Brown's Ferry Blues

Song composer(s)

Traditional

Grateful Dead Recordings

Not recorded by the Dead

Dead Related Recordings

No Dead related recordings entered

Other Recordings

Allen Brothers (193?)
McGee Brothers (193?)
Delmore Brothers (193?)
New Lost City Ramblers, Vol. 1 : New Lost City Ramblers (1958)
16 All Time Favorite Songs : Delmore Brothers (1958)
Tribute To The Delmore Brothers : The Louvin Brothers (1960)
Poplin Family of Sumpter, South Carolina : The Poplin Family (1963)
Sixteen All-Time Favorites : Delmore Brothers (196?)
Doc Watson On Stage (featuring Merle Watson) : Doc Watson (1971)
Bucktime! : Kenny Baker & Josh Graves (1974)
Hard Luck Papa - Old Time Picking Styles & Techniques : Tom Paley (1976)
Tom Paley, Mike Seeger And John Cohen Sing Songs Of The New Lost City Ramblers : New Lost City Ramblers (1978)
Everhart Takes the Fifth : Bob Everhart (1983)
Deep In The Bottom : John Jackson (1983)
Been Riding with Old Mosby : Frank Bode (1986)
The Louvin Brothers : The Louvin Brothers (1987)
Early Years (1958-1962) : The New Lost City Ramblers (1991)
Threadgill's Super Session : Various Artists (1991)
Third Annual Farewell Reunion : Mike Seeger/Various Artists (1994)
The Vanguard Years : Doc Watson (1995)
Early Original Records of the Delmore Bothers : Delmore Brothers (19??)
Nashville, The Early String Bands, Vol. 2 : Various Artists (Sam McGee) (19??)
Stars Of The Grand Ole Opry : Various Artists (Delmore Brothers) (19??)
Neiman-Marcus First Edition : Various Artists (Delmore Brothers) (19??)
The Smithsonian Collection Of Classic Country Music : Various Artists (Delmore Brothers) (19??)

Performance History

Played by Jerry Garcia, Marshall Leicester and Robert Hunter at the Carlos Bookstall in San Carlos in July 1961.

Not performed by the Grateful Dead. Occurs only on pre-Dead tapes featuring future members of the dead.

Notes

Sometimes credited to Alton & Rabon Delmore. Sometimes the McGee Brothers. Both claimed authorship of the song which possibly suggest a Traditional source but no reference to the song is known prior to 1930s when it was recorded by the Delmores and McGees..

The tune occurs as other songs; for example, Oozlin' Daddy Blues, sung by Bill Cox & Cliff Hobbs and collected on White Country Blues 1926-1938 A Lighter Shade of Pale.

The lyrics from the version on the San Carlos 61 tape are as follows;

Hard luck poppa, a-countin' his toes
You can smell his feet wherever he goes
Lord, Lord, got those Brown's Ferry blues
Hard luck poppa done [? ]
[?] luck, you got to smile
Lord, Lord, got those Brown's Ferry blues.

Two old maids a-sitting in the sand
Each one wishing that the other was a man
Lord, Lord, got those Brown's Ferry blues
Two old maids done lost their style
If you want to be lucky you got to smile
Lord, Lord, got those Brown's Ferry blues.

It's early to bed and early to rise
And your girl goes out with other guys
Lord, Lord, got those Brown's Ferry bIues
You don't believe me try it yourself
I tried it and I got left
Lord, Lord, got those Brown's Ferry blues.

Hard luck poppa standing in the rain
If the world was corn he couldn't buy grain
Lord, Lord, got those Brown's Ferry blues
Hard luck poppa standing in the snow
His knees knock together but he's raring to go
Lord, Lord, got those Brown's Ferry blues.