Blind Blake/Here's the words to Delia's Gone

[Don Talley]

I've always felt that DELIA"S GONE bears a close relationship
to FRANKIE AND JOHNNIE. They share some similar verses and
some versions of the tunes are not that different.

Anyway here are the words to Delia's gone

From the book FOLKSING edited by Herbert Haufrecht.

DELIA"S GONE
Words and Music by
Blake Alphonso Higgs (Blind Blake)

Now Delia cursed Tony
Twas on one Saturday night.
And she cursed him such a wicked curse,
That he swear to take her life.
Delia's Gone one more round, Delias gone.

First time Tony shot Delia
He show her right in her side.
The second time he shot her,
She gave up the ghost and died.
Delia's Gone one more round, Delias gone.

The reason why Tony shot Delia
Because she cursed him a wicked curse
And if Tony hadn't shot lil Delia,
She might have cursed him worse.
Delia's Gone one more round, Delias gone.

Now Delia's friend is in prison
Drinking out the silver cup
Whilest Delia she lying in the grave
Fighting her level best to get up
Delia's Gone one more round, Delias gone.

On Monday Tony was arrested
On Tuesday his case was tried
The juryman brought him down guilty
He began to rollin his goo-goo eyes
Delia's Gone one more round, Delias gone.

A rubber tire buggy
A double seated hack
Took little Delia to the graveyard
And they never brought her back
Delia's Gone one more round, Delias gone.

I went down to the graveyard
Just to look in my dDelia's face
I said "Delia girl, you know I love you"
But I just couldn't take your place."
Delia's Gone one more round, Delias gone.

Jailor, Oh Jailor!
Tony said, How can I sleep?
When all around my bed-side,
I can hear little Delia's feet?
Delia's Gone one more round, Delias gone.

The man that shot my Delia
He was riding on a wheel,
He rode that wheel so mighty fast
They think it was an automobile
Delia's Gone one more round, Delias gone.

Some give Delia a nickel
Some give Delia a dime,
I didn't give her one red cent
Because she wasn't a gal of mine
Delia's Gone one more round, Delias gone.

Sixty four years in prison
Tony told the judge that aint no time
He said my younger brother's in the penitentiary
Servin nine hundred ninety and nine.
Delia's Gone one more round, Delias gone.

Don Talley
Black Mountain, NC

[Pootinella]

The Blind Blake credied on this version was the Bahamian singer not to be
confued with Blind Blake-Arthur Phelps the ragtime guitarist.
This version more narrative, telling a story versus the confessional tone of
the McTell version.
The refrain to Delia of "one more rounder gone" was misheard by a friend as
"one more round of golf"

Joe Brennen

[John Garst]

In article <199806271243...@ladder01.news.aol.com>,
pooti...@aol.com (Pootinella) wrote:

Are recordings of the Bahamian Blind Blake available?

John Garst ga...@sunchem.chem.uga.edu

[Kerry, Sheila, Louise or Mirabelle Blech]

John Garst wrote:
>
> Are recordings of the Bahamian Blind Blake available?
>

Not readily. I have one EP here at home and borrowed a 10"
LP to copy onto tape from a friend, about 25 years ago
and it was out-of-print then.

regards
Kerry

--
***** ****** ***** ***** ***** ***** ******
Kerry, Sheila, Mirabelle Rose & Louise Marie Blech
blec...@wolfenet.com + http://www.wolfenet.com/~blechfam
"The Old Tunes Are the Best Tunes." -- Luther Davis

[Paul Tyler]

I have one LP with no jacket, found in the used bin at the Jazz Record
Mart here in Chitown. I haven't gotten around to listening to it.
After my trip I'll put in on. Email me sometime next month if you're
interested in a dub.

Paul Tyler

[Don Talley]

John Garst wrote:
>
> In article <199806271243...@ladder01.news.aol.com>,
> pooti...@aol.com (Pootinella) wrote:
>
> > The Blind Blake credied on this version was the Bahamian singer not to be
> > confued with Blind Blake-Arthur Phelps the ragtime guitarist.
> > This version more narrative, telling a story versus the confessional tone of
> > the McTell version.
> > The refrain to Delia of "one more rounder gone" was misheard by a friend as
> > "one more round of golf"
>

> Are recordings of the Bahamian Blind Blake available?
>

> John Garst ga...@sunchem.chem.uga.edu

I've got an LP entitled A Group of Bahamian Songs by Blind Blake and the
Royal Victoria Hotel Calypsos on ART records which states on the cover
that it was recorded in the Bahamas copyrighta 1951-52.

The titles are j.p.morgan....jones (oh jones)...yes,yes,yes...pretty
boy....run come see...love, love alone....lord got
tomatoes...pigeon...watermelon spoilin on the vine... never interfere
with a man and wife.