Poor Boy - Lomax Prison Recording

[MrMikenotts01]

1930's: Alan Lomax once asked a black blues singer in a Southern jail to record for him and was refused - didn't want to sing for whitey - so Lomax complained to the prison governor, who threatened to flog the prisoner raw unless he agreed; on the one hand, Lomax saved a lot of music that would have been lost; one the other hand, he was a total prick.

[221Sanka]

This track was actually recorded by Alan Lomax's father, John Lomax, while Booker was serving time in prison for an assault conviction.

[MrMikenotts01]

@221Sanka yes, my previous comment - I meant John (the father) not Alan (the son) who was actually ashamed of his father; was it bokker who pulled a knife on the lomax pappa while driving from one gig to another? If I can be pothered, I can retrieve chapter and verse - there is a biog by a black lady professor that lays it all out; lomax senior did excellent work in recording music that would otherwise have been lost, but...... well, you get it or you don't

[CADD1EBLUES]

This is Mr Bukka singing the blues from his cell, a piece of history, pure class...

[mielazul]

Fans of good raw blues might like "Rosetta West - Suzie."

[MrLeeBoard]

ever watch the movie Cool Hand Luke with Paul Newman? Not many blacks on that chain gang & he was sent there for cutting off parking meters. What we have here is failure to communicate

[MrLeeBoard]

ever watch the movie Cool Hand Luke with Paul Newman ? not many blacks on that chain gang. Shaking the bush boss.

[DorogaVorona]

Is there a particular place I could get the lyrics for this?

[theripper7675]

classic love this.

[CannabisDelux]

looks like the guy in the picture sets a cripwalk ^^

Thanks for the great song.

[1crankyvet]

Ah, the good old days...wish we could bring em back. Unfortunately these monkeys spread their wings and some went to Europe and thats why we have all the problems now. IMMIGRATION AND INTEGRATION DOES NOT WORK. Coon should marry coon and stay away from us white folk. Oh yeah, coon could also marry Harry Connick jnr cause he is a coon lover too.

[beirney82]

@1crankyvet You Fucking Ignorant Cunt!!!!!!!!!!!!! You are the scum of the earth!!!!

[BlacknesUnforgivable]

@1crankyvet hahah youre a white australian..you are scum of the earth

no wonder the british sent your dirty low-grade white ancestors to australia hahahahahaha

[Indefatigable4]

@1crankyvet Wow, sorry to be you in such a world of hardship and hatred.

[MrJordanisking]

@1crankyvet haha "THE ONLY INTEGRATION I LIKE IS IN MY COFFEE" - Malcolm X BEFORE he went to Mecca. but guess you dont realize integration is law of nature, haha rest easy my friend, god will see you gone.

[MrRiggwelter]

By the way, the pic fits in just fine. A great choice.

[MrRiggwelter]

I think this recording is one of the best and I'm happy to sit here and listen to it anytime. It's about a year since anyone asked about the tyrics, so I was wondering if anyone had worked them out. Anyone?

[servatoaisaggi]

I HAVE RECEIVED MANY MAILS TELLING ME " CAPS LOCK MUCH" . I'M VERY SORRY ABOUT NOT UNDERSTANDING THIS, WHICH SEEMS TO BE A PIECE OF "SLANG" . THEN , ON THE OTHER HAND, I MAY SUSPECT THE MEANING. AND IF IT IS WHAT I SUPPOSE, I MAY ANSWER, "YES I HAVE" OR YES I AM". OR WHATEVER FITS...! (THAT IS , I'M NOT FROM THE USA, -THAT'S WHY I DON'T GET IT, BUT THIS IS A UNIVERSAL PROBLEM, WE KNOW...)

[servatoaisaggi]

PRISONS ARE A BUSINESS OF THE SYSTEM EVERYWHERE. THE LAWS ARE DESIGNED TO SEND AS MANY CITIZENS TO PRISON AS POSSIBLE FOR THE PETTIEST OFFENCES. AFRICAN AMERICANS ARE VULNERABLE BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T HAVE A LOT OF MONEY FOR GOOD LAWYERS YOU DON'T GET OUT OF PRISON IN AGES. IN THESE SERIES OF PRISON SONGS YOU FIND SOME GREAT VOICES OF PEOPLE WHO BEING WHITE , WOULD HAVE MADE ALOT OF MONEY ON STAGE AND, BEING BLACK, COULD ONLY SING TIED TO A CHAIN, SMASHING STONES. RACISM IS A BLIGHT, BY THE WAY.

[ghost050]

@servatoaisaggi Caps lock much?

