Blues-- Songs/Ballads from Overton Co.
[Most of these blues come from Jimmie Rodgers, the Father of Country Music. I interviewed one of Jimmie's last guitar players, Slim Bryant who was the regular guitarist for Clayton McMichen. Slim was over 100 years old and still mentally agile. We talked for over an hour about Jimmie Rodgers.
Some individual texts for songs in this chapter are attached to this page on the left hand column. Links from this page may be done at a later date.
R. Matteson 2014]
CHAPTER X- BLUES
The purpose of this chapter is to present the group of poems kn own as blues. The songs fall into two main divisions: First, the songs that travel and a loved woman are related and second; those that travel because some place that calls them.
CONTENTS
Railroad Blues
Brakesman Blues [Jimmie Rodgers]
Memphis Yodel
Blue Ridge Mountain Blues
Jimmy's Mean Mama Blues
Jimmie's Texas Blues
Old Virginia Blues (East Carolina Blues)
Sissy Cater Blues
Blue Yodel (T for Texas)
Gambling Barroom Blues (Related: St. James Infirmary)
Those Gambler's Blues (St. James Infirmary)
Waiting for a Train
Oklahoma Blues
Mississippi Valley Blues