Deep Ellum: The Other Side of Dallas

Chapter 1. “Deep Elem Blues”: Song of the Street

“Deep Elem Blues” Song of the Street t he best-known song about Deep Ellum, “Deep Elem Blues,” is still performed more than eighty years after it was first recorded. The lyrics may recall a past that is romanticized and distorted, but they are nonetheless evocative of a time and place where one had to be ready for anything. The Shelton Brothers sang in their 1935 recording: When you go down in Deep Elem To have a little fun You better have your fifteen dollars When that policeman comes. Oh, sweet Mama, Daddy’s got them Deep Elem blues. Once I had a sweetheart Who meant the world to me, But she hung around Deep Elem Now she ain’t what she used to be. When you go down in Deep Elem, Keep your money in your shoes ’Cause the women on Deep Elem Got them Deep Elem blues. When you go down in Deep Elem, Keep your money in your pants ’Cause the redheads in Deep Elem Never give a man a chance. c h A p t e r 1 Shelton Brothers (Bob and Joe), “Deep Elem Blues,” Decca 46008 B. Courtesy Documentary Arts. Shelton Brothers (Bob and Joe), “Just Because,” Decca 46008 A. Courtesy Documentary Arts. 19 “Deep Elem Blues” (Chorus) Oh, sweet Mama, Daddy’s got them Deep Elem blues (sung twice) Once I knew a preacher Preached the Bible through and through But he went down in Deep Elem Now his preachin’ days are through. (Chorus) Oh, sweet Mama, Daddy’s got them Deep Elem blues (sung once) When you go down in Deep Elem, Keep your money in your socks ’Cause the women in Deep Elem Will throw you on the rocks. (Chorus) Oh, sweet Mama, Daddy’s got them Deep Elem blues (sung twice) Although Deep Ellum is usually associated with African Americans and their music, this song isn’t really a blues at all but an up-tempo, string-band number. Its numerous versions seem to have been recorded exclusively by white musicians, though anecdotal evidence suggests that it was performed with more of a bluesy tone by African Americans. The first recording of the song, bearing the name “Deep Elm Blues,” was made in 1933 for the Victor and Bluebird labels by the Lone Star Cowboys. The band, which was called the Lone Star Rangers on some discs issued on the Regal-Zonophone and Twin labels, included Leon Chappelear, Joe Attlesey, and Bob Attlesey. The song was recorded again as “Deep Elem Blues” in 1935 for Decca by the Attleseys, who by that time were calling themselves the Shelton Brothers , and was followed by “Deep Elem No. 2” and “Deep Elm No. 3” and other variants, such as “Just Because You’re in Deep Elem” and “What’s the Matter with Deep Elem.” The lyrics and music to “Deep Elem Blues” were based on a 1927 OKeh recording, “The Georgia Black Bottom,” by the Georgia Crackers, a group that featured Paul Cofer on fiddle, Leon Cofer on banjo, and Ben Evans on 20 c h A p t e r 1 guitar.1 The tune is virtually identical to that of “Deep Elem Blues,” and the lyrics are essentially the same: If you go down in Black Bottom Put your money in your shoes. The women in Black Bottom Got them Black Bottom Blues. Oh, good mama, your daddy’s got them black bottom blues. If you go down in Black Bottom Just to have a little fun, Have your sixteen dollars ready When that police wagon comes. Well, I had a good little woman And I taken her to the fair, She would have won the premium But she had bad hair. Well, I went down to Black Bottom Just to get a little booze, And now I’m on the chain gang Wearing them brogan shoes. If you’ve got a good little woman Better keep her by your side, That old [band member name] Take your baby and ride.2 The Sheltons, who moved from East Texas to Dallas and became radio celebrities, claimed authorship of “Deep Elem Blues.” Perhaps this was simply a case of theft, but the songs’ themes are complex and revealing. “Black Bottom” referred to both a number of African American communities throughout the South and to a popular dance. The theme of both the Georgia and the Texas songs is white...