Country Blues > Country Blues Lyrics
Blind Willie Johnson Lyrics
Blind Rev. Grapefruit Peter:
Hi
I'm looking for the lyrics for Blind Willie Johnson and You're Gonna need Somebody on your bond. I haven't been able to convert it to mp3, since my converter says something abour a codecs? Anyway, it's a classic, which Donovan Leitch did a version of, with a completely changed lyrics. This version I have tried to copy is from "Complete Recordings" disc 1. I think I more or less have it alle but, there are some blanks in the first verse.
Thanks for any help
Peter
You gonna need somebody on your bond
You gonna need somebody on your bond
Cause it's way after midnight
When death comes creeping in the room
You'll gonna need somebody on your bond
I heard the voice of Jesus saying
-------------------
Down the way with--------
Answer for my prayers
You gonna need somebody on your bond
You gonna need somebody on your bond
Cause it's way after midnight
When death comes creeping in the room
You'll gonna need somebody on your bond
When I were a gambler
Nobody would go my bond
Fell on my knees and begin to pray
Cause Jesus will go your bond
You gonna need somebody on your bond
You gonna need somebody on your bond
Cause it's way after midnight
When death comes creeping in the room
You'll gonna need somebody on your bond
I came to Jesus
like I'm weary wounded and sad
Found in him a resting place
Now he's made me glad
Now I got somebody on your bond
Now I got somebody on your bond
Cause it's way after midnight
When death comes creeping in the room
Now I got somebody on your bond
uncle bud:
Hi Peter. Great tune.
The missing parts in verse 1 are real hard to hear. I'll have to listen more.
I hear "when death comes slipping in your room". Also possibly "way past midnight".
Also "When you was a gambler" and "Fell on your knees".
Blind Rev. Grapefruit Peter:
Hi Uncle Bud
I tend to agree with you. You could be right. I remember listen to When you was a gambler, so I guessed I just switched you with I. Sometimes the grammar, even to a dane, is very weak. But the general idea is still there. 1 verse is a mystery.
I was a little suprised that so few of his lyrics were posted on the web. The most published version is with Donovan (which I incidently grew up with, not knowing what I heard).
As I realized was, that Donovan used a of of the old blues songs, and made them clean, giving them new lyrics and a touch of 1968 :-). When I grew into this blues thing, I was very suprised to see king Donovan hippie all over. The lord works mysterious way. It was also Donovan who introduced me to Keep on Truckin'
best
peter
lebordo:
Hi, Peter:
I had some time on my hands today, so I've spent a couple of hours analyzing this.? There are actually two versions of You're Gonna Need Somebody On Your Bond on the Columbia Legacy version of Complete Vol 2 - track one is Matrix 149594-1 recorded Dec 1929, while track 16 is Matrix 150316-2 recorded April 1930.? Track 1 has bottleneck accompaniment, while track 16 has standard accompaniment.? And the words on track 16 seem a little clearer to me.
Anyway, in my analysis, I slowed down relevant sections of both recordings, while retaining the same pitch.? In addition to the following lyrics, I will also attach the four sound clips from each version so you and others can hear the same files I listened to.? Note that if I have lyrics in parentheses, separated by a slash, the first word / phrase is what I "heard", the one after the slash is what I think it really is [for example, (I hear this / and think it's really this) ].
Matrix 149594-1, December 11, 1929
Well, you're gonna need somebody on your bond
You're gonna need somebody on your bond
Lord it's a way past midnight
When death comes slippin' in the room
You're gonna need, ah, somebody on your bond
I heard the voice of Jesus saying
God told me I'd rest
Found the way with one light out
Halo for my prayers
You're gonna need somebody on your bond
You're gonna need somebody on your bond
Lord it's a way past midnight
When death comes slippin' in the room
You're gonna need somebody on your bond
When you was a gambler
Nobody would go your bond
Fell on your knees and (begin/began) to pray
Cause Jesus should go your bond
You're gonna need somebody on your bond
You're gonna need somebody on your bond
Lord it's a way past midnight
When death comes slippin' in the room
You're gonna need somebody on your bond
I came (the day that Babal was / that day to Babylon)
Weary, wounded, sad
Found that Hell made a resting place
They have made me glad
If I've got somebody on my bond
Lord I've got somebody on my bond
Now it's a way past midnight
When death comes slippin' in the room
Now I've got somebody on my bond.
Matrix 150316-2, April 20 1930
Well, you're gonna need somebody on your bond
You're gonna need somebody on your bond
Now (there's a way and / dead away at) midnight
When death comes slippin' in the room
You're gonna need somebody on your bond
I heard the voice of Jesus saying
God told me (had/ I'd) rest
Found the way with one light (out/on)
Halo for my prayers
You're gonna need somebody on your bond
You're gonna need somebody on your bond
Now (there's a way and / dead away at) midnight
When death comes slippin' in the room
You're gonna need somebody on your bond
When you was a gambler
'Body would go your bond
Fell on your knees and began to pray
Cause Jesus should go your bond
You're gonna need somebody on your bond
You're gonna need somebody on your bond
Now (there's a way and / dead away at) midnight
When death comes slippin' in the room
You're gonna need somebody on your bond
I came the day that Babylon
Weary, wounded, sad
Found that Hell made a resting place
They have made me glad
Lord I've got somebody on my bond
Lord I've got somebody on my bond
Now (there's a way and / dead away at) midnight
When death comes slippin' in the room
Yes I've got somebody on my bond.
Hope this helps.
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lebordo:
Hi, again.
Forgot to mention that Buffy Sainte-Marie also did a nice version of this song on her first album, Many A Mile. Also a nice version of Bukka White's Fixin' To Die on the same album.
Anyway, I've got Buffy's songbook, which shows her translation of two sections as:
"Now dead away at midnight when the death come slippin' in the room" in the chorus, and
" 'Cause Jesus gonna go your bond" in the last line of the 3rd verse. Buffy only sang 2 verses, and the first really isn't in Blind Willie's version, although it has some similarity to Blind Willie's third verse:
I Thought my friends were better than God,
Foolish Mary said.
Now I'm bound in Hell for a resting place.
They have made me bad.
Also, I noticed you said you couldn't create an mp3 file -- if you need one for some reason other than posting here, I can certainly e-mail you one. Also, if you need an mp3 copy posted here, let me know and I'll be happy to do that, too.
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