Blind Joe Reynolds was the nom de disque of a Louisiana street singer by th… Read Full Bio ↴Blind Joe Reynolds was the nom de disque of a Louisiana street singer by the name of Joe Sheppard, who devised his false recording names primarily to keep one step ahead of the law. He was blinded in the mid-'20s during an altercation with another man who shot Reynolds in the face with a shotgun. Throughout his life, Reynolds was known throughout the South not only as a singer, but for his open disrespect for police and the legal system, his contempt for conventional morality, and his pursuit of trouble. His surviving recordings are characterized by Reynolds' shrieking, high-pitched vocals; his rolling, generous, and infectiously rhythmic slide work; and his lyrics, which tend to focus on unfaithful women.

Blind Joe Reynolds was discovered in the late '20s by Memphis record store owner H.C. Spier, who recommended Reynolds to Paramount (as he had Charley Patton). In November 1929, under the name Blind Joe Reynolds, he made two records, "Outside Woman Blues"/"Nehi Blues" (issued as Paramount 12927) and "Cold Woman Blues" b/w "99 Blues" (issued as Paramount 12983). Reynolds was one of the last "new" blues singers that Paramount took on and they didn't ask for him back. Nonetheless, Reynolds made another pair of records when the Victor truck stopped in Memphis a year later. On November 26, 1930, under the name Blind Willie Reynolds, he recorded "Married Man Blues" and "Third Street Woman Blues" (issued as Victor 23258). Two other titles made on this occasion, "Short Dress Blues" and "Goose Hill Woman Blues" were not issued by Victor and test copies have yet to be found. For some time, this was further complicated by the fact that no copies of Paramount 12983, though issued, seemed to be extant. These 1929 to 1930 records were the only ones made by Blind Joe Reynolds.

Afterward, Reynolds disappeared into history, but his legend and its many attendant anecdotes are recorded in Gayle Dean Wardlow's 1998 book Chasin' That Devil Music. In 1967, the English band Cream recorded "Outside Woman Blues" on the album Disraeli Gears; no doubt they would've been floored to learn that the song's original composer was not only still alive, but at that time still performing as a street musician in the American South. But Blind Joe Reynolds would die less than a year later, narrowly eluding the attention of blues revivalists and of booking agents who ran the large folk festivals. A new chapter of study on Reynolds was opened up with the discovery in 2001 of the missing Paramount issue, found by an Ohio music teacher in a Tennessee flea market. "Cold Woman Blues" from this disc was included on the 2001 Revenant release Screamin' and Hollerin' the Blues, devoted to the music of Charley Patton. Thereon, Reynolds is included as a member of Patton's "circle," although he was based in Tennessee and not in the Mississippi Delta. Nor is Reynolds known to have been acquainted with Patton, although in a superficial sense there is enough similarity between the two to suggest some kind of stylistic, and hence personal, connection. ~ Uncle Dave Lewis, Rovi

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Married Man Blues
Blind Willie Reynolds Lyrics

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When you lose your money, please don't lose your mind1
When you lose your money, please don't lose your mind
When you lose your woman, please don't fool with mine

Tell you married men, how to keep your wife at home
Tell you married men, how to keep your wife at home
Get you a job, and roll for the man, and try to carry your labor home
Hmm, hmm, try to carry your labor home

Tell you married women, how to keep your husbands at home
Tell you married women, how to keep your husbands at home, hmm hmm hmm
Take care of your husband's labor, and let these single boys alone

Make a single woman crazy about a married man
What make a single woman crazy about a married man
'Cause he works hard all the time, he puts money in her hand

Make a married woman so crazy about a single man, hmm hmm hmm
Make a married woman crazy about a single man
'Cause her husband might lay down and die, and raise that fella to her hand

Let me tell you men what these married women will do
Let me tell you boys what these married women will do
You will get your money, she will catch up to you

If you ask me, ain't gonna tell you nothin' else

If you ask me, ain't gonna tell you nothin' else
Man's a fool if he thinks, got a whole woman to himself

Overall Meaning

Blind Willie Reynolds's "Married Man Blues" is a cautionary tale that warns the listener about the dangers of losing your money, your woman, or your mind. The song admonishes the married men and women to take care of their partners to prevent infidelity. The song advises married men to get a job, work hard, and bring their earnings home. The artist warns women not to interfere with married men and asks women to beware of single men.

Reynolds seems to believe that married women are primarily motivated by financial gain. The song suggests that single women are attracted to married men because of their hard work and money they bring in. In contrast, a married woman may turn to a single man if her husband dies, and she needs someone to provide for her. The song highlights the potential consequences of married people straying, warning that if a man loses his money, a woman could quickly leave him for someone who has it.

Line by Line Meaning

When you lose your money, please don't lose your mind
When you face financial loss, do not lose your composure

When you lose your woman, please don't fool with mine
If you lose your woman, please do not try to take someone else's

Tell you married men, how to keep your wife at home
I will give advice to married men on how to keep their wives loyal

Get you a job, and roll for the man, and try to carry your labor home
The key to keeping your wife at home is through having a job, working hard, and providing for your family

Tell you married women, how to keep your husbands at home
To the married women, I offer advice on how to keep your husbands from straying

Take care of your husband's labor, and let these single boys alone
By taking care of your husband's work and financial needs, you can keep him from seeking attention elsewhere

What make a single woman crazy about a married man
What causes a single woman to desire a married man

'Cause he works hard all the time, he puts money in her hand
A married man's work ethic and ability to provide financial security can be attractive to a single woman

Make a married woman crazy about a single man
Here's what can make a married woman attracted to a single man

'Cause her husband might lay down and die, and raise that fella to her hand
If her husband were to die, a single man may become a viable option for a married woman

Let me tell you men what these married women will do
I will warn the men about the actions of married women

You will get your money, she will catch up to you
If you have money, a married woman may try to pursue you

If you ask me, ain't gonna tell you nothin' else
I am not going to provide any more information beyond this

Man's a fool if he thinks, got a whole woman to himself
Any man who assumes he has complete control over a woman is foolish

Contributed by John N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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