Son House "Preachin' Blues"

[TheBlogmocracy]

man, too much discussion. sounds like an argument about religion by the holier than thou. I'll just sit here and enjoy the blues.

[BaguaChannel]

Ya'll listed good, because the preacher from Bogmocracy has just schooled you!

Blues is in the heart and to each his own love for the greats!

[BaguaChannel]

Ha! Good discussion.

[homelyrefresher]

Beautiful!! Praise The Lord!!!

[Bigmoma2010]

The Answer - do a great "Norn Iron" take on this song.

[elleng222]

What about Charley Patton?

[badpdx]

@MrChristmasjumpers: lyrics you find on Google are often wrong. In fact, they are usually wrong. Google is not the final word when it comes to lyrics, especially of songs from the 1920's and 30's that were never formally published as sheet music.

The lyric is "and I sure won't have to work." Listen to the original recording from 1930 and you'll hear it quite clearly.

[rfw45]

Im sorry Keith Richards and Eric Clapton. Let us American's pick our own blues icons. Son House, Bukka White and others I could mention are just as or more relavent than your holy Robert Johnson. Comments?

[AbsintheColour]

@rfw45 yeah, Leadbelly, Fred McDowell, Blind Lemon, Big Joe Williams...oh yeah! haha Thanks for commenting. Nice post.

[lewars1912]

@rfw45 We're all free to choose. Live and let live. Love this.

[Bobsagot90]

@rfw45 Yeah, Legba don' mind none who ya pick chil'e. Good friends is hard to find.

[steffenmball]

@rfw45 methinks the only reason robert johnson is more popular because people could cover his songs. who has ever done a cover of son house that came close?

[Am1157]

@steffenmball that would be Robert Johnson

[monkeytown1000]

@rfw45

You Americans had for forgotten about the blues till English bands brought them back to you in the '60s. Even young Afro-Americans didn't listen to them any more preferring R&B and soul, they thought blues was old timers music.

English musos would be te first to admit they can't beat the originals, but remember when Richards and Clapton etc. started out they had no conception they'd end up rich & famous, big rock stars. They were just playing music they were passionate about.

[AbsintheColour]

@monkeytown1000 Nirvana (an american band) is a big reason why i got into the blues. That and my families from the hills of tennessee. It is in our american blood. Maybe forgotten, but still in our blood. Yes, you are right...afro americans, the ones im friends with, couldnt care less about the blues. Kinda sucks. I guess id rather be an old timer than a hip young person. If likin the blues makes me an old timer than so be it. Its the rawest shit around

[Hoplite001]

@AbsintheColour Preach on brother.

[whauffend]

@AbsintheColour I guess you have found the path to Leadbelly "In the Pines / Black Girl"? If not, sit back and enjoy!

watch?v=Sp3af4ZJS4w

[AbsintheColour]

@monkeytown1000 Nice post. It would seem a valid perspective. The American people rarely seem to remember stuff past the last decade. And the youth, generally speaking, have no respect for what has come before. Definately not past a Century of time. Maybe thats why the country is in turmoil and has been. Nobody cares where we came from and therefore we have a narrow perspective into our own identity. Or something. hahaha. Nice post

[SECBlitz]

@monkeytown1000 I live just a few miles outside of Memphis in the delta and I have certainly not forgotten about the blues because I live it. It resonates through my soul every time I pick up a guitar and get on stage or if I am alone in my bedroom. I'm sorry, but you do not know nor understand pure blues if you are NOT from around here. It would be like me going to Edinburgh and playing "Flower of Scotland" on the bagpipes. It may sound good to the average ear, but the locals would know.

[monkeytown1000]

@SECBlitz

I've been to Memphis and like the place a lot, been to the Delta too. By your logic presumably you don't play electric Chicago blues cos you're not from Chicago, or anything from New Orleans cos you're not from there? In Memphis even in the late '30s delta blues musos like Son House were not welcome on Beale Street cos they were seen as too raw and past it, watching them was seen as 'slumming it'. Count Basie & Louis Jordan were more likely to be heard. Read some blues history.

[SECBlitz]

@monkeytown1000 I apparently replied to the wrong post monkey so I apologize. I was trying to respond to the guy from England. I actually did live in Chicago and yes...I play electric blues and have for a number of years. I know the history rather well and very much so here in the south. Like I said though, wrong guy. I apologize.

