Charley Patton (between April 1887 and 1891 – April 28, 1934), also known a… Read Full Bio ↴Charley Patton (between April 1887 and 1891 – April 28, 1934), also known as Charlie Patton, was an American Delta blues musician. He is considered by many to be the "Father of the Delta Blues", and is credited with creating an enduring body of American music and personally inspiring just about every Delta blues man (Palmer, 1995). Musicologist Robert Palmer considers him among the most important musicians that America produced in the twentieth century. Many sources, including musical releases and his gravestone, spell his name “Charley” even though the musician himself spelled his name "Charlie".
Patton was born in Hinds County, Mississippi, near the town of Edwards, and lived most of his life in Sunflower County in the Mississippi Delta. Some sources say he was born May 1, 1891, but there is some debate about this, and the years 1887 and 1894 have also been suggested.
Patton's parentage and race have been the subject of debate. Although born to Bill and Annie Patton, locally he was regarded as having been fathered by former slave Henderson Chatmon, many of whose other children also became popular Delta musicians both as solo acts and as members of groups such as the Mississippi Sheiks. Biographer John Fahey describes Patton as having "light skin and Caucasian features." Though Patton was considered African-American, because of his light complexion there have been rumors that he was Mexican, or possibly a full-blood Cherokee, a theory endorsed by Howlin' Wolf. In actuality, Patton was a mix of white, black, and Cherokee (one of his grandmothers was a full-blooded Cherokee). Patton himself sang in "Down the Dirt Road Blues" of having gone to "the Nation" and "the Territo'"—meaning the Cherokee Nation portion of the Indian Territory (which became part of the state of Oklahoma in 1907), where a number of Black Indians tried unsuccessfully to claim a place on the tribal rolls and thereby obtain land.
In 1900, his family moved 100 miles (160 km) north to the legendary 10,000-acre (40 km2) Dockery Plantation sawmill and cotton farm near Ruleville, Mississippi. It was here that both John Lee Hooker and Howlin' Wolf fell under the Patton spell as well as Willie Brown, Tommy Johnson, and Fiddlin' Joe Martin. It was also here that Robert Johnson played and was given his first guitar. At Dockery, Charley fell under the tutelage of Henry Sloan, who had a new, unusual style of playing music which today would be considered very early blues. Charley followed Henry Sloan around, and, by the time he was about 19, had become an accomplished performer and songwriter in his own right, having already composed "Pony Blues," a seminal song of the era.
Robert Palmer describes Patton as a "jack-of all-trades bluesman" who played "deep blues, white hillbilly songs, nineteenth-century ballads, and other varieties of black and white country dance music with equal facility". He was extremely popular across the Southern United States and also performed annually in Chicago, Illinois and, in 1934, New York City. In contrast to the itinerant wandering of most blues musicians of his time, Patton played scheduled engagements at plantations and taverns. Long before Jimi Hendrix impressed audiences with flashy guitar playing, Patton gained notoriety for his showmanship, often playing with the guitar down on his knees, behind his head, or behind his back. Although Patton was a small man at about 5 foot 5,[8] his gravelly voice was rumored to have been loud enough to carry 500 yards without amplification. Patton's gritty bellowing was a major influence on the singing style of his young friend Chester Burnett, who went on to gain fame in Chicago as Howlin' Wolf.
Patton settled in Holly Ridge, Mississippi with his common-law wife and recording partner Bertha Lee in 1933. He died on the Heathman-Dedham plantation near Indianola on April 28, 1934 and is buried in Holly Ridge (both towns are located in Sunflower County). Patton's death certificate states that he died of a mitral valve disorder. Bertha Lee is not mentioned on the certificate, the only informant listed being one Willie Calvin. His death was not reported in the newspapers. A memorial headstone was erected on Patton's grave (the location of which was identified by the cemetery caretaker C. Howard who claimed to have been present at the burial) paid for by musician John Fogerty through the Mt. Zion Memorial Fund in July, 1990. The spelling of Patton's name was dictated by Jim O'Neal, who also composed the Patton epitaph.
