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Go down, old Hannah

Don't you rise no more

Well, if you rise in the mornin'

Bring judgment day...

You oughta been on the Brazos

Nineteen and ten

They was drivin' the women

Like they do the men

Whoa, the sun was shinin'

And the men was flyin'

Oh, the Captain was a-hollerin'

And the men was dyin'

Go down, old Hannah

Don't you rise no more...

Well, if you rise

In the mornin'

Bring judgment day

Ledbetter!

Come on!

They want you in the office.

I'm Professor Lomax. This is my assistant Tom.

You want to take his chains off?

Orders are to leave 'em on. This nigger's a real bad one.

Right this way.

Have a seat.

I guess they told you,

we're here collecting songs.

There ain't a damn thing I can do for you,

except maybe a sack of Bull Durham,

couple hours out of the sun.

Heard a lot about you. So I come all the way down here to record you.

I knows lots of songs.

Some of 'em I made up,

some of 'em I changed from other folks'.

You got some picks for me?

Yeah, here.

- What are you in for? - Murder.

I calls it self-defense.

He stuck me with a knife, but I stuck him better.

He stuck me with a knife, but I stuck him better.

You see, it's easy.

Lord, I ain't never sung in no machine before.

Well, this is a song I used to sing back home

in Mooringsport, Louisiana. This is around 1907.

My uncle Terrell taught it to me.

Saturday night we used to have play party dancing.

"Sukey Jumps," we call it.

Yes, sir, everybody cometo dance, just had a fine time.

Weren't no white folks maybe ten, 15 miles around.

Pshaw! I used to ride my daddy's horse,

sashay around them girls

looking like Saturday night all the way to Sunday morning!

Yes, sir, and everybody knew everybody them days.

It was like you was a family.

Evening, ladies, y'all going to the party?

Now there was this old Archie Macoomb.

Look out. Here comes Archie!

He had a team of bays and before you know it,

Lord, he come boiling down the road

and I'd just take out after him.

Green corn, green corn

Green corn, come along, Charlie, green corn, go and tell Polly

Green corn, green corn

Stand around, stand around

Two little boys, they call me papa

One named Sop and the other named Gravy

Green corn, green corn

Green corn, come along, Charlie, green corn, go and tell Polly

Green corn, green corn

Two little boys, they call me papa

One named Sop and the other named Gravy

One named Sop and the other named Gravy

One gonna pdt 'em and the other gonna save it

Green corn, green corn

Green corn, come along, Charlie, green corn, go and tell Polly

Green corn, green corn

Wake snake day's a-breakin'

Peas in the pot, the hoecake's bakin'

Green corn, green corn

Green corn, come along, Charlie, green corn, go and tell Polly

Green corn, green corn

Stand around, stand around the Jimmy-John

Stand around, stand around the Jimmy-John

Stand around, stand around

Come on, Margaret,

I'll take you on with me in my new buggy.

Yeah, you be mule stubborn. Come on.

This here seat's made out of real oak.

No, thank you, kindly. Promised to let Huddie carry me home.

Yeah, well, Huddie Ledbetter ain't gonna take you nowhere.

Archie Macoomb, let go! You all liquored up, else you wouldn't!

Archie, please!

Stop! Huddie! Archie, no!

Oh, my God!

Archie! Oh, my God! Stop! No!

Black girl, black girl

Where did you sleep last night?

Did you shiver the whole night through?

Supposing you killed Archie. Just suppose.

No, you can't hit the inside of a barn wall

with one of these pistols.

You know one day I'm gonna get away from here.

What you mean, away from here?

Shreveport, that's what I mean. Shreveport.

Way away from here.

My daddy say ain't nothing in Shreveport

but the white man he owes money to

and his courthouse and his jail.

Oh, no.

There's Fannin Street. That's what they is in Shreveport.

Fannin Street.

Huddie, honey, I don't want to hear nothing more about no Fannin Street.

Unless you ever been to Fannin Street, well, you don't never know.

Listen, honey, we gotta get married.

- What? - I missed my time twice.

Fan Belle said I'm gonna have a baby.

- You can't go nowhere now. - Aw, come on.

That's what you say last Christmas and you come 'round.

Huddie, it's gonna be real sweet when we married, baby.

Huddie? Are you listening to me, Huddie?

Yeah, I'm listening to you, honey.

I'm listening.

Morning, Wes.

Morning, Sheriff.

Your boy to home?

No, he didn't come home last night.

Well, then that's what I'm obliged to believe.

Fact is

Leonard Macoomb come into town this morning

to swear out a complaint.

Seems your Huddie

laid open his boy's head with a pistol barrel.

Now you know me, Ledbetter.

Fact is, Wes, I come out here

'cause I got a deal of respect for you.

But I'm worried on your boy.

