu-bu-bu-bu..." she say "Lord, have mercy," that's what mama said andshe walked away, say "wonder what's wrong with my child?"
He heard her.
But you know the little boy couldn't do no better.
Soafter he'd find out that mama couldn't understand him, and he couldn'tunderstand the way his mama was doin' him, he packed up his littleflower sack, and he decide that he would leave.
So when he left, on his way, he run up on a old rollin' mill, what theycall Mister Charlie's.
So he walked up to Mister Charlie, Mister Charliewas workin' round in his rose bushes 'n things...
so he taps him: "mi-mi-mi..." say "Mister!" But he didn't know his name that time.
The man-acapo