Blind Willie McTell: The Dying Crapshooter's Blues

This lesser-known recording is my favorite performance of this song. The recording features this spoken introduction:

"I started writin' the song in '29, though I didn't finish it, I didn't finish it till 1932. Mister Williams—his name was Jesse Williams—see, he got shot here on Coral Street. And after gettin' shot, I'd taken him home. 'Cause he was sick about three weeks after I'd taken him home, sick from the shot. And so he give me this request. And then he wanted me to play this over his grave. That I did.

"See, I had to steal music from every which-a-way to get it, to get it, to get it to fit. But I messed it up anyways somehow or other just to suit him. I finally played what he wanted, but he got everything he wanted but the women from Atlanta—he didn't get the women from Atlanta. 'Cause, see, it was too far for 'em to come. He's buried in New York. I'd taken him there in ambulance. Cost me two hundred—I think it was two hundred and eighty-two dollars—I think, and eighty-five cent I think the man charged me for carrying him home. But he was ill.

"His father give him anything he wanted. Give him everything he wanted but the women in Atlanta. He didn't have the sixteen women, the twenty-two womens out the Hampton Hotel—he didn't have that. He didn't have the twenty-nine outta North Atlanta. And he didn't have the twenty-six offa South Bell, that which mighta we called Hell Street. That's where he hung out at, you know, doin' his, doin' his women-lovin' time, you know.

"Jesse gettin' shot; I carried him home. I'd sit by his bedside every day, and he would tell me what he wanted. I would tell his daddy. So after he died, daddy said, well, everything he want I'm gonna get it. So he got everything about it but the women from Atlanta. So I had to play the Dyin' Crapshooter's Blues. That's what I was s'posed to name it."

Please note: Although I transcribed this spoken introduction, the words are Blind Willie McTell's, not mine. I make no claims as to their accuracy.

This song is in the public domain.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• blind
• willie
• mctell
• dying
• crapshooter
• blues
• guitar
• gambler
• funeral

[sirkickbutt1]

Porter Grainger is given the credit for writing this on Copeland's discography.

[russianracehorse]

@sirkickbutt1 Look, I just wanted to pay tribute to a song I find moving. I transcribed Blind Willie McTell's spoken introduction because I thought it provided some interesting background information. I neither know nor care how accurate the story is.

[sirkickbutt1]

McTell couldn't have "started writing" this in 1929, as I have a 1927 Martha Copeland recording with many of the same lyrics.

[russianracehorse]

@sirkickbutt1 Willie admits he stole from several other songs, so that doesn't surprise me.

[Kynatics]

AMAZING blues! McTell is one of my absolute favorites, although I listen to far more Delta Blues than Piedmont Blues. Thanks a million for putting this up!

[russianracehorse]

@Kynatics Glad you enjoyed it. This song is a real gem.

[paschal421]

well,one of his best...

[01thrilla]

Great vid I enjoyed this re make

[sirkickbutt1]

Google Porter Grainger then click on the link to McTell in the first website about Saint James Infirmary & that documents that Willie didn't actually record Crapshooter until 1940 tho he did record "Dying Gambler" in 1935 (a different song).

[sirkickbutt1]

@Hamsterzilla1349 That one was recorded in 1949 but not released until 1962. The song predates Willie tho.

[Vrbaski]

doesn't sound like mctell lol

[TheJuggernaut70]

Too many songs are lost in the shadows of more popular ones. This is a great old school blues song.