[ghost050]

Good point though.... But really CAPS LOCK MUCH!!!!

[8008peacock]

fuk look at ur selves arguing away settle the fuk dwn shit its a song and a dam fine one at that....... and F.Y.I im pretty sure all u white supremist out there can get fucked seemings how white people went to africa and captured slaves and brought them back to work......... then bitch moan and complain about them and say u dnt want them in america........ YOU were the fuck wits who brought them back so really you only have yourselves to blame.... if you dont want them then why did u bring them

[Honken1995]

Why are there only niggers?

[twomarky]

The performer here is Bukka (Booker) White. Why was this left out?

He has a wealth of recordings to his name. This song was played on

a steel National guitar, played on his lap, though his preferred method

was the bottleneck style.

[Puccini213]

This was the true first LoFi...fucking amazing

[blade2nj]

Love these old time songs, hard to find now, thanks for posting

[North8000]

Thanks posting. This stuff is the real deal.

[sailorsgravepunkrock]

the voice sounds like robert johnson

[silasouren]

REAL GREAT

[Sulleymon21]

this sounds like hillbilly music. where did this type of music come from and who developed it first? it's amazing that poor whites and blacks shared musical tastes at such a time in human history.

[decus69]

@Sulleymon21 like the music which is around today the hillbillies most probably copied black people of that day.

[dljc1979]

@decus69 | OH BOY ARE YOU DUMB!!!!!!!!! ALL THE EARLIEST RURAL BLACK AMERICAN MUSIC IS DERIVED FROM IMITATING ENGLISH FOLK AND CHURCH MUSIC!!!!!!!!! ALL OF IT!!!!!!!!! IT'S WHITE MUSIC WITH A BLACK ACCENT!!!!!!!!! EAT SHIT YOU BRAINWASHED COMMIE SCUM!!!!!!!!!

[Sulleymon21]

@decus69 i will point out that jimi's rhythm section was white

[Diomedes22]

@Sulleymon21 are you joking? this style of music is african american. like rock growing out of blues, old time white folk music mostly (but not completely) comes from these even older black american spirituals, work songs, and folk songs. the banjo, for example, which is now a trademark of hillbilly music, comes from africa and was the instrument played by the slaves.

[Sulleymon21]

@Diomedes22 well, if you want to be technical, everything and everyone came from Africa at some point. it's not essentially where things originated but where they evolved and changed. old time white folk music and celtic music from the isles and then appalachian hillbilly music almost certainly had an effect on African-American folk music as well.

[Diomedes22]

@Sulleymon21 maybe you've never heard a celtic song, but they sound absolutely nothing like any african american music. they are ballads based on pretty melodies with little no rhythm. they're nice in their own way, but they have nothing to do with this style of music or any style springing from the field hollars and spirituals of the slaves. african americans were isolated in this country and we developed our own musical traditions with little to no significant influence from european sources.

[Sulleymon21]

@Diomedes22 hey look, it's condescending internet music elitist with a screen name straight out of ancient european mythology (why you guys are so obsessed with that crap i have no idea). the fact is there's no way to know just how "isolated" slaves were when it came to music, at least not enough to make such an absolute statement. technically speaking, europeans had mastered stringed instruments when Africans were still playing on their gourds. both cultures had lasting effects upon each other.

[Diomedes22]

@Sulleymon21 "playing on our gourds," huh. I won't bother with commenting on that, as it's ridiculous, but I wonder why does a racist nitwit like you click on songs like this?

[Sulleymon21]

@Diomedes22 i would think that if you're the internet racist police, you would have much bigger fish to fry on youtube. am i racist? maybe a little, but whatever, we all have our flaws. listen, you obviously want to deny any white influence upon the music you like, and I can't really begrudge you that. If i were black i'd be pissed off too. but i'm white, so "wheeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

[blibloblab]

@Sulleymon21 Just to point out an inconsistency; you claim that "there's no way to know just how "isolated" slaves were when it came to music" yet you later state, in your own argument something which is just as, if not more, dubious "Europeans had mastered stringed instruments when Africans were still playing on their gourds" how on earth can you "know" of that with any more certainty? Kind of short yourself in the foot there. (just for the record I believe your both spouting bs).

[chiron8839]

@Sulleymon21 - There's some research that supports the idea that American blues music is heavily influenced by the music of the African region of Mali. The early blues music in America is a form of country music, as is bluegrass, but modern country (ie, predominantly white) and bluegrass are derived more from traditional Irish, British, Welsh, Scots music.

[teogrimo]

Fantastic!!!

[jettedev]

great song!

but can someone tell me, where could i get that lovely photo?