Screamin' and Hollerin' the Blues: The Worlds of Charley Patton (2001) is a boxed set collecting Patton's recorded works. It also featured recordings by many of his friends and associates. The set won three Grammy Awards in 2003 for Best Historical Album, Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package, and Best Album Notes. Another collection of Patton recordings, released under Catfish Records, is titled The Definitive Charley Patton.
Charley Patton's song "Pony Blues" (1929) was included by the National Recording Preservation Board in the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry in 2006. The board selects songs in an annual basis that are "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."
In 2013 Jack White's Third Man Records teamed up with Document Records to reissue The Complete Recorded Works in Chronological Order of Charley Patton, Blind Willie McTell and The Mississippi Sheiks.
The Mississippi Blues Trail placed its first historic marker on Charley Patton's grave in Holly Ridge, Mississippi, in recognition of his legendary status as a bluesman and his importance in the development of the blues in Mississippi. It placed another historic marker at the site where the Peavine Railroad intersects with Highway 446 in Boyle, Mississippi, designating it as a second site related to Patton on the Mississippi Blues Trail. The marker commemorates the original lyrics of Patton's "Peavine Blues" that describe the railway branch of Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad, which ran south from Dockery Plantation to Boyle. The marker emphasizes that a common theme of blues songs was riding on the railroad which was seen as a metaphor for travel and escape.
Tributes
"Blind Owl" Alan Wilson & Canned Heat covered Patton songs "Pony Blues", "Shake It and Break It" and "Yellow Bee".
Bob Dylan dedicated his song "High Water (For Charley Patton)", on his 2001 album "Love and Theft", to Patton.
The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band internationally touring American country blues recording/touring artists, fronted by Kentucky Colonel, The Reverend Peyton, produced a tribute recording to Charley Patton: Peyton on Patton, which was released July 19, 2011. The album entered the Billboard Blues Album chart at #7.
French singer-songwriter Francis Cabrel refers to Charley Patton in the song "Cent Ans de Plus" on his 1999 album Hors-Saison.
Indie rock band Gomez recorded a song on their 2006 release How We Operate, entitled "Charley Patton Songs".
There is a picture of Charley Patton in the recording studio used for The White Stripes' album Icky Thump. It can be seen in the background of the short demo video on their website
Jule Brown recorded an updated arrangement of Patton's "Green River Blues", on their 2006 release Smoke and Mirrors.
Robert Crumb narrated Patton's life in a comic book.
The 1980s NYC Punk/Blues band Hi Sheriffs of Blue (which included visual artists Mark Dagley, George Condo and Elliott Sharp) was named after the Patton song "High Sheriff Blues".
Discography
Gennett Records, Richmond, Indiana, 1929
"Pony Blues"
"Mississippi Boweavil Blues"
"Screamin' And Hollerin' The Blues"
"Down The Dirt Road Blues"
"Banty Rooster Blues"
"Pea Vine Blues"
"It Won't Be Long"
"Tom Rushen Blues"
"A Spoonful Blues"
"Shake It And Break It (But Don't Let It Fall Mama)"
"Prayer Of Death Part 1 & 2"
"Lord I'm Discouraged"
"I'm Goin' Home"
Paramount Records, Grafton, Wisconsin, 1929
"Going To Move To Alabama"
"Elder Greene Blues"
"Circle Round The Moon"
"Devil Sent The Rain Blues"
"Mean Black Cat Blues"
"Frankie And Albert"
"Some These Days I'll Be Gone"
"Green River Blues"
"Hammer Blues"
"Magnolia Blues"
"When Your Way Gets Dark"
"Heart Like Railroad Steel"
"Some Happy Day"
"You're Gonna Need Somebody When You Die"
"Jim Lee Blues Part 1"
"Jim Lee Blues Part 2"
"High Water Everywhere Part 1"
"High Water Everywhere Part 2"
"Jesus Is A Dying-Bed Maker"
"I Shall Not Be Moved"
"Rattlesnake Blues"
"Running Wild Blues"
"Joe Kirby"
"Mean Black Moan"
"Farrell Blues"
"Come Back Corrina"
"Tell Me Man Blues"
"Be True Be True Blues"
Paramount Records, Grafton, Wisconsin, 1930
"Dry Well Blues"
"Some Summer Day"
"Moon Going Down"
"Bird Nest Bound"
Vocalion Records, New York City, New York, 1934
"Jersey Bull Blues"
"High Sheriff Blues"
"Stone Pony Blues"
"34 Blues"
"Love My Stuff"
"Revenue Man Blues"
"Oh Death"
"Troubled 'Bout My Mother"
"Poor Me"
"Hang It On The Wall"
"Yellow Bee"
"Mind Reader Blues"
Patton was born in Hinds County, Mississippi, near the town of Edwards, and lived most of his life in Sunflower County in the Mississippi Delta. Some sources say he was born May 1, 1891, but there is some debate about this, and the years 1887 and 1894 have also been suggested.
