“Ax Sweet Mama” is a retitled cover of Sleepy John Estes' 1930 song “Milk Cow Blues”.
This same song had also been covered in 1967 by Taj Mahal as “Leaving Trunk”. Perhaps this was to differentiate Estes' song from other distinctly different blues songs that have the same “Milk Cow Blues” title, an...
[Verse 1]
Well, I ask sweet mama, let me be her kid
She said "might that but I'd like to keep it hid"
Well, she looked at me, she began to smile
She says "I thought I might use you for my man awhile
But just don't let my husband catch you there
I say, just don't let my husband catch you there"
[Verse 2]
Well, I went upstairs to pack my leavin' trunk
I never saw no whiskey
The blues made me sloppy drunk
I ain't never saw no whiskey
The blues made me sloppy drunk
Now I never saw no whiskey
But the blues made me sloppy drunk
Play!
[Mandolin solo]
[Verse 3]
Well then, some said it was beans
And uh some said it's greens
But it's slow consumption killin' you by degrees
It's the slow consumption killin' you by degrees
Now it's the slow consumption killin' you by degrees
[Verse 1]
Well, I say ask sweet mama, let me be her kid
She said "I might but I'd like to keep it hid"
Well, she looked at me, she began to smile
She says "I thought I might use you for my man awhile
But just don't let my husband catch you there
I say, just don't let my husband catch you there"
Ax Sweet Mama was written by Sleepy John Estes.
Ax Sweet Mama was produced by Jim Dickinson & Lenny Waronker.