In 1915, Estes' father, a sharecropper who also played some guitar, moved the family to Brownsville, Tennessee. Not long after, Estes lost the sight of his right eye when a friend threw a rock at him during a baseball game. At the age of 19, while working as a field hand, he began to perform professionally. The venues were mostly local parties and picnics, with the accompaniment of Hammie Nixon, a harmonica player, and James "Yank" Rachell, a guitarist and mandolin player. He would continue to work on and off with both musicians for more than fifty years.
Estes made his debut as a recording artist in Memphis, Tennessee in 1929, at a session organized by Ralph Peer for Victor Records. His partnership with Nixon was first documented on songs such as "Drop Down Mama" and "Someday Baby Blues" in 1935; later sides replaced the harmonica player with the guitarists Son Bonds or Charlie Pickett. He later recorded for the Decca and Bluebird labels, with his last pre-war recording session taking place in 1941. He made a brief return to recording at Sun Studio in Memphis in 1952, recording "Runnin' Around" and "Rats in My Kitchen", but otherwise was largely out of the public eye for two decades.
Estes was a fine singer, with a distinctive "crying" vocal style. He frequently teamed with more capable musicians, like "Yank" Rachell, Hammie Nixon, and the piano player Jab Jones. Estes sounded so much like an old man, even on his early records, that blues revivalists reportedly delayed looking for him because they assumed he would have to be long dead, and because fellow musician Big Bill Broonzy had written that Estes had died. By the time he was tracked down, by Bob Koester and Samuel Charters in 1962, he had become completely blind and was living in poverty. He resumed touring and recording, reunited with Nixon and toured Europe several times and Japan, with a clutch of albums released on the Delmark Records label. His later records are generally considered less interesting than his pre-war output. Nevertheless, Estes, Nixon and Rachell also made a successful appearance at the 1964 Newport Folk Festival.
Bob Dylan mentions Estes in the sleevenotes to Bringing It All Back Home (1965).
Many of Estes' original songs were based on events in his own life or on people he knew from his home town of Brownsville, Tennessee, such as the local lawyer ("Lawyer Clark Blues"), local auto mechanic ("Vassie Williams' Blues"), or an amorously inclined teenage girl ("Little Laura Blues"). "Lawyer Clark Blues" referenced the lawyer, and later judge and senator, Hugh L. Clarke. Clarke and his family lived in Brownsville, and according to the song let Estes 'off the hook' for an offense.
He also dispensed advice on agricultural matters ("Working Man Blues") and chronicled his own attempt to reach a recording studio for a session by hopping a freight train ("Special Agent (Railroad Police Blues)"). His lyrics combined keen observation with an ability to turn an effective phrase.
Some accounts attribute his nickname "Sleepy" to a blood pressure disorder and/or narcolepsy. Others, such as blues historian Bob Koester, claim he simply had a "tendency to withdraw from his surroundings into drowsiness whenever life was too cruel or too boring to warrant full attention".
Estes suffered a stroke while preparing for a European tour, and died on June 5, 1977, at his home of 17 years in Brownsville, Haywood County, Tennessee. Estes is buried at Elam Baptist Church Cemetery in Durhamville, Lauderdale County, Tennessee.
His gravemarker reads:
Sleepy John Estes
".. ain't goin' to worry Poor John's mind anymore"
In Memory
John Adam Estes
Jan. 25, 1899
June 5, 1977
Blues Pioneer
Guitarist – Songwriter – Poet
Sleepy John Estes' epitaph ".. ain't goin' to worry Poor John's mind anymore" was derived from his song, "Someday Baby Blues." "I Ain't Gonna Be Worried No More" was recorded in 1935, and in his song "Drop Down Mama", also recorded in 1935, Sleepy John refers to himself as "Poor John". Estes' grave at Elam Baptist Church Cemetery in Durhamville is located off a country road and at the far end of the cemetery. His grave is adjacent to a small grove of trees, secluded but not hidden.
In 1991, Estes was posthumously inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame.
Street car blues
Sleepy John Estes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sleepy John Estes
(John Adam Estes)
Sleepy John Estes - vocal & guitar
Yank - mandolin, Jab Jones - piano
Recorded: May 13, 1930 Memphis, Victor # 59919-2
Album: Gus Cannon And His Jug Stompers - 2 CD set
'Legendenary 1928 - 1930 Recordings'
Transcriber: Awcantor@aol.com
Now, I know the people
Is 'onna wonder, ev'rywhere
I say, I know the people
Is 'onna wonder, ev'rywhere
Because they heard of poor John
Was saw around 'lectric car
Now, catch the Central car for
Ride it down to Central Street
I say, I catch the Central car for
Ride it down to Central Street
Lord, I'm 'onna ease it down in Rovers
Catch my baby out on a midnight train
Lord, reason why baby, I
I been so long writin' to you
I said the reason why, baby
I been so long writin' to you
Because I been studyin' so hard
Lord, how to all sing these blues
'Sing 'em boy, for Mr. James!'
Lord, I lost my papa and my dear mama, too
I say, I love my papa and my dear mama, too
Lord, I'm gonna quit my bad way of livin'
And visit the Sunday school.
~
In Sleepy John Estes's song, "Street Car Blues," he sings about his love for a woman, and his desire to catch the midnight train to see her. He speaks of how the people in the town are talking about him because he was seen riding on the electric car. The song has a melancholic tone, as he mourns the loss of his parents and wishes to turn his life around.
The lyrics are filled with emotion and sadness, yet they are also hopeful. He talks about studying hard to sing the blues, and he sings them so well that even Mr. James (possibly a member of the recording studio) is impressed. When he mentions his parents, the lyrics are deeply felt, and he expresses regret for his past behavior. However, he has hopes of changing his ways and visiting the Sunday school.
"Street Car Blues" is a prime example of Sleepy John Estes's unique blend of blues, country, and gospel music. His distinctive style of fingerpicking guitar, combined with his soulful voice, helped to establish him as one of the most significant artists in the blues genre.
Line by Line Meaning
Now, I know the people
Is 'onna wonder, ev'rywhere
I am aware that people everywhere will be curious about me
I say, I know the people
Is 'onna wonder, ev'rywhere
I acknowledge that people are talking about me and my situation
Because they heard of poor John
Was saw around 'lectric car
People are spreading rumors about me being seen around the electric car
Now, catch the Central car for
Ride it down to Central Street
I am going to catch the Central car to ride down to Central Street
I say, I catch the Central car for
Ride it down to Central Street
I confirm that I am catching the Central car to go to Central Street
Lord, I'm 'onna ease it down in Rovers
Catch my baby out on a midnight train
I plan to go to Rovers and catch my baby on a midnight train
Lord, reason why baby, I
I been so long writin' to you
The reason why it took me so long to write to you, baby, is because
I said the reason why, baby
I been so long writin' to you
I repeat that the reason for my delay was because I've been busy studying the blues
Because I been studyin' so hard
Lord, how to all sing these blues
I've been working hard to perfect my blues singing
'Sing 'em boy, for Mr. James!'
Someone requests that I sing the blues for Mr. James
Lord, I lost my papa and my dear mama, too
I say, I love my papa and my dear mama, too
I've lost both my parents but I still love and miss them dearly
Lord, I'm gonna quit my bad way of livin'
And visit the Sunday school.
I plan to change my ways and start attending church regularly
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: JOHN ESTES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
doubleotwentyone
A unique sound in the blues, with Jab Jones on piano who also played jug with Gus Cannon. Love the legato mandolin over the stabbing piano chords.