Hi all
The Song of the Month for January, 2016 is ?Red River Blues?. The Red River of which the song speaks runs from Texas, where it forms part of Texas? northern border with Oklahoma and Arkansas, into Arkansas, and from there into Louisiana, where it drains into the Atchafalaya River. (There is another Red River in North Dakota and Minnesota.)
The earliest recorded version of ?Red River Blues? that I?ve been able to find is from 1924, and was recorded by Lottie Beamon, accompanied by the Pruitt Twins, Miles and Milas. Here it is:
The duet set-up of the twins is unusual in that one plays out of F position in standard tuning and the other plays out of E position in standard tuning, capoed to the first fret. Here is a link to the lyrics of Lottie Beamon?s version of ?Red River Blues?: http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=3516.msg45109#msg45109 .
Charlie ?Dad? Nelson recorded ?Red River Blues? accompanying himself on 12-string guitar in D position, standard tuning. His version shares the title and 12-bar structure of the Lottie Beamon?s, but is a different song melodically and in its lyrics. This is a trend you run into with this song--versions with the same title but having only that aspect in common with other versions. Here is ?Dad? Nelson?s ?Red River Blues?:
The lyrics to ?Dad? Nelson?s version can be found at: http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=10188.msg94459#msg94459 .
Henry Thomas?s version of ?Red River Blues? dates from 1928. He used his quills on the song, and accompanied himself out of D position in standard tuning, capoed up. He has, yet again, a different melody and lyrics for the song. Here it is:
The lyrics to Henry Thomas?s version can be found at: http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=1232.msg94613#msg94613 .
Leadbelly?s version utilized a 12-string guitar as did ?Dad? Nelson?s version, but is otherwise pretty different. Leadbelly played his ?Red River Blues? out of A position in standard tuning (though tuned low). Here is Leadbelly?s version:
INTRO
Tell me which-a way do the Red River run
Tell me which-a way do the Red River run
Ah, some folks say run, and run sun to sun
Lord, there's some folks say, run from sun to sun
Yes, there's some folks say, run from sun to sun
'Way down in Lou'siana, a-where their work was done
Tell me, pretty mama, which-a way you goin'
Tell me, pretty mama, which-a way you goin'
If you can't tell me, that's gon' be your ruin
SOLO
I got up this mornin', arms all around my brown
Yes, I got up this mornin', arms all around my brown
'Cause she told me which-a way the Red River, oh Lord, running down
Would you take a poor roller, oh, slave like me?
Would you take a poor roller, oh, slave like me?
I love my baby, you gonna let me be
Buddy Moss recorded ?Red River Blues? at his first solo session. His version was a 12-bar blues, as have been all of the versions up to this point. He has an odd misdirection in his intro, starting in F, but resolving to E. Here is his version:
Buddy?s lyrics can be found at: http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=143.msg72289#msg72289 .
Josh White?s 1933 version of the song, which he called ?Blood Red River? was to prove very influential, especially among East Coast players. He played the song out of E position in standard tuning, and after a 16-bar opening solo pass, he switches to an 8-bar form, a la ?Key To The Highway? for the sung portion of the song. After his version, people playing the song tended to use his melody, form and lyrics, for the most part. Here is his version:
SOLO
Which-a way, which-a way do that blood Red River run?
From my back window to the rising sun
Oh, I love her, Lord, I love her, tell this whole wide world I do
But the way you mistreat me, it's coming back home to you
FAUX HORN SOLO
Red River, Red River, whyn't you tell me what to do?
Mmmmmmm, worried as I can be
Ah, I love her, Lord, I love her but she treats me so unkind
Aw, she keeps me worried and bothered all the time
SOLO
Which-a way, which-a way, do that blood Red River run?
From my back window to the rising sun
Going to sing these blues, and I ain't gonna sing no more
'Cause the woman I love, Lord, she drove me from her door
Which-a way, which-a way, do that blood Red River run?
