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Death Letter Blues/My Black Mama, Part 2
Traditional spiritual;
ARTIST:
SHEET MUSIC:
YOUTUBE: Death Letter Blues- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jN5vqEyV7g
CATEGORY: Traditional and Shape-Note Gospel;
DATE: 1930
RECORDING INFO: Death Letter - House, Son
McPhee, Tony. Me and the Devil. Anthology of British Blues, Imperial LP 12434, LP (1969), trk# A.03
Leadbelly. Lomax, John & Alan Lomax (eds.) / Leadbelly. A Collection of World Famou, Folkways, sof (1959), p16
Muldaur, Geoff and Maria. Pottery Pie, Reprise 6350, LP (1967), trk# 10
OTHER NAMES: "My Black Mama, Part 2"
RELATED TO:
SOURCES: Youtube; Mudcat
NOTES: "Death Letter Blues" is an African-American blues-spiritual recorded by Son House. Two versions of Death Letter Blues were recorded in the early 1930s; the first one was recorded in 1930, Son House called "My Black Mama, Part 2."
MY BLACK MAMA, PART 2-(Son House) 1930
Hey, I solemnly swear, Lord, I raise my right hand,
That I'm goin' get me a woman. You get you another man.
I solemnly swear, Lord, I raise my right hand
That I'm goin' get me a woman. You get you another man.
I got a letter this morning, how do you reckon it read?
"Oh, hurry, hurry. Gal you love is dead."
I got a letter this morning, how do you reckon it read?
"Oh, hurry, hurry. Gal you love is dead."
I grabbed my suitcase. I took off up the road.
I got there, she was laying on the cooling board.
I grabbed my suitcase. I took on up the road.
I got there, she was laying on the cooling board.
Well, I walked up close. I looked down in her face.
Good old gal, you got to lay here till Judgment Day.
I walked up close, and I looked down in her face.
Yes, been a good old gal, got to lay here till Judgment Day.
Oh, my woman so black, she stays apart of this town.
Can't nothin' go when the poor girl is around.
My black mama stays apart of this town.
Oh, can't nothing go when the poor girl is around.
Oh, some people tell me the worried blues ain't bad.
It's the worst old feelin' that I ever had.
Some people tell me the worried blues ain't bad.
Buddy, the worst old feelin', Lord, I ever had.
Hmmm, I fold my arms and I walked away.
"That's all right, mama. Your trouble will come someday."
I fold my arms, Lord. I walked away.
Say, "That's all right, mama. Your trouble will come someday."
DEATH LETTER BLUES- (Son House)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jN5vqEyV7g
I got a letter this mornin. How do you reckon it read?
It said, "Hurry, hurry, yeah, your love is dead."
I got a letter this mornin. I say, how do you reckon it read?
You know, it said, "Hurry, hurry. How come the gal you love is dead?"
So I grabbed up my suitcase and took off down the road.
When I got there, she was layin' on a coolin' board.
I grabbed up my suitcase, and I said, and I took off down the road.
I said, but when I got there she was already layin on a coolin' board.
Well, I walked up right close, looked down in her face.
Said, "The good ol' gal got to lay here 'til the Judgment Day."
I walked up right close, and I said I looked down in her face.
I said, "The good ol' gal, she got to lay here 'til the Judgment Day."
Looked like there was 10,000 people standin' round the buryin' ground.
I didn't know I loved her 'til they laid her down.
Looked like 10,000 were standin' round the buryin' ground.
You know, I didn't know I loved her 'til they damn laid her down.
Lord, have mercy on my wicked soul.
I wouldn't mistreat you, baby, for my weight in gold.
I said, Lord, have mercy on my wicked soul.
You know I wouldn't mistreat nobody, baby, not for my weight in gold.
Well, I folded up my arms and I slowly walked away.
I said, "Farewell honey. I'll see you on Judgment Day."
Ah, yeah, oh, yes, I slowly walked away.
I said, "Farewell, farewell. I'll see you on the Judgment Day."
You know I went in my room. I bowed down to pray.
The blues came along and drove my spirit away.
I went in my room; I said I bowed down to pray.
I said the blues came along and drove my spirit away.
You know I didn't feel so bad 'til the good ol' sun went down.
I didn't have a soul to throw my arms around.
I didn't feel so bad 'til the good ol' sun went down.
You know, I didn't have nobody to throw my arms around.
I loved you, baby, like I love myself.
You don't have me, you won't have nobody else.
I loved you, baby, better than I did myself.
I said, now if you don't have me, I didn't want you to have nobody else.
You know, it's hard to love someone that don't love you.
Ain't no satisfaction, don't care what in the world you do.
Yeah, it's hard to love someone that don't love you.
You know it don't look like satisfaction, don't care what in the world you do.
Got up this mornin', just about the break of day,
A-huggin' the pillow where she used to lay.
Got up this mornin', just about the break of day,
A-huggin' the pillow where my good gal used to lay.
Got up this mornin', feelin' round for my shoes.
You know, I must 'a' had them old walkin' blues.
Got up this mornin', feelin' round for my shoes.
Yeah, you know by that, I must 'a' had them old walkin' blues.
You know, I cried last night and all the night before.
Gotta change my way o' livin', so I don't have to cry no more.
You know, I cried last night and all the night before.
Gotta change my way o' livin', you see, so I don't have to cry no more.
Ah, hush! Thought I heard her call my name,
If it wasn't so loud and so nice and plain.
Well, listen. Whatever you do,
This is one thing, honey: I tried to get along with you.
Yes, no tellin' what you do,
I done everything I could, just to try and get along with you.
Well, the minutes seemed like hours. Hours they seemed like days.
It seemed like my good old gal ought to done stopped her low-down ways.
Minutes seemed like hours. Hours they seemed like days.
Seems like my good old gal ought to done stopped her low-down ways.
You know, love's a hard ol' fall. Make you do things you don't wanna do.
Love sometimes leaves you feeling sad and blue.
You know, love's a hard ol' fall. Make you do things you don't wanna do.
Love sometimes make you feel sad and blue.
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