Son House - Death Letter Blues

Sou um grande fã do estilo bottleneck (slide) e Son House é um bluesmam que eu admiro muito pelo estilo de tocar, bem crú, bem raíz. Dizem que ele ensinou o estilo bottleneck para Robert Johnson e depois para Muddy Waters.
A música que apresento a seguir, "Death Letter Blues", é uma das mais famosa de House e foi estruturada a partir de outra música dele, chamada "My Black Mama, part 2", de 1930.
A letra fala sobre um homem que fica sabendo da morte da mulher que ama, através de uma carta que ele recebe pela manhã. Ele visita seu corpo, vai ao seu enterro e depois retorna pra casa, em estado de depressão. Essa história foi inspirada em diversas canções de outros músicos, incluindo Lead Belly ( "Death Letter Blues"), Ishman Bracey ( "Trouble Hearted Blues"), Ida Cox ( "Death Letter Blues"), Robert Wilkins ( "Nashville Stonewall") e Blind Willie McTell ( "On The Cooling Board").
Essa canção foi a principal de Son House durante seu redescobrimento por parte do público europeu, a partir da década de 60. Por várias vezes ele alterou a letra e o ritmo para diferentes apresentações e às vezes até tocava ela mais de uma vez no mesmo show. Algumas versões chegaram a durar mais de quinze minutos.
Essa música de House influenciou vários outros artistas em suas composições. A música de Robert Johnson "Walking Blues" teve clara influência de "Death Letter", assim como a canção de Muddy Waters, "Burying Ground" e Skip James, em "Special Rider Blues". E ela ainda foi regravada por vários artistas, incluindo Grateful Dead, John Mellencamp, Chris Thomas King, David Johansen, Derek Trucks The Band e The White Stripes. E os The White Stripes tocaram ela ao vivo no Grammy Awards de 2004. A canção também esteve presente no filme de terror A Chave Mestra (The Skeleton Key), em uma versão tocada por Johnny Farmer.

Essa é a letra original, da canção gravada por Son House, em 1930. No vídeo abaixo é possível conferir um versão da música tocada por House, um pouco reduzida.

I got a letter this mornin, how do you reckon it read?
It said, "Hurry, hurry, yeah, your love is dead"
I got a letter this mornin, I say how do you reckon it read?
You know, it said, "Hurry, hurry, how come the gal you love is dead?"

So, I grabbed up my suitcase, and took off down the road
When I got there she was layin on a coolin' board
I grabbed up my suitcase, and I said and I took off down the road
I said, but when I got there she was already layin on a coolin' board

Well, I walked up right close, looked down in her face
Said, the good ol' gal got to lay here 'til the Judgment Day
I walked up right close, and I said I looked down in her face
I said the good ol' gal, she got to lay here 'til the Judgment Day

Looked like there was 10,000 people standin' round the buryin' ground
I didn't know I loved her 'til they laid her down
Looked like 10,000 were standin' round the buryin' ground
You know I didn't know I loved her 'til they damn laid her down

Lord, have mercy on my wicked soul
I wouldn't mistreat you baby, for my weight in gold
I said, Lord, have mercy on my wicked soul
You know I wouldn't mistreat nobody, baby, not for my weight in gold

Well, I folded up my arms and I slowly walked away
I said, "Farewell honey, I'll see you on Judgment Day"
Ah, yeah, oh, yes, I slowly walked away
I said, "Farewell, farewell, I'll see you on the Judgment Day"

You know I went in my room, I bowed down to pray
The blues came along and drove my spirit away
I went in my room, I said I bowed down to pray
I said the blues came along and drove my spirit away

You know I didn't feel so bad, 'til the good ol' sun went down
I didn't have a soul to throw my arms around
I didn't feel so bad, 'til the good ol' sun went down
You know, I didn't have nobody to throw my arms around

I loved you baby, like I love myself
You don't have me, you won't have nobody else
I loved you baby, better than I did myself
I said now if you don't have me, I didn't want you to have nobody else

You know, it's hard to love someone that don't love you
Ain't no satisfaction, don't care what in the world you do
Yeah, it's hard to love someone that don't love you
You know it don't look like satisfaction, don't care what in the world you do

Got up this mornin', just about the break of day
A-huggin' the pillow where she used to lay
Got up this mornin', just about the break of day
A-huggin' the pillow where my good gal used to lay

Got up this mornin', feelin' round for my shoes (note 1)
You know, I must-a had them old walkin' blues
Got up this mornin', feelin' round for my shoes
Yeah, you know bout that, I must-a had them old walkin' blues

You know, I cried last night and all the night before
Gotta change my way a livin', so I don't have to cry no more
You know, I cried last night and all the night before
Gotta change my way a livin', you see, so I don't have to cry no more

Ah, hush, thought I heard her call my name
If it wasn't so loud and so nice and plain

Well, listen, whatever you do
This is one thing, honey, I tried to get along with you
Yes, no tellin' what you do
I done everything I could, just to try and get along with you

Well, the minutes seemed like hours, hours they seemed like days
It seemed like my good, old gal outta done stopped her low-down ways
Minutes seemed like hours, hours they seemed like days
Seems like my good, old gal outta done stopped her low-down ways

You know, love's a hard ol' fall, make you do things you don't wanna do
Love sometimes leaves you feeling sad and blue
You know, love's a hard ol' fall, make you do things you don't wanna do
Love sometimes make you feel sad and blue

Son House - Death Letter Blues



Quer saber mais sobre a vida do grande Son House ou fazer o download de algum disco dele? Então acesse a biografia dele, publicada aqui no Blues Everyday clicando abaixo:
Biografia de Son House.
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