[smudgeservices]

@monkeytown1000 we americans never 'forgot' about the blues... buddy holly, elvis presley, johnny cash, etc. We americans were building on our blues roots the whole time. creating rock n roll, the English simply saw the same love and passionately joined the party.

gotta love em' all

[againsthesky]

@monkeytown1000 You're right about Clapton and Richards. But wrong about young afro americans not listening to blues, it's just that they preferred listening to R&B and funk which are heavily influenced by the blues (The B in R&B stands for blues btw). It's just that by a certain time blues had evolved. With more musicians preferring to play with a full band as opposed to a single musician. Yes, it was mostly our grandparents that listened to blues, but we listened with them.

[againsthesky]

Also, Jimi Hendrix was just as responsible for "bringing the blues back"

[ThompsonRB22]

@monkeytown1000 You Americans had forgotten the blues? You on crack son? The blues have been a continuous part of America... wtf books do you read...forgotten? That would mean the blues would have ceased to exist and there has never been a point in history where they did... moron

[prefuseAsa]

@monkeytown1000 the blues never died over here, the majority of people stopped being able to feel it though. you can't forget the blues.

[ogecirtnecc]

Only fractionally true about Americans and blues. Blues musicians such as Son House,Charley Patton and Blind Lemon Jefferson were the products of two historical calamities - segregation throughout the south, hindering their ability to promote themselves, and the Great Depression ruined many of their careers - Then The U.S. was distracted by WWII, when we had to bail out - uh, let's see, who? That's right! The British!! U.S. soldiers who died for you also brought blues to Europe

[2jransom]

@monkeytown1000 speak for yourself mac. any given friday night yall find many a black and whites folk playin the blues out on the farm or ranch or down at the ol hitchin post down here in Texas. Aint never forgotten you folk just taken a liken to it as if you uncovered the ol holy grail.

[AbsintheColour]

@2jransom lmao

[CultOfTheGuitar]

@2jransom read escaping the delta by Elijah Wald

[lewars1912]

@rfw45 Before guitarists like Clapton, most American's like most people here in the UK, didn't have much, if any, knowledge of blues music (Don't think it's changed all that much) so they did help bring awareness. Just because Clapton thinks so highly of Robert Johnston doesn't mean that you or anyone else has to. We all have minds of our own.

[chazza898]

@rfw45 they were all idols, they all expressed themselves in very different ways and played a big part in the music and they were all great in what they did.

[dusygibbons]

@rfw45 speak for yourself. the first time i heard robert johnson i was 15 and i thought i'd heard the voice of a ghost on a bargain bin cassette tape. and i'm not just american, i grew up in greenwood, ms, where robert johnson is buried. as for your turning the blues into a brits-vs-americans issue, tsk tsk. in the words of (huge robert johnson fan) bob dylan, "patriotism is the last refuge to which a scoundrel clings." look beyond the surface, and you'll find most of your divisions are false.

[JVKProduction]

@rfw45 Everybody has their favorites. I wouldn't blame them for having RJ as their favorite. They did turn alot of people to the blues (me for sure) doesn't matter who, as long as it's blues. My personal fav is Blind Willie Johnson...

[monkeytown1000]

@ AbsintheColour and everyone else

I didn't mean to stir up a hornets nest. I prefer listening to the originals like Son House here. Actually I don't like Clapton, in 1976 he made a terrible racist statement on stage he has never retracted or apologised for. As a young punk rocker in the '70s I was in 'Rock Against Racism' which was formed partly cos of what he said. This side of the Atlantic the white blues guitarists I like are Peter Green, Rory Gallager and Keith Richards, fuck Clapton.

[AbsintheColour]

@monkeytown1000 Dang. I didnt know that bout Clapton. Yeah, I never ever really dug Clapton except for when I was a young teenager. And that was only very slightly. And because my old man introduced me to it because he liked him. haha. My like of him didnt last long at all though. Maybe slightly during one summer visitation with my pops. I think hes a colossal bore personally. And as good a player as he is,.,ive always sensed he was a good bit of a phony.

[ThompsonRB22]

@AbsintheColour Clapton was only good in Cream... after that he should have hung it up.

[AbsintheColour]

@ThompsonRB22 Yeah, Cream was nice. His solo stuff is very lacking in rawness. In my opinion. How can it strike a chord after listening to the true blues masters? Its not possible. And anyone who thinks different, i have serious doubts about their wherewithal and reasoning.

[jjoy52]

@monkeytown1000 I believe he did apologize. He was also drunk at the time. He's not a racist.

