TRAVELIN' BLUES
As recorded by Blind Willie McTell, 1929.

[SPOKEN] I was traveling through South Americus.
I walked up to a lady's house,
Called her grandma.
Didn't know her name.
She give me something to eat.
Walked on down the road.
I heard an ol' train gettin' off like this...
I heard an ol' bell ring kinda like this...
I went on down. I heard an ol' whistle blow.
I heard it sing [SINGS] "Looka yonder. Looka yonder
At the women. At the women."

[SPOKEN] I went on and I began to sing to the engineer:
[SINGS] "Mister engineer, let a man ride the blind.
Mister engineer, let a poor man ride the blind."
Said, "I wouldn't mind it, fella, but you know this train ain't mine."

[SPOKEN] I begin to hear that ol' fella blowin' long-short.
That's the way he blowed.
And I begin to sing to him one more time.
[SINGS] "You're the cruel fireman, lowdown engineer.
You're the cruel fireman, lowdown engineer.
I'm trying to hobo my way and you leave me standing here."

[SPOKEN] Then I go along further and I began to sing poor-boy to him.
And he began to smile in my face;
[SINGS] "Get up, fella. Ride all 'round the world.
Get up, fella. Ride all 'round the world.
Poor boy, you ain't got no girl."

[SPOKEN] And I began to hear him tellin' me 'bout those cheese and eggs
"How you want 'em fixed?"
I say, "Scrambled down!
Scrambled down!
Scrambled down!"

Then I began to hear him
Tellin' about those cheese and eggs...
Cheese...eggs...dinner...dinner...

Then I began to hear him tell 'bout Emry
[SINGS] "I love you Emry. I love you true.
I love you, Emerald. Tell the world I do."
Yeah!

[Corrections made as suggested in comments below.--A Mudelf.]