House was born, the middle of three brothers, in Riverton, Mississippi, two miles from famed blues capital Clarksdale, Mississippi. Around age seven or eight, he was brought by his mother to Tallulah, Louisiana after his parents separated. The young Son House was determined to become a Baptist preacher, and at age fifteen began his preaching career. Despite the church's firm stand against blues music and the sinful world which revolved around it, House nevertheless became attracted to it and taught himself guitar in his midtwenties, inspired by the work of Willie Wilson. He began playing alongside Charley Patton, Willie Brown, Robert Johnson, Fiddlin' Joe Martin, Leroy Williams, and Howlin' Wolf, around Robinsonville, Mississippi and north to Memphis, Tennessee until 1942.
After killing a man, allegedly in self-defense, he spent time on Parchman Farm in 1928 and 1929.
Son House recorded for Paramount Records in 1930 and for Alan Lomax from the Library of Congress in 1941 and 1942. He then faded from public view until the country blues revival in the 1960s when, after a long search of the Mississippi Delta region by Nick Perls, Dick Waterman and Phil Spero, he was "re-discovered" in June, 1964 in Rochester, New York where he had lived since 1943; House had been retired from the music business for many years, working for the New York Central Railroad, and was completely unaware of the international revival of enthusiasm for his early recordings. He subsequently toured extensively in the US and Europe and recorded for CBS records. Like Mississippi John Hurt he was welcomed into the music scene of the 1960s and played at Newport Folk Festival in 1964, the New York Folk Festival in July, 1965, and the October, 1967 European tour of the American Folk Festival along with Skip James and Bukka White. In the summer of 1970, House toured Europe once again, including an appearance at the Montreux Festival; a recording of his London concerts was released by Liberty Records.
Ill health plagued his later years and in 1974 he retired once again, and later moved to Detroit, Michigan, where he remained until his death from cancer of the larynx. He was buried at Mt. Hazel Cemetery on Lahser south of Seven Mile. Members of the Detroit Blues Society raised money through benefit concerts to put a fitting monument on his grave. He had been married five times.
Unlike some blues guitarists of the 1920s and 30s, House was not a virtuoso although there is still much that is technically impressive about his playing. He more than made up for his lack of conventional technique with his powerful and innovative style featuring very strong, repetitive rhythms, often played with the aid of a bottleneck, coupled with singing that owed more than a nod to the hollers of the chain gangs. The music of Son House, in contrast to that of, say, Blind Lemon Jefferson, was emphatically a dance music, meant to be heard in the noisy atmosphere of a barrelhouse or other dance hall. House was an important influence on not only Muddy Waters but also Robert Johnson, who would later take his music to new levels. It was House who, speaking to awe-struck young blues fans in the 1960s, spread the legend that Johnson had sold his soul to the Devil in exchange for his musical powers. More recently, House's music has influenced rock groups such as the White Stripes, who covered his song Death Letter on their album De Stijl, and later performed it at the 2004 Grammy Awards.
Describing House's 1967 appearance at the De Montford Hall in Leicester, England, Bob Groom wrote in Blues World magazine,
It is difficult to describe the transformation that took place as this smiling, friendly man hunched over his guitar and launched himself, bodily it seemed, into his music. The blues possessed him like a 'lowdown shaking chill' and the spellbound audience saw the very incarnation of the blues as, head thrown back, he hollered and groaned the disturbing lyrics and flailed the guitar, snapping the strings back against the fingerboard to accentuate the agonized rhythm. Son's music is the centre of the blues experience and when he performs it is a corporate thing, audience and singer become as one.
