Ain't No More Cane Lyrics

<Catherine> · Post by **<Catherine>** » Fri Apr 25, 2008 7:34 am

Has anyone ever heard Jay perform this live?

sturgeongeneral · Post by **sturgeongeneral** » Fri Apr 25, 2008 7:29 am

ain't no more toke in the hookah
it's done smoked all to ashes

that's what i hear from jay

dcarter · Post by **dcarter** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 2:59 pm

gdavis5446 wrote:When are you going to get into another tussle in Ybor? I hear the Bible bullies are looking for you.

I missed this, Greg. I'll get into another tussle with the "God hates fags" set the next time the 4 main tussle ingredients: me, you, alcohol, and self-righteous assholes, come together.

Still Feel Gone · Post by **Still Feel Gone** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 2:43 pm

dcarter wrote: "Brasses, molasses" makes perfect sense, couplet-wise. "Risin', molasses" less so.

Agreed. Which is why Jay's "Risin'" bugs me so much.

dcarter · Post by **dcarter** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 2:27 pm

A geek you may be but that is a good thing. "Brasses, molasses" makes perfect sense, couplet-wise. "Risin', molasses" less so.

Acoustic Jet Ear · Post by **Acoustic Jet Ear** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 2:17 pm

I found this sound clip of Ernest Williams & Group, recorded in the thirties. Listen to how they pronounce "Brazos":

http://www.amazon.com/gp/music/wma-pop- ... ma_001_001

Does that help? Sounds like "Brazos" is pronounced in such a way that it rhymes with "molasses" in the next line. Upon second listen to the Band's version, it sounds pretty close to this pronunciation. Again, I haven't heard the Farrar version, so I don't know if that helps answer Still Feel Gone's original question.

And yes, I am a geek.

stretch · Post by **stretch** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 1:35 pm

Still Feel Gone wrote:
Acoustic Jet Ear wrote:I'm gonna say that could be a local dialect pronunciation of "Brazos," like the variation when people either say "Missouruh" or "Misouree." Maybe someone from the Brazos river region could confirm this, or denounce it as a pile of horseshit.
I grew up in Texas and can say that while your theory gets an A for effort, it doesn't hold water (get it... Brazos River...hold water). Brazos is pronounced just as it looks.

I do remember reading an article a long time ago and I think it refered to the UT cover of "Blues Die Hard." I bleieve I remember the band saying that they couldn't figure out all of the lyrics so they just made some up.

That may make sense back in the UT days, but it doesn't seem like Jay would just make up lyrics for the sake of it in his wiser years.

Me thinks there's lot's of ' just made up lyrics' out there. The Zimmerman himself said on occasions..don't read into it too much..'causes headaches.
I use to pretend to be a manager for the Goldfines of Duluth, MN and being 1st cousins to Bob, would tell Dylan stories every so often..Erv would tell'em while eating salad and pelting all around with bits of lettuce and Italian dressing..Bobby, he flew in last week for Lou's son's Bar Mitvah and just sat there in the corner for hours...what's with Bobby..the women would go up and offer bowls of soup, salmon..crackers( as we're all ducking) and he just sat there with his sunglasses on..for hours..what gives??' anyhow I remember talking to Ellen and Steve over mega cocktails about his lyrics and they'd always say..that he just writes 'em and sometimes they don't mean a thing and he'd get upset with folks changing thier lives over something that just fit the cadence...
Now, Jay, he is a well researched writer..well thought out I think and all.

Sturg..just keep on educating us out her..I love that sh*t.

Tallman

Acoustic Jet Ear · Post by **Acoustic Jet Ear** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 1:30 pm

I grew up in Texas and can say that while your theory gets an A for effort, it doesn't hold water (get it... Brazos River...hold water). Brazos is pronounced just as it looks.

Yes, you're correct in saying that Brazos is pronounced as it looks. I was saying that Levon was maybe singing a variant pronunciation, a dialect or even a nickname for the river. I can't for the life of me understand why some people in my home state say "Missouruh," when I know darn good and well it's pronounced "Missouree." And Missouri's not nearly as big as Texas. I would need to know what exactly Levon is singing, if not "Brizee," before I give up on my pet theory. That said, I'm still willing to concede that on this point I'm full of horseshit, I just need a better theory to take over before I'm willing to move on. Anybody know Levon? Give him a ring.

Still Feel Gone · Post by **Still Feel Gone** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 1:17 pm

Acoustic Jet Ear wrote:I'm gonna say that could be a local dialect pronunciation of "Brazos," like the variation when people either say "Missouruh" or "Misouree." Maybe someone from the Brazos river region could confirm this, or denounce it as a pile of horseshit.

I grew up in Texas and can say that while your theory gets an A for effort, it doesn't hold water (get it... Brazos River...hold water). Brazos is pronounced just as it looks.

I do remember reading an article a long time ago and I think it refered to the UT cover of "Blues Die Hard." I bleieve I remember the band saying that they couldn't figure out all of the lyrics so they just made some up.

That may make sense back in the UT days, but it doesn't seem like Jay would just make up lyrics for the sake of it in his wiser years.

Trellis · Post by **Trellis** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 12:34 pm

I hear "rising". Never heard of Brazos. Great song!

Acoustic Jet Ear · Post by **Acoustic Jet Ear** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 12:06 pm

Let me butt in for a second to say I've got a theory about the lyric as sung by Son Volt, the Band, et al. First of all, I've not actually heard the SV version, so take what I'm saying with a grain of silt, but when I hear the Basement Tapes version it sounds to me like Levon is singing something like "Brizee," with a long "I." I'm gonna say that could be a local dialect pronunciation of "Brazos," like the variation when people either say "Missouruh" or "Misouree." Maybe someone from the Brazos river region could confirm this, or denounce it as a pile of horseshit. I personally don't know for sure, but am just guessing. Great song. I read somewhere that "Old Hannah" refers to the sun, as in "Go down old Hannah."

Coffee Creek · Post by **Coffee Creek** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 9:49 am

I lived in Brazos county Texas for a couple years.

I never saw any cane near the river ... sooo ... there ya go.

gdavis5446 · Post by **gdavis5446** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 8:12 am

When are you going to get into another tussle in Ybor? I hear the Bible bullies are looking for you.

sturgeongeneral · Post by **sturgeongeneral** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 8:10 am

there ain't no good guy, there ain't no bad guy,
there's only you and me and we just disagree.
ooh-ooh-ooh, oh-oh-oh.

dcarter · Post by **dcarter** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 8:09 am

I want no duel. I sometimes can't control myself and simply let people be people. As I said, I am an arrogant ass. Keep on wikipediain', General!!

Jay Farrar

Ain't No More Cane Lyrics

I did have molasses in grits ...