As with most of my blues tunes, the riff came first, the lyrics came second. I had the riff, and then for some reason Robert Johnson’s song came to me. I looked up the words and started singing his words along with my tune and they fit perfectly. So I went with that. Thank you Bob. Hope you are out there in the universe, somewhere, grooving to the celestial beat.
lyrics
Stop Breakin’ Down Blues (Robert Johnson, 1938)
Every time I’m walkin’, down the streets
Some pretty mama start breakin’ down with me
Stop breakin’ down, yes stop breakin’ down
The stuff I got’ll bust your brains out, baby
it’ll make you lose your mind
I can’t walk the streets now, to consolate my mind
Some no-good woman she starts breakin’ down
Stop breakin’ down, please stop breakin’ down
The stuff I got’ll bust your brains out, baby
it’ll make you lose your mind
Now, you Saturday night women, you love to ape and clown
You won’t do nothin’ but tear my reputation down
Stop breakin’ down, please stop breakin’ down
The stuff I got’ll bust your brains out, baby
It’ll make you lose your mind
I gave my baby now, the ninety-nine degree
She jumped up and throwed a pistol down on me
Stop breakin’ down, please stop breakin’ down
Stuff I got’ll bust your brains out, baby
It’ll make you lose your mind
I can’t start walkin’ down the streets
But some pretty mama don’t start breakin’ down with me
Stop breakin’ down, yeah stop breakin’ down
The stuff I got’ll bust your brains out, baby
Iit’ll make you lose your mind
credits
from Bring Me Some Whiskey,
released March 10, 2016
Words: Robert Johnson (Public Domain)
Music: John Pippus
Acoustic guitar, vocal, blues harp: John Pippus
Electric guitar, bass, percussion and drum programming: Michael Schau
"Reminiscent and harkening in spirit, in some ways, to Neil Young’s classic “Harvest,” Pippus and friends have made
something much richer in tone and certainly more fitting for 2022.”
-Review of “Hermosa Star”, Great Dark Wonder...more
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