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Blues Lyrics - Muddy Waters
Interview With Alan Lomax
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by
McKinley Morganfield a.k.a. Muddy Waters
recording of August 24-31, 1941, Stovall Plantation, Stovall, Mississippi
from
The Complete Plantation Recordings (Chess/MCA CHD-9344)
Interview after recording the song, "
Country Blues
Question:
I wonder if you'd tell me, if you can remember, ah when it was that you made that blues, Muddy Water?
Answer:
I made that Blue up in '38.
Question:
Remember the time, the year, the..?
Answer:
I made it up 'bout the 8th of October in '38.
Question:
Do you remember where you were when you were doin' your singin'? No, I mean, how it happened? No, I mean, where you were sittin', what you were thinkin' about?
Answer:
Thinkin' a punchin' on my car. And I'd been mistreated by a girl and it just looked like it run in my mind to sing that song.
Question:
Tell me the, tell me a little of the story of it, if you don't mind? I mean if it's not too personal, I mean I wanna know the facts on how you felt and why you felt the way you did, that's a very beautiful song.
Answer:
Well, I just felt blue, an the song came into my mind an come to me just like that song and I start to singin' an went on.
Question:
Well, when you ah, do you, do you, know is that tune, the tune from any other blues that you know?
Answer:
Well, yes, it's been some blues played like that.
Question:
What, what tune, other blues do you remember, are like that same tune?
Answer:
Well, this song come from the cottonfield and the boy went, put the record out, Robert Johnson, he put it out, Walking Blues.
Question:
What was the title he put it out under?
Answer:
He put it out, on as "Man Walking Blues"
Question:
Uh-huh, did you know the tune before you heard it on the record?
Answer:
Yes, sir, I knew the tune before I heard it on the record.
Question:
Uh-huh, who'd you learn it from?
Answer:
I learn it from Son House.
Question:
Son House, who's that?
Answer:
That's a boy, pick a guitar and I don't ...(inaudible)
Question:
Oh, and how old, how old is Son House?
Answer:
Ah, I'm not even sure his age, he's about forty-two
Question:
Did you know Johnson, yourself?
Answer:
Robert Johnson? No, I didn't know him, personally
Question:
Is a, is a, House a better player than Johnson is, you think?
Answer:
I think they both 'bout equal.
Question:
Uh-huh, well ah, how did it come to first that you wanted to play the guitar? Why did you decide that you gonna?
Answer:
I just loved the music and saw Son singin' an playin' and I just wanted to do it an I took after it.
Question:
Well, about how much have you practiced? How many hours when you were first pickin' it up, how long did you have to play everyday to learn how to play?
Answer:
An hour and a half to two hours.
Question:
Uh-huh, everyday?
Answer:
Everyday.
Question:
Uh-huh, you remember what the first piece you ever tried to learn was?
Answer:
First piece I ever tried to learn was, How Long (Blues) whatever you wanna call it.
Question:
Uh-huh, did you learn that from a record or from seein' it?
Answer:
I learned that from the record.
Question:
How would you do? How would you learn that song?
Answer:
We just heard the song, ya know, put out, ah, Leroy Carr (?) put it out.
Question:
Would you sit down with the record and play a little of it and then try and play it?
Answer:
I just got the song in my ear and then went on and just tried to play it.
Question:
Well, how did you learn how to play with this bottle?
Answer:
Picked that up from Son House.
Question:
Uh-huh, what do you call that?
Answer:
Just a bottle-neck. I call it a slide.
Question:
You call it a slide?
Answer:
Yes.
Question:
Wear on your little finger?
Answer:
Yes.
Question:
And how do you have that guitar tuned? What's the name of that tuning?
Answer:
Spanish (strums guitar)
Question:
Spanish?
Question:
Do you know any other ways to tune the guitar than that?
Answer:
Well, I know the natural. Show you the natural.
Question:
Do you have another tuning, ah besides that?
Answer:
Yes sir, I have another tuning.
Question:
What's the name of that other tuning?
Answer:
That's just straight E, yes sir.
Question:
Straight E? Do you have another name for a straight E?
Answer:
Another song for a straight E?
Question:
No, I mean no is there any other name for that tuning than straight E?
Answer:
Well, we call it, we call it, a "cross noting"
Question:
Uh-huh, well can you play that other Country Blues that you played there then while ago that fast one?
Answer:
Yes.
Question:
In this same tune here?
Answer:
Yes.
Question:
Well, just a minute, I'll tell you when I'm ready
Here is the table of contents.
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