Lyrics & Knowledge Personal Pages Record Shop Auction Links Radio & Media Kids Membership Help
The Mudcat Cafesj



User Name Thread Name Subject Posted
cnd Lyr ADD: Sickbed Blues (Skip James) (4) RE: Lyr ADD: Sickbed Blues (Skip James) 21 Apr 25


Luigi, that's a good start, and appreciate your providing it. YouTube transcriptions have come a long, long way from what they once were....

Note that "two weeks to go" in Davis's introduction doesn't make much sense -- the song had previously been released on the 1963 album, The Greatest Of The Delta Blues Singers (Storyville 670 185) -- unless he's just hamming it up for the audience. Note that the 1963 recording is a third version, different from Jim's transcription above -- listen.

Here's how I hear the 1964 Newport recording Luigi asked about.

(spoken) This is a piece that I composed when I was in Tunica, Mississippi, in the hospital, on my sick bed, two weeks ago".

Laying sick, on my bed
I'm laying down sick, on in my bed
I used to have few friends but they wished that I were dead

I got a letter this morning -- how you reckon it read?
I got a letter this morning -- how you reckon it read?
Boys, I've been meditating on what my baby said

Ahh, Lord, oh Lordy, Lord, Lordy, Lord
I've been badly mistreated and abused like a dog

The doctor came, looking very sad
The doctor came, looking very sad
He diagnosed my case and he said it was very bad

He walked away, talking very low
He walked away, talking very low
He said, "It may get better but I ain't never get well, no more"


Post to this Thread -

Back to the Main Forum Page

By clicking on the User Name, you will requery the forum for that user. You will see everything that he or she has posted with that Mudcat name.

By clicking on the Thread Name, you will be sent to the Forum on that thread as if you selected it from the main Mudcat Forum page.

By clicking on the Subject, you will also go to the thread as if you selected it from the original Forum page, but also go directly to that particular message.

By clicking on the Date (Posted), you will dig out every message posted that day.

Try it all, you will see.