Take a Whiff on Me

DESCRIPTION: The singer "Walked up Ellum and... come down Main / Tryin' to bum a nickel, just to buy cocaine / Ho, ho, honey take a whiff on me." The singer devotes considerable energy to seeking women and drugs, with slight success and open disregard for the risks
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1928 (recording, Grant Brothers)
KEYWORDS: drugs sex
FOUND IN: US(Ap,MA,So)
REFERENCES (6 citations):
Randolph/Legman-RollMeInYourArms I, pp. 130-132, "Take a Whiff on Me" (2 texts, 2 tunes)
Lomax/Lomax-FolkSongUSA 89, "Take a Whiff on Me" (1 text, 1 tune)
Lomax/Lomax-AmericanBalladsAndFolkSongs, pp. 186-188, "Honey, Take a Whiff on Me" (1 text, 1 tune)
Scarborough-OnTheTrailOfNegroFolkSongs, p. 277, "Oh, Ho, Baby, Take a One On Me!" (1 text, 1 tune)
Shay-BarroomBallads/PiousFriendsDrunkenCompanions, p. 157, "Hop Song" (1 text)
DT, WHIFFME
Roud #10062
RECORDINGS:
Anonymous singer, "Take A Whiff On Me" (on Unexp1)
Freeny's Barn Dance Band, "Croquet Habits" (OKeh 45524, 1931; rec. 1930; on StuffDreams1)
Grant Brothers & Their Music, "Tell It to Me" Grant Brothers & Their Music, "Tell It to Me" (Columbia 15322-D, 1928; on RoughWays1, GoodForWhatAilsYou)
Memphis Jug Band, "Cocaine Habit Blues" (Victor V-38620, 1930)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Take a Drink on Me" (tune, words)
cf. "Tom Cat" (lyrics, form)
cf. "Cocaine Blues (I)" (subject) and references there
NOTES [105 words]: "Ellum" ("Elem," "Deep Elem") refers to Elm Street in Dallas, the heart of that city's red light district. The various versions of this song, naturally, differ considerably in local color. - RBW
The recording "Tell It to Me" presents another classification problem; also known as "Let the Cocaine Be," it has a chorus "Tell it to me, tell it to me/Drink corn likker, let the cocaine be" that other "Take a Whiff on Me" songs do not, and sometimes different verses. I'm joining them primarily because many versions of "Tell It to Me" include the "Honey, take a whiff on me" refrain, but a case could also be made for splitting. - PJS
Last updated in version 4.2
File: RL130

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