Delta Blues
Son House Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I said I declare I ain't going to be bad no more
When I leave this time baby I'm
Going to hang crepe on your door
Look it you darling, what do you want me to do
Look it ya darling, what do you want me to do
I've done all I could honey
Now look it here baby, please don't dog me round
Look it here honey, please don't you dog me round
Mm I'm going to leave south end of town
I went in my room and I sat down and cried
Mm went in my room and I sat down and cried
I didn't have no blues, but I just wasn't satisfied
Look it here darling, what do you want me to do
Look it here little girl, what do you want me to do
I've done all I could do darling
Just don't get along with you
Well, I'm going to be bad no more
Mm I'm not going to be bad no more
When I leave her I'm going to hang crepe on your door
I cried last night all on love before
Ooh, all on love before
I'm going to change my way of livin'
And I won't have to cry no more
The sun going to shine my back door some day
Sun going to shine my back door some day
Oh the wind gonna rise and blow my blues away
The lyrics of Son House's "Delta Blues" tell a story of a man who is tired of his troubled relationship with a woman. He resolves to change his ways, declaring that he will no longer be "bad" and that he will hang crepe on her door when he leaves. He seeks her guidance on what to do, but he realizes that despite his efforts, he simply can't get along with her. The man laments his situation, feeling dissatisfied even without the blues. He cries out of frustration, but he eventually determines to change his way of living so that he won't have to cry anymore. The final lines of the song are more hopeful, as the man imagines a future where the sun will shine and the wind will blow his blues away.
The lyrics of "Delta Blues" are characteristic of the style of music that Son House helped to pioneer. Born in Mississippi in 1902, House was an influential figure in the early days of blues, particularly the Delta blues style. He was known for his powerful voice, intricate guitar playing, and raw, emotional lyrics that often dealt with themes of love, heartbreak, and loss. "Delta Blues" is a perfect example of this, with its vivid imagery and heartfelt emotion.
Line by Line Meaning
Mm, I'm going to be bad no more
I've made a decision that I will no longer behave recklessly or irresponsibly.
I said I declare I ain't going to be bad no more
I'm making it known that I have resolved to amend my ways and better myself.
When I leave this time baby I'm Going to hang crepe on your door
Once I depart, there will be a sign of mourning on your door as an indication of the end of our relationship.
Look it you darling, what do you want me to do
I'm asking you, my love, what you expect from me and how I can satisfy you.
Look it ya darling, what do you want me to do
Sweetheart, what would you like me to do to make things work between us?
I've done all I could honey Just don't get along with you
Despite all the efforts I've put in, it seems like we have irreconcilable differences and cannot coexist.
Now look it here baby, please don't dog me round
Please don't treat me unfairly or harshly, my darling.
Look it here honey, please don't you dog me round
My dear, please don't mistreat me or make things difficult for me.
Mm I'm going to leave south end of town
I'm planning to move away from this part of town soon.
I went in my room and I sat down and cried
I retreated to my room and shed tears because I felt unhappy and unfulfilled.
Mm went in my room and I sat down and cried
I found solace in my room where I could privately express my emotions and cry.
I didn't have no blues, but I just wasn't satisfied
I wasn't feeling sad or down, but I still felt unfulfilled and discontented.
I cried last night all on love before Ooh, all on love before
Last night I wept over lost love, a feeling I've experienced before.
I'm going to change my way of livin' And I won't have to cry no more
I'm committed to making a lifestyle change that will make me happier and prevent me from experiencing heartbreak and sadness.
Sun going to shine my back door some day Oh the wind gonna rise and blow my blues away
I'm optimistic that someday I'll be happy when my luck turns around and my troubles are gone like the wind.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: EDDIE SON HOUSE JR.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Luke Downing
Been looking for this for soooo long. The first song touches me like no other ever.
jyoti Kumar
I love Son House style of singing and playing. He is so great💜👍
Wayne Johnson
Amazingly graceful. How sweet the sounds. Thank you x
Davi Araújo
Excelente álbum. 👏👏👏👏👏👏
William Dines
Great upload and great album of a legend.
It's a pity the record company didn't know that Robert Johnson had been playing juke joints a few years before Son House had moved to Robinsonville, MS, and was already a decent guitarist, but wasn't as skilled or polished until a after he met Ike Zinnemann.
David Parsons
Amazing. touches the soul
Maxim Popov
Blues power 💙
sanestix
amazing raw guitar sounds
Jeffrey Dilson
The great Son House, it looks like these songs were taken from assorted albums? More or less, what years were these recordings made?
Ab Borburgh
Information can be found at:
https://www.discogs.com/release/2698562-Son-House-The-Real-Delta-Blues-14-Songs-From-The-Man-Who-Taught-Robert-Johnson