She's all I've got, is gone

Subject: She's all I've got, is gone
From: Mike Flagge
Date: 27 May 98 - 11:56 PM

About ten years ago I heard a live song by David Bromberg that still haunts me, I know haunt is cliche' but it does. Problem is, I never could find it- a friend's father played it for me, and then I lost touch. The song is about a guy named Curtis who loved a girl named Delia, who in turn did not love him. She either was a prostitute or a girl of relaxed morals- "Delia, Delia, how could it be?/ You loved all those 'round us,/ but you never did love me/"

So, in the Old West way, Curtis killed her. The song is thus Curtis reflecting in his jail cell. The refrain: "She's all I got, is gone" combined with Bromberg's acoustic accompaniment, resonates with every moment you've ever spent mourning a loss.

To top it all off, Bromberg has this person playing the harmonica during part of the song. Whoever this person is, Whatever Gods There Are touched her/him, at least for the duration of the song. The solo could bring midnight to the brightest noon. I'm not lying.

I would really, really, really love whoever could put me on the trail of this song. I would bleed on command for whoever could show me the way to this recording.

Thank you. I'm not usually this plaintive. Mike

Subject: RE: She's all I've got, is gone
From: Mike
Date: 27 May 98 - 11:59 PM

Jeez, I found the lyrics on my first data base search- okay, so now how do I get the recording? thanjks again! Mike

Subject: RE: She's all I've got, is gone
From: Art Thieme
Date: 28 May 98 - 12:21 AM

Yep, It's "DELIA", right Mike?

But I think you might've heard the words wrong. Where you heard it as "You loved all those round us!" I'm pretty sure it's "You loved all those ROUNDERS".

I don't doubt that David B. does it well, but give a listen to Sparky Rucker's version of the song! It does for me what you described feeling after hearing D.B.!

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: She's all I've got, is gone
From: Rockaday Johnnie
Date: 28 May 98 - 10:36 AM

Delia is the song..it's actually a Steffan Grossman edit of a Blind Willie McTell and a Gary Davis song -Numerous great recordings of it including Bob Dylan, Grossman, and my favorite Roy Bookbinder - Guitar tab is in one of Grossman's early Oak publications, can't remember which, but if someone really wants to know, I'll dig for it. The Bromberg Version is on "David Bromberg" Columbia C31104 an lp that never made it to CD, however Sony Legacy (New Columbia) is coming out with a best of Bromberg (it May even be out) You might Check there -- Art, I can only imagine how good Sparky would do it --I don't think he could do a bad performance if he had to...

Subject: RE: She's all I've got, is gone
From: Rockaday Johnnie
Date: 28 May 98 - 11:57 AM

Oh yeah...the Bromberg lp credits Will Scarlett for the harmonica on Delia

Subject: RE: She's all I've got, is gone
From: Jon W.
Date: 28 May 98 - 12:08 PM

I submitted one of the versions of this to the DT. I've got a bootleg tape of most of the album including obviously this song. If you get desparate I might be induced to dub it for you, since it seems to be out of print. Email me: [e-mail]