Blues Lyrics: Leadbelly (Huddie Ledbetter)

Read more about Leadbelly at the All-Music Guide.

This page contains lyrics to the following song(s):

• Red Cross Store Blues

Red Cross Store Blues

This song refers to World War I, when in small American towns the "Red Cross Store" doubled as the local recruitment center. Leadbelly isn't too keen to go and fight the Kaiser, though. It was a position shared by the majority of black Americans at that time.

(chorus:)
I told her no!
Baby you know I don't wanna go
Justine I ain't goin'
Down to no Red Cross store

She come down Justine, tell me I wanna talk with you in just a little while
Ain't you goin' down and fight for your wife and child?
(chorus)

She come down here and she shook my hand
She said Daddy I want you to go down there and fight for me like a man
(chorus)

She said the Red Cross people they treat you mighty fine
They mixing everything up with whiskey and wine
(chorus)

She come down here talkin' to me about the war
I told her baby I ain't done nothing to go there for
(chorus)

She come down here and she fell down on her knees
I said baby I have to look somewhere for your butter and cheese
(chorus)

She said Daddy I just come down here to tell you so
You better go running down to that Red Cross store
(chorus)

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