Blind Willie McTell - The Dyin' Crapshooter's Blues

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Little Jesse was a gambler, night and day
He used crooked cards and dice
Sinful guy, good hearted but had no soul
Heart was hard and cold like ice
Jesse was a wild reckless gambler
Won a gang of change
Altho' a many gambler's heart he led in pain
Began to spend a-loose his money
Began to be blue, sad and all alone
His heart had even turned to stone
What broke Jesse's heart while he was blue and all alone
Sweet Lorena packed up and gone
Police walked up and shot my friend Jesse down
Boys i got to die today
He had a gang of crapshooters and gamblers at his bedside
Here are the words he had to say:
Guess I ought to know
Exactly how I wants to go
(How you wanna go, Jesse?)
Eight crapshooters to be my pallbearers
Let 'em be veiled down in black
I want nine men going to the graveyard, bubba
And eight men comin back
I want a gang of gamblers gathered 'round my coffin-side
Crooked card printed on my hearse
Don't say the crapshooters'll never grieve over me
My life been a doggone curse
Send poker players to the graveyard
Dig my grave with the ace of spades
I want twelve polices in my funeral march
High sheriff playin' blackjack, lead the parade
I want the judge and solic'ter who jailed me 14 times
Put a pair of dice in my shoes (then what?)
Let a deck of cards be my tombstone
I got the dyin' crapshooter's blues
Sixteen real good crapshooters
Sixteen bootleggers to sing a song
Sixteen racket men gamblin'
Couple tend bar while i'm rollin' along
He wanted 22 womens outta the Hampton Hotel
26 off-a South Bell
29 women outta North Atlanta
Know little Jesse didn't pass out so swell
His head was achin', heart was thumpin'
Little Jesse went to hell bouncin' and jumpin'
Folks, don't be standin' around ole Jesse cryin'
He wants everybody to do the charleston whilst he dyin'
One foot up, a toenail dragging
Throw my buddy Jesse in the hoodoo wagon
Come here mama with that can of booze
The dyin crapshooter's - leavin' the world
The dyin' crapshooter's - goin' down slow
With the dyin' crapshooter's blues

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Blind Willie McTell, born William Samuel McTier in 1898, was a pioneering blues guitarist known for writing enduring standards such as “Statesboro Blues” and “Southern Can is Mine”. Despite being born blind in one eye, he lost his sight completely by the time he was a young man. McTell showed musical prodigy at a young age, excelling in playing harmonica and accordion before transitioning to the guitar, specifically the acoustic 12-string which became his signature instrument.

After his mother passed away in the 1920s, McTell was left to pursue a life as a wandering songster, recording for Victor Records in 1927 under various pseudonyms before settling on the stage name Blind Willie McTell. His laid-back style, tenor voice, and unique 12-string guitar sound made him a standout in the blues and ragtime music scene. Despite some success with recording deals, McTell's career was cut short due to poor sales, complications with diabetes, and ongoing struggles with alcoholism.

However, McTell continued to busk and in 1956, a record store manager in Atlanta discovered him and convinced him to record a few songs, which were later released as the Last Session in 1962. By 1957, McTell had found a new calling as a Baptist preacher at Mt. Zion Church in Atlanta, but sadly, he suffered a stroke in 1959 and passed away at the age of 61.

After his death, Blind Willie McTell's influence continued to grow, with modern rock artists such as The White Stripes, The Allman Brothers Band, and Bob Dylan paying tribute to him in their work. A blues bar in Atlanta is named in his honor, showcasing local blues musicians every night. Despite facing numerous challenges throughout his life, Blind Willie McTell's music and legacy have endured, cementing his status as a legendary figure in the blues genre.