You just let him run wild!

Nobody tell me how to raise my own boy.

I respect that.

What'd you come into my dooryard to tell me, Sheriff?

Bring your boy into town, hear?

I won't pay no mind to no assault truck.

I'll just fine the boy $25 for carrying concealed weapons

and that'll be an end on it.

Now you watch your boy, Ledbetter.

That's a word to the wise.

Come out of there, boy.

- Wes, Wes! - Shut up, shut up, woman!

God damn it, boy, you listen to sense.

I told you never to take that gun out of this house

without good reason.

Where you gonna go? You got the Sheriff down on you.

Shreveport. Fannin Street, that's where I go.

Play my music.

All of a heap you in a hurry?

Wes, he's just a child.

No, he ain't.

Sam Judd come by on his way to meeting.

You been lying with that gal of his?

- Answer me, boy. - Yeah.

What?

- Yes, sir. - When?

This morning.

Judd say he'd come around with all his menfolks

with their duck pieces and rifle guns,

make Huddie marry that gal.

Sheriff's down on him for a bad nigger.

Judd's bad-mouthing him around the parish.

Give a dog a bad name, folks gonna chuck rocks at him.

By and by he gonna bite somebody for sure.

You leave the horse with Will Farrah in Mooringsport.

Yes, I will, Pa.

Huddie.

I'll be giving help to the Judd girl

when that child of hers come.

You best keep your mind on helping her too,

- whenever you can. - Yes, sir.

And you come back home some day, you hear, Huddie?

Well...

you better be getting on down the road.

My mama told me

My papa told me too

The women in Shreveport, son, gonna be the death of you

I got a woman live on Stony Hill

Been setting down gambling with Buffalo Bill

Follow me down, follow me down

Follow me down By Mr Tom Hughes town

Laurel, put your hand on your hip.

Sugar Tit, up higher with the fan.

Now hold it there, all of you.

Thank you.

Hey! You looking for something?

He looking for his plow.

Done followed his mule clear down Fannin Street.

Hey, watch your feet, country boy.

You get cow shit on Miss Eula's Turkey carpet, she have your ass.

Hey, plow this, country boy.

Acres and acres, and it's all yours.

This here's Sugar Tit.

She does specials.

I'm Sugar Tit,

and you ain't gonna do no better on Fannin Street, Country Boy.

Now which one you want?

Take your pick.

I choose you.

'Cause I like to see them sassy ones holler and screaming for more.

Country boy, I got a boss longshoreman coming in

for his regular in half an hour,

and I ain't gonna even be breathing hard.

- Right! - Mercy, mercy!

Point it upstairs and follow me.

Bye-bye.

Bye, country boy.

- Hello, girls. - Good day, Miss Eula.

The longshoreman's on his way. Where's Sugar Tit?

Upstairs, taking a nap.

Taking a nap?

Well!

Oh!

I don't see no money. This ain't no four-bit crib.

This is a parlor house.

You take one of my girls upstairs, you owe me $5.

Have you got $5?

Albert! Albert!

- What's your name? - Huddie Ledbetter.

Ledbetter.

Leadbelly!

Albert, stay right where you are.

Good morning, blues

Blues, how do you do?

That Miss Eula, she really turned out to be something.

I stayed with that woman for quite some time.

I learned a lot from her.

She even taught me how to sing the blues.

That's not it.

You ain't playing it at all.

Well, that's the tune.

Ain't got nothing to do with the tune.

You're talking about the blues.

You got to feel the blues.

New Orleans blues.

Woman blues.

Whore blues.

It's gonna cost you dear to learn the blues.

Nobody can turn you around, can they?

Tonight it's the blues.

Tomorrow night it'll be the barrelhouse.

That's it. That's it!

Good mornin', blues

Blues, how do you do?

Good mornin', blues

Blues, how do you do?

I'm doin' all right

Good morning, how are you?

Lay down last night, I was turnin' from side to side

Oh! Turnin' from side to side

I was not sick, but I was just dissatisfied

Well, I got up this mornin'

Blues walkin' 'round my bed

Oh! Blues walkin' 'round my bed

Well, I went to eat my breakfast

The blues was all in my bread

Hey, hey, hey!

Get drinks for everybody. Let's have drinks for everybody!

How about that? Y'all want some drinks?

Yeah!

Keep your hands off her

Keep your hands off her

Keep your hands off...

Bitch!

You're fired. Out of my house.

You can go on back to that sidewalk crib and peddle your skinny ass

on the street two for a quarter.

Customers are always complaining about that girl.

I tell her, "Wiggle your ass sometimes, honey,

so people know you're alive."

It's time to come on home, honey.

I said, come on home.

We got Saturday night company. I need you.

Albert.

Come on, honey.