Patton's parentage and race have been the subject of debate. Although born to Bill and Annie Patton, locally he was regarded as having been fathered by former slave Henderson Chatmon, many of whose other children also became popular Delta musicians both as solo acts and as members of groups such as the Mississippi Sheiks. Biographer John Fahey describes Patton as having "light skin and Caucasian features." Though Patton was considered African-American, because of his light complexion there have been rumors that he was Mexican, or possibly a full-blood Cherokee, a theory endorsed by Howlin' Wolf. In actuality, Patton was a mix of white, black, and Cherokee (one of his grandmothers was a full-blooded Cherokee). Patton himself sang in "Down the Dirt Road Blues" of having gone to "the Nation" and "the Territo'"—meaning the Cherokee Nation portion of the Indian Territory (which became part of the state of Oklahoma in 1907), where a number of Black Indians tried unsuccessfully to claim a place on the tribal rolls and thereby obtain land.
In 1900, his family moved 100 miles (160 km) north to the legendary 10,000-acre (40 km2) Dockery Plantation sawmill and cotton farm near Ruleville, Mississippi. It was here that both John Lee Hooker and Howlin' Wolf fell under the Patton spell as well as Willie Brown, Tommy Johnson, and Fiddlin' Joe Martin. It was also here that Robert Johnson played and was given his first guitar. At Dockery, Charley fell under the tutelage of Henry Sloan, who had a new, unusual style of playing music which today would be considered very early blues. Charley followed Henry Sloan around, and, by the time he was about 19, had become an accomplished performer and songwriter in his own right, having already composed "Pony Blues," a seminal song of the era.
Robert Palmer describes Patton as a "jack-of all-trades bluesman" who played "deep blues, white hillbilly songs, nineteenth-century ballads, and other varieties of black and white country dance music with equal facility". He was extremely popular across the Southern United States and also performed annually in Chicago, Illinois and, in 1934, New York City. In contrast to the itinerant wandering of most blues musicians of his time, Patton played scheduled engagements at plantations and taverns. Long before Jimi Hendrix impressed audiences with flashy guitar playing, Patton gained notoriety for his showmanship, often playing with the guitar down on his knees, behind his head, or behind his back. Although Patton was a small man at about 5 foot 5,[8] his gravelly voice was rumored to have been loud enough to carry 500 yards without amplification. Patton's gritty bellowing was a major influence on the singing style of his young friend Chester Burnett, who went on to gain fame in Chicago as Howlin' Wolf.
Patton settled in Holly Ridge, Mississippi with his common-law wife and recording partner Bertha Lee in 1933. He died on the Heathman-Dedham plantation near Indianola on April 28, 1934 and is buried in Holly Ridge (both towns are located in Sunflower County). Patton's death certificate states that he died of a mitral valve disorder. Bertha Lee is not mentioned on the certificate, the only informant listed being one Willie Calvin. His death was not reported in the newspapers. A memorial headstone was erected on Patton's grave (the location of which was identified by the cemetery caretaker C. Howard who claimed to have been present at the burial) paid for by musician John Fogerty through the Mt. Zion Memorial Fund in July, 1990. The spelling of Patton's name was dictated by Jim O'Neal, who also composed the Patton epitaph.
Screamin' and Hollerin' the Blues: The Worlds of Charley Patton (2001) is a boxed set collecting Patton's recorded works. It also featured recordings by many of his friends and associates. The set won three Grammy Awards in 2003 for Best Historical Album, Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package, and Best Album Notes. Another collection of Patton recordings, released under Catfish Records, is titled The Definitive Charley Patton.
