Steve Leach, aka Steven Gene Wold (born 1951), commonly known as Seasick St… Read Full Bio ↴Steve Leach, aka Steven Gene Wold (born 1951), commonly known as Seasick Steve, is an American blues musician. He plays mostly personalized guitars, and sings, usually about his early life doing casual work.
Wold was born in Oakland, California. When he was four years old, his parents split up. His father played boogie-woogie piano and Wold tried to learn when he was five or six, but could not. At the age of eight, he learned to play the guitar from K. C. Douglas, who worked at his grandfather's garage, later realizing that he had been taught the blues. Douglas wrote the song "Mercury Blues" and had played with Tommy Johnson in the early 1940s. Wold left home at 13 to avoid abuse at the hands of his stepfather, and lived rough and on the road in Tennessee, Mississippi and elsewhere, until 1973. He would travel long distances by hopping freight trains, looking for work as a farm labourer or in other seasonal jobs, often living as a hobo. At various times, Wold worked as a carnie, a cowboy and a migrant worker. Paraphrasing H. L. Mencken, Wold described this time of his life by saying "Hobos are people who move around looking for work, tramps are people who move around but don't look for work, and bums are people who don't move and don't work. I've been all three."
When asked about his nickname, Wold has said: "because it's just true: I always get seasick". When he was ill on a ferry from Norway to Copenhagen, later in his life, a friend began playfully using the name and, despite Wold not rising to it for a while, it stuck. When asked about his name on British Sunday morning television show, Something for the Weekend, he replied, "I just get sick on boats". On Top Gear, when asked about his name, Wold replied "Well, I guess I just don't like boats!"
Wold made his first UK television appearance on Jools Holland's annual Hootenanny BBC TV show on New Year's Eve 2006. He performed a live rendition of "Dog House Boogie" on the "Three String Trance Wonder" and the "Mississippi Drum Machine". After that show his popularity exploded in Britain, as he explained in an interview:
"I can't believe it, all of the sudden I'm like the cat's meow!"
He was well received in the UK, winning the 2007 MOJO Award for Best Breakthrough Act and going on to appear at major UK festivals such as Reading, Leeds and Glastonbury. In 2007 he played more UK festivals than any other artist.
Wold toured early in 2008, playing in various venues and festivals in the UK. He was joined on stage by drummer Dan Magnusson. KT Tunstall also dueted with Wold at the London Astoria in January 2008.[20] Wold also played many other festivals throughout the world in 2008, including Fuji Rock in Japan, East Coast Blues & Roots Music Festival in Australia, also in April 2008,[21] and Roskilde in Denmark.
Wold's major-label debut, I Started Out with Nothin and I Still Got Most of It Left was recorded with Dan Magnusson on drums, was released by Warner Music on September 29, 2008, and features Ruby Turner and Nick Cave's Grinderman.
He has toured the UK extensively since 2007 being supported by Duke Garwood, Gemma Ray, The Sugars, Billie the Vision and the Dancers in January 2008, Amy LaVere in October 2008, Melody Nelson at the Brighton Dome on 7 October, and Joe Gideon & The Shark in January 2009. His tours in October 2008 and January 2009 were all sold out and included performances at the Royal Albert Hall, the Edinburgh Queen's Hall, the Grand Opera House in Belfast, the Apollo in Manchester, the City Hall in Newcastle and the London Hammersmith Apollo.
In 2009, Wold was nominated for a Brit Award in the category of International Solo Male Artist, That same year, BBC Four broadcast a documentary of Wold visiting the southern USA entitled Seasick Steve: Bringing It All Back Home. On January 21, Wold hosted "Folk America: Hollerers, Stompers and Old Time Ramblers" at the Barbican in London, a show that was also televised and shown with the documentary on BBC Four as part of a series tracing American roots music.