From my back window to the rising sun
An East Coast musician who recorded ?Red River Blues? after Josh White, but who did not cover Josh?s version was the Carter Family?s song-finder, Lesley Riddle. Here is his version, a 12-bar blues played in E position:
SOLO
Tell me, baby, Red River run
Say, tell me, way Red River run
Run right by my window to the rising sun
Now, the Red River water drink like cherry wine
Now, the Red River waters drink like cherry wine
You take one drink you want to drink it all the time
SOLO
Now, I'm goin' to Red River, carry my rockin' chair
Lord, I'm goin' to Red River, carry my rockin' chair
If these blues don't leave me, I'm gonna rock away from here
OUTRO
A very strong field recorded version of ?Red River Blues? was done by Mississippian Frank Evans. He did the song as an 8-bar blues, but with altogether different lyrics than those sung by Josh White. Here is his version:
The lyrics to Frank Evans? version can be found at: http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=10818.msg94829#msg94829
One later version of ?Red River Blues? that is especially appealing to me by virtue of being completely different, musically and lyrically, than any previously recorded version is that of Texan Lil? Son Jackson?. Here is his version:
The lyrics to Lil? Son Jackson?s version of ?Red River Blues? can be found at: http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=136.msg89869#msg89869 .
A particularly spooky version of the song was recorded by Peg Leg Howell for George Mitchell and the Testament album that was put out shortly before Peg Leg Howell?s death. Here is that version:
Here are the lyrics to Peg Leg Howell?s version: http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=437.msg89550#msg89550 .
I don?t have any heavy scholarly observations to make about the song. Perhaps the point could be made that the name of the river seems to have had a kind of poetic allure that may have contributed to so many people wanting to sing about it, including people who didn?t come from anywhere near the Red River and who may never have seen it. Whatever factors contributed to the popularity of ?Red River Blues?, they ended up manifesting in a host of essentially different songs with that title, rather than one song sung over and over again by many different people.
All best,
Johnm
The Song of the Month for January, 2016 is ?Red River Blues?. The Red River of which the song speaks runs from Texas, where it forms part of Texas? northern border with Oklahoma and Arkansas, into Arkansas, and from there into Louisiana, where it drains into the Atchafalaya River. (There is another Red River in North Dakota and Minnesota.)
The earliest recorded version of ?Red River Blues? that I?ve been able to find is from 1924, and was recorded by Lottie Beamon, accompanied by the Pruitt Twins, Miles and Milas. Here it is:
The duet set-up of the twins is unusual in that one plays out of F position in standard tuning and the other plays out of E position in standard tuning, capoed to the first fret. Here is a link to the lyrics of Lottie Beamon?s version of ?Red River Blues?: http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=3516.msg45109#msg45109 .
Charlie ?Dad? Nelson recorded ?Red River Blues? accompanying himself on 12-string guitar in D position, standard tuning. His version shares the title and 12-bar structure of the Lottie Beamon?s, but is a different song melodically and in its lyrics. This is a trend you run into with this song--versions with the same title but having only that aspect in common with other versions. Here is ?Dad? Nelson?s ?Red River Blues?:
The lyrics to ?Dad? Nelson?s version can be found at: http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=10188.msg94459#msg94459 .
Henry Thomas?s version of ?Red River Blues? dates from 1928. He used his quills on the song, and accompanied himself out of D position in standard tuning, capoed up. He has, yet again, a different melody and lyrics for the song. Here it is:
The lyrics to Henry Thomas?s version can be found at: http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=1232.msg94613#msg94613 .
