His guitar playing is noted for its dark, minor-key sound, played in an open D-minor tuning with an intricate finger picking technique. James first recorded for Paramount Records in 1931, but these recordings sold poorly, having been released during the Great Depression, and he drifted into obscurity.
After a long absence from the public eye, James was "rediscovered" in 1964 by blues enthusiasts, helping further the blues and folk music revival of the 1950s and early 1960s. During this period, James appeared at folk and blues festivals, gave concerts around the country and recorded several albums for various record labels. His songs have influenced generations of musicians and have been adapted by numerous artists. He has been hailed as "one of the seminal figures of the blues.
James was described as aloof and moody. The musicologist Dick Spottswood commented, "Skip James, you never knew. Skip could be sunshine, or thunder and lightning depending on his whim of the moment".
James is sometimes associated with the Bentonia School, which is either a subgenre of blues music or a style of playing it. Calt, in his 1994 biography of James, I'd Rather Be the Devil: Skip James and the Blues, maintained that no style of blues originated in Bentonia and that the "Bentonia School" is simply a notion of later blues writers who overestimated the provinciality of Mississippi during the early 20th century, when railways linked small towns, and who failed to see that in the case of Jack Owens, "the 'tradition' he bore primarily consisted of musical scraps from James' table". Owens and other musicians who may have been contemporaries of James were not recorded until the revival of interest in blues music in the 1960s. Whether the work of these musicians constituted a "school" and whether James originated it or was a member of it remain open questions.
Hardtime Killing Floor Blues
Skip James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Times are harder than ever been before
You know that people, they are are driftin' from door to door
But you can't find no heaven, I don't care where they go
People, if I ever can get up off of this old hard killin' floor
Lord, I'll never get down this low no more
When you hear me singin' this old lonesome song
People, you know these hard times can last us so long
You know, you say you had money, you better be sure
Lord, these hard times gon' kill you, just drag on slow
The lyrics to Skip James's song Hardtime Killing Floor Blues speak to the struggles that people have faced during difficult times. The first few lines, "Hard times is here and everywhere you go, times are harder than ever been before," set the tone for the song's theme. James laments that people are struggling to find shelter and support, as he sings, "You know that people, they are driftin' from door to door, but you can't find no heaven, I don't care where they go." It is clear that these are times of desperation, with people moving from place to place in search of sustenance and security.
However, the most powerful and resonant line in the song is, "People, if I ever can get up off of this old hard killin' floor, Lord, I'll never get down this low no more." This line speaks to the sense of hopelessness and despair that people feel when they are in the midst of a difficult period in their lives. The "hard killin' floor" is a metaphor for the pain and struggle that people endure, and the desire to escape it. This line is a cry for redemption, a plea to be lifted out of the difficult circumstances and never have to experience that depth of despair again.
The song's central message is that hard times will come, but they will also eventually pass. It is important to have hope and to believe that there is a better future ahead. In the chorus, James sings, "When you hear me singin' this old lonesome song, people, you know these hard times can last us so long." The repetition of the phrase "hard times" emphasizes the difficulty that people are facing; but James suggests that by acknowledging it and expressing it through music, we can find a way to survive.
Line by Line Meaning
Hard times is here and everywhere you go
Difficult times are prevalent and present in every corner of society.
Times are harder than ever been before
Current circumstances are the worst they have ever been.
You know that people, they are are driftin' from door to door
People are aimlessly wandering from one place to another with no clear purpose.
But you can't find no heaven, I don't care where they go
Regardless of where people search, they will not find peace or salvation.
People, if I ever can get up off of this old hard killin' floor
If the artist can rise from their current dire situation, they vow never to fall to such depths again.
Lord, I'll never get down this low no more
The singer is determined to never again reach such a low point in their life.
When you hear me singin' this old lonesome song
The melancholic nature of the song is representative of the trying time in which it was composed.
People, you know these hard times can last us so long
The difficult era people are living in may continue for a prolonged period of time.
You know, you say you had money, you better be sure
A person should be cautious of boasting about wealth during such challenging times.
Lord, these hard times gon' kill you, just drag on slow
The strain of the era is so devastating that it will gradually wear people down and cause their demise.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: SKIP JAMES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Emir Korkmaz
Skip James' voice is just so spooky and soothing at the same time. What a man.
Rob Pattison
superb falsetto . do you know of a Jay Buchanan ?
Sammy L
True , maybe we should also call him the unfrightened prince
Barbara Dane
ONe of the masterpieces of early blues. The older he grows, the deeper his blues go. Heartbreaking voice, profound poetry and at the same time playing such unforgettable guitar. Skip James died not long after he made this recording, and we are all so lucky to be able to hear him.
NJSmithMusic
Barbara Dane Do you know when this recording was done? trying to find it
Kief
Barbara Dane wow
Rick
Well said Barbara.
J.T. Bomar
@NJSmithMusicI'd say 1929 to 1932 for sure.
Nicolas Moulin
this version was recorded in the sixties, when he was re-discovered @J.T. Bomar
Gary Hatch
This is one of the most hauntingly beautiful blues songs I can remember. Allusions to the dust bowl era and the depression. Strikes a chord in the modern times.