Recorded on June 14th, 1929 in Richmond Indiana, this song describes a situation where the sheriff is harassing Charley for having liquor which was illegal at the time
Laid down last night, hopin' I would have my peace, eee
I laid down last night, hopin' I would have my peace, eee
But when I woke up, Tom Rushen (1) was shakin' me
When you get in trouble, it's no use to screamin' and cryin', hmm
When you get in trouble, it's no use to screamin' and cryin', hmm
Tom Rushen will take you, back to the prison house flyin'
It were late one night, Halloway (2) was gone to bed, hmm
It were late one night, Halloway was gone to bed, hmm
Mister Day brought whiskey taken from under Halloway's head
An' it's boozy booze, now, Lord, to cure these blues
It takes boozy boo', Lord, to cure these blues
But each day seems like years in the jailhouse where there is no boo'
I got up this mornin', Tom Day was standin' 'round
I got up this mornin', Tom Day was standin' 'round
If he lose his office now, he's runnin' from town to town
Let me tell you folksies just how he treated me
Let me tell you folksies just how he treated me
Aw, he caught me yellin', I was drunk as I could be
I laid down last night, hopin' I would have my peace, eee
But when I woke up, Tom Rushen (1) was shakin' me
When you get in trouble, it's no use to screamin' and cryin', hmm
When you get in trouble, it's no use to screamin' and cryin', hmm
Tom Rushen will take you, back to the prison house flyin'
It were late one night, Halloway (2) was gone to bed, hmm
It were late one night, Halloway was gone to bed, hmm
Mister Day brought whiskey taken from under Halloway's head
An' it's boozy booze, now, Lord, to cure these blues
It takes boozy boo', Lord, to cure these blues
But each day seems like years in the jailhouse where there is no boo'
I got up this mornin', Tom Day was standin' 'round
I got up this mornin', Tom Day was standin' 'round
If he lose his office now, he's runnin' from town to town
Let me tell you folksies just how he treated me
Let me tell you folksies just how he treated me
Aw, he caught me yellin', I was drunk as I could be
Note.
(1) Charley Patton was actually singing about Tom Rushing, who was elected sheriff of Merigold in 1928 and served in that office until 1932.
To explain the names and references in the song, Tom Rushing was the sheriff in Merigold ( Mississipi ) from 1928 to 1932; Tom Day was either Rushing’s deputy sheriff or his predecessor as sheriff of Merigold. Tom Day apparently lost the 1928 election to Tom Rushing. This is apparently what Patton means with the line, “If he lose his office now, he’s runnin’ from town to town.”
(2) “Halloway” was a local bootlegger who made illegal whisky. Patton’s line about “Mister Day brought whiskey taken from under Halloway’s head” apparently refers to the Sheriff’s seizure of illegal liquor from Halloway.
“An apparent arrest for drunkeness led Charlie Patton to concoct a sedate blues that smacks of an attempt to curry favor with the recently-installed high sheriff of Merigold, O.T. Rushing, who had assumed office in 1928 and would hold that position for the next four years
mississippibluestravellers.com
envoyé par Pluck - 14/1/2025 - 13:12
Langue: anglais
The tune of “High Sheriff Blues” is basically the same as Charley Patton’s earlier recording of “Tom Rushen Blues,” about an encounter Patton had with Tom Rushing, the sheriff in Merigold, Mississippi, a few years earlier.
Charley Patton’s “High Sheriff Blues,” recorded for Paramount Records in 1934, is about Charley Patton’s incarceration in the old Belzoni* Jail, in Belzoni, Mississippi , circa 1934.
....
Charley Patton had been a witness to a murder and was held in the old Belzoni jail as a material witness.
....
The lyrics about how “Mr. Will” put Charley Patton “in a cellar, just as dark as it could be…” and how “Mr. Purvis told Mr. Will to, let poor Charley down” doesn’t suggest Patton had any feelings of good will toward “Mr. Will.” “Mr. Purvis,” on the other hand, comes across as Charley Patton’s protector or benefactor.
Mississippi Blues
....
Charley Patton had been a witness to a murder and was held in the old Belzoni jail as a material witness.
....
The lyrics about how “Mr. Will” put Charley Patton “in a cellar, just as dark as it could be…” and how “Mr. Purvis told Mr. Will to, let poor Charley down” doesn’t suggest Patton had any feelings of good will toward “Mr. Will.” “Mr. Purvis,” on the other hand, comes across as Charley Patton’s protector or benefactor.
Mississippi Blues
HIGH SHERIFF BLUES - CHARLEY PATTON -1934
Get in trouble at Belzoni*, there ain't no use a-screamin'
And cryin'
Get in trouble in Belzoni, there ain't no use a-screamin'
And cryin'
Mr. Will will take you, back to Belzoni jailhouse flyin'.
Le' me tell you folksies, how he treated me
Le' me tell you folksies, how he treated me
An' he put me in a cellar, just as dark as it could be.
There I laid one evenin', Mr. Purvis was standin' 'round
There I laid one evenin', Mr. Purvis was standin' 'round
Mr. Purvis told Mr. Will to let poor Charley down.
It takes booze and blues, Lord, to carry me through
Takes booze and blues, Lord, to carry me through
But it did seem like years, in a jailhouse where there is
no boo'.
I got up one mornin', feelin' awe, hmm
I got up one mornin', feelin' mighty bad, hmm
An' it might not a-been them Belzoni jail I had.
(Blues I had, boys).
While I was in trouble, ain't no use a-screamin'
When I was in prison, it ain't no use a-screamin and
cryin'
Mr. Purvis the onliest man could ease that pain of mine.
Get in trouble at Belzoni*, there ain't no use a-screamin'
And cryin'
Get in trouble in Belzoni, there ain't no use a-screamin'
And cryin'
Mr. Will will take you, back to Belzoni jailhouse flyin'.
Le' me tell you folksies, how he treated me
Le' me tell you folksies, how he treated me
An' he put me in a cellar, just as dark as it could be.
There I laid one evenin', Mr. Purvis was standin' 'round
There I laid one evenin', Mr. Purvis was standin' 'round
Mr. Purvis told Mr. Will to let poor Charley down.
It takes booze and blues, Lord, to carry me through
Takes booze and blues, Lord, to carry me through
But it did seem like years, in a jailhouse where there is
no boo'.
I got up one mornin', feelin' awe, hmm
I got up one mornin', feelin' mighty bad, hmm
An' it might not a-been them Belzoni jail I had.
(Blues I had, boys).
While I was in trouble, ain't no use a-screamin'
When I was in prison, it ain't no use a-screamin and
cryin'
Mr. Purvis the onliest man could ease that pain of mine.
Note.
envoyé par Pluck - 16/1/2025 - 21:24
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