Bessie Smith - Gimme a Pigfoot and a Bottle of Beer (Audio)

"Gimme A Pig Foot & A Bottle of Beer" by Bessie Smith
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[@pagej8236]

Her growl when she says “YEAHH” is too awesome

[@davepaterson935]

YEAHH she means it!

[@IAMAGOD1982]

Yes ma’am I never heard it before from anyone yet like Bessie💯💙💙💙

[@drak3y]

Damn right!!!

[@RoxanneCarcerano-LeFevre]

It sure is!! Bessie is definitely one of the greatests!!!

[@zt5793]

My granny had this on wax. She played it for me when I was 14. Get'em up and go was on the other side. At 94(her) and 52(me), we still speak fondly of that day and that record. Sweet memories.

[@joyceterrell3969]

My Great Aunt Bessie ❤ thanks for keeping her name alive!

[@grammaticalchainsaw7318]

Wow! Great Aunt? Thats so amazing seriously

[@claudiajones356]

GREAT 😊

[@clairetheloon]

She is my muse in every way. I have a very personal, intimate story I'd love to share with her family but won't publish publicly.

[@RoxanneCarcerano-LeFevre]

WOW!! That’s awesome to hear! I absolutely love her music and her voice!! Really great lady! Bessie Smith. ❤

[@RobertGarley]

And you ! You are a Smith ! L Rawls is my great cousin of You'll Never Find !

[@Dsweet93]

She never fails to immediately bring a tear to my eye. She belts the blues with her exhaust pipes and I feel every note she hits down to my core.

[@mrmaxxx94]

One of the rawest most honest artists ever and Bessie smith pre dated hip hop and she got bars,verses and game respect

[@personthatisfangirling5589]

I love when she says :" He's got Rhytmn, YEAHHH

[@amahra100]

Yeah, me too. That's my favorite part also. And you know what? I love Billy Holiday, she put her spin on this song, but I like Bessie better. Sorry, Billy...I still love you.

[@artistphx]

@@amahra100 I prefer Cleo Laine and John Dankworth. Isn't it nice that we can enjoy all of them?

[@ashleymingin2670]

Yessssss!!! That part be hyping me up 👏🏽👏🏽

[@TomParmenter]

LaVern Baker also covered this song.

[@dontaylor7315]

@@TomParmenter The blues singers who covered it must number in the hundreds. This song is simply irresistible to singers and instrumentalists.

[@jonw12]

"Give me a reefer and a gang of gin, Play me 'cause I'm in my sin, Blame me 'cause I'm full of gin" this girl gets me.

[@MrCrowebobby]

I've always thought it was "Lay me 'cause I don't care." Not arguing, just saying.

[@carmens3685]

As Black people, we've always been raw. lol

[@avdreader1]

My absolute favorite song from Bessie Smith.

[@jimmywilde4768]

Same here!

[@Arcturian1111]

Mine too... Wow

[@RoxanneCarcerano-LeFevre]

Mine as well!! Love how she growls!! He’s got rhythm Yeah!!!

[@robertwood9211]

I used to sing this song almost every night as I was in bed falling to sleep between 1972 & 2005, up until my partner, Stephen Papich, died. Every so often, I'll still say 25 cents before I fall asleep.....Buggy Ride is another favorite Don Sheffy gave me an appreciation for.

[@grammaticalchainsaw7318]

Why did you stop?

[@bobpike8050]

Cool post.

[@davidbutler6756]

Luv u She's great in so many ways.

[@davidbutler6756]

If u got her albums send ehm all of ehm love ehr.... cause I'm full of gin. Flat 7 6 woodcote rd Kt18 7QL Much appreciated Dave butler Luv ehr

[@banditbobbyhill4747]

@@grammaticalchainsaw7318bro cause his partner died

[@517oceanfront]

Bessie was so bad assed good! one tough,talented gal...

[@daveerwin6981]

So vulgar. I'll stick to Dua Lipa

[@LuckyClover-7777]

Dua lips just copied music like this her whole bravado is of a black woman

[@murph3001]

One of great female American vocalists we ever had ____

[@LordStompyHarpLoonyTunes]

She's called The Queen Of The Blues for a reason dude

[@KRZmusic]

Oh my...she is the best .. I wish I could bring that all down so low, that genuine rumble...but even though I cant get her just right I am learning from her and doing this song cuz I luv her feel and the lyrics are so real.

