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Good Morning Blues
Traditional Blues Tune; Widely known
ARTIST: Leadbelly http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nh-hr2YxwoY
CATEGORY: Blues Jazz Bluegrass Songs; DATE: Early 1900’s; Early version published: Howard W. Odum and Guy B. Johnson, Negro Workaday Songs (Chapel Hill:
University of North Carolina Press, 1926)
RECORDING INFO: Good Morning/Mornin' Blues
Silverman, Jerry (ed.) / Folksingers Guitar Guide, Oak, Sof (1961), p54
Brewer, Jim. Jim Brewer, Philo 1003, LP (1974), trk# A.04
Griffith, Andy. Andy Griffith Shouts the Blues and other Old Timey Songs, Capitol T 1105, LP (1959), trk# A.06
Leadbelly. Good Night, Irene, Allegro LEG 9025, LP (196?), trk# 10 [1939]
Leadbelly. Silverman, Jerry (ed.)/ Art of the Folk-Blues Guitar, Oak, Sof (1964), p30
Leadbelly. Lomax, John & Alan Lomax (eds.) / Leadbelly. A Collection of World Famou, Folkways, sof (1959), p28
Leadbelly. Lomax, Alan / Folksongs of North America, Doubleday Dolphin, Sof (1975/1960), p586/#311
Morrison, Van;, Lonnie Donegan, and Chris Barber. Skiffle Sessions, Virgin 8 48307 2 4, CD (2000), trk# 4
Roth, Arlen. Roth, Arlen / How to Play Blues Guitar, Acorn Music Press, sof (1976), p17
Roth, Arlen. Roth, Arlen / Traditional Country and Electric Slide Guitar, Oak, sof (1975), p 52
Silverman, Jerry. Silverman, Jerry (ed.)/ Art of the Folk-Blues Guitar, Oak, Sof (1964), p32
Traum, Happy. Traum, Happy / Blues Bag, Consolidated Music, Sof (1968), p15
White, Josh. Josh White Stories, Vol. 2, ABC ABC-166, LP (196?), trk# A.01
Good Morning Mr. Walker
RELATED TO: Many different blues use the "Good morning blues" verse, which is a floating verse.
OTHER NAMES: “Good Mornin' Blues” “I Want to See Santa Claus” “Woke Up Dis Mornin'” “Morning Blues”
SOURCES: Journal of American Folklore XXIV 278; Handy/Silverman-Blues, pp. 190-192, "Atlanta Blues (Make Me One Pallet on Your Floor)" (1 text, 1 tune, loosely based on this song); Darling-NAS, pp. 292-294, "Lovin' Babe" (1 text, composite of floating verses including this one); Blues: An Anthology, edited by W.C. Handy (1926; 1946; Macmillan, 1972, p. 190-192; with music) Library of Congress by Vance Randolph from Ozark Mountain fiddlers;
NOTES: Good Morning Blues is a traditional blues that evolved from African-American worksongs. It was collected by Howard Odum (1926) and popularized by Leadbelly and found in a different lyric version by Count Basie (Jimmy Rushing) from 1937. The Count Basie song usually is known as Good Monring Blues (I Want to See Santa Claus) and uses the standard tradtional opening line with a variation on the answering (last) line:
Good morning blues, blues how do you do,
Good morning blues, blues how do you do,
Babe, I feel alright, but I come to worry you!
Good Morning Blues is usually a converstion with the blues. The blues becomes a person and the singer converses with the blues. I use the related, "Woke up this morning, blues round my bed" lyrics in my version of Good Mornin' Blues. The "Woke up this morning" line is found in most versions including Leadbelly's classic version.
Collected by Odum [Howard W. Odum and Guy B. Johnson, Negro Workaday Songs (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1926)]:
Uusally the first line is repeated:
Well, I woke up dis mornin', Had blues all 'round my bed;
Well, I woke up dis mornin', Had blues all 'round my bed;
I believe to my soul, Blues gonna kill me dead.
Since "Good Morning blues" is a floating verse found in many blues, a version would need to have one other related verse involving a conversation with the blues or using the "woke up dis morning" verse.
Here are the lyrics to “Good Morning Blues” by Count Basie:
GOOD MORNING BLUES (Count Basie)
Count Basie (m) Eddie Durham (m) Jimmy Rushing (l) 1937
Jimmy Rushing w Count Basie & his Orch
rec August 9th 1937 New York
Good morning blues, blues how do you do,
Good morning blues, blues how do you do,
Babe, I feel alright, but I come to worry you!
Babe, it's Christmas time and I wanna see Santa Claus,
Babe, it's Christmas time and I wanna see Santa Claus,
Don't show me, my pretty baby, I'll break all the laws!
Santa Claus, Santa Claus, listen to my plea,
Santa Claus, Santa Claus, listen to my plea,
Don't send me nothin' for Christmas but my baby back to me!
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