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Death Letter Blues - Part 1 & 2
Traditional spiritual;
ARTIST:
SHEET MUSIC:
YOUTUBE: Death Letter Blues - Part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGsPAG22g3w
CATEGORY: Traditional and Shape-Note Gospel;
DATE: 1929 and 1933
RECORDING INFO: Death Letter Blues - Part 1
Leadbelly. King of the 12-String Guitar, Columbia CT 46776, Cas (1991), trk# 7 [1935/01/24]
RECORDING INFO: Death Letter Blues - Part 2
Leadbelly. King of the 12-String Guitar, Columbia CT 46776, Cas (1991), trk# 8 [1935/01/24]
OTHER NAMES: "Death Letter Blues"
RELATED TO:
SOURCES: Youtube; Weenie Campbell lyrics;
NOTES: "Death Letter Blues - Part 1 & 2" are two African-American blues-spirituals recorded by Leadbelly in 1935. Two versions of Death Letter Blues were also recorded by Son House in the early 1930s. The first one recorded in 1930, Son House called "My Black Mama, Part 2."
Death Letter Blues Part I - Leadbelly
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGsPAG22g3w
24 January 1935; ARC 16695-2 unissued; Transcribed from Leadbelly King of the 12-String Guitar, Columbia Roots 'N' Blues 467893; 12 string in standard down 6 semitones to B flat and played in A position, actual pitch is E flat
[Intro verse]
So many horse and buggies was standin' around
So many horse and buggies was a-standin' around
Waitin' to take my baby to the buryin' ground
[spoken] when they take his baby to the buryin' ground
He went to the preacher and put his hand on the preacher's shoulder
When they went to let her down here' what he told the preacher: [/spoken]
"You done taken my baby to the buryin' ground
You done taken my baby to the buryin' ground
You done break my heart Lord, when you let her down"
[spoken] He goes to the head board as her body was goin' home
And fell down on his knees
And here' what he said to his baby: [/spoken]
Yes he went to the head board, fell down on his knees
Ah, he went to the head board, fell down on his knees
If you would speak one word babe, give my heart some ease
[spoken] He goes back home to get him a bucket of water
And he goes to the well [/spoken]
You don't miss your water, 'til your well goes dry
Ah, miss your water, 'til your well goes dry
You don't miss pretty mama, shake your hand goodbye
[spoken] He goes back home, wanders 'round in the yard [/spoken]
Don't your house look lonesome when your woman done gone
Don't your house look lonesome when your woman done gone
I a-feel mistreated, but I won't let on
[Instrumental verse out]
Death Letter Blues Part II - Leadbelly. Part II has the discordant breaks in one of the verses in the outro. In the verse occurrence it's between two references to crying, so maybe he's making the guitar cry and sob. I really like the intro, he alternates the two common A7 chord shapes and joins them together with the bass line to make a very cool riff. Nifty lyric, assuming it's correct, is this gem: My Mama said "Howdy!" Papa said "Goodbye!"
It's hard to figure out just what is going on in the narrative, it seems to have little relationship to part I other than the obvious death thing. It's hard to know when he says "Mama" and "Papa" if he means his mother/father or partner/himself.
And what's with firstly going to the graveyard, then catching a train, to get home to see his gal laid low? Bizarre. I think he lost the plot, no pun intended, mentioning the graveyard early on, otherwise it could be a song about zombies.
Death Letter Blues Part II - Leadbelly; 24 January 1935; ARC 16696-2 unissued
Transcribed from Leadbelly King of the 12-String Guitar, Columbia Roots 'N' Blues 467893; 12 string in standard down 6 semitones to B flat and played in A position, actual pitch is E flat
[Intro verse]
Yes they wrote me a letter, what do you reckon it read?
Yes they wrote me a letter, what do you reckon it read?
Come home big papa, your lovin' baby's dead
[spoken] Sure enough he goes to the graveyard
He goes back home. He goes to his friend.
When he got that letter, he goes to the depot
And he catch the longest train he seen
And he didn't stop at no short stop
He read somethin', got it in the heart
And when he got home here with his, told his mama [/spoken]
Yes I went to the depot, [cause the train to fly ]
I went to the depot, caught the train [up long ]
When he walks in Lord, she was low lay down
[spoken] His Mama met him at the door step.
Papa run to the bed side, told his daughter and daughter-in-law goodbye [/spoken]
My Mama said "Howdy!" Papa said "Goodbye!"
My Mama said "Howdy!" Papa said "Goodbye!"
Poor boy couldn't do nothing but, hang his head and cry
[3 instrumental lines]
Poor boy couldn't do nothing but, hang his head and cry
[spoken] He went to the bedside and looked down in the baby's face
She didn't know him from nobody else 'cause it's too late
When he looked down in her face, here' what he said to his Mama: [/spoken]
Yes he went to the bed Lord, looked down in her face
Yes he went to the bed Lord, looked down in her face
"Lord I love you pretty mama, just can't take your place"
[Instrumental verse out, end on first bar of the V]
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