Big boss man
Can you hear me when I call?
Big boss man
Can you hear me when I call?
Oh, you ain‘t so big
You‘re just tall, that‘s all
You got me working, boss man
Working ‘round the clock
I want me a drink of water
You won’t let me stop
You big boss man
Can you hear me when I call?
Oh, you ain’t so big
You just tall, that’s all
Gonna get myself a boss man
One gonna treat me right
Work me hard in the day time
But I’ll sure rest easy at night
Big boss man
Can you hear me when I call?
Oh, you ain‘t so big
You just tall, that‘s all
Can you hear me when I call?
Big boss man
Can you hear me when I call?
Oh, you ain‘t so big
You‘re just tall, that‘s all
You got me working, boss man
Working ‘round the clock
I want me a drink of water
You won’t let me stop
You big boss man
Can you hear me when I call?
Oh, you ain’t so big
You just tall, that’s all
Gonna get myself a boss man
One gonna treat me right
Work me hard in the day time
But I’ll sure rest easy at night
Big boss man
Can you hear me when I call?
Oh, you ain‘t so big
You just tall, that‘s all
Contributed by Bernart Bartleby - 2016/1/14 - 16:01
Language: English
Big Boss Man - Mance Lipscomb
Beau De Glen "Mance" Lipscomb ( 1895 – 1976) was an American blues singer, guitarist and songster.
Years active : 1960–1976
On Jimmy Reed's recording of the song, Luther Dixon (a staff writer at Vee-Jay Records) and Al Smith (Reed's manager) are creditied as its composers. But according to Lipscomb's autobiography (titled "I Say for me a Parable"), it was written by agricultural laborers as a way of venting their frustrations over mistreatment. If I remember correctly, the book doesn't mention Dixon and Smith or Jimmy Reed's version. Lipscomb's story about the origin of the song may be correct, with Reed's version possibly having been an adaptation of the original.
Regarding the lyric "He's standing on the turnrow with a pistol in his hand," Lipscomb said that Texas field workers were watched over by bosses who were armed just as was done on the prison farms. Their employment situation was more like prison than a job
Social (racial) protest in the blues
Years active : 1960–1976
On Jimmy Reed's recording of the song, Luther Dixon (a staff writer at Vee-Jay Records) and Al Smith (Reed's manager) are creditied as its composers. But according to Lipscomb's autobiography (titled "I Say for me a Parable"), it was written by agricultural laborers as a way of venting their frustrations over mistreatment. If I remember correctly, the book doesn't mention Dixon and Smith or Jimmy Reed's version. Lipscomb's story about the origin of the song may be correct, with Reed's version possibly having been an adaptation of the original.
Regarding the lyric "He's standing on the turnrow with a pistol in his hand," Lipscomb said that Texas field workers were watched over by bosses who were armed just as was done on the prison farms. Their employment situation was more like prison than a job
Social (racial) protest in the blues
BIG BOSS MAN
I gotta a big boss man
Just won't treat me right
Works me hard all day long
I can't sleep at night
He standing on the turnrow
With his pistol in his hand
He done whooped a woman
Gonna kill that man
He's a big boss man
Just won't treat me right
Works me hard all day long
I can't sleep at night
I told my wife last night
Just pack up your things and go
I ain't gonna work for that
Mean boss man no more
'Cause he's a big boss man
No one hear me call
Well you ain't so big
You just tall that's all
He's standin' on his corner
With his hat on his head
Get mad and you can't
Understand what he said
'Cause he's a mean boss man
Just won't treat me right
Work me hard all day
I can't sleep at night
Next boss I get
Gonna be right to me
When I go to him
He gonna let me be
'Cause he's a mean boss man
Just won't treat me right
Work me hard all day long people
I can't sleep at night
Well,you ain't so big
You just tall that's all
Next boss man I work for
He gotta treat me right
I been working here all day
And let me sleep at night
Cause he's a big boss man
Don't you hear me call?
You ain't so big
You just tall that's all
I gotta a big boss man
Just won't treat me right
Works me hard all day long
I can't sleep at night
He standing on the turnrow
With his pistol in his hand
He done whooped a woman
Gonna kill that man
He's a big boss man
Just won't treat me right
Works me hard all day long
I can't sleep at night
I told my wife last night
Just pack up your things and go
I ain't gonna work for that
Mean boss man no more
'Cause he's a big boss man
No one hear me call
Well you ain't so big
You just tall that's all
He's standin' on his corner
With his hat on his head
Get mad and you can't
Understand what he said
'Cause he's a mean boss man
Just won't treat me right
Work me hard all day
I can't sleep at night
Next boss I get
Gonna be right to me
When I go to him
He gonna let me be
'Cause he's a mean boss man
Just won't treat me right
Work me hard all day long people
I can't sleep at night
Well,you ain't so big
You just tall that's all
Next boss man I work for
He gotta treat me right
I been working here all day
And let me sleep at night
Cause he's a big boss man
Don't you hear me call?
You ain't so big
You just tall that's all
Contributed by Pluck - 2024/12/30 - 07:40
×
![]()
Note for non-Italian users: Sorry, though the interface of this website is translated into English, most commentaries and biographies are in Italian and/or in other languages like French, German, Spanish, Russian etc.
Una canzone scritta da Luther Dixon ed Al Smith e resa celebre da Jimmy Reed che la incise nel 1961 nel suo album intitolato “Found Love”
Uno dei blues preferiti da Elvis Presley e B. B. King
“Oh grande boss, mi fai lavorare tutto il giorno e quando vorrei bere un goccio d’acqua nemmeno mi fai fermare… Oh grande boss, non sei affatto grande, se solo alto, e questo è tutto…”