Mother's Children Have a Hard Time
"Mother's Children Have a Hard Time" | |
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Single by Blind Willie Johnson | |
Recorded | Dallas, Texas, December 3, 1927 |
Genre | Gospel blues |
Label | Columbia |
Songwriter(s) | Blind Willie Johnson[1] |
"Mother's Children Have a Hard Time", also known as "Motherless Children", is a gospel blues song recorded by Blind Willie Johnson in 1927. It is a solo performance, with Johnson singing and playing an acoustic slide guitar.
Background
Johnson recorded the song during his first session for the Columbia label in Dallas, Texas, on December 3, 1927.[2] The lyrics are autobiographical, since Johnson's mother died when he was young. His father remarried soon after her death, and later, the stepmother allegedly threw a caustic solution, which blinded the boy:[2] "Motherless children have a hard time, mother's dead, Well don't have anywhere to go, Wandering 'round from door to door".[3]
Blues researcher Samuel Charters describes Johnson's slide guitar playing as having "a nuance and delicacy that extended and clarified the emotion of his singing", which is supported by his rhythmic fingerpicked bass line.[4] Columbia issued the song on a 78 rpm record with the title "Mother's Children Have a Hard Time". Charters notes that this was based on a misinterpretation of Johnson's lyrics and the correct title is "Motherless Children Have a Hard Time".[5]
Covering artists
Following Johnson's original recording in 1927, the song has been covered by many artists, including Eric Clapton on his 1974 album 461 Ocean Boulevard under the title "Motherless Children".[6][7]
References
- ^ BMI currently lists "Mother's Children Have a Hard Time" as BMI Work #6763772 and "Johnson Willie" as the songwriter/composer. "Mother's Children Have a Hard Time". BMI. Retrieved March 31, 2019.
- ^ a b Layne, Joslyn. "Blind Willie Johnson – Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved August 27, 2011.
- ^ Charters 1993, pp. 17–18.
- ^ Charters 1993, p. 18.
- ^ Charters 1993, p. 17.
- ^ 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You die. Workman Publishing Company. August 28, 2008. ISBN 978-0-7611-5385-6.
- ^ "Eric Clapton - 461 Ocean Boulevard Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic.
Bibliography
- Charters, Samuel (1993). The Complete Blind Willie Johnson (CD booklet). Blind Willie Johnson. New York City: Columbia Records/Legacy Recordings. C2K 52835.
- Evans, David (2008). Ramblin' on My Mind: New Perspectives on the Blues. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 0-252-07448-3
- Sackheim, Eric (2003). The Blues Line: Blues Lyrics from Leadbelly to Muddy Waters. Da Capo Press. ISBN 1-56025-567-6
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(chronological)
- "Jesus Make Up My Dying Bed" / "I Know His Blood Can Make Me Whole"
- "Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground" / "It's Nobody's Fault but Mine"
- "Mother's Children Have a Hard Time" / "If I Had My Way I'd Tear the Building Down"
- "I'm Gonna Run to the City of Refuge"
- "Keep Your Lamp Trimmed and Burning" / "Lord I Just Can't Keep From Crying"
- "God Don't Never Change" / "Let Your Light Shine on Me"
- "Bye and Bye I'm Goin' to See the King" / "You'll Need Somebody on Your Bond"
- "God Moves on the Water" / "Take Your Burden to the Lord and Leave It There"
- "John the Revelator" / "You're Gonna Need Somebody on Your Bond"
- "The Rain Don't Fall on Me" / "Trouble Will Soon Be Over"
- "Praise God I'm Satisfied" / "When the War Was On"
- "Can't Nobody Hide from God" / "If It Had Not Been For Jesus"
- "The Soul of a Man" / "Church, I'm Fully Saved To-Day"
- "Go with Me to That Land" / "Everybody Ought to Treat a Stranger Right"
- "Take Your Stand" / "Sweeter as the Years Roll By"
- The Complete Blind Willie Johnson (1993)
- The Soul of a Man (2003)
- American Epic: The Best of Blind Willie Johnson (2017)
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