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Tangle Eye Blues

Tangle Eye
Language: English




Tangle Eye Blues - Tangle Eye
Prison Songs, Vol. 1: Murderous Home, " Historical Recordings From Parchman Farm 1947-'48." - The Alan Lomax Collection.

Lomax wrote:” Sung by the cross-eyed prisoner whose mates had named him Tangle-Eye. Every good singer in the Pen has his own field holler with which he amuses himself in reflective moments. Often those tunes are kin to the blues, often they are composed of free yodeling tunes which seem to have African roots. The wild free melodies permit the singers literally to think and free associate out loud. The holler is, for me, the most expressive style in all our folklore. Tangle-Eye here tells his own story.”
Genius

“Tangle Eye Blues” is Tangle Eye’s personal story of incarceration, religion, and repentance. Based on his singing style, we can infer that this may have once been a gospel song that was popular amongst African American churches in the southern United States. It also goes on to say that no one will be there for him once he is freed. He blames the devil for his wrongdoing, saying that he led him to do bad .Here, Tangle Eye sings in the “Field Holler” or “Chain Gang Blues” style, singing to himself as he works in the field. Angola Prison in Louisiana, where this was recorded, was known for producing and growing various crops that the inmates were forced to harvest at the threat of abuse from the white guards. Anyone who ran was immediately shot and killed. Thus, “Tangle Eye Blues” is not only the story of Tangle Eye’s crime, punishment, and repentance, but is also an expression of the oppressive conditions he endured daily. - Genius Annotation
Mmm, hmm, mm!
Oh, oh, Lord
Well, I wonder will I ever get back home, hey
Mmm, hm! Oh Lord
Well, it must have been the devil that fooled me here
Hey, hey, hey, for I'm all down and out

Hey, hey, oh Lord
Lord, if I ever get back home, I'll never do wrong
Well, if I can just can make it home
I won't do no wrong no more, oo-hoo!
Lord, I won't do no wrong no more

Mmm!
Lord, I left Mae Willie and the baby in the courthouse cryin'
"Daddy, please don't go"
Lord, I'll be back home, mm
Well, Lord, I'll be home one day 'fore long, oh
Just wait for me

Mmm, mmm!
Lord, I been here rollin' for the state so long
Lord, I'm all down and out
My friends won't come to see me
Lord, what's done happened to me?

Mmm, mm!
Lord if I'd a-listened to what my dear old mother said
Hey!
Boys, she's dead and gone
Lord, Lord, she's dead and gone
Wooh, wooh, what I'm gonna do now?

Contributed by Pluck - 2024/4/14 - 12:15




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