"Little Bitty Girl" - Lawrence Walker

Lawrence Walker helped usher in the accordion-led Cajun sound after the war. He was an important musician and bandleader in the field of Cajun music. He, along with Nathan Abshire, Aldus Roger, and Austin Pitre, was responsible for moving the accordion from the early style of playing to the dance hall sound of the post war era.3 A very rare glimpse of the jazz and country-western influence on Lawrence Walker's band, it's one of his few English recordings.    According to Johnnie Allan, he played about four or five country and western songs, but the majority of the job was strictly Cajun-French songs, some recorded by other artists.2 

If I was a little bitty girl and had a lot of money, 

I’d buy me a guitar player, he’d be as good as any. 

He’d pick, I’d pick, we’d both pick together. 

Wouldn’t we have a lot of fun just picking on one another!

If I was a little bitty girl and had a lot of money, 

I’d buy me an accordion player, he’d be as good as any. 

He’d squeeze, I’d squeeze, we’d both squeeze together. 

Wouldn’t we have a lot of fun just squeezing one another! 

If I was a little bitty girl and had a lot of money, 

I’d buy me a fiddle player, he’d be as good as any. 

He’d rub, I’d rub, we’d both rub together. 

Wouldn’t we have a lot of fun just rubbing on one another!

When I was a little bitty girl I had a lot of money, 

so I bought me a double bass player, he’s as good as any. 

He spanks, I spank, we both spank together. 

Man, we have a lot of fun just spanking one another!

When I was a little bitty girl I had a lot of money, 

so I bought me a drum player, he’s as good as any. 

He beat, I beat, we both beat together. 

Man, we have a lot of fun just beating on one another!

When I was a little bitty girl I had a lot of money, 

so I bought me a steel guitar player, he’s as good as any. 

He steal, I steal, we both steal together. 

Wouldn't we have a lot of fun just stealing one another!

Early on, Lawrence had recorded with almost exclusively with George Khoury's label and recorded "Little Bitty Girl" (#623) somewhere between late 1952 and early 1953. The tune is based on the 1946 comical jazz recording of Velma Nelson's "If I Were A Itty Bitty Girl" accompanied by Will Rowland And His Band on Aladdin records.  The song features a double entendre of a slight sexual innuendo, similar to songs such as Pine Grove Blues.1

1. Negotiating Difference in French Louisiana Music: Categories, Stereotypes ... By Sara Le Menestrel
2. "South To Louisiana: The Music of the Cajun Bayous" by John Broven
3. Discussions with Kevin Fontenot

Find:

Essential Collection of Lawrence Walker (Swallow, 2010)