CATFISH BLUES

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.

I went to my baby’s house and I sit down oh, on her steps.
She said, “Now, come on in now, Muddy. You know, my husband just now left.”
Sure ‘nough, he just now left.
Sure ‘nough, he just now left.
Sure ‘nough, oh, well, oh, well.

Well, my mother told my father, just before, hmmm, I was born,
“I got a boy child’s comin’. He’s gonna be, he’s gonna be a rollin’ stone.”
Sure ‘nough, he’s a rollin’ stone.
Sure ‘nough, he’s a rollin’ stone.
Oh, well, he’s a, oh, well, he’s a, oh, well, he’s a ...

Well, I feel, yes, I feel, feel that I could lay down. Oh, time ain’t long.
I’m gonna catch the first thing smokin’. Back, back down the road I’m goin’.
Back down the road I’m goin’.
Back down the road I’m goin’.
Sure ‘nough back, sure ‘nough back.

By McKinley Morganfield (and yes, Muddy titled it “Rolling Stone”)

And except, of course, for Robert Petway and Tommy McClennen who recorded it separately in 1941, well before Muddy. Petway and McClennen were close friends and partners and it isn’t certain which originated the song, if it wasn’t already traditional.

For more on this Background on Catfish Blues

Jimi Hendrix recorded what were essentially Muddy’s words.
Hendrix’ Catfish Blues

HTML line breaks added. --JoeClone, 2-May-02.