76 BLUES + 2
(Norman Blake)
I've been to the east, I've been to the west,
I've travelled this world around
I'm a going on back to Georgia
To make my last go round
And it's a hard road I'm travelling on.
They say things are fine now,
In Nashville Tennessee
What with all those snakes just moving in
It's a Hollywood to me
And it's a hard road I'm travelling on.
Way down on the southern
Near the shore down whistle wind
Three miles south of Risen farm
Goin' to get here just on time
One hundred miles from Birmingham.
Lord inches, feet and miles and yards
Changes all around
A meter's what you put your money in
When you park down town
And it's a hard road I'm travelling on.
I knew a man from New York state
Believe me friends he tried
He believed in every word he sang
And then he hung hiself and died
It's a hard road he travelled on.
Well goin' up to the district
Washington DC
Lord if you wanna hail Columbia
Then friend don't bother me
Well it's a hard road we're travelled on
Just listen to me good people now
We're all in a hell of a fix
I got the same old blues in '78
That I had in '76
And it's a hard road we're travelling on.
Some day I'll write my travels down
In a big old book
Now I'm a goin' back to my home
Down in Johnson's Crook
It's a hard road I'm travelling on.
I've been to the east, I've been to the west,
I've travelled this world around
I'm a going on back to Georgia
To make my last go round
It's a hard road I've travelling on.
Notes: The verse that refers to Phil is in italics. The track was included on the album "Directions" (Takoma 1978), reissued on CD in 1987.
To confirm that the verse was indeed about Phil, I contacted Norman's agent and received the following in reply:
"I spoke with Norman and you are correct. The one verse in 76 Blues was in regards to Phil Ochs. Norman stated that he had no real personal involvement with Phil Ochs, it was "just in my mind at the time"... he wrote the song."RP Oct10