In an interview with an Australian magazine, Wold attributes much of his unlikely success to his cheap and weather-beaten guitar, "The Trance Wonder" and reveals the guitar's mojo might come from supernatural sources. "I got it from Sherman, who is a friend of mine down in Mississippi, who had bought it down at a Goodwill store. When we were down there last time he says to me, 'I didn't tell you when you bought it off me, but that guitar used to be haunted'. I say, 'What are you talking about, Sherman?'. He says, 'There’s 50 solid citizens here in Como who'll tell you this guitar is haunted. It's the darnedest thing – we’d leave it over in the potato barn and we'd come back in and it would be moved. You'd put it down somewhere and the next morning you’d come back and it would have moved. When you took that guitar the ghost in the barn left'. He told me this not very long ago and I said to him, 'Sherman! Why didn't you tell me this before?' and he said, 'Well the ghost was gone – I didn't want it around here no more!'"
On January 3, 2010, Wold appeared on the popular BBC motoring show Top Gear as the Star In A Reasonably Priced Car. He was the last star to drive in the blue Chevrolet Lacetti.
In February 2010, Wold was nominated for a Brit Award in the category of International Solo Male Artist for the second consecutive year.
In 2010, Wold made numerous festival appearances throughout the summer, including the Pyramid Stage at the Glastonbury Festival, the main stage at V Festival, the main stage at the Hop Farm Festival and many more.
In February 2011, Wold signed to Play It Again Sam to release his new album with the exception of the US, where it will be released on Third Man Records. Subsequently his new album You Can't Teach an Old Dog New Tricks was released on his new labels and it was announced that former Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones had played on the new album, and performed alongside Wold to promote it.
On 16 August 2014 he was the headline act at Beautiful Days in Exeter, UK, and on the 24th August he headlined at 'Victorious Festival' in Southsea, Portsmouth, UK.
Wold was born in Oakland, California. When he was four years old, his parents split up. His father played boogie-woogie piano and Wold tried to learn when he was five or six, but could not. At the age of eight, he learned to play the guitar from K. C. Douglas, who worked at his grandfather's garage, later realizing that he had been taught the blues. Douglas wrote the song "Mercury Blues" and had played with Tommy Johnson in the early 1940s. Wold left home at 13 to avoid abuse at the hands of his stepfather, and lived rough and on the road in Tennessee, Mississippi and elsewhere, until 1973. He would travel long distances by hopping freight trains, looking for work as a farm labourer or in other seasonal jobs, often living as a hobo. At various times, Wold worked as a carnie, a cowboy and a migrant worker. Paraphrasing H. L. Mencken, Wold described this time of his life by saying "Hobos are people who move around looking for work, tramps are people who move around but don't look for work, and bums are people who don't move and don't work. I've been all three."
When asked about his nickname, Wold has said: "because it's just true: I always get seasick". When he was ill on a ferry from Norway to Copenhagen, later in his life, a friend began playfully using the name and, despite Wold not rising to it for a while, it stuck. When asked about his name on British Sunday morning television show, Something for the Weekend, he replied, "I just get sick on boats". On Top Gear, when asked about his name, Wold replied "Well, I guess I just don't like boats!"
Wold made his first UK television appearance on Jools Holland's annual Hootenanny BBC TV show on New Year's Eve 2006. He performed a live rendition of "Dog House Boogie" on the "Three String Trance Wonder" and the "Mississippi Drum Machine". After that show his popularity exploded in Britain, as he explained in an interview:
"I can't believe it, all of the sudden I'm like the cat's meow!"
He was well received in the UK, winning the 2007 MOJO Award for Best Breakthrough Act and going on to appear at major UK festivals such as Reading, Leeds and Glastonbury. In 2007 he played more UK festivals than any other artist.
Wold toured early in 2008, playing in various venues and festivals in the UK. He was joined on stage by drummer Dan Magnusson. KT Tunstall also dueted with Wold at the London Astoria in January 2008.[20] Wold also played many other festivals throughout the world in 2008, including Fuji Rock in Japan, East Coast Blues & Roots Music Festival in Australia, also in April 2008,[21] and Roskilde in Denmark.
Wold's major-label debut, I Started Out with Nothin and I Still Got Most of It Left was recorded with Dan Magnusson on drums, was released by Warner Music on September 29, 2008, and features Ruby Turner and Nick Cave's Grinderman.
He has toured the UK extensively since 2007 being supported by Duke Garwood, Gemma Ray, The Sugars, Billie the Vision and the Dancers in January 2008, Amy LaVere in October 2008, Melody Nelson at the Brighton Dome on 7 October, and Joe Gideon & The Shark in January 2009. His tours in October 2008 and January 2009 were all sold out and included performances at the Royal Albert Hall, the Edinburgh Queen's Hall, the Grand Opera House in Belfast, the Apollo in Manchester, the City Hall in Newcastle and the London Hammersmith Apollo.
