The WELL: deadsongs.vue.206: Turn On Your Love Light

#9: Robin Russell (rrussell8) Tue 10 Oct 06 06:08

Tue, 10 Oct 2006 06:08:00 PDT

From the excellent biography of Jelly Roll Morton, Jelly's Blues, by Howard Reich and William Gaines (Da Capo, 2003):

"Unfortunately, Lila instantly realized that the blade had merely ripped the loose, boxed-back suit Mills was wearing, not the flesh she had intended to rip. 'The coat was split from end to end but the knife didn't cut Billy because of the box back coat,' Morton later explained." p 32 [Read entire topic]

#8: Christian Crumlish (xian) Tue 9 Aug 05 13:27

Tue, 09 Aug 2005 13:27:00 PDT

then, for gender equity, we have:

Jap's eye n. Male urethral opening; hogs eye (qv).

(from the Profanisaurus <http://www.milkinfirst.com/dictionary/j.htm#Jap's%20eye>) [Read entire topic]

#7: David Dodd (ddodd) Wed 27 Jul 05 08:59

Wed, 27 Jul 2005 08:59:00 PDT

Good speculation! Let me do some more looking around in obscure reference books... [Read entire topic]

#6: Christian Crumlish (xian) Tue 26 Jul 05 17:26

Tue, 26 Jul 2005 17:26:00 PDT

something tells me a boar hog's eye is probably some kind of magic talisman or mojo object, but i can't say what it is that tells me that. [Read entire topic]

#5: David Dodd (ddodd) Fri 15 Jul 05 08:28

Fri, 15 Jul 2005 08:28:00 PDT

From the notes to Love Light: Texas songster Mance Lipscomb's tune "Shke Shake, Mama" contains the following verse:

Oh I like my babe but I don't like her teddy bear (2x) I'm gon' buy her a box-back nittie to wear

Mack McCormick's 1960 liner notes to Lipscomb's original Arhoolie LP discusses "one verse lauding the 'box-back nittie' which replaced the 'teddy bear' garment which men found unappealing." Thus "nittie" could refer to a knitted garment, or to a nightie. One theory has it that box-back nitties are long flannel underwear with a flap in the back.

And for boar-hog's eye:

Compare Texas Alexander's "Bo' Hog Blues":

She got little bitty legs, gee, but below her thighs (2x) She got something on-a-yonder works like a bo' hog's eye

So. Nothing here that much explains anything, but food for thought. Should you care to think on these matters. [Read entire topic]

#4: neil (nlg) Thu 14 Jul 05 19:16

Thu, 14 Jul 2005 19:16:00 PDT

Cool! [Read entire topic]

#3: David Dodd (ddodd) Thu 14 Jul 05 14:11

Thu, 14 Jul 2005 14:11:00 PDT

Some speculation on the meaning of various parts of this ad lib stuff from Pigpen are included in the forthcoming print version of the Complete Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics. I'll dig the stuff out and post it here, probably tomorrow. [Read entire topic]

#2: David Gans (tnf) Thu 14 Jul 05 08:02

Thu, 14 Jul 2005 08:02:00 PDT

That's a question that has been discussed many times in many venues. I was never satisfied with the answers until Eric Thompson played me a tape he made of Ron McKernan from the very early '60s, singing that verse in a much slower song.

The words are:

She got box back knitties Great big noble thighs Workin' undercover With a boar hog eye

What does it mean? Good question! [Read entire topic]

#1: from JON SLATER (tnf) Thu 14 Jul 05 08:00

Thu, 14 Jul 2005 08:00:00 PDT

Jon Slater writes:

At the end of the song, when Pigpen says, "....she's got _______ _________ _________, ?great big enormous thighs, working...."

what is he actually saying??

Thanks.

Jon [Read entire topic]

#0: David Dodd (ddodd) Mon 8 Sep 03 09:43

Mon, 08 Sep 2003 09:43:00 PDT

Turn On Your Love Light w&m: Malone LASF: http://www.whitegum.com/songfile/TURNONYR.HTM [Read entire topic]