Keri Leigh & the Blue Devils: Here's Your Mop Mr. Johnson (Unplugged)

"Here's Your Mop, Mr. Johnson" by Malaco recording artist Keri Leigh.

From the 1995 album "Arrival," recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound, AL.

W.C. Handy Blues Foundation nominee for "Song of the Year," 1996. Keri Leigh and Blue Devils guitarist Mark Lyon performed the song in Memphis, TN at the annual blues awards ceremonies (the blues Grammys), where Keri was also nominated for "Best Contemporary Female Vocalist."

This song was written about delta blues legend Robert Johnson; Keri describes it as "a speculation on what might have happened had Robert Johnson lived to a ripe old age." The lyrics also pay homage' to Blind Lemon Jefferson, Bessie Smith, Bluebird Records, H.C. Speir, Texas Alexander, Blind Blake, and Ruth Brown (who worked for several years as a cleaning lady when blues wasn't paying the bills.)

"Here's Your Mop, Mr. Johnson"

Writers: Keri Leigh, Mark Lyon, Thomas Anderson.

Lyrics:

Here's your mop, Mr. Johnson
Here's your bucket, Mrs. Brown
How time has trampled the carpet
So bend those old knees and get down

The Bluebird flew off in the 40s
And Henry Speir is dead in the ground
The levee camp is gone
And the minstrel show has moved on
And the gin joints have all burned down

Well Blind Lemon he was killed in a blizzard
Sweet Bessie was found dead in the road
Texas and Blake
Disappeared with no trace
And you'll collapse under your load

The uniform is over there in the closet
You'll need it when the weather gets cold
You could play on the street
Or you could die on your feet
Or you can come in here
And do what you're told

So here's your mop, Mr. Johnson
Here's your bucket Mrs. Brown
How time has trampled the carpet
So bend those old knees and get down

Spoken: "It's a mean old world when a man can't have a cigarette...on a postage stamp."

The spoken line at the end of the song refers to the cigarette that was airbrushed out of a historic photo of Robert Johnson when the U.S. Postal Service issued the Robert Johnson postage stamp. Keri recorded this song as a protest to what she called "political correctness run amok."




Video copyright: David Sukovaty. All rights reserved.
SukovatyImages.com

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Keri Leigh
• blues
• classic blues songs
• Robert Johnson
• Bessie Smith
• Blind Lemon Jefferson
• Texas Alexander
• Blind Blake
• Ruth Brown
• Texas blues

[BlueDevilBlues]

Who the heck is Keri Leigh Phoenix and why does her "booty shaking" video come up in the search results for Keri Leigh & the Blue Devils? LOL:)

[edslides1]

howdy from texas keri.

please do stone cold

[Capricorn1245]

Oh my Godddddd.....this is incredible. Deserves a fucking GRAMMY.

[tat2edangel69]

She is amazing!!! I had one of those moments at a concert with a great girl in a good spot in life and I had the privilege to she her a Deadwood Jam in the late 90's. It was hot she Killed It up there. I have had that Arrival CD in my mix for ten years now . It never seems to fail that one of those song will come threw the mix and make the moment just that much better! BRAVO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you want to know who she is get Arrival. Put it in and you "Plug-In" really feel what she giving.

[sheriffdu38]

trop bon...encore

[jenh8675309]

Why only 213 views?! It wouldn't be such a mean old world if there were 202 million.

[imjohnmoore]

Very nice.

[JimP0109]

I don't know who Keri Leigh Phoenix is but I'm getting tired of looking at her butt.

Its really annoying that her vids show in search results and related videos for Keri Leigh & the blue Devils. Guess its cuz she spells her name the same way.

[JimP0109]

So beautiful! Haunting song.

[slowbluesmaster]

Simply sublime ! More Keri, please !

[westxus]

i love keri's voice, id love to know if she is still performing, and where ??