Mary Johnson and Luella Miller: Peepin' At The Risin' Sun Blues

Luella Miller and Signifying Mary Johnson both sang the piano blues, apparently had a following, were based in St. Louis, recorded in Chicago, and were directly linked to Lonnie Johnson -- he provided instrumental accompaniment for Luella and was married to Mary. Lonnie ended up with neither, and they both stopped recording, first Luella and years later Mary. The man in this crew moved far away and continued playing the blues. What happened?

In any event, Luella Miller recorded "Peeping At The Rising Sun Blues" in Chicago on April 26, 1927, with Lonnie Johnson and another musician providing backup; Mary Johnson recorded her own completely different version -- "Peepin' At The Risin' Sun" -- on August 18, 1934, also in Chicago, with Ike Rodgers on trombone and Henry Brown on piano.  By this time, she and Lonnie Johnson were divorced by a couple of years and Luella had disappeared from the mainstream historical record. 

Here are my transcriptions for both songs. Luella Miller's slurring voice is much harder for me to decipher; the quick and dirty transcription below is only accurate enough to show how distinctly different the two songs are, aside from the more or less shared title.  In this case, Luella Miller's song is more mysterious and rawer, and more interesting.  

I. "Peepin' At The Risin' Sun" by Mary Johnson (1934)

I woke up this morning
Peepin' at the risin' sun
I woke up this morning
Peepin' at the risin' sun
I was wonderin' and thinkin'
What in the world had I done?

I'm gettin' bad breaks people
Seems like everything I do is wrong
I'm gettin bad breaks people
Seems like everything I do is wrong
Even to my good man
Some no good woman has got him and gone.

I'm going to the Gypsy
And have my fortune told
I'm going to the Gypsy
And have my fortune told
Because I'm a poor gal here
Ain't got a living soul.

Ah, play 'em for me 'cause I got the blues!

I woke up this morning
Peepin' at the risin' sun
I woke up this morning
Peepin' at the risin' sun
Thinking how my good man
And everything that he had done.

Sometimes he make me moan
And sometimes he make me cry
Sometimes he make me moan
And sometimes he make me cry
And the way he treats his Mama
Sometimes he make me wish that I could die.

II. "Peeping At The Rising Sun Blues" by Luella Miller (1927)

Went up on the mountain
Peepin' at the risin' sun
Went up on the mountain
Peepin' at the risin' sun
Had the blues all night
Be glad that morning come.

I'm not no flower
Daddy don't play for me
I ain't no flavor
Daddy don't play for me
I'm so hard lucked up
And money's what I need.

Got a letter from Chicago
Maybe this is the way it goes
Letter from Chicago
Maybe there's a way he's back
The man he was loaded
Deep down in the bank.

I arrived in Chicago
Just about a quarter to four
'Rived in Chicago
Just about a quarter to four
All the . . . and . . . were
Lined up in front of my door.

I said listen here Mr Hertzman
Would you please ride my rider slow
Listen here Mr Hertzman
Please drive my rider slow
He's the man that I'm lovin' now
Sure hate to see him go.

Today's Rune: Warrior.