Rick, bring me my guitar.

Woman, don't bother me none.

I am playing my music.

What are you talking about?

Telling me when to come and when to go

and don't do this and don't do that.

I ain't one of your whores.

No, you ain't one of my whores,

'cause they are hard-working girls. They earn their keep.

You come here, you a green country boy,

didn't know nothing except play party hollers,

wandering on Fannin Street without the price of a piece of ass.

I bought you that guitar.

I went your bail when Sheriff Tom Hughes

dragged you in for drunk fighting.

And when you went and dipped your wick in some chippie

and caught the clap,

I cured you with Lafayette Mixture.

I'm telling you,

nobody make me small, you hear?

If I walk out of here by myself, that's the way it's gonna stay.

You hear what I'm telling you?

You're born for trouble, and you're hurrying out

to catch it like it was the railroad train to New Orleans.

You ain't never going home.

You're going die alone

and a million miles away.

You coming home now?

Well, what y'all wanna hear?

Anything.

We gonna party for a long time now.

Come on, we can still have a good time. Come on, y'all!

Step right up and drink. Guys, order whatever y'all want, hear?

Gimme a bottle of liquor, Shorty.

Miss Eula.

What she talking? She got Albert. Huh!

He ain't nothing but a damn piano player.

If you want to make music, you got to sing the songs.

Ain't that right? Come on, ain't that right?

I was the best singer around Caddo Lake.

I is the best on Fannin Street.

That's right, the king, that's it.

The king. The King of Fannin Street.

- Ain't that right, Shorty? - Ain't many better.

God damn it, ain't none better!

God damn, I put my money where my mouth is.

Now!

10 dollars gold, double eagle.

Hey, we can put that right there in the kitty.

Anybody?

Now anybody think he can out pick and out-sing me,

let him step right on up here and try.

And this here be his,

and I'll just go back and sing, play parties for the children.

How about that?

What you reaching for?

I picks guitar some.

You gonna out-pick me?

That's fair enough.

Shorty.

Pour this here guitar-picking fool a drink.

Come on over here, y'all. You're all gonna... Gimme that coat there.

We're gonna find out who's the king.

Bring some chairs on over here.

What kind of guitar is that you got, old man?

Just an old guitar.

Well, how many strings you got there?

Twelve.

Whoo-wee! Two to one, huh?

Well, I guess I'm the scratch horse in this race!

You ready, old man?

Oh, yeah!

Oh, yeah!

Sheriff Tom Hughes is coming!

Sheriff! Sheriff coming! Oh, my God!

- Come on, men! - He gonna lock up the whole street!

What's he doing? I thought we pays protection.

Huddie, Huddie. Come in the house.

Sheriff Tom Hughes never come in my place. We got an arrangement.

Don't you understand? Come on inside. You're safe in my place.

Huddie, Huddie!

Damn fool.

Hey, old man, come here.

Come on, hurry up!

Where is this place?

This is Texas cotton country.

Well, this is where I'm getting off.

Some fool plowboy stomped on my guitar back there.

I still got that $10 gold.

I ain't saying you won it, mind you.

OK, you take it easy, old man.

When I was a little baby

My mother would a rock me in the cradle

In them old cotton fields at home

When I was a little baby, my mother would rock mein the cradle

In them old cotton fields at home

Well, when them cotton bolls got rotten

You couldn't pick very much cotton

In them old cotton fields at home

It was down in Louisiana just a mile from Texarkana

In them old cotton fields at home

Hey, girl. You, good-looking girl.

It may sound a little funny

But you didn't make very much money

In them old cotton fields at home

It may sound a little funny, but you didn't make very much money

In them old cotton fields at home

Well, when them cotton bolls got rotten

You didn't pick very much cotton

In them old cotton fields at home

It was down in Louisiana just a mile from Texarkana

In them old cotton fields at home

Whoo! Quitting time, you-all!

Oh, what's that?

Gun oil.

That's salve for a picking back.

You not bad

for a Louisiana man.

How you know where I'm from?

I know.

You play that big old 12-string guitar over in the saloons.

You a whiskey drinker.

And you got your eye on every gal

in Marshall, Texas, 'twixt 12 and too old.

Lethe, how come you ain't got no man hanging his pants

on your bedpost every night?

Like you maybe?

Yeah.

I chooses you one night.

That's my lookout.

When you're done rambling,

when you ready to live my way,

in one place,

with one woman,

you come back, see me then.

Oh, you got a lot of rambling left in your bones.

So it's just...

thank you kindly now.

And make sure that latch catch on the way out the door in the morning.

Oh, the Rock Island Line is a mighty good road

The Rock Island Line is the road to ride

The Rock Island Line is a mighty good road

If you want to ride, you got to ride it like you find it

Get your ticket at the station on the Rock Island Line...