In 2009, Wold was nominated for a Brit Award in the category of International Solo Male Artist, That same year, BBC Four broadcast a documentary of Wold visiting the southern USA entitled Seasick Steve: Bringing It All Back Home. On January 21, Wold hosted "Folk America: Hollerers, Stompers and Old Time Ramblers" at the Barbican in London, a show that was also televised and shown with the documentary on BBC Four as part of a series tracing American roots music.
In an interview with an Australian magazine, Wold attributes much of his unlikely success to his cheap and weather-beaten guitar, "The Trance Wonder" and reveals the guitar's mojo might come from supernatural sources. "I got it from Sherman, who is a friend of mine down in Mississippi, who had bought it down at a Goodwill store. When we were down there last time he says to me, 'I didn't tell you when you bought it off me, but that guitar used to be haunted'. I say, 'What are you talking about, Sherman?'. He says, 'There’s 50 solid citizens here in Como who'll tell you this guitar is haunted. It's the darnedest thing – we’d leave it over in the potato barn and we'd come back in and it would be moved. You'd put it down somewhere and the next morning you’d come back and it would have moved. When you took that guitar the ghost in the barn left'. He told me this not very long ago and I said to him, 'Sherman! Why didn't you tell me this before?' and he said, 'Well the ghost was gone – I didn't want it around here no more!'"
On January 3, 2010, Wold appeared on the popular BBC motoring show Top Gear as the Star In A Reasonably Priced Car. He was the last star to drive in the blue Chevrolet Lacetti.
In February 2010, Wold was nominated for a Brit Award in the category of International Solo Male Artist for the second consecutive year.
In 2010, Wold made numerous festival appearances throughout the summer, including the Pyramid Stage at the Glastonbury Festival, the main stage at V Festival, the main stage at the Hop Farm Festival and many more.
In February 2011, Wold signed to Play It Again Sam to release his new album with the exception of the US, where it will be released on Third Man Records. Subsequently his new album You Can't Teach an Old Dog New Tricks was released on his new labels and it was announced that former Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones had played on the new album, and performed alongside Wold to promote it.
On 16 August 2014 he was the headline act at Beautiful Days in Exeter, UK, and on the 24th August he headlined at 'Victorious Festival' in Southsea, Portsmouth, UK.
Keep That Horse Between You and the Ground
Seasick Steve Lyrics
We have lyrics for these tracks by Seasick Steve:
1973 Ford Air Filter Box I′m beginning to hear voices and there's no one around Well,…
Back In The Doghouse With things alright for a little while But then the story…
Big Green And Yeller Green and yeller! I wanna get me Old John Deere Old mod…
Bring It On You gon' talk, pretty thing Talk my heart to to say Did…
Burnin Oh, I want you, yeah, I want you Oh, I want…
Burnin' Up Oh, I want you, yeah, I want you Oh, I want…
Can U Cook? There must be something wrong with me What it is I…
Cheap Used to live behind a grocery store Newspaper as my bed Co…
Chiggers Leave me alone little chiggers Don't lay your babies on my…
Cut My Wings Cut my wings Shot me down I cannot fly Cut my wings Shot…
Dark I like the dark It is my friend There at beginnin’s Be th…
Days Gone Yes sir, alright Yes sir, well Oh, where have my days go…
Diddley Bo Here come the one string diddley bo And this here song…
Dog Gonna Play I am your dog do what you say I am your dog lord…
Dog House Blues (Here come the 3-string Trance Wonder! We gon' do the Dog…
Doghouse Boogie (Here come the 3-string Trance Wonder! We gon' do the Dog…
Don One, two, three I don't know why she love me like…
Don't Ask Me One, two, three I don't know why she love me like…
Down on the Farm I like big ol' farm tractors And big ol' farm implements A…
Fly by Night I wanna be with you girl I'm still gonna be here…
Freedom Road Ah well I'm on my own And it ain't so bad I'm…
Happy Oh this life has knocked me down to my knees And…
Happy Man Oh this life has knocked me down to my knees…
