The Regular Friday Post
Rando Lyric: The whole world is a bottle
Last week’s rando lyrics: The lyric, “Sitting down looking from my back door” is from the song "San Francisco Bay Blues”, written and originally performed by Jesse Fuller (March 12, 1896 – January 29, 1976). First recorded in 1954 and released in 1955 (Ed. It was a very good year…) on the World Song label. An album with the song listed as Track 1 in 1963 was produced by Lester Koenig on the Good Time Jazz label (Ed. I couldn’t find information on the original song label).
Credit Wikipedia Link: San Francisco Bay Blues
The song has been covered by many artists over the years and is considered a folk classic.
Today’s version of the song, and “A Song To Play”, is from a live performance by Eric Clapton and is Track 11 on the 1992 album “Unplugged”, produced by Russ Titelman
See Also from 1968 :
Jesse Fuller was an extraordinary individual. Make sure to check this Wikipedia page - when he needed an instrument to play his own accompaniment, he just invented it. Very cool…
Jesse Fuller - check out the “fotdella”…
Ed. You are forgiven (this time) if you mistakenly thought today’s Rando Lyric song was “Lookin' Out My Back Door”, the 1970 CCR hit single. Pay attention….
Welcome to The Regular Friday post!
I love the old folk blues songs and the players who created and played them - exemplified by Mr. John Hurt and many others like Mr. Hurt and Mr. Fuller from the 1930s onward (and even before). Today’s A Song To Play is a great example: “Music theory rules? We don’t need no stinkin’ music theory rules!!”
If you’re enjoying our content, please let your friends and musician acquaintances know about us!!! Thanks for supporting this free newsletter!
Some Stuff:
A Song To Play:
4/4 common time, a very quick 167 BPM, in the Key of CMajor, more or less…
Actually, it’s kinda in a kitchen sink key (as many of the old folk songs were), meaning it uses them all and then some, unburdened by scale or key formulas. No minor chords at all, they’re all Major chords, many are 7 chords, and check the notated A# (it’s the same chord shape as Bb - same chord, two different names…). So a bit of barre chord practice and some 7 chords to make sure you….
…have fun!!
Chordify Link: San Francisco Bay Blues (Acoustic Live)
Lyrics Genius Link: San Francisco Bay Blues
[Verse]
I got the blues from my baby, left me by the San Francisco Bay
The ocean liner's gone so far away
Didn't mean to treat her so bad, she was the best girl I ever have had
She said goodbye, I can take a cry, I want to lay down and die
I haven't got a nickel and I haven't got a lousy dime
She doesn't come back, think I'm going to lose my mind
If she ever gets back to stay, it's going to be another brand new day
Walking with my baby down by the San Francisco Bay
Sitting down looking from my back door
Wondering which way to go
The woman I'm so crazy about, she doesn't love me no more
Think I'll catch me a freight train, because I'm feeling blue
And ride all the way to the end of the line, thinking only of you
Meanwhile, in another city
Just about to go insane
Thought I heard my baby, Lord, the way she used to call my name
If I ever get her back to stay, it's going to be another brand new day
[Outro][x2]
Walking with my baby down by the San Francisco Bay
The “ME!” Section…..
What I’m Listening2: - “Folks With My Folk”- 25 songs, some more playable than others… (Note - you may have to go to Ultimate Guitar or Chordify - subscriptions required, but worth it - to find chord charts for them)!
Shameless Self Promotion Section:
My song is out! Link: “>Long Road Back<”click on this link for streaming options, then scroll down for links (or just click on these links) to Amazon, Apple, Pandora, iTunes and even Spotify
If you’re enjoying our content, please let your friends and musician acquaintances know about us!!! Thanks for supporting this free newsletter!
Disclaimer Section
This Substack is free, I receive no compensation of any kind from companies or products I mention (except when you click on one of the links above for my song - then I might make 0.003 cents - yes 3/1000ths of a cent… just sayin…). Some linked or quoted material may be copyrighted by others, and I credit them. I rely on the “Fair Use” doctrine for educational purposes (Link: Fair Use). *I do not use AI for any of the text that’s found here, things I embed or link to (such as some images) might…
-Michael Acoustic
Thanks for reading! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support this newsletter.
Thank You To Our New Subscribers and Followers!!
This Week’s Conversation With Mika, The Cat:
Me: “Ummm, what are you doing….?”
Mika: “Well, I’m not entirely sure. I know it’s a cat thing… sometimes we just do stuff like this…I guess…”
Cheers and keep playing!!
Michael Acoustic
“It’s never really final - you just run out of things you can bear to change…”