Samuel’s Musicians Of The Week

This week’s award goes to Woody Guthrie, and I’ve chosen a song to feature which I think is fairly representative of many songs of that era, as it has meaningful lyrics which perform a social commentary of sorts. The feature song is “Worried Man Blues”.

I went across the river, I laid down to sleep
went across the river, I laid down to sleep
When I woke up, had shackles on my feet

It takes a worried man to sing a worried song
Takes a worried man to sing a worried song
I’m worried now but I won’t be worried long

Twenty one links of chain around my leg
Twenty one links of chain around my leg
And on each link, the initials of my name

It takes a worried man to sing a worried song
Takes a worried man to sing a worried song
I’m worried now but I won’t be worried long

I asked that judge what’s gonna be my fine
Asked that judge what’s gonna be my fine
Twenty one years on the Rocky Mountain Line

It takes a worried man to sing a worried song
Takes a worried man to sing a worried song
I’m worried now but I won’t be worried long

A train pulled out, twenty-one coaches long
Train pulled out, twenty-one coaches long
And the woman I love, on that train and gone

It takes a worried man to sing a worried song
Takes a worried man to sing a worried song
I’m worried now but I won’t be worried long

Twenty-one years, to pay my awful crime
Twenty-one years, to pay my awful crime
Twenty-one years, and I still got ninety-nine

It takes a worried man to sing a worried song
Takes a worried man to sing a worried song
I’m worried now but I won’t be worried long

Samuel