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Take Me Back to Tulsa
Western Swing song; Words by Tommy Duncan and melody by Bob Wills
ARTIST: Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys
CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes
EARLIEST DATE: 1941
RECORDING INFO: Take Me Back to Tulsa [Me IV-E 18] - Wills, Bob/Duncan, Tommy
Rm - Sam Taylor's Tune; Smoke Behind the Clouds; Going Down to Memphis; Old Hat (Leake County Reveler's)
Sm - Shear 'Em/Share Em; Walkin' Georgia Rose
Flat Mountain Girls. Flat Mountain Girls, Flat Mountain --, CD (2003), trk# 6
Hazel And Alice. Who's That Knocking, Verve/Folkways FVS-900, LP (1966), trk# 8
Jenkins, Snuffy; and Pappy Sherrill. Crazy Water Barn Dance, Rounder 0059, LP (1976), trk# 2 (Sharon)
Kizzar, Tim. In an Arizona Town, AFF AFF 33-3, LP (197?), trk# 4 [1960s?]
Knopf, Bill. Banjo Newsletter, BNL, Ser (1973-), 1984/06,p34
Mitchum, Johnny. Johnny Mitchum, Sircy 7304, LP (1972), trk# A.05
Ryan, Buck. Fiddler on the Rocks, Rebel REB 1529, LP (1974), trk# 6
Texas Playboys. Texas Music, Heritage (Galax) 066, LP (1986), trk# A.04a
Wills, Bob; and the Texas Playboys. Tiffany Transcriptions, Vol. 2. Best of the Tiffanys., Edsel ED 322, LP (1984), trk# A.01
SOURCES: Kuntz; Levy; Mudcat
NOTES: A Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys western swing hit whose title appears in a list of traditional Ozark Mountain fiddle tunes compiled by musicologist/folklorist Vance Randolph, published in 1954. The Wills title surely came from the cameo Wills and his band made in the Tex Ritter movie, Take Me Back to Oklahoma in 1940.
The verse lyrics by Tommy Duncan appear in other songs and could be considered arranging traditional material. The tune played by Wills is also based on an existing melody and is listed under "Shear Em" by Meade with earlier recordings by the Scottsdale string band (Share Em- 1928); and the Pelican Wildcats (Walkin' Georgia Rose- 1931). Fiddler Chubby Wise confirmed the tune was "Shear Em" in the book, A Florida fiddler: the life and times of Richard Seaman By Gregory Hansen, Richard Seaman.
"The tune 'Take Me Back To Tulsa' was part of an old folk tune handed down from my grandfather." explained Wills. Will's says the song "had many verses" and Meade says the verses are found in the song Steamboat, but I have found the lyrics yet.
TAKE ME BACK TULSA- Bob Wills 1941
Music by Bob Wills; Words by Tommy Duncan
Where's that girl with the red dress on, some folks call her Dinah.
Stole my heart away from me way down in Louisiana.
CHORUS: Take me back to Tulsa, I'm too young to marry.
Take me back to Tulsa, I'm too young to wed thee.
The little bee sucks the blossom, the big bee gets the honey.
Little man raises cotton, the big man gets the money.
Oh walking, talking, Susie, oh walking, talking, Susie.
Oh walking, talking, Susie, oh walking, talking, Susie.
I always wear a great big smile, I never do look sour.
Travel all around the country, playing by the hour.
VERSiON 2
You see that girl with the red dress on,
Some folks call her Dinah
Stole my heart away from me
Way down in Lou'siana.
Chorus: Take me back to Tulsa, I'm too young to marry,
Take me back to Tulsa, I'm too young to marry (wed thee).
The big bee sucks the blossom,
And the little bee makes the honey,
A poor man throws the cotton
And the rich man makes the money.
We travel all over this country wide,
Playing music by the hour, (ow-wer)
(We) Always wear a great big smile,
We never do look sour. (sow-wer)
Would I go to Tulsa, you bet your boots I would,
Travel all over the country, playin' music by the hour.
Let me off at Archer Street,
And I'll walk down to Greenwood,
CHORUS: Take me back....
Extras, sometimes used but not on the record.
Oh, walk and talk, Susie,
Just walk and talk, Susie,
Oh, walk and talk, (with) Susie,
Just walk and talk, (with) Susie.
I went to the railroad, laid my head on the track,
I thought about that gal of mine, And I gradually eased it back.
*** extra lyrics ***
Now who's that girl with the green dress on, man now that's a mini.
Take away a thread or two then you ain't got any.
Now I went down to Tulsa, that's in Oklahoma.
Flirted with somebody's gal, and woke up in a coma.
I took that Turner Turnpike, headed down to Lawton.
They took my car away from me, said it wasn't boughten.
Now I went down to Tulsa, that was my undoing.
Started into singing, still can hear the booing.
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