1. Arthur "… Read Full Bio ↴There are at least two artists with the name Blind Blake
1. Arthur "Blind" Blake (c. 1893-c. 1933) was an influential blues singer and guitarist. There is only one photograph of him in existence.
Very little is known about his life. His birthplace was listed as Jacksonville, Florida by Paramount Records, but even that is in dispute. Nothing is known of his death. Even his name is not certain. During recordings he was asked about his real name and he answered that his name was Blind Arthur Blake which is also listed on some of the song credits, strengthening his case on his real name, although there is a suggestion that his real name was Arthur Phelps.
Blake recorded about eighty sides for Paramount Records in the late 1920s and early 1930s. He was one of the most accomplished guitarists of his genre, with a surprisingly diverse range of material. He is best known for his distinctive guitar sound, whose complex and intricate fingerpicking was comparable in sound and style to a ragtime piano.
His first recordings were made in 1926 and his records sold well. His first solo record was "Early Morning Blues", with "West Coast Blues" on the B-side. He made his last recordings in 1932, the end of his career being aided by Paramount's bankruptcy.
One would surmise, given Blake's importance, celebrity status, popularity and sizeable recorded output that we would know something about the man. And after more than five decades of searching conducted by experts on behalf of Blind Blake, we still don't know anything verifiable about Blake which he doesn't tell us on his records. Practically all of what is "known" about Blind Blake outside of that is a combination of conjecture, rumor, slander and nonsense. At one point a theory was advanced that Blind Blake's true name was "Arthur Phelps" and it is under this name that Blake's entry is filed in Sheldon Harris' Blues Who's Who. But the theory is easily debunked by Blake himself, who states on his 1929 recording "Blind Arthur's Breakdown" that his name is "Arthur Blake." He briefly breaks into Geechee dialect during the course of "Southern Rag," and this advanced a theory that Blake was really born in the Georgia Sea Islands and spoke Geechee as a first language, accounting for his "uncomfortable negro dialect" on records like "Early Morning Blues." But there is nothing wrong with Blake's "negro dialect," thus it was easy to disprove this ridiculous notion.
Blind Blake is known to have had family in the area of Jacksonville, Florida and was likely born there; Blake may have grown up in Georgia. Blake was first seen in Chicago in the mid-1920s. His birth date is assumed to be sometime between 1895-1897, as the only existing photo of Blind Blake, taken at his first Paramount session in August, 1926, shows a man of about thirty. Interviews with some of the musicians personally acquainted with Blake only reveal that he had a seemingly inexhaustible appetite for liquor. No one has discovered any reliable account of what happened to Blind Blake after his last Paramount session in June 1932. The story that has Blake murdered in Chicago shortly after his Paramount date did not hold up after an intensive search of local police files. The most reasonable notion about what might've happened to Blind Blake after 1932 is that he drifted back to Jacksonville and lived a few years more, with 1937 suggested as a possible date of death. In the summer of 1935, Mary Elizabeth Barnicle led an Archive of Folk Song expedition into the area where Blake is likely to have resettled and canvassed it for black musicians, yet never encountered him.
Many of the recordings made by Blind Blake are singled out as classic early blues performances, too many to be listed in detail here. But a few that stand out include "Early Morning Blues," "Too Tight," "Skeedle Loo Doo Blues," "That Will Never Happen No More," "Southern Rag," "Diddie Wa Diddie," "Police Dog Blues," "Playing Policy Blues" and "Righteous Blues." Several of Blind Blake's original tunes are by now country-blues standards, and judging from the further developments in Atlanta-based Piedmont blues, Blake's influence there must've been formidable, even if it came only by way of recordings. Anyone who hears Blind Blake can't help but be astonished by his sincerity, his gentle, off-the-cuff humor and the sheer effortlessness with which he plays some of the most treacherously complex finger-work on the face of creation.
Blind Blake is not to be confused, incidentally, with Blake Higgs, a Bahamian Calypso artist who also recorded as "Blind Blake."
