Country Blues > Country Blues Lyrics

Blind Willie McTell lyrics

<< < (58/62) > >>

Blues Vintage:
East St. Louis Blues


Easily one of my all time favorite McTell songs, if not my favorite. Just for the tremendous energy and virtuoso guitar playing. I believe McTell never sang better.
I don’t know why I waited this long to make a transcription.


Blind Willie McTell – Vocals, Guitar
Curley Weaver – Guitar

Ca. 1949/1950
Atlanta, Georgia








INTRO

I walked, all the way, from East Saint Louis
I never had, but that one, one thin dime

She (sic) placed, my head down in a New York woman lap
She laid her little sweet, head in mine

She tried, make me believe by the rattlings of her tongue
The southern sun would never refuse to shine

She was long and tall, great long hair
She want to grab a train and ride away somewhere
Faree, darlin’, faree well

I tried to meet her, in the fall
When she didn't have no man at all
Faree, good girl, faree well

But I guess I’ll greet her in the spring
When the bluebirds all begin to sing
Faree, mama, faree well  (Spoken: Play it, boy)

SOLO (Spoken: Goin’ back to East Saint Louis, buddy)

Mama, if you don’t know, the old shimme-shan
You got to learn how to satisfy my mind
Faree, honey, faree well

You can’t shimmy-she-wobble like a cannon ball
You got to jump up and learn that old Boston Crawl
Faree, darlin’, faree well

I’m glad good whiskey can’t be beat
I won’t have to dodge every cop I meet
Faree, mama, faree well (Spoken: Play it)

SOLO

I even pawned my silver, pawned my chain
I would’ve pawned myself but I felt a little ashamed
Faree, honey, faree well

I laid, my head down in a barroom door
I won’t get drunk, drunk no more

I walked all the way, back to East Saint Louis
I never had, but that one, one thin dime (Spoken: Play it for the last)

OUTRO (Spoken: Goodbye)

(Spoken: That’s alright, boy)

banjochris:
Always nice to revisit Willie – some suggestions:

2.1 I think he misspeaks here with the “she”, but I think the missing word is “placed” – so it comes out as:
She placed my head down in a New York woman’s lap
but he means I placed my head – Charlie Patton sings pretty much the same verse in one of the Jim Lees – I forget which part

3.1 BELIEVE instead of bleed

5.1 greet is right

7.1 I think shimmy-shan (or shine) is probably right
7.2 Sounds like he says something like “You got to learn HOW I STEP” or “HALF STEP” – probably a dance and I can’t hear it

8.2 dodge every cop I meet is right

The spoken bit after one thin dime is PLAY IT FOR THE LAST

Chris

Blues Vintage:
Thanks Chris.  That 7.2 is difficult, I gotta listen some more.

The above videos of "East St. Louis Blues" are identical (the same song). One YouTube US friendly and one YouTube Europe friendly (don't know for other continents).

Blues Vintage:
I think I made a definitive change to 7.2.

banjochris:
Yup, you got that for sure – nice one! Jumps right out at you once you read it correctly!
Chris

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

[*] Previous page