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Wabash Blues
Old-Time and Jazz song; Words by Dave Ringle and music by Fred Meinken
ARTIST: Home Town Boys/Delmore Brothers/ Hank Snow
CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes
EARLIEST DATE: 1921
RECORDING INFO: Wabash Blues [Me IV-M63] - Ringle, Dave/Meinken, Fred
Rm - Cumberland Blues
Blue Ridge Mountain Minstrels. Young Fogies, Vol. II, Rounder 0369, CD (1995), trk# 5
Hoosier Hot Shots. Everybody Stomp, Properbox 63, CD (2003), trk# 2.25 [1938/06/06]
Steele, Cye. Irish Walking Cane Fiddler, Black Bear BBR 1005, LP (196?), trk# A.04 [1964]
Trio from Reach. Memory Lane, Voyager VRLP 311-S, LP (1974), trk# 10
SOURCES: Indiana site; Folk Index; Kuntz
NOTES: One of the “uptown” numbers featured on Atlanta radio in the late 1920’s by the Home Town Boys, led by fiddler Clayton McMichen. It was also recorded in the late 1920’s by guitarist Hoke Rice, also an Atlanta native, for Brunswick Records (as Hoke Rice and His Hoky Poky Boys).
Wabash Blues, with words by Dave Ringle and music by Fred Meinken, was the first success for pianist, saxophonist and song composer Isham Jones (1894-1956). Recorded in 1921 by Isham Jones and his Orchestra, this million-seller stayed twelve weeks in the U.S. charts, six at No. 1.
The song has been recorded by a number of old-time and country artist using the chorus only. The list includes the Clayton McMichen, Delmore Bothers, Hank Snow, Johnny Cash and Jim Ed Brown.
WABASH BLUES- Words by Dave Ringle and music by Fred Meinken
VERSE: Nearly broken hearted since the day that I once started from my Wabash home Indiana's sweet and it's a place that's hard to beat, but then I longed to roam.
My old homestead I can now see, I had a girl as sweet as can be,
Now every day I'm lonesome, it's misery.
CHORUS: Oh, those Wabash blues,
I know I got my dues,
A lonesome soul am I,
I feel that I could die.
Candle light that gleams
Haunts me in my dreams
I'll pack my walking shoes
To lose those Wabash Blues.
Other lyrics variants:
A lonesome soul am I
I feel that I could cry
I've got to lose
Those Wabash blues.
I know I got my dues
Yes, I'll pack my walking shoes
I've got to lose
Those Wabash Blues.
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