Charley Patton's song "Pony Blues" (1929) was included by the National Recording Preservation Board in the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry in 2006. The board selects songs in an annual basis that are "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."
In 2013 Jack White's Third Man Records teamed up with Document Records to reissue The Complete Recorded Works in Chronological Order of Charley Patton, Blind Willie McTell and The Mississippi Sheiks.
The Mississippi Blues Trail placed its first historic marker on Charley Patton's grave in Holly Ridge, Mississippi, in recognition of his legendary status as a bluesman and his importance in the development of the blues in Mississippi. It placed another historic marker at the site where the Peavine Railroad intersects with Highway 446 in Boyle, Mississippi, designating it as a second site related to Patton on the Mississippi Blues Trail. The marker commemorates the original lyrics of Patton's "Peavine Blues" that describe the railway branch of Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad, which ran south from Dockery Plantation to Boyle. The marker emphasizes that a common theme of blues songs was riding on the railroad which was seen as a metaphor for travel and escape.
Tributes
"Blind Owl" Alan Wilson & Canned Heat covered Patton songs "Pony Blues", "Shake It and Break It" and "Yellow Bee".
Bob Dylan dedicated his song "High Water (For Charley Patton)", on his 2001 album "Love and Theft", to Patton.
The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band internationally touring American country blues recording/touring artists, fronted by Kentucky Colonel, The Reverend Peyton, produced a tribute recording to Charley Patton: Peyton on Patton, which was released July 19, 2011. The album entered the Billboard Blues Album chart at #7.
French singer-songwriter Francis Cabrel refers to Charley Patton in the song "Cent Ans de Plus" on his 1999 album Hors-Saison.
Indie rock band Gomez recorded a song on their 2006 release How We Operate, entitled "Charley Patton Songs".
There is a picture of Charley Patton in the recording studio used for The White Stripes' album Icky Thump. It can be seen in the background of the short demo video on their website
Jule Brown recorded an updated arrangement of Patton's "Green River Blues", on their 2006 release Smoke and Mirrors.
Robert Crumb narrated Patton's life in a comic book.
The 1980s NYC Punk/Blues band Hi Sheriffs of Blue (which included visual artists Mark Dagley, George Condo and Elliott Sharp) was named after the Patton song "High Sheriff Blues".
Discography
Gennett Records, Richmond, Indiana, 1929
"Pony Blues"
"Mississippi Boweavil Blues"
"Screamin' And Hollerin' The Blues"
"Down The Dirt Road Blues"
"Banty Rooster Blues"
"Pea Vine Blues"
"It Won't Be Long"
"Tom Rushen Blues"
"A Spoonful Blues"
"Shake It And Break It (But Don't Let It Fall Mama)"
"Prayer Of Death Part 1 & 2"
"Lord I'm Discouraged"
"I'm Goin' Home"
Paramount Records, Grafton, Wisconsin, 1929
"Going To Move To Alabama"
"Elder Greene Blues"
"Circle Round The Moon"
"Devil Sent The Rain Blues"
"Mean Black Cat Blues"
"Frankie And Albert"
"Some These Days I'll Be Gone"
"Green River Blues"
"Hammer Blues"
"Magnolia Blues"
"When Your Way Gets Dark"
"Heart Like Railroad Steel"
"Some Happy Day"
"You're Gonna Need Somebody When You Die"
"Jim Lee Blues Part 1"
"Jim Lee Blues Part 2"
"High Water Everywhere Part 1"
"High Water Everywhere Part 2"
"Jesus Is A Dying-Bed Maker"
"I Shall Not Be Moved"
"Rattlesnake Blues"
"Running Wild Blues"
"Joe Kirby"
"Mean Black Moan"
"Farrell Blues"
"Come Back Corrina"
"Tell Me Man Blues"
"Be True Be True Blues"
Paramount Records, Grafton, Wisconsin, 1930
"Dry Well Blues"
"Some Summer Day"
"Moon Going Down"
"Bird Nest Bound"
Vocalion Records, New York City, New York, 1934
"Jersey Bull Blues"
"High Sheriff Blues"
"Stone Pony Blues"
"34 Blues"
"Love My Stuff"
"Revenue Man Blues"
"Oh Death"
"Troubled 'Bout My Mother"
"Poor Me"
"Hang It On The Wall"
"Yellow Bee"
"Mind Reader Blues"
'34 Blues
Charley Patton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I ain't gonna tell nobody, '34 have done for me
I ain't gonna tell nobody what, '34 have done for me
Took my roller(1), I was broke as I could be
They run me from Will Dockery's(2), Willie Brown, I
want your job
They run me from Will Dockery's, Willie Brown, I want
your job
(spoken: Buddy, what's the matter?)
