Wheatstraw was born William Bunch in Ripley, Tennessee but grew up in Cotton Plant, Arkansas, where his family relocated soon after his birth. Little is known of his early life, other than that he took up playing both the piano and guitar at a young age.
Bunch left Cotton Plant in 1927 and began living the life of an itinerant musician traveling throughout the Deep South. Like many African Americans of this time period, the great migration eventually drew his attention to the cities of the North. Places such as Chicago, Indianapolis and Detroit were favoured destinations, due to the wealth of employment in the factories located in these cities. St. Louis was another city that drew its share of uprooted individuals who sought a better life than that offered by the toil of sharecropping. It was in St. Louis that Bunch landed in 1929.
Having honed his musical talents while travelling, and influenced by the popularity of the Blues duet of pianist Leroy Carr and guitar player Scrapper Blackwell, Bunch found easy work in the clubs of both St. Louis and East St. Louis on the other side of the Mississippi River.
It was around this time Bunch decided to change his name to Peetie Wheatstraw. He also called himself "The Devil's Son-in-Law" and this title is under his name starting with his earliest recordings.
Wheatstraw's self-promotion swiftly paid off as he became a popular performer in East St. Louis, to the extent that he was asked to Chicago in 1930 to partake in recording sessions. He first entered the Vocalion Studios on August 13, 1930, and recorded a handful of numbers which included "Four O'Clock In The Morning" and "Tennessee Peaches Blues". Over the following decade, he would make several such treks, recording over 160 sides for the Vocalion, Decca and Bluebird labels.
Wheatstraw was known for his laid-back approach and adept singing and songwriting, though his instrumental talents were average at best. His songwriting appealed to working class minorities, due to their nature of the content—he often wrote about social issues such as unemployment and public assistance. There were also pieces about the immoral ways of loose women, and true to his own self-publicity, death and the supernatural. Almost all of his songs included his trademark "Ooh, well well", usually accentuated in the third verse, and this has been carried on by many subsequent Bluesmen, most noteworthy today being R.L. Burnside.
On his records Wheatstraw is occasionally heard playing guitar, but he usually took to the piano and required a guitarist to play with him—among his collaborators were Kokomo Arnold, Lonnie Johnson, Charlie Jordan, Charlie McCoy and Teddy Bunn, in addition to pianist Champion Jack Dupree. On some of his last dates, Peetie Wheatstraw recorded within a jazz inspired framework, collaborating with Lil Armstrong and trumpeter Jonah Jones.
Wheatstraw's influence was enormous during the 1930s. Perhaps the most obvious example of Wheatstraw's impact can be seen in the writings of Robert Johnson, often considered the most important Blues figure of the era. Many of Johnson's own recordings were actually re-workings of other popular artists of the time, and he drew heavily from Wheatstraw's repertoire.
Good Whiskey Blues
Peetie Wheatstraw Lyrics
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Peetie Wheatstraw (William Bunch)
(Bunch)
Jul 17, 1935 Decca 7111
Allego Classic Blues CBL 200037
I am drunk now
Will be sober after a while
Will be sober after a while
Well now, if I don't get sober
Hoo-ooo-brown, please why don't you let me die?
My fairasee made me mad
Whiskey now is all I known
Well, my baby made me mad
Whiskey, I said is all I've known
Well, now if you don't want me, brown babe
Hm-mm-well, why in the world don't you let me go?
You known I drink whiskey
Now before we ever met
Well now she known I drink whiskey
Now before we ever met
And I'll guarantee, know right now
Um-um-well, that I'd been drinking whiskey yet
(piano)
Yes, I meant it, babe
Before I take this drink
Mm-mm, just remember babe
Before I take a drink
Well now, I wanna give you plenty time
Woo-well brown, now in this world to think
I am sorry, now
That I'm a whiskey-headed man
I say I'm sorry, now
That I'm a whiskey-headed man
But now I just want you go home
Hoo-well brown babe
Now do the best you can.
~
The lyrics to Peetie Wheatstraw's song "Good Whiskey Blues" are an expression of his drunken state and the consequences that come along with it. The opening lines suggest that he is drunk but will eventually sober up, indicating that this is not an uncommon state for him. He then goes on to blame his love troubles on his drinking, stating that his lover made him mad and now whiskey is all he knows. He asks her to let him go if she doesn't want him, suggesting that his drinking may be pushing her away. He admits that he has always been a drinker and implies that this may have been an issue in their relationship from the start.
In the next verse, Peetie Wheatstraw warns his lover before he takes another drink. He wants her to take time to think before he does, indicating that he knows his drinking has become a problem. He apologizes for being a "whiskey-headed man," but ultimately tells her to leave and do the best she can. The lyrics express a sense of resignation and self-awareness about his struggles with alcohol, and the impact it has on his relationships.
Overall, "Good Whiskey Blues" is a poignant reflection on addiction and the toll it can take on an individual and those around them. It highlights the struggles of someone who is caught in the cycle of drinking and the damage it can cause to their life and relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
I am drunk now
I am currently intoxicated
Will be sober after a while
I expect to become sober eventually
Well, now I am drunk now
I am currently drunk, as previously stated
Will be sober after a while
I still anticipate sobriety in my future
Well now, if I don't get sober
If I am unable to become sober
Hoo-ooo-brown, please why don't you let me die?
I would rather die than continue to live in a state of constant intoxication
My fairasee made me mad
My beloved made me angry
Whiskey now is all I known
My only solace at present is alcohol
Well, my baby made me mad
I am still upset with my beloved
Whiskey, I said is all I've known
My only comfort remains alcohol
Well, now if you don't want me, brown babe
If you do not desire my presence
Hm-mm-well, why in the world don't you let me go?
Why do you not allow me to depart?
You known I drink whiskey
You were aware of my predilection for alcohol
Now before we ever met
This was a characteristic of mine before our acquaintance
Well now she known I drink whiskey
My beloved was aware of my drinking habits
And I'll guarantee, know right now
I can assure you, even at this moment
Um-um-well, that I'd been drinking whiskey yet
That I have, in fact, been drinking whiskey
(piano)
Instrumental break
Yes, I meant it, babe
My statement is sincere
Before I take this drink
Prior to consuming more alcohol
Mm-mm, just remember babe
It is important for you to recall, my dear
Before I take a drink
Before I consume further alcohol
Well now, I wanna give you plenty time
I would like to give you sufficient time
Woo-well brown, now in this world to think
To reflect deeply on your situation
I am sorry, now
I regret my current situation
That I'm a whiskey-headed man
Due to my excessive drinking habit
I say I'm sorry, now
I reiterate my apology
That I'm a whiskey-headed man
My drinking has taken its toll
But now I just want you go home
Now, I ask that you depart
Hoo-well brown babe
My beloved
Now do the best you can.
Please do your utmost
Contributed by London P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.