Tyler!

Tyler next!

Tyler!

Jesus died to save our sins

Glory to God, we're gonna meet him again

Oh, the Rock Island Line is a mighty good road

Tyler, Texas!

The Rock Island Line is the road to ride

The rock island line is a mighty good road

If you want to ride, you got to ride it like you find it

Get your ticket at the station on the Rock Island Line

I may be right, I may be wrong

Know you gonna miss me when I'm gone

Oh, the Rock Island Line is a mighty good road

The Rock Island Line is the road to ride

The Rock Island Line is a mighty good road

If you want to ride, you got to ride it like you find it

Get your ticket at the station on the Rock Island Line...

Shut off that pig squealing so's a man can sleep.

What I hear you say?

I said it sound like a hog with his wanger caught

in the hinge side of a gate.

Why don't I just cut yours off and stick it in your ear?

Well, least ways then I wouldn't have to hear that jackass hollering.

Come on, fool. Come on!

You know it's hog killing time now.

Just shut off that laughing or I'm gonna shut it for you.

I'm gonna stick you right in your gizzard.

You hear?

Damn it, somebody gimme my knife, do you hear?

Who the hell took my knife?

Fat boy.

I got your knife.

How you want this pig-sticker back, open or closed?

What's your name?

Huddie Ledbetter.

Nickname Leadbelly.

Lemon Jefferson.

They call me Blind Lemon.

It's a damn lie.

I can see some.

You're that Blues shouting Lemon I hear so much about.

Yeah, that's me.

I figure I better take that knife back closed.

Silver City bound

Silver City bound

Oh, tell my baby

I'm Silver City bound

Me and Blind Lemon gonna ride on down

Silver City bound

I'm Silver City bound

I'm gonna tell my baby

I'm Silver City bound

Me and Leadbelly

Gonna ride on down

Catch me by the hand

Oh, baby

Blind Lemon was a blind man

Catch me by the hand

Oh, baby

Leadbelly was a fine man

Silver City bound

Silver City bound

Tell my baby

I'm Silver City bound

Me and Blind Lemon gonna ride on down

- Catch me by the hand - Catch me by the hand

- Oh, baby - Oh, baby, baby

Blind Lemon was a blind man

- Catch me by the hand - Catch me by the hand

- Oh, baby - Oh, baby, baby

Blind Lemon was a blind man

Silver City bound

Silver City bound

Hey, tell my baby

I'm Silver City bound

Me and Blind Lemon

Gonna ride on down

What you doing?

You been boozing all night in that saloon.

You can't drive. You drunk.

You blind.

You ever drive one of these things before?

Nope.

There's one kind favor

I asks of you

There's one kind favor

I asks of you

There's one kind favor

I asks of you

See that my grave is kept clean

It's a long lane

Ain't got no end

It's a long lane

Ain't got no end

It's a long lane

Ain't got no end

Feel so bad it is

A miserable shame

Have you ever

Heard a coffin sound?

Have you ever

Heard a coffin sound?

Have you ever

Heard a coffin sound?

Then you know the poor boy's

In the ground

Oh, dig my grave

With a silver spade

Dig my grave

With a silver spade

Dig my grave

With a silver spade

You may place four diamonds

On my grave

Have you ever heard

A death bell toll?

Have you ever

Heard a death bell toll?

Have you ever

Heard a death bell toll?

Then you know

The poor boy's dead and gone

Then you know

That poor boy's dead and gone

That's what is the blues,

not that sticky sweet whore blues you learned in Shreveport.

Well, we is doing all right.

What, playing in saloons?

We being nickel-and-dimed to death. What are we?

Well, I was the King of Fannin Street.

King? King?

Hey, man,

you ever hear them Victrola records?

Yeah, plenty times.

They make 'em in Chicago and Memphis.

See, that's where I'm going some day.

They gonna know who I am.

Ain't nobody gonna say, "Hey, you, Fat Boy."

They gonna know my name.

Your songs got too much misery in 'em.

Keeps you hungry and evil all the time.

Oh!

You like a chicken tied to a pole.

You running around in circles and cackling a lot,

but you ain't going no place.

And some day somebody gonna catch up with you and wring your goddamn neck.

Let me get out of here, boy. Nature done calling me.

Well, I hope you miss and hit yourself in the shoe.

And one more thing, Leadbelly... Leadbelly?

Let's get out of here, Lemon.

Hey, boy. Who the hell told you to stop playing?

- It's getting late. - You keep playing.

Man, it's after 2:00 in the morning.

What the hell you care what time it is? You keep on playing.

You said $3 till midnight.

God damn it, don't argue with me, boy!

We'll just take our $3.

You'll take shit you don't start playing.

I say that's it.

God damn it, don't sass me, boy.

