14 Stranger Blues

"Stranger Blues," learned originally from the singing of Mark Spoelstra, arranged by Tim McMullen for 12-string, finger-picked blues. This song opens with one of the finest blues lines of all time, "Ain't it hard to stumble when you ain't got no place to fall?" which was even appropriated by Bob Dylan for his "Outlaw Blues." Dylan may well have gotten this line from Spoelstra since they hung around and played the same New York venues when Dylan first started playing. See my blog at http://www.myspace.com/tcbijou, for my eulogy on the untimely passing of one of the greats of the sixties folk boom, Mark Spoelstra.

This is Video #14 from the musical lecture "Songs of the West" by Tim McMullen: A folk music odyssey, presenting story songs, work songs, travel songs, love songs, protest songs, and comedy songs performed on the 6-string and 12-string guitar, 6-string banjo, mountain dulcimer, harmonica, and a cappella, culled from the playing of Patrick Sky; Pete Seeger, Mike Nesmith, The Smothers Brothers; Woody Guthrie; Koerner, Ray, and Glover; Huddie Ledbetter (Leadbelly); Biff Rose, Mark Spoelstra; Gene Autry; The Firesign Theatre; Ramblin' Jack Elliott; Tom Paxton; and Pat Paulsen. The text for many of the songs began with THE SONGS OF MAN by Norman Luboff and Win Stracke published in 1965. Variations from the aforementioned performers were included in new arrangements by Tim McMullen.

Recorded in 1993, this historical, folk music lecture was created by Tim McMullen in 1980 and performed annually for his American Studies Junior Honors English/Social Studies Team class at El Rancho HIgh School in Pico Rivera. It was performed each year as the class completed Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.This lecture is a companion to the Woody Guthrie "Grapes of Wrath/Dust Bowl" musical lecture found at http://www.youtube.com/TimMcMullen and on the lyrics pages of Manfred Helfert's Woody Guthrie site at http://www.woodyguthrie.de/lyrics.html.

Tim McMullen, ©1993, 2007 All Rights Reserved

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Tim
• McMullen
• Mark
• Spoelstra
• Folk
• blues
• finger-picked
• guitar
• 12-string
• Stranger
• Dylan

[bulbheadmyass]

Great performance and story. You  picked a wonderful Mark Spoelstra song and I love your singing and picking on it.

[TimMcMullen]

Thanks, Jan.

Mark Spoelstra was one of great ones. He had a truly significant impact on my musical sensibilities.

Tim

[Maahanmuuttaja86]

I know what it means to be a stranger.

[TimMcMullen]

Maahanmuuttaja86—

Thanks for the comment and for favoriting my version of the Stranger Blues.

[Chilimanjare]

The lyrics of the song: All so true. Also fine down home guitar playing + singing. Got to fav this.

[termikesmike]

excelent!

thanks for the 'notes'..

"Ain't it hard to stumble when you ain't got no place to fall?"

how 'old' do u gotta be... to know what it means?

[michaelwiese]

Thanks Tim for this piece for acknowledging Mark Spoelstra. I was the drummer in his short lived electric band The Jade Muse. I'm trying to find flutist/saxman Willie Wait. Any ideas? Thanks.