|
New Minglewood Blues;
See Also: Minglewood Blues
Traditional 12 bar Blues Tune; Widely known
ARTIST: Noah Lewis; info from Grateful Dead page (unedited)
CATEGORY: Blues Jazz Bluegrass Songs; DATE: Early 1900’s; 1928 Cannon's Jug Stompers
RECORDING INFO: Minglewood Blues - Lewis, Noah
Cannon's Jug Stompers. Anthology of American Folk Music, Smithsonian/Folkways SFW 40090, CD( (1997), trk# 59 [1928/01/30]
Cannon's Jug Stompers. Cannon's Jug Stompers. The Complete Works. 1927-30, Yazoo 1082/3, Cas (1989), trk# 1
Watson, Doc and Merle. Lonesome Road, United Artists UA-LA725G, LP (1977), trk# 2
Old Crow Medicine Show
RELATED TO: Many different blues are similar melodically including "Rollin' and Tumblin' " and "If I had Possession of Judgement Day."
OTHER NAMES: “New Minglewood Blues (different lyrics)”
SOURCES: Folk Index;
NOTES: Minglewood Blues, attributed to Noah Lewis with Cannon's Jug Stompers, is melodically similar to several blues and is similar to Rollin' and Tumblin' and "If I had Possession of Judgement Day." Noah Lewis recorded another blues titled "New Minglewood Blues" with different lyrics in 1930 that was covered by the Grateful Dead and other groups.
Hambone Willie Newbern's version of "Roll And Tumble Blues" predates Muddy Waters well-known version.
My blues song titled "No More Trouble Blues" uses the traditional lyrics found in the first verse of "Minglewood Blues."
Here are the lyrics to “New Minglewood Blues” by Noah Lewis
New Minglewood Blues by Noah Lewis Recorded 1930
A song written in the 1920's and played by the Dead right from 1966 through to 1995. Bob Weir has also played it with most of his solo bands. Also played by the New Riders of the Purple Sage - see below
This is the version the Dead sang most of their career, though not all verses were sung each time. It was recorded as "All New Minglewood Blues" on "Shakedown Street":
I was born in a desert, raised in a lion's den
I was born in a desert, raised in a lion's den
And my number one occupation is stealing women from their men
Well I'm a wanted man in Texas, busted jail and I'm gone for good
Well I'm a wanted man in Texas, busted jail and I'm gone for good
Well the sheriff couldn't catch me
But his little girl sure wished she would
Yes and the doctor call me crazy, some says I am some says I ain't (note a)
Yes and the doctor call me crazy, some says I am some says I ain't
The preacher man call me a sinner, but his little girl call me a saint
Well a couple of shots of whiskey, women round here start lookin' good
Well a couple of shots of whiskey, women round here start lookin' good (note b)
Couple more shots of whiskey, I'm goin' back to Minglewood
It's T for Texas, yes and it's T for Timbuctoo (note c)
It's T for Texas, yes and it's T for Timbuctoo
Yes and it's T for [San Francisco - or wherever!]
Where the little girls know what to do
The version on the Dead's first LP (called "New New Minglewood Blues") was rather different:
I was born in a desert, raised in a lion's den
I was born in a desert, raised in a lion's den
And my number one occupation is stealing women from their men
If you're ever in Memphis, better stop by Minglewood
If you're ever in Memphis, better stop by Minglewood
Well take a walk down town, the women sure look good
If you can't believe me, don't make it hard to believe in you
If you can't believe me, don't make it hard to believe in you
'Cause we all need each other, well you know it's true
Notes
(a) Bobby sometimes sang "... sometimes, I am sometimes I ain't" (thanks to Dan Franzen for pointing this out). Another variant is "... some say I am, I say I ain't"
(b) Bobby varied this line too - "Couple of shots of whiskey, those [Dayton/Long Island/etc] girls start looking good."
(c) OK: there are lots of different ways to spell "Timbuctoo." "Timbuktu" is a common modern spelling. "Tomboctou" is the French spelling. Other spellings include "Tumbutu" (the Koyra Chiini language version). (Thanks (?!) to Dan Franzen for stimulating this footnote).