You spoiling the party, you hear, nigger?

Now you pick up the goddamn guitar and you play!

Oh!

God damn trouble making niggers!

Hey, man.

Hey, man, you all right, man?

Hey, that bartender, he kicked you in the balls before the sheriff come.

Yeah.

Somebody knocked my tooth out.

Stole my watch too.

What you doing out there with me in here?

I went through the window in the dark.

Listen, I ain't got much time.

It cost me six bits to get...

Oh. Here.

Here.

Cost me six bits to get in.

You get the money out of the snuff can to pay my fine.

Ain't no fine.

They holding you till Judge Baines get back from Dallas Saturday.

You on your way to the Harrison County Chain Gang.

Man say year on the inside.

What you steady on doing?

Get me a train to Memphis,

maybe Chicago.

Make me some of them Victrola records

on the Bluebird

or OKeh label.

Hey, Huddie,

we got $14 and four cents.

14$, four bits in the snuff can.

- Now half's yours. - Time's up.

Money ain't gonna do me no good on no chain gang.

With $14...

Get me a regular 1A ticket to Memphis.

14 dollars.

Huddie.

You keep the bottle, OK, you hear?

You hear?

Now I'll see you.

Bring me a little water, Silvie

Bring a little water now

Bring me a little water, Silvie

Every little once in a while

- Huddie! - Yo!

Huddie!

Don't you see me comin'?

Don't you see me now?

Don't you see me comin'?

Every little once in a while

Every little once in a while

Brought you some water.

Don't you hear me comin'?

Don't you hear me now?

Don't you hear me comin'?

Every little once in a while

Every little once in a while

Someday I aim to take you a long way from here.

Away from all this white man's trouble

and this white man's land.

Bring me a little water, Silvie

Bring me a little water now

Bring me a little water, Silvie

Every little once in a while

Ain't you gonna get ready?

- For what? - For the dance at the Kingston Place.

I ain't going.

What you talking about?

Ain't no particular pleasure

watching all them womens climbing all over you.

They can't help it. Pshaw!

I can just sing as sweet and tender.

I don't pay 'em no mind now, do I?

Anyway it's too dangerous.

Sheriff ain't but a few miles away.

Nobody around here know me by my name.

I'm Walter Boyd.

Ain't no sheriff looking for no Walter Boyd.

Sure.

And when you get to playing on that old 12-string guitar,

you ain't studying about being no Walter Boyd.

Ain't nothing matter but being King of Music.

How long you think it's going be before that sheriff hear about you

and your fame get spread all around?

Well, there's gonna be friends there.

Alex Griffin and Will Stafford.

They's all friends.

Time they get that whiskey in 'em, friend don't mean nothing.

Aw, listen at you.

Oh, honey.

You stay with me tonight.

Don't you go.

They counting on me for the music.

And we can use that extra money if I'm ever gonna get you out of here.

Two or three greasy dollars

and a bellyful of corn whiskey, that's all you're gonna get.

Two or three greasy dollars and a bellyful of corn whiskey.

Them two or three dollars will buy you a brand new traveling dress.

I love you.

I had those sweethearts going.

Come on, boy, play it!

- DeKalb blues, Lord - DeKalb blues, Lord

- Make me feel so bad - Make me feel so bad

- DeKalb blues, Lord - DeKalb blues, Lord

Let me think about

- The good times I've had - Yeah!

Don't be frightened of the straightenin' comb

- DeKalb woman - Get away from me.

Wouldn't let him have his home

Spent all my money on that store dress for that gal,

and she spend all her time with anybody come along with two legs in his pants.

She spent most her time listening to old Walter here singing.

That's what she done.

Hey, Walter, how about that time you went outdoors to pee?

- What you talking about? - When you went out to pee!

That ain't all you was doing with that thing out your pants.

Not with Alex's gal just begging for it.

You're with my girl and then you laugh in my face?

Watch out, Walter!

What'd you make me do it for?

What'd you make me do that for?

What'd you go and mess with me for?

Walter Boyd done killed Alex Griffin!

What did you do it for?

We's just friends, man.

We's all good friends.

How long?

Thirty years.

There you go.

That's a lot of years.

Law say you're supposed to stop whipping when the blood come.

They don't pay no mind here in Sugar Land.

It's Ally George.

He to trust.

He ain't got no leg irons.

How come he walk all cripped up like that?

Him and three others done cut their hamstrings

to keep from going out in the field.

He should have cut his throat.

Move it!

What's wrong with the boss man?

Stomach gripes.

Too much whiskey last night.

When his gut gets to him, stay out of his way.

Move it on, move it!

Well, he ain't gonna lick me with no whip.

Yeah. Sure.

What's the matter, old man? You all right?

- Come on! - Get moving, old man, get moving!