[jugmtn]

Right name is Booker White, record company got it wrong.

[IvoryPhil]

Yes its young Bukka White

[BlueGrassFan66]

BUKKA. No mistake...

[Istaysmoking]

I know he spent time in jail that's not debatable, while the guitar sounds similar the voice sounds nothing alike to me.

[paulvernon100]

Of course it's Bukka White. I thought everyone knew that by now.

[shinotora1X]

My bet's on Bukka.

[BrunoEspo]

bukka

[Istaysmoking]

Thats not bukka white at any point in his career, although the playing style is similar there is no way that's his voice. 

[killerkarl123]

@Istaysmoking

It definately is 100% bukka

[cvwtzhaar]

@Istaysmoking This is Bukka White, I am pretty sure he spent time in jail.

[snakehips81]

@Istaysmoking - Sorry, you are wrong.

That IS Bukka White singing and playing.

[yomistahman]

I seem to recall the photo from a cover of the fantastic Yazoo label... I'll have to check when I get home.

Buddy Moss playin' the guitar on the pix is also worth checking out... He's highly underrated if you ask me!

[yomistahman]

The great Booker T. Washington aka Bukka White (Bukka for Booker) singin' Po' Boy one of his most known songs along with Fixin' To Die Blues and Shake 'Em On Down... The first to be covered by His Bobness and the latter bein' pinched by Jimmy Page.

Recorded By John Lomax in 1939 in Angola State Pen... A genuine GEM!

[ElDiabloEastSida]

this is fuckin awesome!

[drnotation]

These recordings were done through the pure mechanical process... no microphones, aluminum foil is imprinted by the vibrations of the sound from a horn. In the most pure sense this is analog technology.

[612franklin]

Grip From the Grab. He Knew How

[greaserleo]

Amazing photo, totally goes with the track; thanks for the post prewarmusic & the info littleBrotherBlues. gonna go search for more Buddy Moss.

[bigwillhenk]

yes yes great

[NeroTube1989]

Gotta link to the picture?

[bigsamable1]

beatifull music anyone know the artist

[Tubascope]

@bigsamable1 Its Booker [Bukka] White. 

[bigwillhenk]

Big Will & the bluesmen greats a other blues member

[niklas25391]

good music

[nicodagger]

I watch "Lockup Raw" on MSNBC a lot, and there are a lot of really talented musicians in those prisons. We should let them out too, the way they did Leadbelly and Bukka White. Think of all the great music we are missing!

[marku2009]

my cousin listened to that pycho syko sam, who murdered his girlfriend and her parents, thought his music was decent. maybe we should let him out. charlie manson made some music in prison. maybe we should set him free too.

[8kajis]

I also think this is Bukka White.

But I'm sure Lomax had some goos prison tunes aswell, so don't worry folks :D

[pewterpork]

For what it's worth: I've heard that when asked what his name was over the phone, Booker replied, and, because of the black phoenetics, it was written down as "Bukka" (sounds like Book-uh) by a white receptionist (she wrote down what she heard), and it stuck. Don't know how true this is, but it's blues lore & ledgend that I've heard.

[MonsieurDDD]

Do you think this song is CopyLeft?

I mean, can we use it in a movie for free?

[RudieBlues]

It's Booker White, the record labels forced him to change it to Bukka for some unknown, ludicrous reason.

And I'm not sure he's King's uncle. I think from memory they're cousins to some degree.

Brilliant recording though.

[notwiglets]

i read somewhere that the company did it for a gimmick on his first record an he stuck with it out of convenience.

[mybaracudda]

Yes this is Bukka White, he was playing this with a makeshift slide. Check out "Poor Boy Long way from Home"

[radicle]

Booker T. Washington White

cousin to B.B.

parchman's farm inmate 1939

awesome man

[rfw45]

Does my fellow blues historians know that Bukka was BB Kings uncle?

[Horwitz86]

wait r u sayin bukka white is bb kings uncle?

[notwiglets]

does anyone have the lyrics for this version? i can only make out about half the verses and google is drawing a blank.

[MrLeadbelly]

its bukka so get over it !!!!

[1358124]

An amazing photo and an even more amazing song, great.

They dont make them like that any more, more's the pity.

[fhedblues2]

amazing

[sutcliffe62x]

thats got to be leadbelly standing in the picture.

[subterranean47]

Great picture!

[shinotora1X]

This is Bukka White ok. Tune better known as "Poor Boy Long Way From Home". Look it up friends, its on Youtube.

