10 Essential Delta Blues Songs – Bye Bye Blues

Happy Monday, folks!  Hope you aren’t in the throes of the Monday morning blues, but if you are, we have something that might cure you.  Yes, we’re back to our 10 Essential Delta Blues Songs.

Now in case you missed the first installment, I do want to stress that this list is NOT presented as THE 10 essential songs—I don’t believe in those kinds of lists.  But these songs will all illustrate something important about blues played in the Mississippi Delta region, especially pre-World War II.

One thing that’s true about Delta blues—there were a handful of prototype songs that were re-worked by various artists, & I do want this list to illustrate that fact.  One of the most common prototype songs was “Pony Blues,” the most famous example of which is Charlie Patton’s “Stone Pony Blues” (tho Son House claimed the title really should be “Storm Pony Blues”).  I didn’t include “Stone Pony Blues” because one of my ground rules for the list is no more than one song per artist, & I have Mr Patton covered. 

But there were other songs based on the riffs & general structure of “Pony Blues,” & two in particular are real standards: Willie Brown’s “M&O Blues” & Tommy Johnson’s “Bye Bye Blues.”  I’m going with Tommy Johnson because, again, Willie Brown will make an appearance as the artist for yet another prototype song—& Tommy Johnson is a must for any list of this type!

At first listen, it may be difficult to catch the similarity between Patton’s “Stone Pony Blues” & Johnson’s “Bye Bye Blues” (& by the way, this is not the same song as the “Bye Bye Blues” of Les Paul & Mary Ford!)  But there is a characteristic riff involving the flatted third (or blue note) of the E scale played on the guitar’s 7th & 8th frets.  This also occurs in “M&O Blues” (discounting the fact that Brown played with a capo, making the actual key different, but Brown, like Patton & Johnson, was playing E “shaped” chords.)  The overall chord structures in Brown’s & Johnson’s songs are a bit more complex than Patton, but then both of them relied more on melody & harmony, while Patton was all about rhythm.  For those who want more blues this morning, you can listen to “Stone Pony Blues” here & “M&O Blues” at this link.

Tommy Johnson is a key figure in the pre-War Delta blues, & unlike his now more famous namesake, Robert Johnson, he was a popular performer in his day.  Johnson wrote a number of true country blues standards—in addition to “Bye Bye Blues,” he wrote & recorded “Big Road Blues,” “Maggie Campbell Blues,” “Cool Drink of Water,” & “Canned Heat Blues,” just to name the most well-known.  His guitar playing showed off intricate fingerpicking chops, & he possessed a truly amazing vocal range that could rise all the way from a husky baritone to an eerie falsetto. 

Hope you enjoy it!  Next Monday: Any Woman’s Blues takes a look back at a country blues guitarist you should know!



Cryin' bye an' bye, baby bye an' bye
It's bye an' bye, baby won't you bye an' bye
Cryin' bye an' bye, baby won't you bye an' bye

Says the good book tell you, reap just what you sow
The good book tell you, baby, reap just what you sow
Gonna reap it now or, baby, reap it bye an' bye

Well I'm going away, Lord, won't be back till fall
I'm going away, Lord, won't be back till fall
If I meet my good gal, then baby, won't be back at all

Says the good book tell you, reap just what you sow
The good book tell you, baby, reap just what you sow
Gonna reap it now or, baby, reap it bye an' bye

Well it's two trains running, running side by side
It's two trains running, and baby, running side by side
You've got my woman, babe I know you're satisfied


Pic at the top of the post is a photograph of Tommy Johnson - I believe it's the only one in existence.