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...in a car wreck in a little town called Mound Bayou Miss. I was visiting my mother. I drove 700 miles from Chicago. I was okay but on the return I fell asleep at the wheel. I was playing again the next day though. I never gave up. It cut my arm clean off and left it in the highway. Then I walked 2.5 miles to a girlfriend and picked up my arm and brought it on to Clarksdale. When the ambulance men come with stretchers, I was in bed smoking, so I drove back in front with the guys. I was in hospital for three days only. For a while I still had pain at night. As you know, fever rises at night and that's how it was - Big John Wrencher on losing his arm

Author Topic: The Devil's Music?  (Read 903 times)

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Offline Gumbo

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  • So Papa climbed up on top of the house
The Devil's Music?
« on: May 04, 2011, 04:56:26 AM »
I was just listening to Robert Peeples' 'Wicked Devil Blues' where he ends with ".. if the Devil gave me the power, I'd turn my baby into stone."

It seems that there are two tiers of songs that mention the Devil - the metaphorical "Devil Sent The Rain" (Patton), or even "Me and the Devil" (Johnson) where bad events or behaviour are explained by the Devil's outside influence. And then other songs demonstrate a whole other attitude such as Peeples' "I'm gonna pray to the devil ...", Johnson's "If I had possession over judgement day", (Peetie Wheatstraw's "I'm the high Sherriff of Hell!" seems like it would fall in this category though i haven't heard much by him, and don't know where the line comes from).
"I am The Devil" by The Mississippi Sheiks is more playful than dark, so i have that in the first category

So i got to wondering about examples of 'blasphemy' in the blues. Got any insight? Favourite examples?

Offline Gumbo

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  • So Papa climbed up on top of the house
Re: The Devil's Music?
« Reply #1 on: May 04, 2011, 04:58:36 AM »
here's the lyrics to Robert Peeples' "Wicked Devil Blues" (Paramount 1929)
it could use some help in the second last verse

So jealous of my baby
i hate to see her go
I'm so jealous of my baby
i really hate to see her go
but if she's got another fella
Lord, i'd rather see her down below

Cause i got ways like the devil
believe i'm the devil's child
Lord, i got ways like the devil
believe i'm the devil's child
i'm so dog gone darn evil
i haven't got the heart to smile

I'm mean as the devil
when i begin to feel blue
I'm mean as the devil
when i begin to feel blue
if i ever catch her flirting
baby i'll make it hard for you

ah play that thing, Mr Brown
how you like that - ain't it great

My gal made me a devil
just as cruel as i can be
Now 'n' my gal made me a devil
just as cruel as i can be
?? but i ride i ride around ??
then she made a chump of me

Going to pray to the devil
See why men don't let my baby alone
gonna pray to the devil
see why men don't let my baby alone
and if the devil give me the power
i'll turn my baby into stone

 


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