Blind Willie Harper

(album: Down And Dirty - 1980)

On a stone cold night in Memphis Willie Harper came to town
With a blue tick hound at his heels and a dime in his shoe
Uh he could make that guitar sing
You should have heard that pavement ring
When Blind Willie Harper played the blues.

And a-he'd sing hey Jenny, why'd you go and leave me
All alone in the dark this way
Hey Jenny, why'd you go and leave with me
With these blind man dues to pay and these blues to play.

In the scarlet light of Beal Street Willie Harper found a home
A any song you name he don't refuse
Sweet or dirty white or black just drop a nickel in the hat
And hear Blind Willie Harper play the blues.

And a-he'd sing hey Jenny why'd you go and leave me
All alone in the dark this way
Hey Jenny, why'd you go and leave with me
With these blind man dues to pay and these blues to play.

Willie stops in the middle of the song as a love dealing lady walks by
He says a you smell sweet like someone I once knew
Then he touches her face and some words are said
And a knife blade shines and her blood runs red
Blind Willie walks off singing the blues.

On a stone cold night in Memphis they took Blind Willie down
They shaved his head took away his shoes
Now from a window of a Beal Street jail cell
Sad as a whipperwill clear as a bell
We heard Blind Willie Harper singing the blues.

And a-he'd sing hey Jenny why'd you go and leave me
All alone in the dark this way
Hey Jenny, why'd you go and leave with me
With these blind man dues to pay and these blues to play...