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The Blues Line: A Collection of Blues Lyrics
A large collection of blues lyrics from Leadbelly to Muddy waters. 283 lyrics in all! 137 artists, including leadbelly, Blind lemon jefferson, muddy watsers, howlin wolf, john lee hooker. Lyrics are arranged in sections; Somewhere to begin, Some women, Texas, New Orleans to Jackson, Mississippi the delta, Memphis, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina/St Louis/Virginia, Some piano's, Chicago, the 40's and 50's, Somewhere to end. 58 artists are illustrated in the book, by Jonathon Shahn. Beautifully designed book, nice text. Softback intact and clean and undamaged.
445 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1975
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August 8, 2023
I keep this book around and pick it up about once a month to read a few song lyrics. Reading lyrics from a page creates an entirely different experience than listening to them sung to music. For instance, I never appreciated just how darn gorgeous, clever, funny and poetic this Ma Rainey song was until I read it in this volume:
My daddy come home this mornin', drunk as he could be
My daddy come home this mornin', drunk as he could be
I knowed by that he's done got bad on me
He used to stay out late, now he don't come home at all
He used to stay out late, now he don't come home at all
(No kidding, either.)
I know there's another mule
been kicking in my stable
If you don't like my ocean, don't fish in my sea
If you don't like my ocean, don't fish in my sea
Stay out of my valley, let my mountain be
I ain't had no loving since God knows when
I ain't had no loving since God knows when
That's the reason I'm through with these no-good, trifling men
You'll never miss the sunshine till the rain begin to fall
You'll never miss the sunshine till the rain begin to fall
You'll never miss your ham till another mule be in your stall
I recommend this book if you want to go deeper in the blues. But I do wish the compiler had given us the dates when the songs were written and recorded.
My daddy come home this mornin', drunk as he could be
My daddy come home this mornin', drunk as he could be
I knowed by that he's done got bad on me
He used to stay out late, now he don't come home at all
He used to stay out late, now he don't come home at all
(No kidding, either.)
I know there's another mule
been kicking in my stable
If you don't like my ocean, don't fish in my sea
If you don't like my ocean, don't fish in my sea
Stay out of my valley, let my mountain be
I ain't had no loving since God knows when
I ain't had no loving since God knows when
That's the reason I'm through with these no-good, trifling men
You'll never miss the sunshine till the rain begin to fall
You'll never miss the sunshine till the rain begin to fall
You'll never miss your ham till another mule be in your stall
I recommend this book if you want to go deeper in the blues. But I do wish the compiler had given us the dates when the songs were written and recorded.
Displaying 1 of 1 review