Booker T. Washington White was born in 1909 in Houston, Mississippi (not Texas); he died in 1977. He first recorded in Memphis, Tennessee, in May 1930: fourteen songs, of which four were released at the time ("The New Frisco Train", "The Panama Limited", "I'm In The Heavenly Way", "Promise True And Grand").
In 1935 he went to live in Aberdeen (Miss). In 1937 he shot a man, but before his trial he went to Saint Louis and Chicago, where he recorded two sides ("Pinebluff, Arkansas" and "Shake 'Em On Down"). Legend has it that he was arrested during that recording session. He was sent to the infamous Parchman Farm (where he recorded "Sic 'Em Dogs" and "Po' Boy" for the Library of Congress in 1939). In 1940 he was released, and returned to Chicago where he recorded a further twelve songs with Washboard Sam. These are collected on the CD "The Complete Bukka White" in the Roots 'n' Blues series.
Bukka White had a raw, rasp-like singing voice which, along with his driven delivery and guitar playing, lent many of his songs a special, almost hypnotic atmosphere. His blues lyrics are very personal (reflecting e.g. on his time on Parchman Farm) and often of a high quality.
This page contains lyrics to the following song(s):
From the 1940 Chicago session.
District Attorney sho' is hard on a man He will take a woman's man and leave her cold in hand District Attorney sho' is hard on a man He will take a woman's man and leave her cold in hand The District Attorney sho' is hard on a man He has caused a many mens to be in some distant land District Attorney sho' is hard on a man He has caused so many women to be cold in hand The District Attorney sho' is hard on a man Ain't no woman but he sho' will take a woman's man District Attorney sho' is hard on a man He will take a woman's man and leave her cold in hand The District Attorney sho' is hard on a man He can tell just where when he gonna take a woman's man District Attorney sho' is hard on a man He will take a woman's man and leave her cold in hand The District Attorney sho' is hard on a man He taken me from my woman, cause her to love some other man District Attorney sho' is hard on a man He will take a woman's man and leave her cold in hand
From the Chicago 1940 session. This song was also covered by Bob Dylan on his debut LP (1962).
Click here to hear an excerpt from this song
I'm lookin' funny in my eyes and I believe I'm fixin' to die, believe I'm fixin' to die I'm lookin' funny in my eyes and I believe I'm fixin' to die I know I was born to die but I hate to leave my children cryin' Just as sho' as we livin', just as sho' we born to die, sho' we born to die Just as sho' as we livin', sho' we born to die I know I was born to die but I hate to leave my children cryin' Your mother treated me children like I was her baby child, was her baby child Your mother treated me like I was her baby child That's why's I find it so hard to come back home to die So many nights at the fireside, how my children's mother would cry, how my children's mother would cry So many nights at the fireside, how my children's mother would cry Cause I told the mother I had to say goodbye Look over yonder, on the burying ground, on the burying ground Look over yonder, on the burying ground Yon' stand ten thousand, standin' still to let me down Mother take my children back, before they let me down, before they let me down Mother take my children back, 'fore they let me down I don't need for them to screamin' and cryin' on the graveyard ground
A bad case of "love sickness"... from the 1940 Chicago recordings.
I'm taken down with the fever, and it won't let me sleep I'm taken down with the fever, and it won't let me sleep It was about three o'clock, before he would let me be I wish somebody, would come and drive my fever away I wish somebody, come and drive my fever away This fever I'm havin', sho' weaves in my way The fever I'm havin', sho' is hard on a man The fever I'm havin', sho' is hard on a man They don't allow my lover, come and shake my hand I wonder what's the matter with the fever, sho' is hard on a man I wanna know what's the matter, how come this fever hard on a man Doctor said "ain't the fever, that's your lover has another man" Doctor get your fever gauge, and put it under my tongue Doctor get your fever gauge, and put it under my tongue Doctor says "all you need, your lover in your arms" I wants my lover, come and drive my fever away I wants my lover, come and drive my fever away Doctor says she'll do me more good in a day, than he would in all of his days
Reminiscing his time on the Parchman Prison Farm in Mississippi, where the prisoners had to work from sunrise until sunset; from the 1940 Chicago session.
Judge give me life this mornin' down on Parchman Farm (2x) I wouldn't hate it so bad, but I left my wife in mourn Oh, goodbye wife, all you have done gone (2x) But I hope some day, you will hear my lonesome song Oh listen you men, I don't mean no harm (2x) If you wanna do good, you better stay off old Parchman Farm We got to work in the mornin', just at dawn of day (2x) Just at the settin' of the sun, that's when the work is done I'm down on Parchman Farm, but I sho' wanna go back home (2x) But I hope some day I will overcome
Another song recorded in Chicago on 7 March 1940, this time about mental depression ("trouble in mind").
When a man gets trouble in mind, he wanna sleep all the time When a man gets trouble in mind, he wanna sleep all the time He doesn't can sleep all the time, the trouble won't worry his mind Won't worry his mind I'm feelin' worried in mind, and I'm tryin' to keep from cryin' I'm feelin' worried in mind, and I'm tryin' to keep from cryin' I am standin' in the sunshine, to keep from weakin' down Keep from weakin' down I want somewhere to go, but I hate to go to town I want somewhere to go, to satisfy my mind I would go to town, but I hate to stand around Hate to stand around I wonder what's the matter with my right mind, my mind keep me sleepin' all the time I wonder what's the matter with my right mind, my mind keep me sleepin' all the time But when I had plenty money, my friend would come around Would come around If I had my right mind, I would write my women a few lines If I had my right mind, I would write my women a few lines I will do most anything, to keep from weakin' down Keep from weakin' down
A man who has lost everything and has returned to his mother's grave... From the 1940 Chicago session.
I'm a stranger at this place and I'm lookin' for my mother's grave (2x) Well it seems like to me, ooh well, well some of us goin' to wail I was at mother's grave, when they put my mother away (2x) And I can't find no one ooh, well, to take her place After my mother was put away, I thought my wife would take her place (2x) I'll show you the diff'rence 'tween a mother and a wife, well, my wife done throw me away I wished I could find someone to take my mother's place (2x) And if I can't find no one, ooh well, well you'll find me at her grave I'm standin' on my mother's grave and I wished I could seen her face (2x) I'll be glad when that day comes, ooh well, well when it be to dive me away
Like "Parchman Farm", a song about his time in prison and in particular the uniform he had to wear; Bukka couldn't wait until the day when he could change back into his civilian clothes. From the 1940 Chicago session.
Never will forget that day when they had me in Parchman Jail Would no one even come and go my bail I wonder how long before I can change my clothes I wonder how long 'fore I can change my clothes So many days I would be sittin' down I would be sittin' down lookin' down on my clothes I wonder how long before I can change my clothes I wonder how long 'fore I can change my clothes So many days when the day would be cold They would carry me out into the rain and cold I wonder how long before I can change my clothes I wonder how long 'fore I can change my clothes So many days when the day would be cold You can stand and look at the convicts' toes I wonder how long before I can change my clothes I wonder how long 'fore I can change my clothes So many days I would be walkin' down the road I can hardly walk for lookin' down on my clothes I wonder how long before I can change my clothes I wonder how long 'fore I can change my clothes Never will forget that day when they taken my clothes Taken my citizen's cloths and throw them away I wonder how long before I can change my clothes I wonder how long 'fore I can change my clothes
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