BLIND WILLIE HARPER
(Shel Silverstein / Jim Casey)


Bobby Bare - 1979





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
He could make that guitar sing
You should'a heard that pavement ring
When Blind Willie Harper played the blues

And 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 me
With these blind man dues to pay"
Blues to play

In the scarlet light of Beale Street, Willie Harper found a home
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 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 me
With these blind man dues to pay"
Blues to play

Willie stops in the middle of the song as a love dealin' 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 singin' the blues

On a stone cold night in Memphis, they took Blind Willie down
They shaved his head took away his shoes
Then from a window of a Beale Street jail cell
Sad as a whippoorwill, clear as a bell
We heard Blind Willie Harper singin' the blues

And he 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 me
With these blind man dues to pay"
Blues to play

(Instrumental Break)

The night Blind Willie Harper played them blues






(Transcribed by Mel Priddle - May 2012)