He also is probably the best white blues guitarist/singer around and has introduced countless numbers of people to the blues over his career. He was one of the few to credit the original artists and make sure that they got royalties (unlike thieves like Led Zeppelin).

[johnwilkesdoe]

@monkeytown1000 what was the comment? in full context, do you have video? i would like to SEE and HEAR it. seems a bit odd to me. not a clapton fan, but this sounds quite odd, what is this point that started a..well, "movement" or something.....rock against my balls is more like it. just had to say that 'cuz i'm more punkrock than you, fuck me with your eric clapton is a racist schlong-berry. blow hard fuck nuts.

[1m2a3t4t5]

@rfw45

Robert Johnson-most overrated ragtime blues player.

[ThompsonRB22]

@rfw45 Robert Johnson still awesome.Son House was one of his influences which you can hear without a doubt. Richards and Clapton are people I look at like they liked the blues and it had an effect on them. I wouldn't include either of them in any sort of cannon of blues-men. I never heard anything by either of them that was impressive from an old school blues standpoint.I heard Richards babbling once about how the song Satisfaction was a blues song...he needs to get back to sniffing glue

[AbsintheColour]

@ThompsonRB22 hahaha. The Stones...I like their High n Dry and, I am Waiting diddies. Most their very early stuff. After that, yeah,.dude shoulda stopped sniffin haha

[JustinSaladino]

@rfw45 It all depends how you look at it. I love Son House, he is more raw than Johnson. From a guitarist's standpoint trust me while both guitarists are impossible to emulate Robert Johnson's technique vocally and on the guitar is stronger... Im not stating a preference its up to you to choose what you FEEL more (that's blues). I can understand why so many english artists really loved Robert Johnson. I still haven't heard a more dynamic wide range and still soulful voice as that of johnson.

[AbsintheColour]

@JustinSaladino Yeah, Johnson is all that. I still favor Ledbetters voice the most personally

[JustinSaladino]

@AbsintheColour did you mean leadbelly? he's equal to robert johnson for me actually just didnt have room to talk about him! not even muddy has that tone, and his guitar playing is amazing

[geroldfirl]

@rfw45 C'mon now - Robert Johnson was a musical genius. The Beethoven of blues. Johnson could strip you naked and then clothe you in blues on the half beat. Son House is great - but he's no Robert Johnson. And Bukka White? Please. Not in the same league, either one of them.

[mrgoodvibrations]

@rfw45 I have heard Keith R. say Lightning Hopkins is his personal favorite.

[Marctyne75]

@MrChristmasjumpers Prove that i'm wrong with a link please.

[Anthonizerr]

the BAPTIST CHOYT

[AbsintheColour]

@barron111 Man, I dont know and I dont care and I dont even remember what we were talkin about barely. You seem like a decent reasonable person im sure. Take care alright .

[almightyfoe]

so much soul and emotion when he performed thanks for posting this

[Devilsblood]

Long live the Blues!!

[Budaudi]

Una guitarra , una voz y FANTASTICO, comprendo que para Jack White

sea su mejor cantante y su disco "Grinn i in your face y Death Letter "

[Budaudi]

Una guitarra , una voz y FANTASTICO, comprendo que para Jack White

sea su mejor cantante y su disco "Grinn i in your face y Death Letter "

[Pearlmonroe]

This is one of my all time favorite Blues songs.. Rest in Peace Son House.

[Pearlmonroe]

This is one of my very favorite Blues Songs. RIP Son House.

[AbsintheColour]

@barron111 Alright now, calm down. I dont get why just because people dont believe in something they think there isnt a chance that its actually true. Look, anything is possible. The fact is you and I were not there and do not know anything for sure or concrete. Its highly possible you are correct. But, I must say, if you do not believe in the spirit world, then i personally believe you are sadly mistaken. You cannot tell me there is not a spirit world. Therefore, it is possible in my mind.

[eternalrhythmflow]

Who's the musically retarded doof that clicked "dislike"?

[PaulishMH]

So tell me: What is the relationship between this song and the one by Robert Johnson? Preachin' Blues (Up Jumped the Devil)

[AbsintheColour]

@PaulishMH Good question. I dont know. On another note, the story about Robert Johnson selling his soul to the devil was fetched up by a writer who wanted to make something juicy out of speculation. It was Tommy Johnson i think that actually claimed he sold his soul to the devil but of course he wasnt famous like Robert so it helped this certain writer (cant remember his name) make for a better juicier story. I suppose thats not to say Robert didnt attemp the same..they did have ties together...

