Blues Tuesday: Eric Clapton, "Holy Mother"

I love this song.  It was running through my head all weekend and couldn't wait to post it as this week's Blues Tuesday.  It's quite amazing that a rock star would have such a religious song; it's amazing that he played it live at a concert; and it's really, really amazing that he played it as his encore song.  He's also got a nice choir behind him on this.  Hope you enjoy this song as much as I do.

Holy Mother, where are you?
Tonight I feel broken in two.
I've seen the stars fall from the sky.
Holy mother, can't keep from crying.

Oh I need your help this time,
Get me through this lonely night.
Tell me please which way to turn
To find myself again.

Holy mother, hear my prayer,
Somehow I know you're still there.
Send me please some peace of mind;
Take away this pain.

Blues Tuesday: Howlin Wolf, Smokestack Lightning

A hypnotic back rhythm, a harmonica to carry the melody, and one of the greatest, most original voices in all the blues, Chester Arthur Burnett, otherwise known as Howlin Wolf playing my favorite of his works, "Smokestack Lightning." 

According to Wikipedia, Wolf said the song was inspired by watching trains in the night: "We used to sit out in the country and see the trains go by, watch the sparks come out of the smokestack. That was smokestack lightning."

Whoa, oh, stop your train
Let her, go for a ride
Why don't ya hear me cryin'?
Whoo hoo, whoo hoo
Whoo...
Lyrics credit to DigitalDreamDoor.

Blues Tuesday: Billie Holiday, "God Bless the Child"

It may not be a perfect fit, but I still offer this song in my regular Tuesday blues music in memorial to this horrific day in our nation's history. 

 

 

Mama may have, Papa may have
But God bless the child that's got his own
That's got his own

 

It's been forty years.  May God help us in changing hearts and minds.  And may God bless all those poor children who were denied the most basic possession, life.

Blues Tuesday: Eva Cassidy, "Wade In the Water"

This is not quite a blues song but a Negro Spiritual, song by a wonderful voice who unfortunately died way too young, Eva Cassidy.  It's usually arranged with a jazzy/blues back rhythm.


I post it honor of this past Sunday being the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord.  This was actually played at my mass Sunday as the offertory hymn, though not as jazzy as this recording.  Our music director played it on the piano, and she gave a fairly good rendition.

 

 

 



You don't believe I've been redeemed,
Wade in the water
Just see The Holy Ghost looking for me
God's gonna trouble the water

 



Blues Tuesday: Muddy Waters, "Rollin' Stone"

I really love Blues.  It's extraordinarily simple yet has a wide expressive range.  The form is clearly defined, and you have to be creative within it or especially virtuosic to engage the listener.  Muddy Waters is arguably the greatest.  All that's here in his classic "Rollin' Stone" is a guitar and Muddy's voice.  Amazing what he makes with it, especially the call and response between voice and guitar, and the range from bass to alto he squeezes out of the guitar nearly simultaneously. 

 

 



This song is also called "Catfish Blues" based on the first stanza.  Here's that first stanza.

Well, I wish I was a catfish,
swimmin in a oh, deep, blue sea
I would have all you good lookin women,
fishin, fishin after me
Sure 'nough, a-after me
Sure 'nough, a-after me
Oh 'nough, oh 'nough, sure 'nough


There's a sort of fatalistic sadness to the song.  The structure of the song is deceptively well crafted.  It starts with a wish, moves to a relationship that cannot blossom, roots his fate to his birth, as if he has no power to define himself, and we see the uprooted life sadly moving on at the end.  The guitar and voice just captures that melancholic feeling.


You can read the rest of the lyrics here, and the Wikipedia entry here.  The rock group The Rolling Stones took their name from this song.