You goddamn son of a bitch!

You black bastard!

Put down that hoe, Walter Boyd! Put down that goddamn hoe!

Nigger, I said put down that hoe.

Dicklicker, Henry, Foster!

Get in there, move your ass! Get that hoe!

Hey, Walter, it ain't no use.

You just gonna get whipped.

Walter, put down the hoe.

Put it down.

How many is that?

Fourteen.

What the hell?

Go get him, go get him.

Hey, boss!

- Walter Boyd's running, boss! - Where'd he go?

He went out through there. I tried to stop him.

Let 'em out, let's go.

Shut up that noise!

Next one's going in somebody's black ass!

You men sit down!

Sit down!

Old Riley walked the water

Old Riley walked the water

In them long

Hot summer days

Old Riley, he's gone

Old Riley, he's gone

Long gone

Like a turkey

Through the corn

Old Riley walked the water

Here, rattler, here

Old Riley walked the water

Here, rattler, here

Old Riley gone like a turkey through the corn now

Here, rattler, here

Old Riley gone like a turkey through the corn

Here, rattler, here

Child, get in the house.

Get in the house.

What you want, sonny?

You help me get these chains off, old lady?

Oh, yeah, that be's what they say.

Come around here bothering a body.

Any time of day, just come a-running.

Don't care nothing about no manners, no, sir.

Lutie, bring the axe and wedge.

Hurry, child.

Well, look at that.

They ain't making the chains like they used to.

Listen careful, sonny, you can hear them dogs back there where you come from.

You get the shovel later, Lutie. You buried them, right?

Old Riley walked the water

Here, rattler, here

Old Riley walked the water

Here, rattler, here

Old Riley gone like a turkey through the corn

Here, rattler, here

Old Riley gone like a turkey through the corn

Here, rattler, here

Rattler come when I blow my horn

Here, rattler, here

Rattler come when I blow my horn

Here, rattler, here

Toot toot toot

Here, rattler, here

Toot toot toot

Here, rattler, here

Here, rattler, here, rattler

Here, rattler, here

Here, rattler, here, rattler

Here, rattler, here

Riley walked the water

Here, rattler, here

Riley walked the water

Here, rattler, here

Get down now!

- No! - Let's go back to camp.

No!

Come on down, Walter. We're going back to camp.

No!

Old Riley

Walked the water

Old Riley

Walked the water

In them long

Hot summer days

Walter.

Walter!

Here your vittles, Walter.

Hey, let go, let go! Let go.

I brung your vittles, you old fool.

I hear you holler on me.

Boss, Walter running!

I get you I'm gonna kill you.

You hear me when I went down I knowed I wasn't gonna make it,

and the boss was coming.

It didn't matter to you one way or the other, so I hollered.

Save myself a licking.

Times like these you got to live the way you got to.

I look at it this way.

That old white man don't care if I live or die.

The fact is he'd just as soon I die.

Every day I say to myself...

Forget him!

Ain't gonna die.

You suit your ways to the situation.

Some other time you can choke that white man on his head.

But now you just study on living till tomorrow.

You gonna learn.

Now you take these peas

and you eats every crumb

and bide your time.

That's the way you live.

Of course when they wants to kill you,

just living is winning.

Here.

Here!

- Can I help you? - I come to get my boy.

Come with me.

Captain, this is that Ledbetter fella.

All right, send him in.

Have a seat.

Thank you.

So you're Walter Boyd's father.

That's right.

He my boy.

Your name Ledbetter?

Wesley Ledbetter?

Well, Walter was a stepson.

That's how come he got the name Boyd.

All right, all right.

Walter Boyd is good enough.

Now...

What can I do for you?

I took 15 acres of good bottom land

and I sold it to Mr. Braithwaite

over in Mooringsport.

I got the money right here.

Every dollar.

Captain.

You take this here money

and you turn my boy loose.

Hold on, old man. I can't take your money.

I ain't...

Asking for no mercy or nothing.

You take it. Hear, Captain?

My wife died last corn-planting

and I need my boy back on the farm.

Listen to me, old man. It don't work that way.

You can't buy your boy free.

Your boy's been sentenced to 30 years under the laws

of the sovereign state of Texas.

I can't turn your boy loose.

Now you just take your money and run on home, hear, uncle?

I ain't no kind of kin to you, Captain.

You want me to bring him in so's you can see him?

No.

I just as soon as not see him here.

Captain, I'd like to leave

some money for him then.

No cash money.

That's against all regulations.

Supposing I left some money for you to give to him...

Listen, I told you...

Hear me!

You take it

and get my boy the kind of guitar he plays.

Don't cost but $15 or $20 in a hock shop.

If that's all I can do for him,

well, so be it.

All right, Ledbetter.

Anything you want me to tell him?