[@toomuchinformation]

@@LordStompyHarpLoonyTunes Empress of the Blues, no less.

[@lo.sweets]

It will never get old for me

[@ishaschdv1]

lyrics: (spoken: Twenty-five cents? Ha! No! No! I wouldn't pay twenty-five cents to go in nowhere 'cause listen here) Up in Harlem ev'ry Saturday night when the high-browns git together it's just too tight They all congregates at an all night strut And what they do is tut-tut-tut Old Hannah Brown from 'cross town gets full of corn and starts breakin' 'em down Just at the break of day you can hear old Hannah say "Gimme a pigfoot and a bottle of beer" Send me gate I don't care I feel just like I wanna clown Give the piano player a drink because he's bringin' me down He's got rhythm, yeah! When he stomps his feet, he sends me right off to sleep Check all your razors and your guns We gonna be rasslin' when the wagon comes I wanna pigfoot and a bottle of beer Send me 'cause I don't care Slay me 'cause I don't care Gimme a reefer and a gang o' gin Slay me, 'cause I'm in my sin Slay me 'cause I'm full of gin Check all your razors and your guns Do the Shim-sham shimmy Till the risin' sun

[@lottaandgus]

@KhalDrogo666 Do the shim-sham-shimmy 'till the rising sun..

[@amahra100]

Thanks for the lyrics. Just one thing: Not rasslin, but I believe it's wrestling. I know she pronounces it that way. Or maybe you spelled it like she said it. Anyway, thanks for the lyrics.

[@lottaandgus]

@@amahra100 I always thought it was "we're gonna be arrested when the wagon comes..."

[@honey_bee65]

The word is *"High-BROWS"* not _"High-BROWNS"_ It means "superior", "high-class", or "intellectual".... The opposite of "LOW-brow"

[@honey_bee65]

It also says *"...and get too tight"* Not _"it's just too tight"_ Back then, "Tight" used to mean "drunk". So she's saying that the high-class people go out every Saturday night and get too drunk

[@tamumalone6468]

I always was fascinated by her since I had to do a book report on her in third grade

[@UncleDuTheWatchman]

That's amazing because I was fascinated with Billie the same way from a 3rd Grade Report! I didn't learn about Bessie until a little later, but you can tell Billie was fascinated with her too.

[@lincoln169]

@@UncleDuTheWatchman Billie Holiday greatly admired Bessie Smith and remade some of her songs but, the vintage sound, voice, phrasing, etc. of Bessie Smith's music is unparalleled. Bessie Smith had a way with music that made it great. Billie Holiday has an amazing style and sound too. As far as "Gimme a pigfoot....I always go to Bessie Smith first.

[@JHarder1000]

A masterpiece.

[@ravennote]

Great Song by a Great Lady.

[@Ian-bq7gp]

This is fantastic, can't believe how great Bessie is.

[@MsAmique]

Thank you Ms. Bessie. I love you! ❤️

[@simocontugi4237]

I've known Bessie listening to "Voice of America" a midnight radio broadcast for USA army in Europe many years ago and her mighty voice gave me a great emotion so that I was eager to find who was ...

[@StevenDiLeo-kp5ug]

Timeless

[@markhazell1763]

This is a step back time. I love it !

[@christopherhelton6999]

"Gimme a reefer and a gang of gin"...sweet Jesus...

[@w.l.graves7228]

want to learn about the history of the blues ? just listen to the goddess ..bessie smith !

[@peternolan4107]

One of the greatest songs ever!

[@UncleDuTheWatchman]

It really is. Every time I hear "Pigfoot" I think about how good of a song it is. It still swings today.

[@lo.sweets]

Just got goose bumps all over my body

[@jeaniepecats419]

Love her

[@RobertGarley]

For real ! Well say ! And God bless the family!

