Lyr Add: Still Livin' On (Eric Bibb)

Subject: Lyr Add: STILL LIVIN' ON (Eric Bibb)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 17 May 07 - 08:05 PM

STILL LIVIN' ON
Eric Bibb

Mississippi John Hurt was a farmin' man,
Played a sweet guitar with callused hands.
He touched my heart with southern grace,
One o' my heroes, dead an' gone, still livin' on.

Elizabeth Cotten, as a young girl,
Wrote a famous tune went round the world:
"Freight Train, Freight Train," a timeless song.
One o' my heroes, dead an' gone, still livin' on.

Reverend Gary Davis smoked a fat cigar,
A blind street singer with a big guitar.
Livin' his sermon, he taught us so well.
One o' my heroes, dead an' gone, still livin' on.

Now the great Son House, a delta blues king,
I saw him play early an' sing.
I was a young man then. His time wasn't long.
He's one o' my heroes, dead an' gone, still livin' on.

Sam Charles from Texas, with his wife named Ann,
Been spreadin' the word from land to land.
Blues faces won't fade away.
One o' my heroes—still living on, still living on.

Roebuck Staples, they called him Pops.
His inspiration will never stop.
I hear his voice inside my own.
He's one o' my heroes, dead an' gone, still livin on,
Still livin' on.

Read 'em in a book. Look 'em up on the 'net,
Blues people we can't forget.
Roots need water for the tree to thrive.
Talkin' 'bout my heroes still alive.
Heroes still livin' on.

Yeah, yeah, still livin' on. (ad lib)

[As sung by Eric Bibb on his album "Diamond Days."]

[The only people mentioned in this song that I don't recognize are "Sam Charles from Texas, with his wife named Ann." Can anyone identify them, and maybe provide a link to information about them?]

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Still Livin' On (Eric Bibb)
From: Stewie
Date: 17 May 07 - 09:00 PM

Hi Jim, I haven't heard of a Sam Charles either. Are you sure he's not singing 'Sam Charters'. Albeit not from Texas, Sam recorded Texas bluesmen, in particular Lightning Hopkins. He has a musician/writer wife named 'Ann' and is still alive as far as I am aware.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Still Livin' On (Eric Bibb)
From: GUEST,Art Thieme
Date: 17 May 07 - 09:58 PM

Yes, Sam and Ann Charters. Ann a Kerouac scholar. Compiler of books The Jack Kerouac Reader and The Beat Reader. Sam did pioneering blues work. Wrote "The Country Blues." Then the sequel called "The Bluesmen" further extended that work and corrected some mistakes in the first volume. (Oak Publications) Then further scholarship on bluesmen in a book called "Sweet As The Showers Of Rain."

Also, he tried to track down Blind Willie Johnson. He found his widow, Angeline, and learned that Willie was dead. He died from a lack of any decent medical help being available for a black person. See the fine Folkways Records LP (CD now) called The Search For Blind Willie Johnson. Sam Charters was also in some of Dave Van Ronk's jug band groups I believe.

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Still Livin' On (Eric Bibb)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 17 May 07 - 11:51 PM

I've listened to the song again, and you're right, it's Sam Charters, who is still living and writing. He's not from Texas, though.

To play an archived radio program that contains this song, click here and then skip to 46 minutes from the beginning of the program. (RealPlayer allows you to skip ahead.)