Dyin' Crapshooters Blues, Blind Willie McTell

links.net : muzzik :

Less of the searing quality in Statesboro Blues; this song has a great narrative and some living word pictures.
I've transliterated this version of the song here, because I wanted to track this thread of pleasure in this dyin' man's mind. I had to do some guesswork; I checked my words against this great Willie McTell lyrics site; we didn't agree on everything, maybe we have different versions. They have some great research up about the song.

Dyin' Crapshooters Blues sung by: Blind Willie McTell (1949) little Jesse was a gambler night and day well he used crooked cards and dice Sinful guy, good hearted but had no soul heart was hard and cold like ice Jesse was a wild reckless gambler he won a game of shame (change?) got a many gambler's heart he lead in pain (?) when he began to spend and lose his money he began to be blue and all alone but boys his heart had even turned to stone what broke Jesse's heart while he was blue and all alone sweet loreen had packed up and gone police walked up and shot my friend Jesse down boy I got to die today he had a gang of crapshooters and gamblers at his bedside here are the words he had to say I guess I ought to know exactly how I want to go how you want to go Jesse? eight crap shooters to be my pall bearers let 'em be veiled down in black I want nine men going to the graveyard buddy and eight men coming back I want a gang of gamblers gathered around my coffin-side a crooked card planted on my hearse don't say the crapshooters will never grieve over me my life been a doggone curse Send poker players to the graveyard dig my grave with the ace of spades I want twelve polices in my funeral march high sherriff playing blackjack lead the parade I want the judge and solicitor who jailed me fourteen times a pair of dice in my shoes and what else? Let a deck of cards be my tombstone buddy I got the dyin' crapshooters blues Sixteen real good crapshooters sixteen bootleggers to sing a song Sixteen racketmen gambling, Couple tend bar while I'm rolling along he wanted twenty-two womens out of the hampton hotel twenty-six offa south bell twenty nine women outta north atlanta know that jesse didn't pass out so swell now his head was achin' heart was thumpin' jesse went down bouncin' and jumpin' Folks don't be standing around with Jesse cryin' - He wants everyone to do the charlston while he's dyin' One foot up and a toenail draggin' Throw my friend Jesse in the Hoodoo wagon Come here Mama with that can of booze Dyin' crapshooters blues I mean the dyin' crapshooters blues.

Willie McTell | blooz | muzzik | life

justin's links by justin hall: contact