(lively blues music) [Announcer] Recorded live at the University of North Alabama in Florence, "The Salt & Pepper Roots Music Celebration" presents blues artist Earl Guitar Williams.

♪ I want a can of alligator ♪ ♪ I want a can of alligator ♪ Let me take this leash off here, boy.

Go get it.

♪ You're as smooth as Tennessee whiskey ♪ ♪ Tennessee whiskey and strawberry wine ♪ [Announcer] This program is made possible in part by grants from the Alabama State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

Additional support provided by the Alabama Folk Life Association.

And it go like this.

(laughs) ("Can of Alligator") ♪ I want a can of alligator ♪ ♪ I want a can of alligator ♪ ♪ I want a can of alligator ♪ ♪ I want a can of alligator ♪ ♪ I was down in Louisiana ♪ ♪ Walking down the street ♪ ♪ Getting a little bit hungry ♪ ♪ For something different to eat ♪ ♪ Stroll down Decatur ♪ ♪ I saw a can of alligator ♪ ♪ I said, "How do you prepare?"

♪ ♪ That's when the lady starts to stare ♪ ♪ And said, "A can of alligator."

♪ ♪ She said, "You want a can of the alligator?"

♪ ♪ I said, "Yeah, let me have some of that alligator please."

♪ ♪ She said, "Steam a little rice ♪ ♪ It's going to make it really nice ♪ ♪ And pour on your alligator ♪ ♪ And then you tell me about it later."

♪ ♪ Don't be afraid to eat him ♪ ♪ He ain't afraid to eat you ♪ ♪ Come on, pretty baby ♪ ♪ Here's what we gonna do ♪ ♪ Eat a can of alligator ♪ ♪ I want a can of alligator ♪ ♪ I want a can of alligator ♪ ♪ I want a can of alligator ♪ ("Can of Alligator") ("Can of Alligator" continues) ♪ I said, "A can of alligator."

♪ ♪ I want a can of alligator ♪ ♪ A can of alligator ♪ ♪ I want a can of alligator ♪ ♪ Steam a little rice ♪ ♪ It's gonna make it really nice ♪ ♪ Don't forget your holy trinity ♪ ♪ And then you tell me about it later ♪ ♪ I want a can of alligator ♪ ♪ I want a can of alligator ♪ ♪ I like gator ♪ ♪ A can of alligator ♪ ♪ See you later, alligator ♪ -(harmonica music) -(audience clapping) Watch out when you are walking down by the swamp there.

Don't go too close to that water.

(laughs) ("I Woke Up This Morning") ("I Woke Up This Morning" continues) ("I Woke Up This Morning" continues) ♪ I woke up this morning ♪ ♪ Baby was gone ♪ ♪ I woke up this morning ♪ ♪ And my baby was gone ♪ ♪ And I need her loving ♪ ♪ I'm so all alone ♪ ♪ I ain't got nobody ♪ ♪ At home with me ♪ ♪ I ain't got nobody ♪ ♪ At home with me ♪ ♪ And I need her loving ♪ ♪ I'm in misery ♪ ♪ Hey, baby ♪ ♪ Come on back home ♪ ♪ Hey ♪ ♪ Hey hey, baby ♪ ♪ Please come on back home ♪ ♪ I need your love ♪ ♪ Tired of being alone ♪ ("I Woke Up This Morning") ("I Woke Up This Morning" continues) ♪ Hey, baby ♪ ♪ Please come on back home ♪ ♪ Ooh ooh, hey, baby ♪ ♪ Please come on back home ♪ ♪ I need your loving now ♪ ♪ I'm so all alone ♪ (audience clapping) ("How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You") ("How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You" continues) ♪ I needed the shelter of someone's arms ♪ ♪ There you were ♪ ♪ I needed someone to understand my ups and down ♪ ♪ There you were ♪ ♪ With sweet love and devotion ♪ ♪ Deeply touching my emotion ♪ ♪ I wanna stop and thank you, baby ♪ ♪ I just wanna stop ♪ ♪ And thank you ♪ ♪ How sweet it is to be loved by you ♪ ♪ How sweet it is to be loved by you ♪ ♪ I close my eyes at night ♪ ♪ Wondering where would I be without you in my life ♪ ♪ Everything I did was just a bore ♪ ♪ Places I've been seems I'd been there before ♪ ♪ You brighten up for me all of my days ♪ ♪ You know I love you in so many ways ♪ ♪ I want to stop and thank you, baby ♪ ♪ I just wanna stop ♪ ♪ And thank ya ♪ ♪ 'Cause how sweet it is to be loved by you ♪ You can say it if you want to.

♪ How sweet it is to be loved by you ♪ I do that sound.

One more time.

♪ How sweet it is to be loved by you ♪ Okay, we gonna do it without no music, y'all.

Ah.

♪ How sweet it is to be loved by you ♪ ("How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You") ("How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You" continues) ♪ I wanna stop and thank you, baby ♪ ♪ I just wanna stop, and thank you ♪ ♪ 'Cause how sweet it is to be loved by you ♪ ♪ You ♪ ♪ How sweet it is to be loved by you ♪ ♪ How sweet it is to be you loved ♪ ♪ To be loved ♪ ♪ To be loved by ♪ ♪ By you ♪ ("How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You") (audience clapping) Thank you.

("Howlin' For My Darling") ♪ She hot like a red pepper ♪ ♪ She's sweet like cherry wine ♪ ♪ And I'm so glad she love me ♪ ♪ I'm so glad she's mine ♪ ♪ She my little baby ♪ ♪ Sweet as she can be ♪ ♪ And all that love she got ♪ ♪ Do belong to me ♪ ♪ In case you hear me howlin' ♪ ♪ Howlin' for my darlin' ♪ ♪ Like, "Ooh-ooh-ee."

♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ I love you ♪ ♪ Come on home ♪ ♪ Every time she kiss me ♪ ♪ She make the lights go out ♪ ♪ I'm so glad she love me ♪ ♪ She make me jump and shout ♪ ♪ She my little baby ♪ ♪ Sweet as she can be ♪ ♪ And all that love she got ♪ ♪ It do belong to me ♪ ♪ In case you hear me howlin' ♪ ♪ Howlin' for my darlin' ♪ ♪ Like, "Ooh-ooh-ee."

♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ I love you ♪ ♪ Come on home ♪ ♪ Pretty baby ♪ ♪ Ooh ooh ♪ ♪ I love you ♪ ♪ In case you hear me howlin' ♪ ♪ Howlin' for my darlin' like, "Ow."

♪ ♪ Ooh-ooh-ee ♪ -(laughs) Thank you.

-(audience clapping) (blues music) (blues music continues) I think I wanna walk you in the woods one time, when I was taking my old dog Blue out there.

("Blue and The Rabbit") Blue kind of strong, you know.

My wife was walking one time and he pulled her into a tree, (laughs) so she had to stop.

Everything all calm.

Walking like a good dog.

Sometimes I tell him, I say, "You're a good dog."

("Blue and The Rabbit") Until he sees something like a rabbit.

(laughs) Then he go (blues music).

Said, "Come back here now.

What you gonna do, boy?"

He said (mimics dog barking).

I said, "Let me take this leash off you here, boy.

Go get him."

("Blue and The Rabbit") ("Blue and The Rabbit" continues) (Earl speaking off mic) ("Blue and The Rabbit") -Oh yeah.

(laughs) -(audience clapping) ("Tennessee Whiskey") ♪ I used to spend my nights out in a barroom ♪ ♪ Liquor was the only, only love I've known ♪ ♪ But you rescued me from reaching for the bottom ♪ ♪ And brought me back from being too far gone ♪ ♪ You're as smooth as Tennessee whiskey ♪ ♪ Tennessee whiskey and strawberry wine ♪ ♪ You're as warm as a glass of brandy ♪ ♪ Honey, I stay stoned on your love all the time ♪ ♪ I looked for love in all the same places ♪ ♪ Found the bottom of the bottle always dry ♪ ♪ When you poured out your heart, I didn't waste it ♪ ♪ 'Cause ain't nothing ♪ ♪ Nothing like your love to keep me high ♪ ♪ You're as smooth as Tennessee whiskey ♪ ♪ You're as sweet as strawberry wine ♪ ♪ You're as warm as a glass of brandy ♪ ♪ Sugar, I stay stoned on your love all the time ♪ ("Tennessee Whiskey") ♪ You're as smooth as Tennessee whiskey ♪ ♪ Tennessee whiskey ♪ ♪ Tennessee whiskey ♪ ♪ You're as smooth as Tennessee whiskey ♪ ♪ Tennessee whiskey and strawberry wine ♪ (audience clapping) Thank y'all so much, thank you.

(blues music) (speaks in foreign language) ("When You Give Me Love") ♪ Hear, see, taste, smell, feel ♪ ♪ You wake up all of my sense when you give ♪ ♪ Hear, see, taste, smell, feel ♪ ♪ You wake up all of my senses when you give ♪ ♪ When you give me love ♪ ♪ When you give me love ♪ ♪ When you give me love ♪ ♪ When you give me love, love, love, love, love ♪ ♪ When I hear you, I know splendor is coming my way ♪ ♪ When I see you, I have eye candy, baby, for days ♪ ♪ When I smell you, the aroma drives me insane ♪ ♪ But when I taste you ♪ ♪ Baby, it's a tropical thing ♪ ♪ And when you give me love ♪ ♪ When you give me love ♪ ♪ Oh, when you give love ♪ ♪ Don't you know it feels so doggone good ♪ (sings in foreign language) ("When You Give Me Love") ("When You Give Me Love" continues) ♪ When you give me love ♪ ♪ You wake up all of my senses ♪ ♪ Oh, when you give me love ♪ ♪ When you give me love, love, love, love ♪ ♪ Love, love, love ♪ ♪ Love, love, love, love ♪ ♪ Love ♪ -(speaks in foreign language) -(audience clapping) All five senses.

(laughs) ("Going Down Slow") I just gotta play a little slow blues.

("Going Down Slow") ("Going Down Slow" continues) ("Going Down Slow" continues) ("Going Down Slow" continues) ♪ I've had my fun ♪ ♪ If I never get well no more ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ ♪ I've had my fun ♪ ♪ If I never get well no more ♪ ♪ But my health is failing me ♪ ♪ And oh lord, I think I'm going down slow ♪ ♪ Uh huh ♪ ♪ Somebody write my mother a letter ♪ ♪ Tell my mama the shape I'm in ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ ♪ Write my mother a letter ♪ ♪ And tell my mama ♪ ♪ Tell her the shape I'm in ♪ ("Going Down Slow") ♪ Oh lord, I think I'm going down slow ♪ ("Going Down Slow") ("Going Down Slow" continues) ("Going Down Slow" continues) ("Going Down Slow" continues) ("Going Down Slow" continues) ♪ The next train is south ♪ ♪ You just might, you might see my glow ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ ♪ The next train is south ♪ ♪ You just might, you might see my glow ♪ ♪ But if you don't see my body ♪ ♪ Oh lord, I think I'm going down ♪ ♪ I think I'm going down ♪ ♪ I think I'm going down slow ♪ -(audience clapping) -All right.

(laughs) [Announcer] This program is made possible in part by grants from the Alabama State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

Additional support provided by the Alabama Folk Life Association.

(upbeat blues music) (upbeat blues music continues) (upbeat blues music fading)