*Songs To While Away The Class Struggle By-"Georgia Blues"- Ethel Waters

In this series, presented under the headline Songs To While Away The Class Struggle By, I will post some songs that I think will help us get through the “dog days” of the struggle for our communist future. I do not vouch for the political thrust of the songs; for the most part they are done by pacifists, social democrats, hell, even just plain old ordinary democrats. And, occasionally, a communist. Sadly though, hard communist musicians have historically been scarce on the ground and have rather more often than not been fellow-travelers. Thus, here we have a regular "popular front" on the music scene. While this would not be acceptable for our political prospects, it will suffice for our purposes here. Markin.

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Georgia Blues

(Higgins-Overstreet)
Transcribed from vocals by Ethel Waters, recorded 5/1922.
From Ethel Waters 1921 - 1923, The Chronogical Classics, vol. 796.

I feel bad,
I feel sad,
But it won't be very long
Before I'll be feeling glad,
I just sigh,
I could die;
I have got Georgia blues,
And I'm just too mean to cry;
I don't live in Boston;
I wasn't born in Maine;
If I don't go to Georgia,
I will surely go insane.

I've got the Georgia blues,
'Cause I've got bad news;
I'm gonna catch a train,
And I ain't gonna stop until I'm home,
Home again;
I'm not satisfied,
Just must take a ride;
Gee, but I'll be happy
With my baby by my side;
Hear that whistle blow,
Now it's time to go,
'Cause the train is waiting,
Got no time to lose,
A certain party that I know
Offered me a ticket to Chicago.
But he can have it, I don't want it,
'Cause I got the Georgia blues.

I've got those Georgia blues,
'Cause I got bad news
I'm gonna catch a train,
And I ain't gonna stop until I'm home, home,
Home again;
I'm not satisfied,
Just must take a ride;
Gee, but I'll be happy
With my sweet daddy by my side;
Hear that whistle blow,
Now it's time to go,
My train is waiting
Got no time to lose,
A party wanted to marry me, way last spring,
Even bought me a brand new diamond ring,
But he can have it, I don't want it,
'Cause I got the Georgia blues.