[burninhellfire84]

@AbsintheColour how do you explain robert johnson learning to be the best bluesplayer in only 2 months time?i heard the story from his grandson the preacher man,saying he went to live with a certain bluesplayer for all that time learning... but i seriously doubt this....The thing i believe is that robert johnson was struck by that old southern mississippi hoodoo ,the crossroads are a big part of this belief...its the place that belongs to no one....can you dig it

[AbsintheColour]

@burninhellfire84 I can dig it. I still personally believe that something supernatural happened as well.

[spiked1002]

@PaulishMH Johnson used to hang around Son House trying to pick up hints and tricks. House and others of the time claimed Johnson was a very average player at one point and then he disappeared. When he reappeared on the scene Johnson was suddenly ripping out riffs and pulling of fother peoples songs better than them. The joke was he must have sold his soul to the devil to go from the chump they knew to what they were now hearing. Johnny Shines among others tells the same sort of story

[FIRECRACKER392]

,

Your right about the Robert Johnson joke, thats just what it was,

But I do think if any of them sold their soul to the devil, it would have to been RL Burnside,,,

its hard not to judge people , but RL more or less talked it & walked it,,, RIP to them all.... Respect ....

[drumfreak789]

the dislike can go die. son is part of the generation that not only made great music but laid down the ground work for any blues, rock, jazz and pretty much every style of music. he can actually make music without auto-tune.

[Matthijs1131]

how can annyboddy disslike this.... o_O



[thomasgcowley]

@Matthijs1131 no kids these days lisen to real music

[AbsintheColour]

@thomasgcowley And it aint even their fault truly

[thomasgcowley]

@AbsintheColour oh ya im only 13 and its hard to explain to my friends how retarted they are musically haha

[Nitro487]

@thomasgcowley Boy. I know how that is with the musically retarded friends. They can be quite a handful.

[betterthanyourname28]

@thomasgcowley Musically tasteful and sane people are hard to come by these days. I'm glad you're one of them.

[sparkykid68]

I swear I've heard some of those lines in Death Letter...

[CavenEdwards]

They just don't make em like this no mo.

[turner33s]

Does anyone know where i can find Son House tabs the only one i can find is death letter but i want to learn more. sadly my ear is'nt as good as it should be so i am relying on tabs for now.

[seeitasitis]

Ever heard Scott Biram play this? watch?v=B_1FFMi_X5o

[MegaRewi]

look out mr house is in the house

[thebeardedtraveler]

I think Son's LATER work has much more emotional power than that of his youth. It has more blues in it, perhaps (not to romanticize suffering) from years of toil and disappointment. I can't break it down intellectually; either you HEAR it, or you can't.

[ceepatton]

I gonna have to wholeheartedly disagree with that

[jp28hc]

@thebeardedtraveler I agree 100 percent. His early recordings were powerful but his later years was truely incredible.

[TheBluesB4Sunrise]

I dont care how late in his career/life this was, its as strong as his playing earlier in his life, and less sloppy than some of his other later work.. he's definitely more sober sounding here.. probably because this is a studio session recording and not a jam that was captured later in the night like some of the other later stuff..lol

thanks for posting this one..

[PinkOld]

And just think that at this point in his life, Son House, was well beyond his prime.

Consider just how much more powerful he was in the 1930s and 1940s.

I can think of no other singer, of any type of music, whose voice better suited his style.

Then, you see footage of how Son absolutely pummeled his National guitar, and he could be downright awe-inspiring.

Hell, even Muddy Waters himself held up as the standard bearer, and well he should have!

[doug5759]

@PinkOld

Holy Shit! 

What a beautiful sound!! Amazing!

Wonderful

[EtherMace]

Son House was in fact a Preacher himself, giving up the blues until the 60's revival brought him into the spotlight.

[comeoninmykitchen82]

You know even at the age he was in this version, Son still sounds amazing. I actually learned to play the song from this version as opposed to the original.

[AbsintheColour]

Nice!!

[FaustyFob]

amazing sound on the guitar, and of course his vocals are somethin else

[Marctyne75]

Powerful..."I want to be a Baptist Preacher so I won't have to work"...tellin it like it is...

[Nitro487]

@Marctyne75 I think it's worry, not work

[Marctyne75]

@Nitro487 No it is "Work"...Google the lyrics to this song.