[@SkyGirl2046]

thank you for posting

[@StCloud-ns7vt]

wonderful

[@andyglease915]

Great

[@nurienemonte4783]

love this song

[@HypatiaMuse]

My dad played old Bessie records, its one of my first musical memories & this song always stick with me ❤😂

[@lesliehunter1340]

Another Bessie classic - Up in Black Mountain "Up in Black Mountain a Chile will smack your face, Babies cryin for liquuor, and all the birds sing bass"

[@deborahsullivan0]

Ives always loved that trumpet 🎺 when i singing motown

[@lornebain3831]

Good stuff.......for sure...

[@peternolan4107]

I just love this!!!

[@nellllo]

The best

[@pilouetmissiou]

I love 💕

[@caballero3601]

My fave Bessie Smith song.

[@norajohnson3325]

Fabulous

[@grammaticalchainsaw7318]

There has yet to be a song of hers that Has not been absolute fucken BARS…

[@ReapperJo8973]

J'ai connu cette musique grâce à "la part du lion" sur Netflix... thanks from Guadeloupe👌🏾🙏🏾

[@Alffovinni]

this is great!

[@wilmaluciacassunde7099]

maravilhosa

[@hunniization]

Need the lyrics to this song ASAP!😍 Loved It!!😍

[@Arcturian1111]

Awesome tune....

[@williamyounkman7831]

she had one hela of voice

[@rw9175]

QUEEN BESSIE...!!!

[@kimthomas781]

Janis Joplin paid for her tombstone. ♥️

[@andeannafarnes4719]

Didn't know that. Makes total sense. Both great talents!

[@dianacrow7509]

Piano 🎹 sashay! She had her way! ~♡~

[@christopherhelton6999]

Is that Satch on the cornet? Sounds like it.

[@awk8938]

Sounds like it could be, but it's Frankie Newton.

[@jimmwalsh1438]

Try reading Jackie Kay's biography of Bessie Smith! It is awesome. Brings Bessie back to life just long enough so you feel you really you were there as she lived her amazing life!

[@tedmeltzer4726]

How funny would it be if there was a parody of this song called "Gimme a flu shot and a Snoopy band-aid"?

[@zer0_kb]

good vibes =D

[@liammcooper]

get me a reefer and a gang of gin, my kinda lady

[@phoebegibbs2181]

Give the bugle player a drink because he's bringing me down - fav line since I was 8 :D

[@lottaandgus]

It's "piano" player.

[@amahra100]

No, it's give the piano player a drink...etc.. And it's my favorite part too.

[@nofletmusic]

Phoebe Gibbs “Give the PIANO PLAYER a drink because he’s bringin’ me down.” 😁👍

[@rucianapollard4057]

I have never eaten a pig foot, or drank gin in my life, (and I'm 44) but I swear after listening to this song, I want some Right Now!!!!!

[@blahblahbleeeblahh7053]

A pigfoot I believe is a joint.

[@dontaylor7315]

@@blahblahbleeeblahh7053 She sings "Gimme a reefer" in the last chorus. I kinda think the pigfoot in the other choruses really is the pickled kind.

[@lafayettesmyre1094]

@@blahblahbleeeblahh7053, She’s describing a rent party they were popular in the 20’s and 30’s. Everyone wanted to reside in NY on Manhattan Island, but rents were high and wages were low. Some things never change. Anyway, at rent parties guests dropped a quarter into a container at the front door as they entered. In the 20’s gin was outlawed, but it was abundant and relatively cheep. Rent parties supplied food and some non-alcoholic mixing beverages. Remember these parties were given by Black people, and many of them came from the southern states. They cooked pigs feet or pig feets as they were often called, chitterlings, collard greens, sweet potatoes, corn bread and such. Until the early 50’s pig feet and other organs of pigs and cows were sold in butcher shops. To get them people showed up at slaughter houses and got as much as they wanted out of huge trash bins. So the investment for such parties was cheap. So, if you had a party and charged 25 cents, and over the course of the evening 100 people or more showed up, that would be at least $25,00, and that was a huge sum of money back then.

[@gloriahuman5652]

@@lafayettesmyre1094 Thank for the info. I had all of the above as child. The background story was really great for those that didn't know.

