Klezmatics-Come When I Call You

[Ken Burch]

Here, the Klezmatics set a previously unknown Woody Guthrie lyric(it was part of their "Wonder Wheel" album).

Woody was using the "list song" tradition, echoing the structure of "Children Go Where I Send Ye", to write about two very dark things:

1) The growing militarism of the early Cold War

and, probably also

2) The sudden death of his 2-year old daughter Cathie(whom he nicknamed "stackabones&quot .

It's easy to understand why Woody didn't have the heart to make a tune for these words, but they are present in these times.


Oh, will you come when I call you?
I’ll come when you call me.
I’ll call you at half-past one!
One’s for the pretty little baby that's
born, born, born and gone away.

Oh, will you come when I call you?
I’ll come when you call me.
I’ll call you at half-past two.
Two's for the love of me and you.
One's for the pretty little baby
that’s born, born, born and gone away.

Oh, will you come when I call you?
I’ll come when you call me.
I’ll call you at half-past three.
Three’s for these warships at sea.
Two's for the love of me and you.
One's for the pretty little baby
that’s born, born, born and gone away.

Will you come when I call you?
I’ll come when you call me.
I’ll call you at half-past four.
Four's for the guns of this war.
Three’s for these warships at sea.
Two's for the love of me and you.
One's for the pretty little baby
that’s born, born, born and gone away.

Oh, will you come when I call you?
I’ll come when you call me.
I’ll call you at half-past five.
Five's for these warplanes that fly.
Four's for the guns of this war.
Three’s for these warships at sea.
Two's for the love of me and you.
One's for the pretty little baby
that’s born, born, born and gone away.

Oh, will you come when I call you?
I’ll come when you call me.
I’ll call you at half-past six.
Six for the cities all wrecked.
Five's for these warplanes that fly.
Four's for the guns of this war.
Three’s for these warships at sea.
Two's for the love of me and you.
One's for the pretty little baby
that’s born, born, born and gone away.

Oh, will you come when I call you?
I’ll come when you call me.
I’ll call you at half-past seven.
Seven for continents blowed up.
Six for the cities all wrecked.
Five's for these warplanes that fly.
Four's for the guns of this war.
Three’s for these warships at sea.
Two's for the love of me an you.
One's for the pretty little baby
that’s born, born, born and gone away.

Oh, will you come when I call you?
I’ll come when you call me.
I’ll call you at half-past eight.
Eight for my eight billion graves.
Seven for continents blowed up.
Six for the cities all wrecked.
Five's for these warplanes that fly.
Four's for the guns of this war.
Three’s for these warships at sea.
Two's for the love of me and you.
One's for the pretty little baby
that’s born, born, born and gone away.

Oh, will you come when I call you?
I’ll come when you call me.
I'll call you at half-past nine.
Nine for the crippled and blind.
Eight for my eight billion graves.
Seven for continents blowed up.
Six for the cities all wrecked.
Five for these warplanes that fly.
Four for the guns of this war.
Three’s for these warships at sea.
Two's for the love of me and you.
One's for the pretty little baby
that’s born, born, born and gone away.

Oh, will you come when I call you?
I’ll come when you call me.
I’ll call you half-past ten.
Ten for the atom bomb loose again.
Nine for the crippled and blind.
Eight for my eight billion graves.
Seven for continents blowed up.
Six for the cities all wrecked.
Five's for these warplanes that fly.
Four's for the guns of this war.
Three’s for these warships at sea.
Two's for the love of me and you.
One's for the pretty little baby
that’s born, born, born and gone away.