Hi all,
Blind Joe was recorded by the Lomaxes at a penitentiary in Raleigh, North Carolina. He played his song, "In Trouble", out of C position in standard tuning. He was a terrific guitar player, very influenced by Blind Blake by the sound of his playing. For the song, he has a number of hummed verses, which he sometimes concludes with the tagline to the previous verse--shades of Texas Alexander, though Blind Joe otherwise sounds nothing like him. The last verse is truncated and is missing its tagline, the opening of which is unintelligible. As Prof. Scratchy noted in the Blind Joe thread, if this song was in fact autobiographical, he must have been very unusual in being sent to prison for bigamy, a word I don't recall every having heard used elsewhere in a blues lyric. Here is "In Trouble":
Opening solo (with humming)
First time I was ever in trouble was 1934
First time I was ever in trouble was 1934
When that high sheriff come rolling up to my Mother's door
I was sitting to the table, eating my noon-time meal
I was sitting to the table, eating my noon-time meal
When I heard the brakes on that Chev'olet car wheel's squeal
Solo with humming, until
When I heard the brakes on that Chev'olet car wheel's squeal
Yes, he took out his paper, and he began to read
Then he took out his paper, and he began to read
He say, "I got you charged here, Joseph, for bigamy."
Solo with humming, until
Say, "I got you charged here, Joseph, for bigamy."
My Mother come to me and said, "You'll get out in 1935."
My Mother come to me and said, "You'll get out in 1935."
Said, "You have been you a good boy, I have to let you pass by."
Solo with humming, until
She said, "You've been a good boy, I reckon I have to let you pass by."
They took me 'fore the judge, he give me one dear year
They took me before the judge, he give me one dear year
All best,
Johnm
Blind Joe was recorded by the Lomaxes at a penitentiary in Raleigh, North Carolina. He played his song, "In Trouble", out of C position in standard tuning. He was a terrific guitar player, very influenced by Blind Blake by the sound of his playing. For the song, he has a number of hummed verses, which he sometimes concludes with the tagline to the previous verse--shades of Texas Alexander, though Blind Joe otherwise sounds nothing like him. The last verse is truncated and is missing its tagline, the opening of which is unintelligible. As Prof. Scratchy noted in the Blind Joe thread, if this song was in fact autobiographical, he must have been very unusual in being sent to prison for bigamy, a word I don't recall every having heard used elsewhere in a blues lyric. Here is "In Trouble":
Opening solo (with humming)
First time I was ever in trouble was 1934
First time I was ever in trouble was 1934
When that high sheriff come rolling up to my Mother's door
I was sitting to the table, eating my noon-time meal
I was sitting to the table, eating my noon-time meal
When I heard the brakes on that Chev'olet car wheel's squeal
Solo with humming, until
When I heard the brakes on that Chev'olet car wheel's squeal
Yes, he took out his paper, and he began to read
Then he took out his paper, and he began to read
He say, "I got you charged here, Joseph, for bigamy."
Solo with humming, until
Say, "I got you charged here, Joseph, for bigamy."
My Mother come to me and said, "You'll get out in 1935."
My Mother come to me and said, "You'll get out in 1935."
Said, "You have been you a good boy, I have to let you pass by."
Solo with humming, until
She said, "You've been a good boy, I reckon I have to let you pass by."
They took me 'fore the judge, he give me one dear year
They took me before the judge, he give me one dear year
All best,
Johnm