Green started off as a bass player in such bands as The Muskrats. Joining The Peter B's, led by Peter Bardens, later the frontman of Camel, (including drummer Mick Fleetwood) he switched to lead guitar and made his first recordings. He took over the lead guitar spot in John Mayall and the Blues Breakers in 1966 after the departure of Eric Clapton.
After recording on one Mayall album Peter left in 1967 to form Fleetwood Mac.
Green was the guiding force of Fleetwood Mac from 1967 to 1970 when he left for musical and personal reasons. Under Green's guidance, the Mac played a very gritty and authentic version of the electric blues popularized in bars on Chicago's south side. (They even did some fine recordings there--"Blues Jam in Chicago"--which saw release only after his tenure in the band had ended). A prolific song writer also, he penned such hits as Man of the World; Oh Well; Green Manalishi; Albatross and Black Magic Woman. Albatross reached number 1 in the UK charts, Black Magic Woman was also recorded by Santana on their Abraxas album.
From 1970 to 1974, Green played some sessions, and worked with several small bands, as well as releasing two solo singles and an album of extended jams, The End of the Game for Reprise. By the end of 1974, he had withdrawn from the music scene.
By 1979 Green was recording again for PVK records as a solo artist with the debut album In the Skies; 1980 Little Dreamer; 1981 Blue Guitar; 1981 Whatcha Gonna Do; 1981 White Sky; 1984 Kolors; 1987 Katmandu; 1988 Legend; 1992 One Woman Love;
Green again left the music world in 1984, and there followed a very difficult period in his life, which came to an end in the mid 90's, and coincided with renewed interest, partly generated by a biography written by Martin Celmins, and a tribute album recorded by Gary Moore.
Green formed a new group in 1995 with Nigel Watson called the Peter Green Splinter Group. Returning to form the group produced some of Peter’s best playing since leaving Fleetwood Mac. Albums include 1997 Splinter Group; 1998 Robert Johnson Songbook; 2002 Reaching For The Cold 100.
Green left The Splinter Group in 2003. Since then, he has played sporadically, appearing at a Lord's Taverner's benefit at The Royal Albert Hall, and doing some gigs with The British Blues All-Stars.
In February 2009, Green began playing and touring again, this time as Peter Green and Friends. In May 2009 he was the subject of the BBC Four documentary "Peter Green: Man of the World", produced by Henry Hadaway. Green and the band subsequently played a tour of Ireland, Germany and England. They went on to play several dates in Australia during March 2010, including the Byron Bay Bluesfest.
Preachin' Blues
Peter Green Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ah, blues walkin' like a man
I woke up this mornin'
Ah, blues walkin' like a man
Worried blues
Give me your right hand
And the blues fell mama's child
Blues fell mam's child
And it tore me all upside down
Travel on, poor Bob
Just can't turn you 'round
The blu-u-u-u-ues
Is a low-down shakin' chill
(Yes, preach 'em now)
Mmmmm mmm
Is a low-down shakin' chill
You ain't never had 'em,
I hope you never will
Well, the blues
Is a achin' old heart disease
(Do it now, You gon' do it?
Tell me about it)
Let the blues
Is a low-down achin' heart disease
Like consumption
Killing me by degrees
I can study rain
Oh, oh drive, oh, oh, drive my blues
I been studyin' the rain and
I'm 'on drive my blues away
Goin' to the stil'ry
Stay out there all day
The lyrics to Peter Green Splinter Group's song Preachin' Blues are a classic representation of the blues genre. The song starts with the singer talking about waking up in the morning with the blues, mentioning that the blues are walking around like a man. This shows the personification of the blues as a person who can take over a person's life. He then mentions that he wants to shake hands with the blues and get it over with.
The second verse talks about the damage that the blues can cause a person. Miles Davis' "All Blues" could be seen as a spiritual ancestor to "Preachin' Blues," or at the very least, a textbook example of modal, cool jazz. According to Davis, the entire track was due to a happy accident. Because "All Blues" is a blues tune in 6/8 time, Davis said he thought it needed to sound like "two triplets playing against a background of three."
The third verse discusses how the blues is a heart disease that can cause a person a lot of pain. This metaphorical description is used to explain the feeling of sadness that many people feel due to different situations in their lives. The song ends with the singer saying that he is going to go to the stillery and spend the day there, indicating that he will use alcohol as a way to cope with his sadness.
Line by Line Meaning
Mmmmmm I woke up this mornin'
I opened my eyes to start another day of suffering
Ah, blues walkin' like a man
I'm feeling so down that I can feel the blues walking beside me
Worried blues
I can't shake off these worried blues
Give me your right hand
I'm reaching out for help to overcome my sorrows
And the blues fell mama's child
I inherited the blues from my mother and it's consuming me
Tore me all upside down
It turned my life upside down and I'm struggling to cope
Travel on, poor Bob
I'm trying to move on, but I'm struggling like poor Bob
Just can't turn you 'round
I can't seem to shake off the blues, no matter how hard I try
The blu-u-u-u-ues
The blues is a state of mind that's taking over me
Is a low-down shakin' chill
It's a soulful, melancholic feeling that's shaking me to my core
(Yes, preach 'em now)
Now it's time to share my story and my pain through my music
You ain't never had 'em, I hope you never will
I wouldn't wish the blues on anyone, it's a terrible affliction
Well, the blues
The blues is a genre of music that reflects the pain and suffering of the African American community
Is a achin' old heart disease
It's like a sickness that's eating away at my heart and soul
(Do it now, You gon' do it? Tell me about it)
Now is the time to let my music do the talking and share my blues with the world
Let the blues
Let the music flow and express the pain and suffering
Is a low-down achin' heart disease
It's a deep-seated pain that's hard to shake off
Like consumption
It's like a disease that slowly kills you from the inside out
Killing me by degrees
It's a slow death that's happening gradually
I can study rain
I can concentrate on things like the sound of rain
Oh, oh drive, oh, oh, drive my blues
I'll try to drive away my blues by focusing on the positive things in life
I been studyin' the rain and
I've been trying to find beauty in the little things
I'm 'on drive my blues away
I'm determined to overcome my blues and find happiness in life
Goin' to the stil'ry
I'll take a trip to the stillery to get my mind off things
Stay out there all day
I'll spend the whole day there and enjoy the simple pleasures in life
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Son House
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Hajjvodoaospoco
Definitely a Green solo effort. Top notch!
Amy
Gosh I love finding something I haven’t heard Peter do before💚💚💚. Damn good!
sergio gonzalez
this song(Preaching blues up jump the devil) is one of the hardest songs to play, you have to play rythm, play slide and sing at the same time... just listen to the original version..
Albert Pick
Peter at his best!
Ken Dee
I think this was recorded live on John Peels BBC radio programme where they played a set, and is only on a very few compilations. I heard it live on John Peels show at the time and tried to find it on a record. No luck. It was not available for very many years. I wonder if the amazing slide guitar on this track was Peter, or Jeremy Spencer who played slide on most of their Dust My Broom copies.
0405 Photography
Brilliant...
mmandmm9
TY! The greatest!
rene houben
groovy
flashgordon
the song is a Robert Johnson original. Pretty faithfull replication; but, he did on an electric guitar which is easier(also a little easier for the casual listening to hear the rythm and harmony Robert Johnson is trying to sound out).
Albert Pick
Son House wrote it in 1930.