1941 Robinsonville, Mississippi, Son House sat down with his guitar and recorded a session of blues songs that were to be preserved in the Library of Congress. The idea was to capture moments of time in history, arts, and literature and preserve them in our national archive for future generations. This session of recordings certainly did capture Son House in all his imperfect yet perfect representation of the state of the blues in the South at this time. You can find those original recordings on YouTube nowadays; one such person posted them on this channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4_wMa4lgkE.
On that day, more was captured than just Son House and his steel guitar. They also captured the Walkin’ Blues. No person, no song, no painting, and no orator has captured this specific feeling better than Son House. Since that time, many artists, such as Eric Clapton and the Grateful Dead, have covered this song for the same reason. They have felt this way too, and sometimes, ‘the minutes seem like hours, the hours seem like days’.
Do you have heartbreak? Do you have tough times ahead? Are you feeling tired, having to deal with the typical struggles of the day, and just do not feel like it? Are you tired of being rejected? Is someone stealing your Jelly Roll? Well, my friend, you have the walkin’ blues.
Well got up this morning, feeling ’round for my shoes
Know about that, I got the walkin’ blues
I said I got up this morning, I was feeling ’round for my shoes
I said you know about that now, I got the walkin’ blues
The blues ain’t nothing but a lowdown shaking chill
If you ain’t had ’em I hope you never will
Oh, the blues is a lowdown old aching chill
If you ain’t had ’em boys, I- I hope you never will
When you get worried drop me a line
If I don’t go crazy, honey, I’m going to lose my mind
When you get worried I said sit down and drop me a line
If I don’t go crazy, honey, I’m going to lose my mind
Your hair ain’t curly, your doggone eyes ain’t blue
If you don’t want me what the world I- I want with you?
Oh, your hair ain’t curly and your doggone eyes ain’t blue
I said now if you don’t want me, babe, what the wide world I want with you?
Don’t a man feel bad the Good Lord’s sun go down?
He don’t have nobody to throw his arms around
Can’t a man feel bad, I said when the Good Lord’s sun go down?
I said he don’t have a soul, not to throw his arms around
Looky here baby, what you want me to do?
I’ve done all I could just to get a-along with you
Looky here honey, what do you want poor me to do?
I say I’ve done all I could, honey, just to get along with you
You know I love my baby like the cow love to chew her cud
I’m layin’ round here though I ain’t doin’ no good
Ooh, I love you honey like the cow love to chew her cud
I’m layin’ round here, baby, but I- I sure ain’t doin’ no good
You know the minutes seem like hours, the hours seem like days
Seem like my baby don’t stop her lowdown ways
Oh, the minutes seem like hours, I said the hours, they seem like days
You know it seems like my bride never stop her old lowdown ways
I’m going to the gypsy now to have my fortune told
I believe somebody is stealing my jelly roll
I’m going to the gypsy, I believe I’ll have my fortune told
‘Cos I believe somebody is trying to steal my jelly roll
I got up this morning, feeling sick and bad
Thinking ’bout the good times that I once have had
I said soon this morning, I was feeling so sick and bad
You know I was thinking ’bout the good times now that I- I once have had
The sun is going down behind that old western hill
Yes, yes
Ooh, behind that old western hill
And I wouldn’t do nothing boys, not against my woman’s will
You know I’m going away, I’ll stay a great long time
I ain’t coming back here until you change your mind
Oh, I’m going away, I believe I’ll stay a great long time
I said I ain’t coming back, honey, until you change your mind
