His father, a farmer, taught him to play basic blues harp as a youth. He sustained injuries to his eyes at a young age which eventually prevented him from doing farm work himself. In order to earn a living Sonny was now forced to play music. He began playing in Shelby, North Carolina. After his father died he began playing with Piedmont-style guitarist Blind Boy Fuller. When Fuller died, he established a long-standing musical relationship with Brownie McGhee, and the pair recorded numerous tracks together. The duo became well-known, even among white audiences, as they joined the growing folk movement of the 1950s and '60s. This included collaborations with Woody Guthrie and Moses Asch, producing Folkways Records (now Smithsonian/Folkways) classic recordings.
In 1938 Sonny Terry was invited to play at Carnegie Hall for the first From Spirituals To Swing concert and later that year he recorded for the Library of Congress. In 1940 Sonny Terry recorded his first commercial sides.
Despite their fame as "pure" folk artists, in the 1940s, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee fronted a jump band combo with honking saxophone that was variously called Brownie McGhee and his Jook House Rockers or Sonny Terry and his Buckshot Five.
Terry was also in the 1947 original cast of the Broadway musical comedy Finian's Rainbow.
Jailhouse Blues
Sonny Terry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Be more careful in the future, than I have been in the past
Know the life of a racketeer1, know the life of a crook
Know the life of a no-good woman, like a line from a book
Now, jailhouse got me, put down here without a friend
Well, now, I'm free at last, won't ever let them take me again
Broad came right out 'a Mississippi cotton field
She wouldn't steal, on the verge of a doubt
But she get you busted, wouldn't get you out
Now, jailhouse got me, put down here without a friend
Well, now, I'm free at last, won't ever let them take me again
Come down to your jail, think you all rich
Not to go to your bail, see how much time you gone get
When the judge sentence you, mighty near a smile
Know you'll be gone, for a long, long while
Now, jailhouse got me, put down here without a friend
Well, now, I'm free at last, won't ever let them take me again
After you up the river, 'bout a month or more
You receive a letter from that gal you used to know
'Bout three feet wide, nine page long
Whole lotta talk 'bout what's goin' on
Now, jailhouse got me, put down here without a friend
Well, now, I'm free at last, won't ever let them take me again
The letter said, "Daddy, things out here have gotten mighty tight
Had to rob two guys, before I could eat last night
Meant to send you some money, but to my suprise
I'd already sealed your letter, and the gum 'a had dried"
Now, jailhouse got me, put down here without a friend
Well, now, I'm free at last, won't ever let them take me again
The lyrics of Sonny Terry's Jailhouse Blues describe the singer's experience of being released from prison and warning listeners to avoid living a life of crime. He advises them to be more careful in the future than he had been in the past. He talks about his experience with a no-good woman from Mississippi who would not steal, but would get you in trouble with the law. The song also talks about the experience of being in jail without any friends, and how the moment of being released from prison is liberating.
The lyrics reveal the struggles of people who end up in prison and the challenges they face after being released. The song has a melancholic tone, reflecting the sadness and regret felt by those who have made wrong choices in their lives. The song serves as a cautionary tale, warning listeners not to follow in the singer's footsteps and end up in prison.
Line by Line Meaning
Now, the prison gate have opened, for me at last
Finally, I am being released from prison
Be more careful in the future, than I have been in the past
I need to learn from my mistakes and avoid getting into trouble again
Know the life of a racketeer, know the life of a crook
I am familiar with the lifestyles of criminals and their illegal activities
Know the life of a no-good woman, like a line from a book
I have encountered and experienced the deceitful ways of untrustworthy women
Now, jailhouse got me, put down here without a friend
I am now in prison and have no one to turn to for help
Well, now, I'm free at last, won't ever let them take me again
I have finally been released from prison, and I am determined to avoid getting into trouble again
Had a girl one time, wouldn't work or steal
I had a girlfriend who was unwilling to do any honest work or participate in any criminal activities
Broad came right out 'a Mississippi cotton field
She came from a rural and impoverished background in Mississippi
She wouldn't steal, on the verge of a doubt
She was hesitant to participate in criminal activities
But she get you busted, wouldn't get you out
She would put you in harm's way and not aid in your escape from trouble
Come down to your jail, think you all rich
People who visit you in jail may assume you have wealth, but in reality, you are suffering
Not to go to your bail, see how much time you gone get
If you do not post bail and instead let the legal process proceed, you will find out how long your sentence will be
When the judge sentence you, mighty near a smile
The judge may appear happy or satisfied when delivering your sentence
Know you'll be gone, for a long, long while
You are likely to be incarcerated for a significant amount of time
After you up the river, 'bout a month or more
Once you have been in prison for about a month or longer
You receive a letter from that gal you used to know
You get a letter from an old girlfriend
'Bout three feet wide, nine page long
The letter is very lengthy
Whole lotta talk 'bout what's goin' on
The letter contains a lot of information about current events
The letter said, "Daddy, things out here have gotten mighty tight
The letter begins with the daughter informing the father that things are tough
Had to rob two guys, before I could eat last night
She had to resort to theft to obtain food
Meant to send you some money, but to my surprise
She intended to send money to her father, but an unexpected circumstance prevented that from happening
I'd already sealed your letter, and the gum 'a had dried"
When she went to send the money, she realized she had already sealed the letter, making it impossible to add the money
Contributed by Carson B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Cora Visser
Real brilliant i love it so much goes through all my bones and soul.