[madseacow7084]

doesn't sound anything like bukka

[killerkarl123]

well it is bukka

[mrgabest]

This is Booker White when he was in prison as a younger man. That's why his voice is higher.  Otherwise it does sound exactly like him to my ears.

[JensTwn]

I guess most of the black people at that was imprisoned at that time was innocent.

If a black person was walking on the wrong side of the road he was sent to jail.

[CionnaithMacRitchie1]

@JensTwn blacks were discriminated against greatly when the crime was against a white and whites were given a pass when the crime was against a black , but innocent? that's a stretch....

[JensTwn]

You are probably right =) sometimes i write faster than i think.

[Diomedes22]

The police in the old south were famous for arresting black men for no reason at all whenever the numbers on the chain gang got too low. The police rented out the chain gang to local businessmen and pocketed the money. Get your facts straight.

[annablanch]

@Diomedes22 same shit goin on these days

[LittleBrotherBlues]

@Diomedes22 famous for arresting all men, including white. Remember the book "I was on Ga chain gang" which blew the whistle on chain gangs causing quite an exposure to the issue. I do know something about my home state more from actually living here not from books or television.

[bellinghammond]

@Diomedes22

Headin' back that way in this country...for blacks, whites and everybody else....

[lowratehitman]

@Diomedes22 and color didnt matter..as far as getting on the chain gang..only a strong back

[BenjaminKuruga]

@lowratehitman Yeh, My father said he saw people working in chain gangs, he saw white men, black men, etc. said he really couldn't tell the difference though, as far as he could see, he saw suffering .

[MoonlightDelivery]

@JensTwn You would think huh... prolly not though.

[killerkarl123]

As an interesting side note you can hear lomax prompting booker in this recording if you listen close through headphones- at the start he says "lets go", before the last verse he says "one more, one more" and he claps at the end.

[geeyouknit345]

yea at 2:24

[killerkarl123]

definately booker white. Yes it is a prison recording, booker did a short stint at parchman for shooting a man but got out as he was well liked by the guards and was the camp musician who had records out at the time. Alan lomax recorded booker doing this and a song called "sic' em dogs on me". Buy a Booker White CD of his early stuff and read the sleeve notes- it aint hard.

[mokaey]

love it

[MrLeadbelly]

yeah bukka went to prison he did a stretch at parchmen farm

[derektrucksfan]

ahh amazing how one song flips your life upside down upon your own head.

[bigwillisawesome]

FUCKK YEA ROCK OUT YEAHHHH

[FaustyFob]

this is bukka himself is it not, if so then that means he went to prison, which i was not aware of

[carbin016]

Yeah, this is bukka white. He did a stint in prison for murder I believe. Yea it was murder, but it was in self defense.

[Matty73]

thats a very similar story to Leadbelly no?

didnt he go to jail for killing someone in a bar brawl or something?

[carbin016]

Yeah, Leadbelly was in prison for killing aswell. As a matter of fact leadbelly is said to have been pardoned because of a song he recorded in prison.

[FLUSEM666]

Thats what they all say.

[harleyblues]

great... thank you

[Barry12string]

good stuff. Thank you.

[MolotovMan]

to GEWNGOADALSO: Since when is Alan Lomax Jewish? What are you, a Klansman, a Nazi or just plain ignorant?

[morbo666]

He wasn't Jewish but some of his relatives are. I know this because I am related to Alan

[MolotovMan]

Really? Which ones? And, how does that make him Jewish?

[SiMoFkr]

I know this tune, wasn't it a Charlie Patton song?

[CroatAndNettles]

Bukka White

[SiMoFkr]

That's right, thanks that was driving me nuts lol

[Paulsworks]

We ALL owe Alan Lomax for his insight and tenascity. Alot of these nuggets would have been lost forever. Nice post. Thank you.

[PablitoSinPistola]

The picture, by Jack Delano, was used, along with others from the same series, on an album cover released by Smithsonian

[gwengoadalso]

History is nice... splitting hairs is not... we owe them for the music we have today... Rest in peace Eartha Kitt

[gwengoadalso]

Alan Lomax... a Jew who would of figured? Happy Holidays to all particaulrely the Lomax family!

[crazycuntryboy2]

Aint Lomaz Prison in Alabama? Good song though

[billyshitcheese]

lomax is alan lomax, the musicologist who recorded pretty much all the early blues.

[LittleBrotherBlues]

The photo is Buddy Moss playing in Green County Ga jail in the country east of Atlanta where he was put in jail at the peak of his career in the mid 30s until early 40s. Has nothing to do with the music being played which does sound like Bukka White. These bluesmen lived hard lives with very little reward and recognition for their vast contributions. Thanks for posting and hope people support the blues, I mean really support the people and their culture.

