Mary Johnson recorded "Death Cell Blues" in Chicago on April 8, 1930. She was accompanied by Judson Brown on piano and Tampa Red (Hudson Whittaker, 1904-1981) on guitar. Here's my transcription of the lyrics:
"Death Cell Blues" by Mary Johnson
I killed my man last year
Lord, the man I really loved
I killed my man last year
Lord, the man I really loved
He did not treat me right
Now he’s
With the good Lord above.
Women don’t never love so hard
Until you take your good man’s heart
Women don’t never love so hard
Until you take your good man’s heart
When they put you in the death cell
The whole world seems stopped.
Lord, Lord, I’m bound for the death cell!
Well, I’m bound for the death cell
Lord I ain’t got no time
Well, I’m bound for the death cell
Lord I ain’t got no time
For I killed the man I loved
And it keeps on worrying my mind.
My time alone
Lord, my time alone
My time alone
Lord, my time alone
For I’m bound for the death cell
That’s why I’m
Singing this lonesome song.
Blind Willie McTell (1898/1901/1903-1959) of Georgia cut his own "Death Cell Blues" in 1933. The content is entirely different, about a man (the singer) falsely accused of crimes -- murder, burglary and forging -- he did not commit. "They got me accused of forging, and I can't even write my name."
Today's Rune: Harvest.
It's interesting to encounter the history of songs. At the Celtic music festival I just attended, one singer discusses the various versions of Streets of Laredo, from The Bard of Armagh which preceded it to the New Orleans version, St. James Infirmary. Interesting stuff.
ReplyDeleteThe rapture of the deep: just read about Bob Dylan's homage to Blind Willie McTell to the tune of "St. James Infirmary." Everything's eerily connected, it's cool.
ReplyDeleteAll music is interconnected to that which came before and that which was built from it.
ReplyDeleterunning running, as fast as we can...
ReplyDeletenot sure why that's a comment. always running ? how do you do it, Erik ? You're having so much fun.
I liked that.
ReplyDeleteHey thanks all for the comments~
ReplyDeletet.-sometimes I'm "nailed" to a Help Desk and in between folks I can do fun stuff like this.
Cheers, all~