Blues Lamentations from Years of Prohibition and The Great Depression

Another pairing of St. Louis-based Chicago-recording blues singers Luella Miller and Signifying Mary Johnson. The first up, "Those Black Man Blues," was probably intended to be "funny," but there's no denying the bleakness of the second one, "East St. Louis Blues." Rendered here are my transcriptions in reverse chronological order: Mary Johnson (singing with Ike Rodgers on trombone and Henry Brown on piano), August 18, 1934; Luella Miller ("and Her Dago Hill Strutters"), April 26, 1927.

"Those Black Man Blues" by Mary Johnson (1934)

I got a black man in Chicago
And one in Detroit, too
But my black man in Louisiana
Lord he really just won't do.

Black man, black man
What do you want from me to do?
Black man, black man
What do you want from me to do?
I have given you all of my money
And that's all a poor woman can do.

Ah, my black man gives me the blues.

Lord I don't feel welcome
In Chicago anymore
Lord I don't feel welcome
In Chicago anymore
Because my black man has told me
He couldn't use me anymore.

I'm gonna take my black man to Louisiana
Down in New Orleans
I'm gonna take my black man to Louisiana
Down in New Orleans
Put the hoodoo women on him
Because he treats me so mean.


"East St. Louis Blues" by Luella Miller (1927)

East St. Louis to the river
River to the deep blue sea
East St. Louis to the river
River to the deep blue sea
I don't get my Daddy
I don't care what becomes of me.

I'm gonna take some poison
Maybe to kill myself
Take some poison
Maybe to kill myself
I don't get my Daddy
Don't want nobody else.

Every time that lonesome church bell tolls
Every time lonesome church bell tolls
Make me think about my mother
That is dead and gone.

Mmmmmmmmmmhhhh
Lord lord lord lord lord
Mmmmmmmmmmhhhh
Lord lord lord lord lord

I think about my mother
Maybe that's dead and gone.

Today's Rune: The Mystery Rune.