Raised in Avalon, Mississippi, Hurt taught himself how to play the guitar around age nine. Singing to a melodious finger-picked accompaniment, he began to play local dances and parties while working as a sharecropper. He first recorded for Okeh Records in 1928, but these were commercial failures. Hurt then drifted out of the recording scene, and he continued his work as a farmer. Tom Hoskins, a blues enthusiast, would be the first to locate Hurt in 1963. He convinced Hurt to relocate to Washington, D.C., where he was recorded by the Library of Congress in 1964. This rediscovery helped further the American folk music revival, which had led to the rediscovery of many other bluesmen of Hurt's era. Hurt entered the same university and coffeehouse concert circuit as his contemporaries, as well as other Delta blues musicians brought out of retirement. As well as playing concerts, he recorded several studio albums for Vanguard Records.
Born John Smith Hurt in Teoc, Carroll County, Mississippi (there is confusion about his date of birth, but the grave marker mentions March 8, 1892) and raised in Avalon, Mississippi, he learned to play guitar at age nine. He was completely self-taught, stealthily playing the guitar of a friend of his mother's, who often stayed at the Hurt home while courting a lady who lived near by. His style was not reminiscent of any other style being played at the time; it was the way Hurt "thought the guitar should sound". He spent much of his youth playing old time music for friends and dances, earning a living as a farmhand into the 1920s. His fast, highly syncopated style of playing made his music adept for dancing. On occasion, a medicine show would come through the area; Hurt recalls being wanted by one of them. "One of them wanted me, but I said no because I just never wanted to get away from home." In 1923 he partnered with the fiddle player Willie Narmour as a substitute for his regular partner Shell Smith.
When Narmour got a chance to record for Okeh Records as a prize for winning first place in a 1928 fiddle contest, he recommended Hurt to Okeh Records producer Tommy Rockwell. After auditioning "Monday Morning Blues" at his home, he took part in two recording sessions, in Memphis and New York City (see Discography below). While in Memphis, Hurt recalled seeing "many, many blues singers ... Lonnie Johnson, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Bessie Smith, and lots, lots more." Hurt described his first recording session as such:
... a great big hall with only the three of us in it: me, the man [Rockwell], and the engineer. It was really something. I sat on a chair, and they pushed the microphone right up to my mouth and told me that I couldn't move after they had found the right position. I had to keep my head absolutely still. Oh, I was nervous, and my neck was sore for days after.
Hurt attempted further negotiations with Okeh to record again, but after the commercial failure of the resulting records, and Okeh Records going out of business during the Great Depression, Hurt returned to Avalon and obscurity, working as a sharecropper and playing local parties and dances.
After Hurt's renditions of "Frankie" and "Spike Driver Blues" were included in The Anthology of American Folk Music in 1952, and an Australian man discovered a copy of "Avalon Blues", there became increased interest in finding Hurt himself. In 1963, a folk musicologist, Tom Hoskins, supervised by Richard Spottswood, was able to locate Hurt near Avalon, Mississippi using the lyrics of "Avalon Blues":
Avalon, my home town, always on my mind/Avalon, my home town.
While in Avalon, Hoskins convinced an apprehensive Hurt to perform several songs for him, to ensure that he was genuine. Hoskins was convinced, and seeing that Hurt's guitar playing skills were still intact, Hoskins encouraged him to move to Washington, D.C., and begin performing on a wider stage. His performance at the 1964 Newport Folk Festival saw his star rise amongst the new folk revival audience. Before his death he played extensively in colleges, concert halls, coffee houses and also on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, as well as recording three further albums for Vanguard Records. Much of his repertoire was recorded for the Library of Congress, also. His fans particularly liked the ragtime songs "Salty Dog" and "Candy Man", and the blues ballads "Spike Driver Blues" (a variant of "John Henry") and "Frankie".
Hurt incorporated a fast, pick-less, syncopated fingerpicking style that he taught himself. He was influenced by very few people; but did recall an elderly, unrecorded, blues singer from that area, Rufus Hanks, who played twelve-string guitar and harmonica. He also recalled listening to the country singer Jimmie Rodgers. On occasion, Hurt would use an open tuning and a slide, as he did in his arrangement of "The Ballad of Casey Jones".
Hurt's influence spanned several music genres including blues, country, bluegrass, folk and contemporary rock and roll. A soft-spoken man, his nature was reflected in the work, which consisted of a mellow mix of country, blues and old time music.
