Preachin' Blues
Peter Green & Robert Johnson Lyrics


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I was up this mornin', ah, blues walkin' like a man
I was up this mornin', ah, blues walkin' like a man
Worried blues, give me your right hand

And the blues fell mama's child, tore me all upside down
Blues fell mama's child, and it tore me all upside down
Travel on, poor Bob, just can't turn you 'round
The blues, is a low-down shakin' chill, yes, preach 'em now
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 all about it
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, I'm 'on drive my blues away
Goin' to the 'stil'ry, stay out there all day

Overall Meaning

The song “Preachin' Blues” is a classic blues song performed by Peter Green and Nigel Watson. At the beginning of the song, Peter expresses the essence of the blues, which is an expression of deep sadness and pain. He mentions that he “was up this mornin', ah, blues walkin' like a man, worried blues, give me your right hand.” This line symbolizes his desperation and need for help from someone. Then he mentions how the blues “fell” and “tore me all upside down,” emphasizing how the sadness has physically affected him.


Peter goes on to state that the blues are a “low-down shakin' chill,” which he wants people to understand and feel. He believes that the blues are a disease that can consume a person, causing them to fall into deep despair. The final line, “I been studyin' the rain, I'm 'on drive my blues away, goin' to the 'stil'ry, stay out there all day”, which could be interpreted as a metaphor of dealing with his emotions by drowning them in alcohol, indicating that he is struggling to overcome his blues and is resorting to alcoholism to cope.


Overall, The song’s lyrics further emphasise the depth of the blues genre, expressing themes of sadness, hopelessness, and desperation in a deeply impactful way.


Line by Line Meaning

I was up this mornin', ah, blues walkin' like a man
I woke up feeling the blues deeply and it feels like I'm dragging myself through the day.


Worried blues, give me your right hand
I want to connect with someone who has gone through the same struggles as I have because I know they can understand me.


And the blues fell mama's child, tore me all upside down
The blues has taken over me completely and I'm feeling completely out of control.


Travel on, poor Bob, just can't turn you 'round
This line could be a reference to a friend or a fellow traveler who is also struggling with the blues but I'm unable to help them and I've got to keep moving.


Is a low-down shakin' chill
The blues is an intense feeling of sadness and pain that never lets you rest and completely overtakes your body.


You ain't never had 'em I, hope you never will
I wouldn't want anyone to go through the same struggle that I'm going through and I hope they never have to experience the blues.


The blues, is a achin' old heart disease
The blues is like a persistent illness that stays with you for a long time and keeps eating you up from the inside.


Do it now, you gon' do it? Tell me all about it
This line could possibly refer to a doctor or someone who is offering help for the blues and asking me to talk about what I'm going through.


Like consumption, killing me by degrees
The blues is slowly killing me and slowly taking over my life just like tuberculosis.


I been studyin' the rain, I'm 'on drive my blues away
I'm trying to find a way to get rid of the blues and I'm focusing on the rain to distract myself from the pain.


Goin' to the 'stil'ry, stay out there all day
The 'stil'ry could refer to a distillery or a place where alcohol is made which could be a way for me to escape my problems but I know that it will only make things worse in the long run.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Son House

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

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.

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