Grateful Dead Recordings
Date Album
studio 1967 The Grateful Dead (first album) (note 1)
29 Apr 1971 Ladies And Gentlemen ... The Grateful Dead
25 Sep 1976 Dick's Picks Vol 20
28 Sep 1976 Dick's Picks Vol 20
9 Oct 1976 Dick's Picks Vol 33
21 May 1977 Dick's Picks Vol 29
28 May 1977 To Terrapin: Hartford '77
8 Jun 1977 Winterland June 1977 - The Complete Recordings
3 Sep 1977 Dick's Picks Vol 15
5 Nov 1977 Dick's Picks Vol 34
29 Dec 1977 Dick's Picks Vol 10
studio 1978 Shakedown Street
5 Feb 1978 Dick's Picks Vol 18
11 May 1978 Dick's Picks Vol 25
16 Sep 1978 Rocking The Cradle: Egypt 1978 (CD and DVD)
24 Nov 1978 Shakedown Street (note 2)
26 Dec 1979 Dick's Picks Vol 5
30 Dec 1979 Road Trips Vol 3, No 1 (bonus disc)
16 May 1980 Go To Nassau
10 Oct 1980 Dead Set
6 May 1981 Dick's Picks Vol 13
24 Jul 1987 View From The Vault IV (DVD & CD soundtrack)
3 Oct 1987 View From The Vault III (DVD & CD soundtrack)
14 Oct 1989 Weir Here: The Best Of Bob Weir
8 Jul 1990 View From The Vault (video/DVD & CD soundtrack)
Recordings from dead.net Tapers Section
3 Oct 1976 link to tapers' page (Sugaree>Minglewood Blues )
29 Apr 1977 link to tapers' page
17 May 1977 link to tapers' page (New Minglewood Blues, Mississippi Half-Step>El Paso )
26 May 1977 link to tapers' page (Looks Like Rain, Jack-A-Roe, New Minglewood Blues, Bertha )
28 May 1977 link to tapers' page (Jack Straw, Row Jimmy, New Minglewood Blues, Candyman, Passenger, Brown-Eyed Women )
28 May 1977 link to tapers' page (Jack Straw, Row Jimmy, New Minglewood Blues, Candyman )
29 Dec 1977 link to tapers' page (Jack Straw, They Love Each Other, New Minglewood Blues, Sugaree )
6 May 1978 link to tapers' page (Sugaree, New Minglewood Blues, Peggy-O, Beat It On Down The Line, Loser )
13 May 1978 link to tapers' page (New Minglewood Blues>Candyman )
4 Dec 1979 link to tapers' page
11 Dec 1979 link to tapers' page (Easy To Love You>New Minglewood Blues, China Cat Sunflower>I Know You Rider )
26 Nov 1980 link to tapers' page (On The Road Again, Jack-A-Roe, Minglewood Blues, It Must Have Been The Roses, The Race Is On, Althea>Lost Sailor>Saint Of Circumstance>Deal )
4 Jul 1981 link to tapers' page
14 Jun 1984 link to tapers' page (Minglewood Blues, Brown Eyed Women, Jack Straw, Day Job )
30 Jul 1988 link to tapers' page (Let The Good Times Roll, Feel Like A Stranger, Loser, New Minglewood Blues, Row Jimmy, Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again, When Push Comes To Shove, The Music Never Stopped )
18 Jul 1989 link to tapers' page (New Minglewood Blues, Friend Of The Devil, Memphis Blues, Bird Song, Promised Land )
14 Oct 1989 link to tapers' page (Touch Of Grey>New Minglewood Blues )
26 Jun 1994 link to tapers' page
"The Dead" Concert Recordings
Note: downloads and CDs from the 2003 and 2004 tours were available from Munckmusic.com 22 Jun 2003 Tweeter Center, Great Woods, Mansfield MA
10 Jul 2003 Red Rocks Amphitheater, Morrison, CO
3 Aug 2003 Float Rite Amphitheater, Somerset, WI
9 Aug 2003 Jones Beach Theater, Wantagh, NY
18 Jun 2004 Red Rocks Amphitheater, Morrison, CO
26 Jun 2004 Shoreline Amphitheater, Mountain View, CA
23 Jul 2004 UMB Bank Pavilion, Maryland Heights, MO
11 Aug 2004 PNC Arts Center, Holmdel, NJ
17 Apr 2009 Times Union Center, Albany, NY
Bob Weir Recordings
Date Album Recorded By
3 Apr 1976 In Concert (King Biscuit Flower Hour) Kingfish
25 Apr 2001 Live At The Roseland Ratdog
Ratdoglive CDs and downloads
Note: downloads and CDs before 21 March 2008 used to be available from Munckmusic.com 14 Oct 2003 Disco Rodeo, Raleigh, NC
1 Nov 2003 Eagles Ballroom, Milwaukee, WI
