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"
Mississippi Bo Weavil Blues
Charley Patton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You can plant your cotton and you won't get a half a bale, Lordie
Bo weevil, bo weevil, where's your native home? Lordie
"A-Louisiana raised in Texas, least is where I was bred and born", Lordie
Well, I saw the bo weevil, Lord, a-circle, Lord, in the air, Lordie
The next time I seed him, Lord, he had his family there, Lordie
Bo weevil left Texas, Lord, he bid me "fare ye well", Lordie
(spoken: Where you goin' now?)
(spoken: How is that, boy?)
Suck all the blossoms and he leave your hedges square, Lordie
The next time I seed you, you know you had your family there, Lordie
Bo weevil meet his wife, "We can sit down on the hill", Lordie
Bo weevil told his wife, "Let's trade this forty in", Lordie
Bo weevil told his wife, says, "I believe I may go North", Lordie
(spoken: Hold on, I'm gonna tell all about that)
"Let's leave Louisiana, we can go to Arkansas", Lordie
Well, I saw the bo weevil, Lord a-circle, Lord, in the air, Lordie
Next time I seed him, Lord, he had his family there, Lordie
Bo weevil told the farmer that "I 'tain't got ticket fare", Lordie
Sucks all the blossom and leave your hedges square, Lordie
Bo weevil, bo weevil, where your native home? Lordie
"Most anywhere they raise cotton and corn", Lordie
Bo weevil, bo weevil, "Outta treat me fair", Lordie
The next time I did you had your family there, Lordie
The lyrics to Charley Patton's Mississippi Bo Weavil Blues depict the story of a farmer and his struggles with the boll weevil, a pest that feeds on cotton buds and can cause significant damage to cotton crops. The singer of the song notices the little boll weevil and expresses his concern about the impact it will have on his cotton yield, lamenting that he won't get even half a bale. He wonders where the boll weevil is originally from, and the pest responds that it was raised in Texas, born and bred there. The farmer sees the boll weevil flying in the air and the next time he sees it, it has its family with it.
The boll weevil eventually leaves Texas and heads to Mississippi, where it intends to cause havoc for the cotton farmers there. The farmer sees the boll weevil again and remarks that it has brought its family along. The boll weevil meets its wife and suggests they move to Arkansas instead, leaving Louisiana behind. The boll weevil tells the farmer that it can't afford to leave and continues to wreak havoc on the crops. The song ends with the farmer questioning where the boll weevil's home is, to which the pest responds that it can be found wherever cotton and corn are grown.
Overall, the song depicts the struggles of farmers during the early 20th century who were affected by pests like the boll weevil, which caused significant damage to their crops and livelihoods. The lyrics also showcase the resilience of the boll weevil, which migrates from state to state, causing destruction wherever it goes.
Line by Line Meaning
Sees a little boll weevil keeps movin' in, Lordie!
I see a little boll weevil that keeps moving around
You can plant your cotton and you won't get a half a bale, Lordie
You can plant cotton, but unless you control the boll weevil infestation, you won't get a good yield
Bo weevil, bo weevil, where's your native home? Lordie
Boll weevil, where are you originally from?
"A-Louisiana raised in Texas, least is where I was bred and born", Lordie
I was born and raised in Louisiana, but mostly lived and bred in Texas
Well, I saw the bo weevil, Lord, a-circle, Lord, in the air, Lordie
I saw the boll weevil flying around in circles
The next time I seed him, Lord, he had his family there, Lordie
When I saw him again, he had his family with him
Bo weevil left Texas, Lord, he bid me "fare ye well", Lordie
The boll weevil left Texas and said goodbye to me
I'm goin' down the Mississippi, gonna give Louisiana hell, Lordie
I'm heading down the Mississippi River and will cause damage to the cotton crops in Louisiana
Suck all the blossoms and he leave your hedges square, Lordie
The boll weevil will suck the blossoms and leave the hedges bare
Bo weevil meet his wife, "We can sit down on the hill", Lordie
The boll weevil met his wife and they decided to sit down on a hill
Bo weevil told his wife, "Let's trade this forty in", Lordie
The boll weevil suggested they trade their current location for something else
Bo weevil told his wife, says, "I believe I may go North", Lordie
The boll weevil told his wife that he is thinking of heading North
"Let's leave Louisiana, we can go to Arkansas", Lordie
Let's leave Louisiana and move to Arkansas
Well, I saw the bo weevil, Lord a-circle, Lord, in the air, Lordie
I saw the boll weevil flying around in circles
Bo weevil told the farmer that "I 'tain't got ticket fare", Lordie
The boll weevil told the farmer that he does not have the fare to move
Bo weevil, bo weevil, where your native home? Lordie
Boll weevil, where do you originally come from?
"Most anywhere they raise cotton and corn", Lordie
Boll weevils can be found in most places where cotton and corn are grown
Bo weevil, bo weevil, "Outta treat me fair", Lordie
Boll weevil demands to be treated fairly
The next time I did you had your family there, Lordie
The next time I saw you, you were with your family again
Writer(s): Charley Patton
Contributed by Blake J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.