Song Lyric Sunday has a bit of a ‘hidden agenda’ to it this week. We are looking for something a bit saucy – risqué, indeed.
‘Empty Bed Blues’ is a sad but simple tale of a young lady with painful forearms whose sometimes absent boyfriend – a beret-wearing deep-sea diver, no less – is a good teacher but a poor cook.
All perfectly innocent. Nothing to see here.
I woke up this morning with a awful aching head
I woke up this morning with a awful aching head
My new man had left me, just a room and a empty bed
Bought me a coffee grinder that’s the best one I could find
Bought me a coffee grinder that’s the best one I could find
Oh he could grind my coffee, cause he had a brand new grind
He’s a deep sea diver with a stroke that can’t go wrong
He’s a deep sea diver with a stroke that can’t go wrong
He can stay at the bottom and his wind holds out so long
He knows how to thrill me and he thrills me night and day
Oh he knows how to thrill me, he thrills me night and day
He’s got a new way of loving, almost takes my breath away
Lord he’s got that sweet somethin’ and I told my girlfriend Lou
He’s got that sweet somethin’ and I told my girlfriend Lou
From the way she’s raving, she must have gone and tried it too
When my bed get empty make me feel awful mean and blue
When my bed get empty make me feel awful mean and blue
My springs are getting rusty, sleeping single like I do
Bought him a blanket, pillow for his head at night
Bought him a blanket, pillow for his head at night
Then I bought him a mattress so he could lay just right
He came home one evening with his beret way up high
He came home one evening with his beret way up high
What he had to give me, make me wring my hands and cry
He give me a lesson that I never had before
He give me a lesson that I never had before
When he got to teachin’ me, from my elbow down was sore
He poured my first cabbage and he made it awful hot
He poured my first cabbage and he made it awful hot
When he put in the bacon, it overflowed the pot
Written by Bessie Smith
the only deadhead in the hameau 
Very suggestive lyrics and nobody could do that better than Bessie Smith.