2. Blind Blake was a Bahamian singer active in the 1930s and 1940s, often entertained rich visitors to the island. One of these was the former Edward VIII, who became governor general of the islands. Blind Blake's best known song, "Love, Love Alone", was written in praise of the things the former monarch gave up for love
Diddie Wa Diddie
Blind Blake Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This Diddie Wa Diddie
Mister Diddie Wa Diddie
I wish somebody would tell me what Diddie Wa Diddie means
The little girl about four feet four, come on papa and
give me some more,
of your Diddie Wa Diddie
I wish somebody would tell me what Diddie Wa Diddie means
I went out and walked around, somebody yelled, said,
"Look who's in town"
Mister Diddie Wa Diddie
Mister Diddie Wa Diddie
I wish somebody would tell me what Diddie Wa Diddie means
Went to church, put my hand on the seat, lady sat on it
said, "Daddy, you sure is sweet"
Mister Diddie Wa Diddie
Mister Diddie Wa Diddie
I wish somebody would tell me what Diddie Wa Diddie means
I said, "Sister, I'll soon be gone, just gimme that
thing you sitting on"
My Diddie Wa Diddie
My Diddie Wa Diddie
I wish somebody would tell me what Diddie Wa Diddie means
Then I got put out of church, 'cause I talk about
Diddie Wa Diddie too much
Mister Diddie Wa Diddie
Mister Diddie Wa Diddie
I wish somebody would tell me what Diddie Wa Diddie means
Blind Blake's song "Diddie Wa Diddie" is a humorous tune that revolves around the mystery of the phrase "Diddie Wa Diddie". The mysterious phrase keeps popping up in different situations throughout the song, leaving the singer puzzled and curious about its meaning. The first stanza sets the tone for the song, as the singer expresses his frustration and confusion about the phrase that seems to be on everyone's lips. The second stanza introduces a little girl who asks her father for more "Diddie Wa Diddie", further emphasizing the prevalence of the phrase in the community. The third stanza describes how the singer hears the phrase shouted out as he walks around town, indicating that the mystery is not limited to a particular location or group of people. The fourth stanza takes place in church, where the singer's attempts to inquire about the meaning of "Diddie Wa Diddie" are met with flirtatious responses from a lady.
The final stanza concludes the song on a humorous note and suggests that the singer's obsession with "Diddie Wa Diddie" has gotten him into trouble. He asks a lady in church to give him the thing she is sitting on, presumably referring to the church pew, in exchange for revealing the meaning of the phrase. This request gets him kicked out of church, highlighting the absurdity of his quest for understanding.
Overall, "Diddie Wa Diddie" is a lighthearted song that showcases Blind Blake's wit and humor. The repetition of the phrase creates a sense of mystery and intrigue, while the playful lyrics and upbeat melody make it an enjoyable tune to listen to.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a great big mystery, and it sure is worrying me
This Diddie Wa Diddie
Mister Diddie Wa Diddie
I wish somebody would tell me what Diddie Wa Diddie means
The singer is perplexed and concerned about a mysterious thing called Diddie Wa Diddie and wishes someone could explain its meaning.
The little girl about four feet four, come on papa and
give me some more,
of your Diddie Wa Diddie
your Diddie Wa Diddie
I wish somebody would tell me what Diddie Wa Diddie means
A girl asks her father for more of his Diddie Wa Diddie, which the singer still does not understand and wishes someone could explain.
I went out and walked around, somebody yelled, said,
"Look who's in town"
Mister Diddie Wa Diddie
Mister Diddie Wa Diddie
I wish somebody would tell me what Diddie Wa Diddie means
While walking around town, someone yells out the singer's nickname, Mister Diddie Wa Diddie, which he still doesn't understand and wishes someone could explain.
Went to church, put my hand on the seat, lady sat on it
said, "Daddy, you sure is sweet"
Mister Diddie Wa Diddie
Mister Diddie Wa Diddie
I wish somebody would tell me what Diddie Wa Diddie means
At church, a woman sits on the singer's hand and compliments him, but he is still preoccupied with the meaning of Diddie Wa Diddie and wishes someone could explain.
I said, "Sister, I'll soon be gone, just gimme that
thing you sitting on"
My Diddie Wa Diddie
My Diddie Wa Diddie
I wish somebody would tell me what Diddie Wa Diddie means
The singer asks the woman to give him the thing she's sitting on, calling it his Diddie Wa Diddie, but he still doesn't understand what it means and wishes someone could explain.