[@sreninger]

I leanred about Bessie and this song from the New York Dolls....Forever greatful

[@josephleone8054]

“Twenty five cents! I ain’t goin nowhere with that!”

[@josephleone8054]

Love this woman! And that is before Queen Latifah played the role, long before.

[@josephleone8054]

“Check all your razors and your guns. Gonna be wrastlin’ when the wagon comes!”

[@Wolfhoundersful]

Twenty-five cents? Ha! No! No! I wouldn't pay twenty-five cents to go in nowhere 'cause listen here Up in Harlem ev'ry Saturday night When the high-browns git together it's just too tight They all congregates at an all night strut And what they do is tut-tut-tut Old Hannah Brown from 'cross town Gets full of corn and starts breakin' 'em down Just at the break of day You can hear old Hannah say "Gimme a pigfoot and a bottle of beer" Send me gate I don't care I feel just like I wanna clown Give the piano player a drink Because he's bringin' me down He's got rhythm, yeah! When he stomps his feet, he sends me right off to sleep Check all your razors and your guns We gonna be rasslin' when the wagon comes I wanna pigfoot and a bottle of beer Send me 'cause I don't care Slay me 'cause I don't care Gimme a reefer and a gang o' gin Slay me, 'cause I'm in my sin Slay me 'cause I'm full of gin Check all your razors and your guns Do the shim-sham shimmy Till the risin' sun

[@nelsonmv1424]

Twenty-five cents?! Ha! No, no! I wouldn't pay twenty-five to go in nowhere...

[@quadradomus]

Nelson Motta-Vivas , Ha ha.. yeah, obviously Bessie never hit the clubs in present times.. .25 cent cover charge, lol. How about a $8 pint, lol.

[@danielmoran9902]

George Melly did his level best to sound just like this. And he did a good job of it! RIP the both. XXXXX

[@SoundBlackRecordings]

Give me a reefer and a gang of gin LOL

[@lo.sweets]

I love it when she says shim sham Boogie

[@nicholasturton9267]

No blues singer comes any where near her for tone and rhythm

[@sherrythegypsysalzman7032]

what a Raucus good time

[@niecybaker7388]

2024 ❤

[@haroldwilkes6608]

forget DNA research to bring back the dinosaurs - bring back Bessie Smith!

[@glennmorris371]

Along with Gertrude Rainey, Louis Armstrong Chris Connor and Lady Day.

[@haroldwilkes6608]

@@glennmorris371 Angelina Jordan did Lady Day proud with Gloomy Sunday on Sweden's Got Talent (7 years old!) and has done several other of Billie's songs since.

[@silentcal275]

He's got rhythm YEEEEEEEAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUHHH 🤡

[@bobbylee2853]

Last of the red hot mama’s. She died doing what she loved.

[@jaycubes]

HE😩😩😩 SENDS 😩😩😩MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE😩😩😩 RIGHT😩😩😩 OFF😩😩😩 TO 😩😩😩SLEEEEEEEEEEP😩😩😩

[@devoradamaris]

🕊🕊🌎🕊👑

[@dontaylor7315]

I'm a beer drinker and not too savvy about the hard stuff. For fifty years I've wondered what a "gang of gin" is. A gallon?

[@vincentdaly78]

I think just a whole lot.

[@robertchesnosky3508]

SHE HAD THE SAME FREE WHEELING SPIRIT THAT JANIS JOPLIN HAD SOME 40 YEARS LATER.

[@MrTimezone2]

No doubt she is singing reefer, and thats what I want to believe, Love this and her.

[@voraciousreader3341]

What do you mean, “no doubt”?? There _IS_ no doubt! That is _exactly_ what she’s singing, “reefer, and a gang of gin”!

[@terenceedwards514]

Yes, “pig foot” was slang for a joint in the 1930s, I heard my grandmother call it that many times. Also “ a reefer” was what a joint was called too.

[@woabeatz9717]

Before reverb existed...

