Otis Taylor
Otis Taylor is an American blues musician. He is a multi-instrumentalist whose talents include the guitar, banjo, mandolin, harmonica, and vocals. In 2001, he was awarded a fellowship to the Sundance Film Composers Laboratory.
Taylor's career in music performance and recording has taken a circuitous path. Born in Chicago 1948, and growing up in Denver after his family relocated there, he began listening to blues and folk-blues in his teens. Through Denver's Folklore Center, he began to play the blues. Read Full BioOtis Taylor is an American blues musician. He is a multi-instrumentalist whose talents include the guitar, banjo, mandolin, harmonica, and vocals. In 2001, he was awarded a fellowship to the Sundance Film Composers Laboratory.
Taylor's career in music performance and recording has taken a circuitous path. Born in Chicago 1948, and growing up in Denver after his family relocated there, he began listening to blues and folk-blues in his teens. Through Denver's Folklore Center, he began to play the blues. By 1977, though, he "retired" from music and had a successful antiques business. He returned to music when he was nearly 50, and having immersed himself in the history of the folklore of the blues, he traced the migration of both the blues and the banjo from its roots in Africa to its "birth" in the American south.
His music is uncompromising and fierce, and it walks the line of gritty and gorgeous well. He incorporates elements of the blues masters Johnson, Jefferson, McTell and others, but always makes the resulting music his own.
His return to performance and recording began in 1995, but it was his acceptance of a Sundance Festival composition fellowship in 2000 that sparked his emergence as a preeminent bluesman with When Negroes Walked The Earth. His song, 'Nasty Letter', plays over the credits at the end of the 2007 Mark Wahlberg film Shooter.
Taylor's career in music performance and recording has taken a circuitous path. Born in Chicago 1948, and growing up in Denver after his family relocated there, he began listening to blues and folk-blues in his teens. Through Denver's Folklore Center, he began to play the blues. Read Full BioOtis Taylor is an American blues musician. He is a multi-instrumentalist whose talents include the guitar, banjo, mandolin, harmonica, and vocals. In 2001, he was awarded a fellowship to the Sundance Film Composers Laboratory.
Taylor's career in music performance and recording has taken a circuitous path. Born in Chicago 1948, and growing up in Denver after his family relocated there, he began listening to blues and folk-blues in his teens. Through Denver's Folklore Center, he began to play the blues. By 1977, though, he "retired" from music and had a successful antiques business. He returned to music when he was nearly 50, and having immersed himself in the history of the folklore of the blues, he traced the migration of both the blues and the banjo from its roots in Africa to its "birth" in the American south.
His music is uncompromising and fierce, and it walks the line of gritty and gorgeous well. He incorporates elements of the blues masters Johnson, Jefferson, McTell and others, but always makes the resulting music his own.
His return to performance and recording began in 1995, but it was his acceptance of a Sundance Festival composition fellowship in 2000 that sparked his emergence as a preeminent bluesman with When Negroes Walked The Earth. His song, 'Nasty Letter', plays over the credits at the end of the 2007 Mark Wahlberg film Shooter.
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Ten Million Slaves
Otis Taylor Lyrics
Rain and fire crossed that ocean
Another mad man done struck again
Rain and fire crossed that ocean
Another mad man done struck again
Sitting down here fallout shelter
Paint my walls, twice a week
Sitting down here fallout shelter
Think about the slaves, long time ago
Ten million slaves crossed that Ocean
They had shackles on their Legs
Ten million slaves crossed that Ocean
They had shackles on their Legs
Don't know where, where they're going
Don't know where, where they've been
Don't know where, where they're going
Don't know where, where they've been
Sun goes out, you'll be standing
You'll be standing by yourself
Sun goes out, you'll be standing
You'll be standing by yourself
Ten million slaves crossed that Ocean
They had shackles on their legs
Ten million slaves crossed that Ocean
They had shackles on their legs
Don't know where, where they're going
Don't know where, where they've been
Don't know where, where they're going
Don't know where, where they've been
Ten million slaves crossed that ocean
They had shackles on their legs
Food goes bad, food looks Rancid
But they ate it anyway
Don't know where, where they're going
Don't know where, where they've been
Don't know where, where they're going
Don't know where, where they've been
Sun goes out, you'll be standing
You'll be standing all alone
Sun goes out, you'll be standing
You'll be standing all alone
All alone, all alone, all alone, all alone, all alone
Contributed by Anna H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on specific lyrics, highlight them
Jose Hernandez
Rain and fire crossed that ocean
Another mad man done struck again
Rain and fire crossed that ocean
Another mad man done struck again
Sitting down here fallout shelter
Paint my walls, twice a week
Sitting down here fallout shelter
Think about the slaves, long time ago
Ten million slaves crossed that Ocean
They had shackles on their Legs
Ten million slaves crossed that Ocean
They had shackles on their Legs
Don't know where, where they're going
Don't know where, where they've been
Don't know where, where they're going
Don't know where, where they've been
Sun goes out, you'll be standing
You'll be standing by yourself
Sun goes out, you'll be standing
You'll be standing by yourself
Ten million slaves crossed that Ocean
They had shackles on their legs
Ten million slaves crossed that Ocean
They had shackles on their legs
Don't know where, where they're going
Don't know where, where they've been
Don't know where, where they're going
Don't know where, where they've been
Ten million slaves crossed that ocean
They had shackles on their legs
Food goes bad, food looks Rancid
But they ate it anyway
Don't know where, where they're going
Don't know where, where they've been
Don't know where, where they're going
Don't know where, where they've been
Sun goes out, you'll be standing
You'll be standing all alone
Sun goes out, you'll be standing
You'll be standing all alone
All alone, all alone, all alone, all alone, all alone
Michael Johnson
I like baseball, movies, good clothes, fast cars, whiskey, and you... what else you need to know?
LibertiesBreathe 50
@Tom Rusch Thats because most of them aint worth the time of day brother. Very lucky few find that woman but when you do treat her right and she'll treat you right.
LibertiesBreathe 50
My favorite line is "You see darling all of these folks here only care where people come from instead of where somebodys goin." She asks "Where are going John?" He responds "Anywhere I Want To."
AgeofMachines
My dude!💯💯💯
Tom Rusch
unfortunately, women wouldnt care about that these days!
Asi Iqbal
I don’t see where people come from, I care where people are going!!! 🖐🏽
Hellblazer311
I listen to this when I go jogging and I pretend Melvin Purvis is chasing me.
Mark Effend
Melvin purvis was kool but the man had too much conscience and should accept his job was done unavoidable circumstances
Juanito Mendoza
ratatatattatata pum pum
Derek Boland
Lmfao