[frailer2007]

The recording is of Booker T. Washington (Bukka) White.

This was made in 1939.

[sirswedishmike]

yep, on several bukka white cd's.

[yhcranaalex]

I thought it sounded like him

[MosleyAustralia]

@LittleBrotherBlues

when you say he was put in jail at the peak of his careera, you make it sound like he was hard done by.

He murdered his wife, yes killed a defencless women in cold blood.

He should of been executed, i love appreciate most music from the south, but i appreciate human live much more

[LittleBrotherBlues]

@MosleyAustralia well not really. I just stated the truth. He was jailed in the peak of his career. And honestly you don't know what really happened and you're being far more judgemental than my small post. I speak to people that knew him personally and there's a lot of reasons he was certainly done wrong at every turn of his life. He did have a hard life but I'm not splitting hairs or saying anything more than what you read. Take care.

[DuosHabet]

@LittleBrotherBlues

The only thingI can do is keepin thier music alive in my safe european home...

[jonno52]

Superb.

[gibson3524]

Yes, it's Bukka White, playing the National guitar Hawaiian style on his lap with a metal bar (not a "bottleneck").

[killerkarl123]

??? Its by booker white?? There is no question of it. Its on a few of his CD's this exact track, there is even a video of him playing it lapstyle on youtube

[onemillionexplosions]

it's a folk song, who it is 'by' is irrelevant

[bootlegpreacher]

It's NOT a prison recording if it's performed BY Booker White. Someone in prison surely sang the song but killerkarl123 is correct.

[CoolJack2]

Im pretty sure this song is a prison recording, it was recorded by the Lomax's on Parchman Farm in 1939..

[killerkarl123]

It is a really old folk song but booker recorded it on parchman farm for alan lomax who was a folk collector. This is definately 100% booker white. I know cos his version his totally differant to all the other recordings of this song!!!

check the video response

[killerkarl123]

sorry cant add it as a response. Just type in booker white- poor boy. Its not this recording but it is the same song and nearly identical.

[Arsenal123456123]

erm... no, it's not a folk song. This is called Delta Blues. And who it is by 'is' relevant.

[jonno52]

Yes, probably it's Bukka White on both versions posted on YT. But to my ear, this "Prison recording" is superior to the other vid with the moving footage: the vocal has a spine-tingling vibrato or whatever which makes it quite distinct.

Acccording to Wikipedia, John (not Alan) Lomax did record Bukka W when he was banged up. Whether this comes from that session is not clear. Nor is it even clear if Wiki is right on the subject! Whoever did this version did a fine job, anyway.

[killerkarl123]

yes this is that recording when he is prison. If you listen carefully before the last verse starts you can hear alan lomax say "one more, one more" Its not the same recording as the vid on you tube but it is the same song by the same person recorded 20-30 years later. Trust me, I promise if you buy a booker white album with Poor Boy on it recorded in the 30's, it will this recording!!

[killerkarl123]

well he was 20-30 years younger here lol, the older 60's recording you can really hear the grit and trouble in his voice, here his voice sounds fresh but still full of pain.

When booker was recorded in prison by lomax he made THIS EXACT RECORDING!!!! and a song called sic' em dogs on me.

[LittleBrotherBlues]

That's the great Buddy Moss Atlanta Blues legend in the photo, Green County Ga 1941. Has nothing to do with the music being played. There are two photos from that shoot.

[WalterStarbuck]

Thanks for posting the song, it's great to be able to find music like this online.

[rmstudio]

Wow... Great stuff. Something to be said about history and preserving the old times. Something you just dont get out of music of today.. I tip my hat to the man that found this video and song.

[o0whitestripes0o]

Sounds just like Old Booker! Great recording, I'll be ever grateful to the Lomax's for recording so many great bluesmen and for taking the time to make so many incredible records, of people who would probably never get the chance.

peace.

[ArkRed1]

Could this song be by Bukka White with any other title? I have tried to find the lyrics, but haven't had any luck. Thanks-

[radicle]

yes... that would be Booker T. Washington White, first cousin of B.B. King, as a matter of fact.

this is the good stuff. mmm, mmm... good to the last drop !

[vidlad]

Yes this is definitely Bukka White he was recorded playing this song after his rediscovery.

Kind Regards

Jim Clark

See hundreds of unique videos of acoustic musicians and poets under my youtube name of vidlad

[almanacofsleep]

I think this was Booker (Bukka) White.

[PreWarMusic]

It might well be, the song was recorded by Lomax in 1939 and played by "Washington White"