Blind Willie McTell
Mick Taylor Lyrics

Seen the arrow on the doorpost
Notices a sign on the doorpost suggesting that this land is condemned.

Saying, "This land is condemned
The arrow sign suggests that this land is not productive or useful anymore.

All the way from New Orleans
This trouble has been happening for a while and in many places.

To Jerusalem."
It's not just happening in America, but in other places of the world as well.

I traveled through East Texas
Travels through an area where many people have died for their beliefs.

Where many martyrs fell
It's a place where it's hard to be different or believe differently than others.

And I know no one can sing the blues
Expressing that no one could give voice and express the pain of these events better than Blind Willie McTell.

Like Blind Willie McTell
Blind Willie McTell is the most qualified and talented at expressing the pain of these events.

Well, I heard the hoot owl singing
The silence in the night brings dread to a place where people are leaving and suffering.

As they were taking down the tents
His people are leaving and taking what they can before they go.

The stars above the barren trees
The sky bears witness to the desolation and loneliness of this place.

Were his only audience
Blind Willie McTell sings to the emptiness and loneliness of a place without people.

Them charcoal gypsy maidens
These women who are of color and culture display themselves frivolously.

Can strut their feathers well
They can show off and be charming, but they do not have the depth to understand or express the pain like Blind Willie McTell.

But nobody can sing the blues
Blind Willie McTell is better at captivating an audience with the pain of his poetry and blues.

Like Blind Willie McTell
No one can capture the pain and loneliness like Blind Willie McTell does through his music.

See them big plantations burning
The burning of big plantations suggests that the South is changing.

Hear the cracking of the whips
The past is still present in the sounds of whips that ring out in memory.

Smell that sweet magnolia blooming
The air carries the scent of life and rebirth, which suggests the resilience of people who have struggled.

(And) see the ghosts of slavery ships
The remnants of slavery continue to haunt the landscape and the people living there.

I can hear them tribes a-moaning
The pain from long ago still lingers, hurts, and reminds us of a country's shameful past.

(I can) hear the undertaker's bell
There is a sense that death is all around, and the undertaker's bell can be heard as it is tolling for everyone.

(Yeah), nobody can sing the blues
Blind Willy McTell is still the one person who can channel the haunting emotions expressed in blues music.

There's a woman by the river
A woman standing by the river suggests that life persists despite everything else.

With some fine young handsome man
The youth is there, and life and beauty reside alongside the pain.

He's dressed up like a squire
The man is pretending to be something he is not to show off or seduce the woman.

Bootlegged whiskey in his hand
He is misusing the substance, and both people could be making poor choices.

There's a chain gang on the highway
There are people who are being forced to work hard on the roads for little pay or no freedom.

I can hear them rebels yell
The sound of the people yelling suggests that this is an environment where people rebel at their circumstances.

And I know no one can sing the blues
Once again, Blind Willy McTell is the only one who can channel the sense of sorrow and pain that permeates this place.

Like Blind Willie McTell
This phrase is repeated to emphasize that Blind Willy McTell is still the one person who can express the pain of this community.

Well, God is in heaven
God is present in this time of pain, and people will look to their faith to gather strength.

And we all want what's his
The people look to their faith as a source of comfort and hope.

But power and greed and corruptible seed
People perpetuate sin by seeking power, money, and status, which lead to corrupt ways.

Seem to be all that there is
The world is full of pain and sin and it seems that there is nothing else there except darkness and corruption.

I'm gazing out the window
The artist is staring out the window, looking for hope or inspiration.

Of the St. James Hotel
It is unclear if this hotel provides any shelter or refuge for the singer.

And I know no one can sing the blues
The phrase is repeated one last time to reinforce that only Blind Willy McTell can express the pain of these people's lives and situations.

Like Blind Willie McTell
Once again, this phrase is used to make clear that Blind Willy McTell's voice is the only one that can express the pain and sorrow of the community.