Leadbelly?s version utilized a 12-string guitar as did ?Dad? Nelson?s version, but is otherwise pretty different. Leadbelly played his ?Red River Blues? out of A position in standard tuning (though tuned low). Here is Leadbelly?s version:
INTRO
Tell me which-a way do the Red River run
Tell me which-a way do the Red River run
Ah, some folks say run, and run sun to sun
Lord, there's some folks say, run from sun to sun
Yes, there's some folks say, run from sun to sun
'Way down in Lou'siana, a-where their work was done
Tell me, pretty mama, which-a way you goin'
Tell me, pretty mama, which-a way you goin'
If you can't tell me, that's gon' be your ruin
SOLO
I got up this mornin', arms all around my brown
Yes, I got up this mornin', arms all around my brown
'Cause she told me which-a way the Red River, oh Lord, running down
Would you take a poor roller, oh, slave like me?
Would you take a poor roller, oh, slave like me?
I love my baby, you gonna let me be
Buddy Moss recorded ?Red River Blues? at his first solo session. His version was a 12-bar blues, as have been all of the versions up to this point. He has an odd misdirection in his intro, starting in F, but resolving to E. Here is his version:
Buddy?s lyrics can be found at: http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=143.msg72289#msg72289 .
Josh White?s 1933 version of the song, which he called ?Blood Red River? was to prove very influential, especially among East Coast players. He played the song out of E position in standard tuning, and after a 16-bar opening solo pass, he switches to an 8-bar form, a la ?Key To The Highway? for the sung portion of the song. After his version, people playing the song tended to use his melody, form and lyrics, for the most part. Here is his version:
SOLO
Which-a way, which-a way do that blood Red River run?
From my back window to the rising sun
Oh, I love her, Lord, I love her, tell this whole wide world I do
But the way you mistreat me, it's coming back home to you
FAUX HORN SOLO
Red River, Red River, whyn't you tell me what to do?
Mmmmmmm, worried as I can be
Ah, I love her, Lord, I love her but she treats me so unkind
Aw, she keeps me worried and bothered all the time
SOLO
Which-a way, which-a way, do that blood Red River run?
From my back window to the rising sun
Going to sing these blues, and I ain't gonna sing no more
'Cause the woman I love, Lord, she drove me from her door
Which-a way, which-a way, do that blood Red River run?
From my back window to the rising sun
An East Coast musician who recorded ?Red River Blues? after Josh White, but who did not cover Josh?s version was the Carter Family?s song-finder, Lesley Riddle. Here is his version, a 12-bar blues played in E position:
SOLO
Tell me, baby, Red River run
Say, tell me, way Red River run
Run right by my window to the rising sun
Now, the Red River water drink like cherry wine
Now, the Red River waters drink like cherry wine
You take one drink you want to drink it all the time
SOLO
Now, I'm goin' to Red River, carry my rockin' chair
Lord, I'm goin' to Red River, carry my rockin' chair
If these blues don't leave me, I'm gonna rock away from here
OUTRO
A very strong field recorded version of ?Red River Blues? was done by Mississippian Frank Evans. He did the song as an 8-bar blues, but with altogether different lyrics than those sung by Josh White. Here is his version:
The lyrics to Frank Evans? version can be found at: http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=10818.msg94829#msg94829
One later version of ?Red River Blues? that is especially appealing to me by virtue of being completely different, musically and lyrically, than any previously recorded version is that of Texan Lil? Son Jackson?. Here is his version:
The lyrics to Lil? Son Jackson?s version of ?Red River Blues? can be found at: http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=136.msg89869#msg89869 .
A particularly spooky version of the song was recorded by Peg Leg Howell for George Mitchell and the Testament album that was put out shortly before Peg Leg Howell?s death. Here is that version:
Here are the lyrics to Peg Leg Howell?s version: http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=437.msg89550#msg89550 .
I don?t have any heavy scholarly observations to make about the song. Perhaps the point could be made that the name of the river seems to have had a kind of poetic allure that may have contributed to so many people wanting to sing about it, including people who didn?t come from anywhere near the Red River and who may never have seen it. Whatever factors contributed to the popularity of ?Red River Blues?, they ended up manifesting in a host of essentially different songs with that title, rather than one song sung over and over again by many different people.
All best,
Johnm