Since We Got the Blues. . .

Might as well wallow in it. The thing I love about this song, originally by Tom Waits, the tag line.

That's the spirit of the blues.

Molly be damned smote Jimmy the Harp
With a horrid little pistol and a lariat
She's goin to the bottom
And she's goin down the drain
Said she wasn't big enough to carry it

She got to get behind the Mule
In the morning and plow
She got to get behind the Mule
In the morning and plow
She got to get behind the Mule
In the morning and plow
She got to get behind the Mule
In the morning and plow

Choppity chop goes the axe in the woods
You gotta meet me by the fall down tree
Shovel of dirt upon a coffin lid
And I know they'll come lookin for me boys
And I know they'll come a-lookin for me

(CHORUS)

Got to get behind the Mule
In the morning and plow
Got to get behind the Mule
In the morning and plow
Got to get behind the Mule
In the morning and plow
Got to get behind the Mule
In the morning and plow

Big Jack Earl was 8'1
He stood in the road and he cried
He couldn't make her love him
Couldn't make her stay
But tell the good Lord that he tried

(Chorus)

Dusty trail from Atchison to Placerville
On the wreck of the Weaverville stage
Beaula fired on Beatty for a lemonade
I was stirring my brandy with a nail boys
Stirring my brandy with a nail

(Chorus)

Well the rampaging sons of the widow James
Jack the Cutter and the Pock Mark Kid
Had to stand naked at the bottom of the cross
And tell the Good Lord what they did
Tell the Good Lord what they did

(Chorus)

Punctuated birds on the power line
In a Studebaker with the Birdie Joe Joaks
I'm diggin all the way to China
With a silver spoon
While the hangman fumbles with the noose, boys
The hangman fumbles with the noose

(Chorus)

Pin your ear to the wisdom post
Pin your eye to the line
Never let the weeds get higher
Than the garden
Always keep a sapphire in your mind
Always keep a diamond in your mind

(Chorus)

Come morning, that mule gets a workout again. Me too.

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Blues In The Morning

Furry Lewis photo downloaded from Google

How Long Blues

I sometimes get the blues, sometimes I get honest to God clinical depression. There are a couple of things I do to check myself to see what's working on me.

First I assess what's going on. If there are things that worry, or make me sad going on, it's probably just that I'm being honest about my life and my situation. Sad isn't depression.

Second, I pick up a guitar and play some old, old blues. If I feel better, it's not depression, it's sadness. Blues helps.

From the great Furry Lewis.

How Long Blues

How long, Baby, how long,
Has that evening train been gone?

It been gone since that bloodred sun went down.

Thought I heard a whistle
Think I see a train
Train done took my baby
Left me here again
How long, how long, baby, how long?

Standing at the station
Looking down the track
Wonderin' 'bout that woman
Is she ever comin' back?
How long, how long, baby, how long?

How long?
How long?
Has it been since she been gone?
She been gone since that bloodred sun went down.

Looking for my baby, look as far as I can see
I ain't got no woman and Lord
These blues got me
How long, well, how long, baby how long?

How long?
How long?
Has that evening train been gone?

It been gone since that bloodred sun went down.

How long until election day?
How long will we be paying for the last seven years?

Will anything that happens in November make a difference?

I better get the bottleneck out.
This might take some time.

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Mississippi Blues Map

Seems everyone is posting up maps these days. Since the Mississippi primary is 4 days away I thought I would put this map up of the some 100 delta blues musicians birthplaces. Click the map for the detail via David Miller's website.

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