8 Nov 2003 Promowest Pavilion, Columbus, OH
15 Nov 2003 The Pageant, St Louis, MO
24 Feb 2004 Jubilee Theatre, Las Vegas, NV
5 Mar 2004 Roseland Theatre, Portland, OR
13 Mar 2004 Harry O's, Park City, UT
2 Apr 2004 The Palladium, Worcester, MA
15 Sep 2004 Cain's Ballroom, Tulsa, OK
5 Feb 2005 Celebrity Theatre, Phoenix, AZ
31 Mar 2005 The Rave, Milwaukee, WI
12 Apr 2005 Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ
20 Apr 2005 Lupo's At The Strand, Providence, RI
27 Apr 2005 9:30 Club, Washington, DC
9 Jun 2005 PromoWest Pavilion, Columbus, OH
7 Aug 2005 Charlottesville Pavilion, Charlottesville, VA
27 Oct 2005 Riviera Theatre, Chicago, IL
4 Nov 2005 Palace Theatre, Greensburg, PA
14 Nov 2005 Orange Peel, Asheville, NC
2 Dec 2005 Fillmore Auditorium, Denver, CO
13 Dec 2005 Grand Ballroom, San Francisco, CA
21 Mar 2006 Premier Music Hall, Danbury, CT
24 Aug 2006 Casino Ballroom, Hampton Beach, NH
20 Oct 2006 Riviera Theatre, Chicago, IL
6 Nov 2006 Sherman Theatre, Stroudsburg, PA
18 Nov 2006 Mizner Park Amphitheatre, Boca Raton, FL
11 Feb 2007 House of Blues, Las Vegas, NV
4 Mar 2007 Palace Theatre, Greensburg, PA
19 Mar 2007 Ram's Head Live, Baltimore, MD
10 Jul 2007 Bank Of America Pavilion, Boston, MA
24 Jul 2007 Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO
11 Aug 2007 Gathering of the Vibes, Bridgeport, CT
22 Aug 2007 PNC Bank Arts Center, Holmdel, NJ
30 Oct 2007 North Fork Theatre, Westbury, NY
14 Nov 2007 Florida Theatre, Jacksonville, FL
28 Mar 2008 Royal Oak Theatre, Royal Oak, MI
3 Apr 2008 Beacon Theatre, New York, NY
23 Jun 2008 Idaho Botanical Garden, Boise, ID
10 Aug 2008 Up North Festival, Hiram, ME
27 Aug 2008 DTE Energy Music Theatre, Clarkston, MI
30 Oct 2008 Capital One Bank Theatre, Westbury, NY
9 Nov 2008 Klein Memorial Auditorium, Bridgeport, CT
29 Jan 2009 Grand Lido Negril Beach Resort and Spa, Negril, Jamaica
14 Jul 2009 Penn's Peak, Jim Thorpe, PA
26 Aug 2009 Wilma Theater, Missoula, MT
23 Oct 2009 Beacon Theater, New York, NY
Phil Lesh and Friends Digital Download Series
29 Jan 2008 Crystal Ballroom, Portland, OR
3 Nov 2008 Nokia Theatre, New York City, NY
13 Nov 2008 Nokia Theatre, New York City, NY
Furthur Digital Downloads and CDs
11 Dec 2009 Oakdale Theatre, Wallingford, CT
10 Feb 2010 Bojangles Coliseum, Charlotte, NC
19 Feb 2010 Mullins Center, University of Massachusets, Amherst. MA
New Riders Recordings
Date Album
2009 Where I Come From
Other Dead-related Recordings
Date Album Recorded By
16 Jun 2004 Mick's Picks, Volume 3 Jefferson Starship (with Tom Constanten)
Notes
(1) also on the compilation What A Long Strange Trip It's Been
(2) issued as a bonus track on the version in the box set Beyond Description (1973-1990)
Roots
The Grateful Dead's version on their first LP was a modified version of the song by Noah Lewis, recorded in 1930, on which it was originally based ("New Minglewood Blues"):
I was born in a desert, raised in a lion's den
I was born in a desert, raised in a lion's den
And my regular occupation is seeking women from other men
When you come to Memphis, please stop by Minglewood
When you come to Memphis, please stop by Minglewood
The women in the camp don't mean no man no good
"New Minglewood Blues" was itself a complete rewrite of the song "Minglewood Blues" that Noah Lewis had previously recorded with Canon's Jug Stompers in 1928:
Don't you never let one woman rule your mind
Don't you never let one woman rule your mind
Then she keep you worried, troubled all the time
Don't you wish your fairer was little and cute like mine