[@mohamadharake3146]

Lyrics: Twenty-five cents? Ha! No! No! I wouldn't pay twenty-five cents to go in nowhere 'cause listen here … Up in Harlem every Saturday night When the high-browns get together it's just too tight They all congregate at an all night strut And what they do is tut-tut-tut … Old Hannah Brown from 'cross town Gets full of corn and starts breakin' 'em down Yes, at the break of day You can hear old Hannah say … Gimme a pigfoot and a bottle of beer Send me again, I don't care I feel just like I wanna clown Give the piano player a drink because he's bringing me down … He's gotta rhythm, yeah, when he stomps his feet He sends me right off to sleep Check all your razors and your guns We gonna be rasslin' when the wagon comes … I wanna pigfoot and a bottle of beer Send me 'cause I don't care Blame me 'cause I don't care … Gimme a pigfoot and a bottle of beer Send me again, I don't care, I feel just like I wanna clown Give the piano player a drink because he's bringing me down … He's got rhythm, yeah, when he stomps his feet He sends me right off to sleep Check all your razors and your guns Do the shim-sham-shimmy 'til the rising sun … Give me a reefer and a gang of gin Play me 'cause I'm in my sin Blame me 'cause I'm full of gin

[@gertrudelaronge6864]

Some of these lyrics are not accurate. But I appreciate the effort. It's a great song by a great musician.

[@artistphx]

She and Cleo Laine make this song work!

[@cheryllee-owens1522]

Y’all don’t know nothing bout that!

[@johnnymorys]

And A Reefer.

[@lo.sweets]

It will never be able to me

[@lo.sweets]

Shim sham shimmy not boogie but it fits

[@KRZmusic]

Found her. ...she found me..hope I can due her good with my rendition....

[@Slammerworm1]

The official lyrics of the final verse state 'reaper' but here it sounds like 'reefer' to me. 'A reefer and a gang of gin' is more in keeping with the wild 'Hannah Brown' character than 'reaper'. Unless of course a 'reaper' was a sort of cocktail or something.

[@davesage1150]

or the song had something to do with B.O.C.

[@williamwilde6046]

It is Reefer. And a Pig’s Foot is a joint.

[@lo.sweets]

My parents own this album I wish I had it it got thrown in a dumpster

[@markpace007]

pigfoot = hog's leg = reefer = joint

[@dontaylor7315]

I think it's open-ended (on purpose) whether she means pigfoot literally or as a euphemism. In the last chorus she sings "Gimme a reefer" so that time there's no doubt.

[@kensimmons]

Pigfoot is literally a pig's foot. You boil it forever and eat it, or you can just get it pickled--used to be a jar of them on the bar of a saloon along with the pickled eggs, or on a deli counter

[@dabigdikdangler]

"Lady Sings the Blues" brought me here

[@jennymarshall42]

Bessie was a punk but way before her time

[@scottakanumba1heathen379]

But is it delicious?

[@lindseydoral1200]

25 Cents!!

[@texasgirl73goodjob46]

IM 17 AND I LOVE HER

[@dudefromkc6182]

Check out Ma Rainey on Netflix...just released yesterday

[@patrick4833]

1:15 2:55 god, fuck

[@loganjensen3252]

patrick a

[@carlbowles1808]

Pig feet from a jar with a beer? Bessie is my kind of woman. Today's women want more and not pleased no matter how much they get.

[@anyaw340]

Most women today work for what they have and carry the heaviest load of anyone in the family. You're clearly out of touch and don't know/understand women. Maybe that's YOUR problem.

[@alexisjackson1124]

Bessie was iconic. And the worst part of all is that if it hadn’t been for the state of America in her day, she very well may have lived thru her accident and injuries. She influenced Billie Holiday, my all time favorite. Rest well, Bessie. And thank you for inspiring so many. Your sound and ur talent have touched so many.

[@UncleDuTheWatchman]

The State of America hasn't changed much unfortunately. Billie is my favorite too! If you haven't already seen it, check out Audra MacDonald as Billie in "Lady Day At Emerson's". You gotta watch Audra's version, not the others. She brings Lady back to life.

[@alexisjackson1124]

Yes! I have it on DVD. Her mastery of Billie’s voice and the way she told the story was amazing 😍

[@UncleDuTheWatchman]

@@alexisjackson1124 It amazed me.