Worried Life Blues

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"Worried Life Blues"
Big Maceo
singles chronology
"Worried Life Blues"
(1941) 		"It's All Up To You"
(1941)

"Worried Life Blues" is a

blues standard and one of the most recorded blues songs of all time. Originally recorded by Big Maceo Merriweather
in 1941, "Worried Life Blues" was an early blues hit and Maceo's most recognized song. An earlier song inspired it and several artists have had record chart successes with their interpretations of the song.

Background

"Worried Life Blues" is based on "Someday Baby Blues" recorded by Sleepy John Estes in 1935.[1] Estes' song is performed as a vocal and guitar country blues, whereas Maceo's is a prototypical Chicago blues. The two original songs have lyrical differences, such as in the first few verses:

"Worried Life Blues" by Big Maceo (1941):[2]
Oh lordy lord, oh lordy lord
It hurts me so bad, for us to part
But someday baby, I ain't gonna worry my life anymore

"Someday Baby Blues" by Sleepy John Estes (1935):[3]
I don't care how long you go, I don't care how long you stay
But that good kind treatment, bring you back home someday
Someday baby, you ain't gonna worry my mind anymore

Over the years the differences have become blurred by various cover versions of the songs, which use elements from both songs, often combined with new lyrics and variations in the music.

Composition and recording

Big Maceo recorded "Worried Life Blues" June 24, 1941, shortly after arriving in Chicago.[4] Lester Melrose produced the song and it became Maceo's first single on Bluebird Records. The song is a moderate-tempo eight-bar blues, with Maceo on vocal and piano, accompanied by frequent collaborator, guitarist and fellow recording artist, Tampa Red[1] and bassist Ransom Knowling.

Music writer Keith Shadwick identifies it a major hit

Honeyboy Edwards (1942). In 1945, Maceo recorded a second version with additional lyrics, also accompanied by Tampa Red. Titled "Things Have Changed", it reached number four on Billboard magazine's Race Records chart.[5]

Recognition and influence

"Worried Life Blues" became an early blues standard

B.B. King as "Someday Baby" in 1960 was retitled "Worried Life" and reached number 48.[12][b]

Notes

  1. ^ Both "Someday Baby" and "Worried Life" were released before Billboard or a similar service began tracking such releases.
  2. B.B. King also recorded it in 1970 as "Ain't Gonna Worry My Life Anymore" for Indianola Mississippi Seeds and in 2000 with Eric Clapton for Riding with the King
    .

References

  1. ^ a b c d O'Neal, Jim (November 10, 2016). "1983 Hall of Fame Inductees: Worried Life Blues – Big Maceo (Bluebird, 1941)". The Blues Foundation. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
  2. ^
    Big Maceo (1941). "Worried Life Blues" (Song recording). Camden, New Jersey: Bluebird Records
    . Event occurs at 0:12. B-8827-B.
  3. ^ Sleepy John Estes (1935). "Someday Baby Blues" (Song recording). Decca Records. Event occurs at 0:29. 7279 A.
  4. ^ a b c Shadwick 2007, p. 237.
  5. ^ Whitburn 1988, p. 42.
  6. ^ Dahl 1996, p. 192.
  7. ^ "Grammy Hall of Fame Awards: Worried Life Blues – Big Maceo Merriweather (Bluebird, 1941 Single)". Grammy Awards. 2006. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
  8. ^ Herzhaft 1992, p. 471.
  9. ^ Whitburn 1988, p. 57.
  10. ^ Whitburn 1988, p. 435.
  11. ^ Whitburn 1988, p. 319.
  12. ^ Whitburn 1988, p. 239.

Bibliography

External links

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