Hi all,
Ralph Willis recorded "Christmas Blues" accompanying himself out of A position in standard tuning and was joined on the track by Pete Sanders on washboard yet again. Ralph Willis' playing here is really focused and exciting, and he does some spectacular fills in the accompaniment to his next-to-last verse. It's hard to figure why he doesn't get more respect as a player--perhaps partially it is a result of recording in the Post-War period and the blues (especially acoustic blues) from that period not having the cachet or snob appeal that Pre-War blues has for many aficionados. He also may be just too obscure, and it may be that people who want their blues to be impassioned are turned off by his light-hearted style. Who knows? I sure don't. Here is "Christmas Blues":
INTRO
Well, you know Christmas is comin', I don't have a lousy dime
Christmas is comin', I don't have a lousy dime
Well ever since I had you, woman, been in hard luck all the time
Well I have no money for Christmas, tell me what more can a poor boy do?
Have no money for Christmas, what can a poor boy do?
Baby girl I love don't work, I said, "Girl, I don't want you."
Baby, it's Christmas, Christmas, if I'm livin' it's hard to tell
Christmas, Christmas, if I'm livin' it's hard to tell
The girl I love won't give me no money, all she do is play around with my Christmas bell (Spoken: Play it light for me!)
SOLO (Spoken: Yeah!)
You know everybody know that woman, I don't have to call her name
Everybody know that gal, I don't have to call her name
That's the reason why, I'm sleepin' outdoors in the rain
Well bye-bye, baby, I swear you have got to go
Bye-bye, baby, I swear you have got to go
You don't work and bring me no money, I can't use you any more
CODA
Edited 3/30/25 to pick up corrections from Blues Vintage
All best,
Johnm