Don't you wish your fairer was little and cute like mine
She's a married woman, but she comes to me sometime
Don't you never let no woman rule your mind
Don't you never let no woman rule your mind
Then she keep you troubled, worried all the time
Well I got a letter Lord, and you oughta heard it read
Well I got a letter Lord, and you oughta heard it read
Baby I'm coming back baby, and I'll be all in red
The New Riders' version is based on this original version, but with a couple of verses added from Charley Patton's "Screamin' And Hollerin' The Blues."
Don't you never let one woman rule your mind
I said, don't you never let one woman rule your mind
Because she give you trouble, worries all the time
I got a letter and you oughta heard it read
I got me a letter and you oughta heard it read
She said, me coming home darling, and I'll be all in red
Jackson on a high hill, mama, Natchez just below
Jackson on a high hill, mama, Natchez just below
If I ever get back home, I won't be here no more
My mama's getting old, and her hair is turning grey
My mama's getting old, and her hair is turning grey
Don't you know it'll break her heart, my leaving this a-way
When you come to Memphis, stop by Minglewood
When you come to Memphis, stop by Minglewood
Just 'cause those women in the camp, don't do no man no good
For more background, see the pages on Minglewood Blues and In Search Of Minglewood on the Roots Of The Grateful Dead site.
Eric Levy has discovered a verse in a song called "It Won't Be Long" recorded by Charley Patton in 1929 that may be a source for Noah Lewis's "New Minglewood Blues" recorded almost two years later:
You ever go down to Memphis, stop by Minglewood
You ever go down to Memphis, stop by Minglewood
You Memphis women don' mean no man no good
John L Yarbro, Jr. sent me an email with additional background:
"New Minglewood Blues was originally written about a company mill village, Menglewood, Tennessee (built by the Menglewood Box Company) which my grandfather purchased along with the former woodlands in the 1920's, cleared and farmed. The property is still in my family. My father grew up in Menglewood, but it was a lot tamer after my grandfather moved his people there. Local history about Menglewood as a company town paint it as wild and wide open with whiskley, women and gambling. Menglewood is located about 78 miles north of Memphis, Tennessee, alongside the Obion River which is in the Mississippi River floodplain."
"This image is from 1938 I think, as it shows my father holding a horse in front of the old office building, which my grandparents used as a home from 1921 till 1939, when they moved permanently to Dyersburg. That would put my father at about age 17. There is someone sitting up on the porch, holding a child with a dog standng in front of them too. I imagine that would be my grandmother, but I haven't been able to zoom in well enough to know for sure. Note how high the structure is off the ground. This allowed it to be occupied during the yearly floods. I remember my father showing this building to me as a child in the 1960's as well as another structure. He also explained how the village was laid out,which by that time was mostly gone. I remember him talking about the ark(?) a road where gambling houses and such had been, which after my grandfather took over had been razed and ploughed over. My father told me they would often find coins out there when plowing or after a rain. All that now remains are a concrete vault that was inside the office building and the old millworks which consist of concrete boiling vats and brick furnaces."
|