Material recorded by Hurt has been re-released by many record labels over the years (see discography); and his influence has extended over many generations of guitarists. Songs recorded by Hurt have been covered by Bob Dylan, Jerry Garcia, Beck, Doc Watson, John McCutcheon, Taj Mahal, Bruce Cockburn, David Johansen, Bill Morrissey and Gillian Welch.
Hurt died on November 2nd, 1966, of a heart attack in Grenada, Mississippi.
There is now a memorial in Avalon, Mississippi for Mississippi John Hurt. It is parallel to RR2, the rural road on which he grew up.
American singer-songwriter Tom Paxton, who met Hurt and played on the same bill as him at the Gaslight in Greenwich Village around 1963, wrote and recorded a song about him in 1977 entitled "Did You Hear John Hurt?" Paxton still frequently plays this song at his live performances.
The first track of John Fahey's 1968 solo acoustic guitar album Requia is entitled "Requiem For John Hurt". Fahey's posthumous live album The Great Santa Barbara Oil Slick also features a version of the piece, there entitled "Requiem For Mississippi John Hurt".
British folk/blues artist Wizz Jones recorded a tribute song called "Mississippi John" for his 1977 album Magical Flight.
Waiting For You
Mississippi John Hurt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is your heart good and true?
While you sow sorrow and pain,
Darling, I'm waiting for you.
Because of your cruel ways,
I may never live to know.
In justice to my true love,
Repeat first two verses
Repeat first verse
Break
If we cannot meet again
Till our troubles all are through,
Beyond the river of Jordan,
I'll still be waiting for you.
Repeat second verse (chorus)
When you seek my grassy mount,
Then our trouble all is through.
My days have been shortened
Whilst I've been waiting for you.
Because of your cruel ways,
I may never live to know.
In justice to my true love,
I'll give you before I go.
The lyrics to Mississippi John Hurt's song Waiting for You speak to the pain and uncertainty caused by a lover's unfaithful behavior. The vocalist questions the genuineness of their lover's heart and expresses the pain they have experienced as a result of their actions. Despite the hurt and sorrow, the singer is still waiting for their lover to return and seeks reassurance that they will be faithful in the future.
The singer acknowledges that their lover's cruel ways may cause their own demise, but for the sake of justice to their true love, they will give them another chance before departing. The repetition of the first two verses emphasizes the importance of the questions being asked and the waiting that is being done. The song's break provides a moment of reflection before delivering the resolution of the singer's commitment to wait for their loved one beyond the river of Jordan.
The song's themes and melancholic tone provide a sense of longing and heartache that is relatable to many. It is a testament to the enduring nature of love and the struggle to find faithfulness in a world full of temptations and distractions.
Line by Line Meaning
Will you be faithful to me?
Are you capable of being loyal and honest in our relationship?
Is your heart good and true?
Do you have a kind and genuine heart?
While you sow sorrow and pain,
Even though you cause distress and anguish,
Darling, I'm waiting for you.
I am still waiting and hoping for you to change for the better.
Because of your cruel ways,
Due to your unkind and hurtful behavior,
I may never live to know.
I might not survive long enough to see you change.
In justice to my true love,
Out of fairness and fidelity to my real affection,
I'll give you before I go.
I will give you the chance to do right before I depart.
If we cannot meet again
If we are unable to reunite
Till our troubles all are through,
Until our problems have been resolved,
Beyond the river of Jordan,
Across the river Jordan,
I'll still be waiting for you.
I will persist in waiting for you.
When you seek my grassy mount,
If you come to my peaceful resting place,
Then our trouble all is through.
Then our problems will be over.
My days have been shortened
My life has been cut short
Whilst I've been waiting for you.
While I have been hoping and waiting for you to change.
Contributed by Olivia K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
SkeligMichael
Yes. This album is in my LP-Collection. I heard him playing and singing in a record shop and it was love on first listen. God bless him.
Steve V
My soul rests everytime when I listen to Mississippi John Hurt. Can't explain it better.
anthony galligani
i haven't heard this in 20 years. i forget this absolute gem of a song!
Bill Johnson
That voice, that lived in, sweet as fine wine voice...my god. Thanks for uploading.
Barf Mog
amazing stuff, thanks for uploading!
Ryanish Konk
You can hear all the miles in his voice
Rex Zens
I love this song :)
Rex Zens
i noticed that also..... I cant figure it out.. but that is one of the best songs ever recorded
honkydudeman
even when he just talks every hair on my body stands up ,hes hypnotic ,proof that men can be angels ,xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxAMEN
hpmendes
thanks for such a nice melody