Case has had a wide-ranging career ranging from new wave music to solo acoustic performance.
In 1976, Case teamed up with Jack Lee and Paul Collins, to form early new wave band The Nerves in San Francisco. The Nerves' 1976 single, "Hanging on the Telephone", was eventually recorded by Blondie.
After The Nerves disbanded, Case moved to Los Angeles and formed pop-rock band The Plimsouls in 1980. The group found success with the song "A Million Miles Away", but disbanded soon after. Case briefly toured with Gurf Morlix, Victoria Williams (Case's first wife), and Warren Tornado Klein in a group called the Incredibly Strung Out Band, which never released a record. Case struck out on his own with a self-titled album released in 1986 on Geffen Records and produced by T-Bone Burnett. The album included a number of songs cowritten by Williams, and also featured the talents of John Hiatt and Roger McGuinn of The Byrds.
In 1989, Case released a second solo disc, The Man With the Blue Post-Modern Fragmented Neo-Traditionalist Guitar, this time with the help of artists like David Hidalgo of Los Lobos, Ry Cooder, and Benmont Tench. While not a hit, the album was a favorite of critics and other musicians: Bruce Springsteen told Rolling Stone that he was listening to Peter Case more than anyone else that year.
Throughout the '90s and early 2000s, Case continued to release discs as a solo performer, moving in an increasingly acoustic-based direction, and playing clubs and small venues. His typical solo performances have featured his own compositions as well as covers of songs by Memphis Minnie, Sleepy John Estes, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and others.
In 1996, The Plimsouls reunited for a few shows and some recording sessions, and they have given occasional performances since then.
Case is also an active musicologist: in the late 1990's, he curated the musical program for the Getty Museum in Los Angeles. In 2001, Case organized, produced, and performed on a tribute album to blues music pioneer Mississippi John Hurt. Case also had the chance to perform Beatles songs at the Hollywood Bowl with Sir George Martin.
In February 2006, Hungry for Music, a non-profit organization based in Washington, DC, released a three-disc tribute to Case, entitled A Case for Case; the set featured cover versions of Case's songs performed by various artists, including John Prine, Susan Cowsill, and others
Thirty Days in the Workhouse
Peter Case Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Thirty days in the workhouse
Six long months in jail
Now they got me in trouble
No one to go my bail
When a man get in trouble
Now I believe to my soul
That I'm prison bound
Has a done like my baby told me
I wouldn't be here today
I would not be in trouble
Six long months to stay
Now please Mr. Jailer
Unlock the door for me
The jail house is full of blues
And they done come down on me
I'm a hard workin' prisoner
Sent here without a trial
Now my heart is achin' to stay here
This great long while
Peter Case's song, "Thirty Days in the Workhouse," is a re-imagining of the Leadbelly song of the same name. The song speaks to the harsh realities of incarceration and the helplessness one can feel when faced with a legal system that seems out of reach. The first two lines of the song, "Thirty days in the workhouse, six long months in jail," immediately set a tone of despair and hopelessness. The singer finds himself in a difficult situation with no one to help him out.
The verse "When a man get in trouble, everybody turns him down, now I believe to my soul that I'm prison bound" speaks to the idea that when one is in trouble, others are quick to distance themselves from them. It also suggests a lack of faith in the legal system to provide justice fairly. The mention of "my baby told me" in the third verse suggests a longing for personal relationships while being imprisoned. The singer expresses a desire to be freed from jail by saying "please, Mr. Jailer, unlock the door for me." The last verse reveals that the singer is a hard-working man who was sent to jail without a trial.
Line by Line Meaning
Thirty days in the workhouse
I was incarcerated in the workhouse for 30 days
Six long months in jail
I was also imprisoned in jail for six months
Now they got me in trouble
I got myself into trouble and now I'm paying the price
No one to go my bail
I don't have anyone to bail me out of jail
When a man get in trouble
When a man finds himself in trouble
Everybody turns him down
No one is willing to help him out
Now I believe to my soul
I truly believe
That I'm prison bound
That I'm on my way to a long prison sentence
Has a done like my baby told me
If I had listened to my partner's advice
I wouldn't be here today
I wouldn't be in this predicament
I would not be in trouble
I wouldn't find myself in this situation
Six long months to stay
I have a long time left to serve
Now please Mr. Jailer
I'm asking the jailer
Unlock the door for me
To open my prison cell door and let me out
The jail house is full of blues
There's a sense of sadness and despair in the jail
And they done come down on me
It's affecting me and bringing me down
I'm a hard workin' prisoner
I'm someone who works hard while imprisoned
Sent here without a trial
I was sent to jail without a proper trial or investigation
Now my heart is achin' to stay here
I'm feeling pain and longing to be free from this place
This great long while
For much longer than I would like
Contributed by Bailey B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@rtisi
The Man!
@kylethompson4
YES!
@KingGeorgeXX
I'm convinced!
@2minstral
I'll be adding this to Peter's Profile on World United Music. Love Peter's music! I featured Peter's music on the Minstral Show also. Great stuff. 8O) Thanks for sharing!
@yourturn777
💚👏✊
@MusicFog
The sound you're hearing was intentionally wanted by Peter, picked up by the guitar mic. It's a "thwack" rattling the frets from the top string, an un-Godly thick gauge that he said was custom ordered, as it's not included in that 12 string set. Dirty blues.
@wingandaprayer
Guitar would sound better played into a mic...hate that DI buzz...