[NorthTulsaBoy]

@Marctyne75

Oh, they work. Instead of 40 hours a week, it's more like 70 hours.

[AbsintheColour]

@NorthTulsaBoy My old preacher at this pentecostal church i grew up in put in hours like that. Your right!

[NorthTulsaBoy]

@AbsintheColour

Right on.

[FreeTheGhetto]

@Marctyne75

Being a preacher is actually a lot of work.

[Marctyne75]

@FreeTheGhetto Son House being a "Former" Baptist Preacher sings otherwise.

[FreeTheGhetto]

@Marctyne75

It's not true though, believe me man.

[Marctyne75]

@FreeTheGhetto I have observed what Son House sings.

[OkInsanity]

@FreeTheGhetto

Why should we believe you, you have given us no reason to do so.

Lol you sounds just like a preacher though:D "Just believe me man" and giving no evidence to do so.

[FreeTheGhetto]

@OkInsanity

*Sigh*



[OkInsanity]

@FreeTheGhetto

yeh i know, it's tough to say you're wrong

[FreeTheGhetto]

@OkInsanity

Lol, I'm not wrong. Just really don't feel like arguing about this. I don't even know why I'm responding right now, please don't get the impression that I'm intimidated by what you think is impeccable logic and wit. Being a good preacher, pastor, priest, etc. is a decent amount of work. Working for your church and community, and writing weekly sermons and reading and deciphering scripture is certainly time consuming, I would know.

[badpdx]

@OkInsanity: just an observation from someone who is not a preacher or a professional blues musician. I've always heard that line in the context of a black man in 1930's Mississippi. His career choices were mainly limited to

1. Household servant:

2. Working the cotton fields.

3. Preaching.

4. Music.

Compared to servitude and picking cotton, neither being a preacher nor playing music would not be considered "work." Compared to a lot of office and retail jobs today, though, it would.

[Odin029]

@badpdx Best comment I've read in a while. Couldn't have said it better.

[westpsmity]

@FreeTheGhetto You should probably take that up with Son House then, he's the one saying it, anyone commenting here is just agreeing.

[mikepunchyourfucface]

@Marctyne75 work?!?!?!? and 24 people liked this? its worry!!! holy shit!!! 25 fuckin idiots!!!!! pay attention to the song ya stupid assholes! all you wanna do is comment, try paying some fucking attention stupid twats!

[Marctyne75]

@mikepunchyourfucface Google the lyrics dumbass...

[Marctyne75]

@mikepunchyourfucface Lmao... another dumbass set straight. 

[mikepunchyourfucface]

@Marctyne75 idk how ppl can be so dumb

[badpdx]

@mikepunchyourfucface: listen, for example, to this version, where he more clearly says "work."

/watch?v=Fd-Zy1w-8Lk

[mikepunchyourfucface]

@badpdx im speaking on this one! where he clearly says..... worry!

[badpdx]

@mikepunchyourfucface: Well, you also asked how people can be so dumb as to argue what he means by "I sure won't have to work," when the line is "worry." You even called them "idiots." The answer is: they aren't dumb nor are they idiots, because he clearly says "work" in other versions, and that's what people are debating. If you'd known that, you probably wouldn't have spouted off like you did. Next time, pull your punches, please.

[mikepunchyourfucface]

@badpdx i dont care about debates or anything! all i cared about was ONE comment, and this version says worry, that guy commented saying work, he shoulda said worry lol thats all

[Odin029]

@mikepunchyourfucface It doesn't say worry in this version or any other. Son House says work pretty clearly... well you know what I mean. I don't know if there's an official dialect called Old Country Black Man, but there should be. I have plenty of those in my own family and understanding them is an acquired skill.

[mikepunchyourfucface]

@mikepunchyourfucface your a black man into blues??? do not take that wrong!!!!! are you a musician?!?

[djwilson19]

a genuine genuine...

[djwilson19]

willing to bet he was ripped like the other greats of his time...the south boasts of great morals, spirit and attitude...my ass!

[Odin029]

The south is about the pull and push of religion and secular. What people want to be and what they actually are causes a pain that produces a man like Son House.

[ez2cez4e]

Very well put Odin29, well said.

[AbsintheColour]

Thanks Odin.. ;^)

[chuckHart70]

In the context of the times, it was very limited share cropping, music, or in this case preaching. So I think Son wasn't saying anything against religion more about finding something where you don''t have to "work"!

[djk28161]

@Odin029 Very well put

[xfaida]

woow ;)