Tom Dickson's "Labor Blues"
The first verse the song is similar to Tom Dickson's 1928 recording "Labor Blues" in which the exchange is clearly between a white boss and an African-American worker who is quitting the job, not applying for it:
- It’s "good mornin’ Captain", ‘e said "good mornin’ Shine",
- Said "good mornin’ Captain", said "good mornin’ Shine".
- "T’ain’t nuthin’ the matter, Captain, but I just ain’t gwine.
- "I don’t mind workin’, Captain, from sun to sun,
- I don’t mind workin’, Captain, from sun to sun.
- But I want my money, Captain, when pay-day come."
Captain was a traditional term for the white boss; Shine is a derogatory expression for "African-American". Dickson was black. After the narrator rebels and quits because he is not being paid, he turns his attention to his "Mississippi gal" and the remaining lyrics concern their romance. In this 12-bar blues recording, muleskinning is not mentioned, and the remaining Dickson lyrics differ from Rodgers', whose other Blue Yodels also used verses previously recorded by Blues musicians, such as Blind Lemon Jefferson.
Read more about this topic: Mule Skinner Blues
Famous quotes containing the words tom, labor and/or blues:
“Come dame or maid, be not afraid,
Poor Tom will injure nothing.”
—Unknown. Tom o’ Bedlam’s Song (l. 11–12)
“It is not her body that he wants but it is only through her body that he can take possession of another human being, so he must labor upon her body, he must enter her body, to make his claim.”
—Joyce Carol Oates (b. 1938)
“Holly Golightly: You know those days when you’ve got the mean reds?
Paul: The mean reds? You mean like the blues?
Holly Golightly: No, the blues are because you’re getting fat or maybe it’s been raining too long. You’re just sad, that’s all. The mean reds are horrible. Suddenly you’re afraid and you don’t know what you’re afraid of.”
—George Axelrod (b. 1922)