No.

No, there ain't nothing you can tell him for me.

Anything I got to hand down to my boy, I already done.

Just goodbye.

Ain't likely I'm gonna see him again.

Irene

Good night

Irene, good night

Good night, Irene

Good night, Irene

I'll kiss you in my dreams

Sometimes I live

In the country

Sometimes I live in town

Sometimes I have

A great notion

To jump in the river

And drown

Irene, good night

Irene, good night

Good night, Irene

Good night, Irene

I'll kiss you

In my dreams

You caused me to weep

You caused me to moan

You caused me to leave my home

The last words I heard her say

I want you

To sing me a song

Irene, good night...

Walter Boyd, Governor Pat Neff's here.

The captain wants you to sing for him.

Come on, we'll take your chains off.

- What's his name? - Walter Boyd.

Hey, you!

You sing me a song now, you hear?

Mary, sweet Mary

1923

The judge took my liberty away from me

1923

The judge took my liberty away from me

I'm your servant, compose this song

Please, Governor Neff, let me go back home

I'm your servant, compose this song

Please, Governor Neff, let me go back home

Goin' back to Mary

Oh, Mary

Ain't nothing can sing

like a darkie when he puts his mind to it.

Hot dang.

Please, Governor Neff, be good and kind

If I don't get a pardon, will you cut my time?

Please, Governor Neff, be good and kind

If I don't get a pardon, will you cut my time?

If I had you, Governor Neff, like you got me

I'd wake up in the mornin' and set you free

Lookit there, playing darkie for the white folks.

If I had you, Governor Neff, like you got me

I'd wake up in the mornin' and set you free

You know I'll bet he's been making that song up for the last week.

That's like one of 'em.

They'll think of every way in the world to get out of paying.

Well, old Walter.

You know, I could give you a pardon.

But then...

I wouldn't have you down here to sing for me when I came down next time.

Listen, dear.

Old Walter, you know what I'm gonna do?

Tell you what I'm gonna do for you.

Just 'cause I like your singing so much.

Last thing I do while I'm in office,

put your pardon papers on my desk.

Yes, sir, I'm gonna set you free.

Here, have one of Captain Freeman's

15 cent cigars.

Governor going turn me loose!

Pig shit!

Are you calling me a liar?

I said to that Pat Neff, I said,

"You redneck cracker chicken plucker."

I said, "You going turn me loose!"

He say, "Yes, sir, yes, sir."

Bastard ain't gonna turn nobody loose.

You a damn fool,

shuffling your feets in the dirt for him,

playing nigger.

Ain't gonna do you no good.

Like you said, you suit yourself to the situation.

And that son of a bitch is gonna turn me loose!

Walter Boyd, get your ass over here.

The captain wants to see you.

Captain, sir.

Walter, you go on home.

We can't waste no more vittles on you here.

What's the matter with you?

Do you hear me?

Pat Neff's out of office. Ma Ferguson's the new governor.

He left the pardon paper behind like he said.

You go on home, Walter.

Open it up.

Take it easy, Walter.

Yon come Miss Rosie

How in the world do you know?

Well, I knows her by her apron

And the dress she wore, umbrella on her shoulder

A piece of paper in her hand

Well, she's gonna tell the governor

Turn loose my man

Let the midnight special

Shine the light on me

Let the midnight special

Shine its ever-lovin' light on me

If you ever go to Houston

Boy, you better walk right

Well, you better not squabble

And you better not fight

Or that sheriff will arrest you

And he will take you down

And that judge will sentence you

Penitentiary bound, let the midnight special

Shine the light on me

Let the midnight special

Shine its ever-lovin' light

On me

Huddie!

That's Huddie Ledbetter, That's who.

It's you.

- Eula? - It's me, yeah.

Miss Eula! Lord!

I guess there's nothing more pitiful than a broke old whore, is there?

Come, sit. Come.

Come on.

Lord!

There ain't no more Fannin Street no more.

- No. I can see that. - Yeah.

Sheriff Tom Hughes gone.

Sheriff Tom Hughes.

Well, that's good.

Since you left, I tell you,

nobody play no music here, you know?

Ain't nothing here on Fannin Street no more.

Used to be the place.

Nobody remembers.

Ain't nothing in the world harder to remember

than the sweet taste of honey

when you was young.

You know, I think...

I think I might just open me another house.

The way things is going,

yeah, that's what I'll do.

I been thinking.

God almighty, you're still a hard man.

Leadbelly, what you doing all these years?

I been doing lots of time.

Lots of bad time.

You know, I guess I'm gonna do what you told me

to do way back ago.

Old Lead's going home.

Thank, you, Jesus.

Yes, old Lead's going home.

See you still got your old guitar.

I still picks a little.

I... I got something...