I went out and told papa Charley,
"I don't want you hangin' round on my job no more"
Fella, down in the country, it almost make you cry
Fella, down in the country, it almost make you cry
(spoken: My God, children!)
Women and children flaggin' freight trains for rides
Carmen got a little six Buick, big six Chevrolet car
Carmen got a little six Buick, little six Chevrolet car
(spoken: My God, what solid power!)
And it don't do nothin' but, follow behind Holloway's
farmer's plow
And it may bring sorrow, Lord, it may bring tears
It may bring sorrow, Lord, and it may bring tears
Oh, Lord, oh, Lord, let me see your brand new year
___
Note 1: roller, according to Chris Schell "I believe
Mississippi slang for a car being used to transport a
woman is "doroller or biscuit roller. Roller
meaning car would seem to me to make more sense in
terms of this song which involves a woman leaving and
in terms of the title which may refer to the year of
the car." Thanks To Chris Schell;
Note 2: the farm of Will Dockery, in Patton's native
town Dockery, a Delta plantation town;
This is another familiar Delta piece. Robert Johnson
used the same melody in "If I had Possession Over
Judgment Day" and "Traveling Riverside Blues". It has
also been recorded under the title "Roll And Tumble
Blues". Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf have issued
versions of this as well.
I ain't gonna tell nobody what, '34 have done for me
Took my roller(1), I was broke as I could be
They run me from Will Dockery's(2), Willie Brown, I
want your job
They run me from Will Dockery's, Willie Brown, I want
your job
I went out and told papa Charley,
"I don't want you hangin' round on my job no more"
Fella, down in the country, it almost make you cry
Fella, down in the country, it almost make you cry
(spoken: My God, children!)
Women and children flaggin' freight trains for rides
Carmen got a little six Buick, big six Chevrolet car
Carmen got a little six Buick, little six Chevrolet car
(spoken: My God, what solid power!)
And it don't do nothin' but, follow behind Holloway's
farmer's plow
And it may bring sorrow, Lord, it may bring tears
It may bring sorrow, Lord, and it may bring tears
Oh, Lord, oh, Lord, let me see your brand new year
___
Note 1: roller, according to Chris Schell "I believe
Mississippi slang for a car being used to transport a
woman is "doroller or biscuit roller. Roller
meaning car would seem to me to make more sense in
terms of this song which involves a woman leaving and
in terms of the title which may refer to the year of
the car." Thanks To Chris Schell;
Note 2: the farm of Will Dockery, in Patton's native
town Dockery, a Delta plantation town;
This is another familiar Delta piece. Robert Johnson
used the same melody in "If I had Possession Over
Judgment Day" and "Traveling Riverside Blues". It has
also been recorded under the title "Roll And Tumble
Blues". Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf have issued
versions of this as well.
In Charley Patton's song "34 Blues," the singer is expressing his gratitude to the year 1934 for the changes it brought to his life. He says that he won't tell anyone what 1934 has done for him, but it's clear that it's been a positive change. He goes on to mention that "they" ran him out of Will Dockery's farm and he wants Willie Brown's job. It's unclear who "they" are, but it seems like the singer has had conflicts with people who work on the farm. He also mentions telling "Papa Charley" (possibly Charley Patton himself) to stop hanging around his job.
