There is a lot of patter in this 11.4-minute recording which I have omitted. Also, Davis varies the chorus a lot, mainly by omitting some sung words and inserting spoken patter. Davis made other recordings,


HESITATION BLUES
As recorded by Rev. Gary Davis on "Blues & Ragtime" (Shanachie, 2005)

You know, I woke up this mornin' just about a half-past four.
Hesitatin' blues was knockin' on my door.

CHORUS: Tell me how long do I have to wait?
Can I get you now, honey? Do I have to hesitate?

Ain't no use in me workin' so hard.
I got me two good women workin' in the rich folks' yard.

I ain't your good man, neither your good man's son,
But I can get in the place o' your good man till your good man come.

Well, I ain't no miller, ain't no miller's son,
But I can grind a little corn for you till the miller come.

Well, I ain't no wine-presser, neither no wine-presser's son,
But I can press out a little juice for you till the wine-presser come.

I ain't no grocer-man, you know, grocer-man's son,
But I can buy you a little grocery till the grocery-man come.

Well, I ain't to cradle-rocker; neither no cradle-rocker's son,
But I can do a little rockin' for you till your cradle man comes.

Well, I ain't no doctor, ain't no doctor's son,
But I can cure a few cases....

Eagle on the dollar say: "In God We Trust."
Woman swear she wants a man but I 'clare she wants a dollar first.

I ain't no bookeeper, neither no bookkeeper's son,
But I can keep the … books for you till the bookkeeper comes.

Well, I ain't no milkman, neither no milkman's son,
But I can keep you supplied till your milkman comes.

Well, he said, I ain't no chauffeur, neither no chauffeur's son,
But I can do a little drivin' till your chauffeur comes.

Well, I ain't no back-breaker, you know, back-breaker's son,
But I can stretch out my back for you till your back-breaker comes.

Said, I ain't got no woman and I ain't got no kids.
I ain't got nobody's daughter to be bothered with.

Well, I ain't no rent-payer, neither no rent-payer's son.
I can scrape a few rents for you till your payer comes.

Well, I ain't been to heaven, but I've been told,
They said Saint Peter learnt the angels how to do the jelly roll.

Me an' my buddy and two-three mo',
We get good women anywhere we go.

Well, I hitched up the mule and the mule wouldn't pull.
Took the harness off the mule and put the harness on the bull.

Blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice.
I'd be a fool if I quit the woman I got 'cause it ain't no use.

Well, I got a hesitatin' stockin', hesitatin' shoes.
I got a hestitatin' woman singin' me the hesitatin' blues.

If my good gal quit me, I ain't gonna wear no black.
I always got somthin' to make her come a-runnin' back.

Men in the country hollerin' "Wha-haw-gee!"(?)
Women in the city flyin' aroun' askin' the question: "Who wants me?"

Ashes to ashes and dust to dust.
Just show me a woman that a man can trust.

You know, my mama tol' me when I was just six years ol':
"You gonna be a good woman-getter, son, God bless your soul."