I kept...

all these years I kept for you.

It's two of your favorite picks.

You take care now, you hear?

Good mornin', blues

Blues, how do you do?

Good mornin', blues

Blues, how do you do?

I'm doin' all right

Good morning, how are you?

Lay down last night, I was turnin' from side to side

Good mornin', blues

Blues, how do you do?

Good mornin', blues

Blues, how do you do?

Amy, you better come on here. Mama's going whip you.

- Amy, come on! - Betcha I know who you is.

You sung at a Sukey Jump on a Saturday night at Collinses.

"Green Corn,"

"Grey Goose"

and "Yellow Gal."

The Collinses?

You wasn't even born yet, girl. How you know that?

- My mama told me. - What's you mama's name?

Miss Margaret Hayes.

Mar...

Lord today.

What's your name?

Amy.

Amy.

Amy Judd.

Matt Hayes wouldn't own me when he married mama,

because I was a woods colt.

Your mama tell you about me?

She said you were the best songster around Caddo Lake before you went off.

And you was in the penitentiary.

What's it like there?

Hard work mostly.

But I was number one roller on the number one gang.

That's good?

It's a way of staying alive.

Keep you from thinking.

About what?

About home mostly.

Hey, where you going? Don't go up there.

Hey, Ma.

Come on get in the house. Hurry up, get in the house. Hurry up.

Henry. Henry!

- Yeah. What do you want here? - Nothing.

This here used to be my daddy's land.

This here used to be our house.

No more it ain't. Belong to Mr. Braithwaite.

I know you.

You Huddie Ledbetter.

You been in a penitentiary in Texas.

This used to be my daddy's land, that's all.

You go on now, hear? Land don't belong to no Ledbetter no more.

Mr. Braithwaite own it. I sharecrop for him.

I know about you. You a murderer.

You go on now, hear? Ain't nothing for you here no more.

You got no claim.

This here been Ledbetter land since the War.

You get away from here. You don't belong here.

Black girl

Black girl

Where will you go?

I'll go

Where the cold wind blows

What you gonna do now?

Don't know.

Mama say you sure know how to play that guitar.

Well, ain't nobody can out-pick and out-holler me, now that's for sure.

I's the king of...

King of what?

Somewhere I'm...

Somewhere in this world, I'm gonna...

You want to be king to me?

Hey! Hey! Mr. Braithwaite!

That Ledbetter fellow was here messing around the house.

Looking all over the place.

Yeah, I told him to get the hell out of here.

- Where'd he go? - Down the road, straight ahead.

Get on home, hear?

It's getting late now. I'll be talking to you later.

Go on! Go on! Now don't look back.

Howdy do there, gents?

- You some kind of a tough nigger. - Gonna need to go back to jail, boy.

Come on!

That's the way it all happened.

Songs and everything else.

Tom.

Huddie.

Time to go back.

What you gonna do with all them songs?

Well, for one thing,

we'll take 'em to Washington to the Library of Congress.

What for?

We collect songs.

Like they was butterflies or something?

Something like.

Then you gonna kill 'em.

You gonna stick pins through 'em and kill 'em.

Then they'll be dead for sure then.

Songs got to fly free like butterflies.

Well, that's why we write 'em down

and put 'em on records so they won't be forgotten.

You got my whole damn life there.

My mama, my papa.

And everything that ain't gone yet,

except me singing about 'em.

You ain't going to stick no pins in my songs,

hide 'em in some Washington library.

They be dead for sure then.

I gotta get out of here.

Sing my papa alive,

else won't be nothing left of him.

Professor, you through with that boy?

Just a minute.

Professor.

Couldn't we take his "Pardon Song,"

the one he sang for the governor?

We'll be in Baton Rouge next week

and it worked in Texas with Pat Neff.

Now listen, Mr. Lomax,

you can take my song to that governor OK Allen,

but I ain't gonna stand for him in the dust

like I did for that Governor Neff in Texas.

Huddie, we can't promise you anything.

Well, I ain't asking!

Six months I be turned loose from here, under the law.

I be free,

be my own man.

I'm gonna sing my songs in your Washington Congress Library

and in Memphis and Chicago and New York.

Come on, boy.

Hey, you!

Move your ass!

Six more months.

That's all, just six more months.

And after seven years!

You ain't broke my body!

You ain't broke my mind!

And you ain't broke my spirit!

Go down, old Hannah

Don't you rise no more

Well, if you rise in the mornin'

Bring judgment day...

You oughta been on the Brazos

1910

They was drivin' the women

Like they do the men

Whoa, the sun was shinin'

And the men was flyin'

Oh, the captain was a-hollerin'

And the men was dyin'

Go down, old Hannah

Don't you rise no more...

Well, if you rise

In the mornin'

Bring judgment day