Have Mercy On The Lonely Me and my girl got place to be, place to…
Heart Full Of Scars Long river flows take my memories back so slow i've got year…
Heavy Weight I been walkin' through a troubled time Seems too many thing…
Hobo Low I woke up in the mornin', Memphis city time Don't remember…
Home I got two old tractors Yellow and green They still is pull…
Hope Hope, hope Everybody needs a little bit of that Old fashio…
I'm Gone It's just like it is Thats all im sayin Aint nothin but…
It's A Long Long Way It's a long long way cause i been there before It's…
Just Like a King Just like a king When you call out my name You…
Keep on Keepin' On The Thing I'm tryin' to do The thing I believe in…
Man From Another Time When I walk down the street I feel like a man…
My Home What's the use of saying that i love ya What's the…
My Youth Well, it gone All my youth Yeah, walked on down the road …
Never Go West Yeah, it was a cold black night Oh, I remember it…
One True Whoa, I miss my dog, yes I... He were the friend…
Over You It's all over now, baby Yes, I'm done done done done…
Party When I'm alone in the dark night I think of them…
Prospect Lane Spoken: Sometimes people ask me what it was like riding…
Purple Shadows Them purple shadows Fall across And they soften Everythin…
rooster blues The rooster crowed in the morning, ain't it got nothin'…
Roy’s Gang Man, you want me to play? I'll play I'll play I gettin' kin…
Salem Blues Why won't nobody give me ride Yeh here in Salem I was…
Save Me Save me from this way It be killing me Yeah, I been…
Seasick Boogie Here come another 3-string trance boogie For your listenin’…
Self Sufficient Man I'm a self sufficient man I take care of my own…
Sonic Soul Boogie It sounds so boogie…
St. Louis Slim Now bensenville is a train yard over in chicago And the…
Started Out With Nothin I can't lose what I never had You can't take what…
Started out with Nothing I can't lose what I never had You can't take what…
Summertime Boy Yeah man Yeah looking out the window in the pouring rain It'…
That's All Trapped like a rat I was caught, that’s a fact I pace…
The Banjo Song On my way down the road On my way on my…
The Dead Song Sé, sé, Sé como se siente Amor, Como muerde el Corazón, cuan…
The Way I Do I'm a hound dog for your love, babe Can I call…
Things Go Up Thang go up, Thang go down, Everything thang goes out come…
Thunderbird If you're going to sing a song about drinking wine…
Treasures When I walk down your street Through your barred windows you…
Underneath A Blue And Cloudless Sky Waited so long just to find you Feel like I've wasted…
Walkin Man You say jump, I say how high Exactly you want me…
Walking Man You say jump, I say how high Exactly you want me…
Wenatchee Standin’ in Wenatchee waitin’ for a job Come a farmer in…
What A Way To Go What a way to go What a way to go What a…
Whiskey Ballad Ahhhh (whistling) To all those people living in their …
Xmas Prison Blues I been on the inside on my birthday I been on…
Yellow Dog Spoken: Testing, testing, One, two, One, two, One…
You Can't Teach An Old Dog Ne There must be something wrong with me What it is I…
You Can't Teach An Old Dog New Tricks There must be something wrong with me What it is I…
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BigPaddy Fan
Hey Steve, you are the greatest bluesman on this planet. Thanks a lot for your songs.
Doc Seeger
I love that type of music
Matheus Moreira379
Music so good it gave me goose bumps early in Thanks Steven , hello from Brazil !
Groover
you my man get deeper and deeper under my skin... in a most excellent way!!! :)
William Carter
I have all his albums, seen him live many times. Looking forward to buying this new album. Great song.
William Carter
You can't teach an old dog new tricks album. I think this album showcases the different genres that has influenced Steve. It's mellow and sounds like Steve had a lot of fun making this. Being his Fifth record, this album really shows how versatile Steve is Lyrically and Musically.
Seasick Steve Fan
Which is your favorite?
delly2kensington
Decent. I hope to see this later at Leopallooza!
Didier Duplouy
76 he is.... This man is a treasure !
Mike_with_the Cosmic_Flo
LOVE THE SONG. ANOTHER TO THE LEGENDARY TRACKS OF YOURS... 👍