The song then takes a turn into a more somber mood when the singer talks about seeing "Women and children flaggin' freight trains for rides" in the countryside. He seems to be expressing sadness and empathy for their struggle, saying that it "almost make[s] you cry." The last verse brings the song back to a more hopeful tone, with the singer mentioning Carmen and her cars - a little six Buick and a little six Chevrolet. He marvels at their "solid power" but notes that they only follow behind farmers' plows. The song ends on a note of uncertainty, with the singer saying that 1934 may bring sorrow and tears but hoping to see a better future in the new year.
Overall, "34 Blues" is a song that touches on themes of struggle, gratitude, and hope, all set against the backdrop of the Mississippi Delta. It's a testament to the enduring power of blues music to capture the nuances of human experience.
Line by Line Meaning
I ain't gonna tell nobody, '34 have done for me
I refuse to reveal what happened to me in 1934
Took my roller, I was broke as I could be
My car was taken away from me, and I was completely out of money
They run me from Will Dockery's, Willie Brown, I want your job
I was forced to leave Will Dockery's farm, and I wanted Willie Brown's job
I went out and told papa Charley, "I don't want you hangin' round on my job no more"
I told my father Charley Patton to stop working on the same job as me
Fella, down in the country, it almost make you cry
It's heartbreaking to see the poverty in the countryside
Women and children flaggin' freight trains for rides
Women and children are so desperate for transportation that they're willing to hop on freight trains
Carmen got a little six Buick, little six Chevrolet car
Carmen has a small Buick and Chevrolet car
And it don't do nothin' but, follow behind Holloway's farmer's plow
Carmen's car is only used to follow behind Mr. Holloway's farmer's plow
It may bring sorrow, Lord, and it may bring tears
The future may bring sadness and tears
Oh, Lord, oh, Lord, let me see your brand new year
Oh, God, please let me live to see the new year
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CHARLEY PATTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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@markritchie9590
Charley Patton - 34 Blues
I ain't gonna tell nobody, '34 have done for me
I ain't gonna tell nobody, what ‘34 have done for me
Took my roller, I was broke as I could be
They run me from Will Dockery's, Willie Brown, I want your job
They run me from Will Dockery's, Willie Brown, I want your job
(Buddy, what's the matter?)
I went out and told papa Charley,
"I don't want you hangin' round on my job no more"
Fella, down in the country, it almost make you cry
Fella, down in the country, it almost make you cry
(My God, children!)
Women and children flaggin' freight trains for rides
Herman got a little six Buick, big six Chevrolet car
Herman got a little six Buick, little six Chevrolet car
(My God, what solid power!)
And it don't do nothin' but, follow behind Harvey Parker's plow
And it may bring sorrow, Lord, it may bring tears
It may bring sorrow, Lord, and it may bring tears
Oh Lord, oh Lord, let me see your brand new year
@micoveliki8729
"It may bring sorrow it may bring tears
oh lord oh lord let me see a brand new year" - it's chilling to know thats the year he died..
@Deebemc
This is a real treat. Proper re-master of The Legend that catches all the nuances of this voice and these little asides! Just great. Thank you for posting.
@MarcBrewer
Nice Remaster you can hear the lyrics clearly -'It may bring sorrow, Lord, and it may bring tears /Oh, Lord, oh, Lord, let me see your brand new year" Poor Charley, never saw any more "brand new years"
@brianandcindy1
I believe it is "cheer" not "tears"
@busessuck1
@SonBrimmer It's actually from a recent release CD I found in the bargain bin, although I bought the boxset too. I only uploaded this because I wanted to show some of them blues experts who memorise the numbers on yazoo releases how these can actually be restored quite crisply if somebody put the effort in - they said that it's just cutting out the high frequencies which kills the feel of the performance ...when comparing two versions back to back I understand their point, what do you think?
@Carlwatkins1984
It's nice to here it with less hiss. Thanks for sharing.
@merrywriter1
I like the remastered sound- I can hear the lyrics better and I hear nuances I can't in more "original" recordings. To me it does not loose the feel of the blues at all.
@blzmnky
Bliss. Nice set of images as well. Good job, guy!
@GEFpickupman2134
sounds like he's playing right in front of you
@kurtrightmyer
Not for me, for the angels in heaven