Thursday, November 24, 2022

Eyesight to the Blind Sonny Boy Williamson 2 1951

 

Elmore and Sonny Boy

I am going to feature some Sonny Boy lyrics. This was first hit record and it ranks as one of his best. The subtext of the song was saying the 'whole state knows she's fine'. Not just black people or that's what I read.  
From the Devil's Music Giles Oakley


Anyway hear it here. Gideon Coe played this on 6 music the other day and endeared me to him greatly. Never tire of hearing it. It's eternal.

The below is from the Illustrated Elmore James discography.


Trumpet Records founder and owner Lillian McMurry pressed up a limited supply of this record and sent the test pressing back to the pressing plant to get more made. The plant burned down with the test pressing in it so she had to re-record the record (see bottom)

rec. January 4, 1951 in Jackson, MS; Alex 'Rice' Miller, voc, hca; Willie Love, p; Elmore James, Joe Willie Wilkins, g; Joe Dyson, dr

You've talking about your woman, I wish to God, man, that you could see mine
You're talking about your woman, I wish to God that you could see mine
Every time the little girl start to loving, she bring eyesight to the blind
Lord, her daddy must been a millionaire, 'cause I can tell by the way she walk
Her daddy must been a millionaire, because I can tell by the way she walk
Every time she start to loving, the deaf and dumb begin to talk
I remember one Friday morning, we was lying down across the bed
Man in the next room a-dying, stopped dying and lift up his head, and said,
"Lord, ain't she pretty, and the whole state know she fine!"
Every time she start to loving, she bring eyesight to the blind
(Spoken: All right and all right, now. Lay it on me, lay it on me, lay it on me
Oh lordy, what a woman, what a woman!)
Yes, I declare she's pretty and the whole state knows she's fine
Man, I declare she's pretty, God knows I declare she's fine
Every time she starts to loving, whoo, she brings eyesight to the blind
(I've got to get out of here, now, let's go, let's go, let's go now)