Then I got put out of church, 'cause I talk about
Diddie Wa Diddie too much
Mister Diddie Wa Diddie
Mister Diddie Wa Diddie
I wish somebody would tell me what Diddie Wa Diddie means
The singer gets kicked out of church for talking about Diddie Wa Diddie too much, even though he still doesn't know what it means and wishes someone could explain.
Contributed by Audrey R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
dino vidal
Lyrics
There's a great big mystery, and it sure is worrying me
This Diddie Wah Diddie
Mister Diddie Wah Diddie
I wish somebody would tell me what Diddie Wah Diddie means
The little girl about four feet
Four, come on papa and give me some more
Of your Diddie Wah Diddie
Your Diddie Wah Diddie
I wish somebody would tell me what Diddie Wah Diddie means
I went out and walked around,
Somebody yelled, said "Look who's in town"
Mister Diddie Wah Diddie
Mister Diddie Wah Diddie
I wish somebody would tell me what Diddie Wah Diddie means
Went to church, put my hand on the seat,
Lady sat on it said, "Daddy, you sure is sweet"
Mister Diddie Wah Diddie
Mister Diddie Wah Diddie
I wish somebody would tell me what Diddie Wah Diddie means
I said, "Sister, I'll soon be gone,
Just gimme that thing you sitting on"
My Diddie Wah Diddie
My Diddie Wah Diddie
I wish somebody would tell me what Diddie Wah Diddie means
Then I got put out of church,
'Cause I talk about Diddie Wah Diddie too much
Mister Diddie Wah Diddie
Mister Diddie Wah Diddie
I wish somebody would tell me what Diddie Wah Diddie means
Source: Musixmatch
Mark Ritchie
Blind Blake - Diddie Wah Diddie
There's a great big mystery, and it sure is worrying me
This Diddie Wah Diddie
Mister Diddie Wah Diddie
I wish somebody would tell me what Diddie Wah Diddie means
The little girl about four feet
four, come on papa and give me some more
Of your Diddie Wah Diddie
Your Diddie Wah Diddie
I wish somebody would tell me what Diddie Wah Diddie means
I went out and walked around,
somebody yelled, said "Look who's in town"
Mister Diddie Wah Diddie
Mister Diddie Wah Diddie
I wish somebody would tell me what Diddie Wah Diddie means
Went to church, put my hand on the seat,
lady sat on it said, "Daddy, you sure is sweet"
Mister Diddie Wah Diddie
Mister Diddie Wah Diddie
I wish somebody would tell me what Diddie Wah Diddie means
I said, "Sister, I'll soon be gone,
just gimme that thing you sitting on"
My Diddie Wah Diddie
My Diddie Wah Diddie
I wish somebody would tell me what Diddie Wah Diddie means
Then I got put out of church,
'cause I talk about Diddie Wah Diddie too much
Mister Diddie Wah Diddie
Mister Diddie Wah Diddie
I wish somebody would tell me what Diddie Wah Diddie means
Dusty Thorburn
This is some amazing guitar playing here. It's too easy to get distracted by the funny lyrics and not notice what mastery of the instrument we are hearing.
Jack Wright
It's really not that difficult -- just try it.
murrmac
It is not difficult ... it is impossible. Nobody ....like nobody has ever succeeded in duplicating Blake's picking on this song. Ari Esinger is the only player I could imagine getting close ... as for Kaukonen ... Cooder ... Grossman .... Redbone ... Mann et al ... forget it.
Jack Wright
murrmac That's funny because I used to play it just fine. It would take some work to get it back but maybe I'll consider it a challenge.
Raphaël C
It's very difficult... Did you play it from the original or from Grossman? Because it's not the same, Blind Blake had an incredible bass and an extraordinary feeling (2:26-2:40 for example). It's not just poum tchac poum tchac like MJH.
Ross Leaver
One of the trickiest songs I’ve ever tried to learn played like this. Never quite mastered it!
Susan Nunes
Arguably the greatest guitarist ever recorded. Mindbogglingly brilliant. Only Rev. Gary Davis belongs in this league.
LookSik
nah. but great indeed
Cam G
you are spot on
Valley of the Rogue
@LookSik He really was the best there ever was. None of the so-called guitar gods of rock could come close to that. Imagine any of them doing this blindfolded. None of them could.