High Sheriff Blues
Delta Blues Revelations: Charley Patton's High Sheriff Tale
Lyrics
Get in trouble at Belzoni, there ain't no use a-screamin'
Facing trouble in Belzoni with no point in screaming and crying.
And cryin'
Reiteration of the futility of screaming and crying in trouble at Belzoni.
Get in trouble in Belzoni, there ain't no use a-screamin'
Repeated expression of the helplessness in trouble at Belzoni.
And cryin'
Continuation of the theme of facing trouble in Belzoni without remedy.
Mr. Will will take you, back to Belzoni jailhouse flyin'
Mr. Will is mentioned as someone who will transport the speaker to Belzoni jail.
Le' me tell you folksies, how he treated me
Speaker intends to share how he was treated by Mr. Will.
Le' me tell you folksies, how he treated me
Reiteration of the speaker's intention to describe Mr. Will's treatment.
An' he put me in a cellar, just as dark as it could be
Describes being placed in a dark cellar by Mr. Will.
There I laid one evenin', Mr. Purvis was standin' 'round
Narration of an evening where Mr. Purvis was present.
There I laid one evenin', Mr. Purvis was standin' 'round
Reiteration of the evening with Mr. Purvis and the speaker.
Mr. Purvis told Mr. Will to, let poor Charley down
Mr. Purvis instructs Mr. Will to release the speaker from the cellar.
It takes booze and blues, Lord, to carry me through
Booze and blues are mentioned as necessary to cope with difficulties.
Takes booze and blues, Lord, to carry me through
Reiteration of the importance of booze and blues for the speaker.
But it did seem like years, in a jailhouse where there is
Time in jail is depicted as feeling long without booze.
No boo'
Expresses the absence of booze in the jailhouse.
I got up one mornin', feelin' awe, hmm
Speaker wakes up feeling awe or distress.
I got up one mornin', feelin' mighty bad, hmm
Reiteration of feeling bad in the morning.
An' it might not a-been them Belzoni jail I had
Uncertain reference to the Belzoni jail and the blues the speaker had.
(Blues I had, boys)
Additional commentary about the blues the speaker experienced.
While I was in trouble, ain't no use a-screamin'
Repetition of the futility of screaming when in trouble.
When I was in prison, it ain't no use a-screamin and
Reiteration of the pointlessness of screaming and crying in prison.
Cryin'
Continuation of the theme of futility in expressing distress.
Mr. Purvis the onliest man could, ease that pain of mine
Mr. Purvis is highlighted as the only person capable of easing the speaker's pain.
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