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Levee Camp Blues (feat. Marina Espinet)

by The Duchess Elizabeth von Teig

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about

My first recording of Levee Camp Blues, recorded last January when I had the excellent opportunity to work with Marina "Cherry" Espinet. While the other, stripped down version of this song available on this Bandcamp was primarily based in the version I performed live with Aegis Vaughn, this was my original vision for the song.

Be sure to check out Marina's music as well:
cherrymusicnyc.com
www.facebook.com/cherrymusicnyc/

lyrics

[from Bessie Jackson's 1927 recording]

Down on the levee, Camp Number Nine
Down the levee, Camp Number Nine
You can pass my house, honey you can hear me cry

I never had no blues, until I come by here
I never had no blues, until I come by here
I'm going to leave this camp, you can’t shake the blues in here

[adapted from Lonnie Johnson's 1927 recording]

They accused me of murder, but I never hurt a man
They accused me of murder, but I never hurt a man
Couldn't afford a lawyer, couldn't afford to take a stand

They accuse me of forgery, I can't even write my name
They accuse me of forgery, but I can't even write my name
And everyone here, they all been treated the same

[adapted from Son House's 1941 recording]

I’m going away, I’m going to stay a great long time
I’m going, I’m going to stay a great long time
Ain't nothing no one could say, could say to change my mind

Oh, don’t a man feel bad when the good old sun goes down
Whoo, I said when the good old sun goes down
I said he don’t have a soul, boy, his soul is in the ground

credits

released February 13, 2019
Elizabeth von Teig on guitar, drums synthesized, Marina "Cherry" Espinet on vocals. Album art based on photo by T L on Unsplash, modified by Evan Lamb.

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The Duchess Elizabeth von Teig Boston, Massachusetts

I write songs about smoking too much, wishing you were somewhere else, and/or wishing you'd done more drugs.

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