Comments on: “Death Letter Blues” - Son House

By: lou

lou — Wed, 11 Oct 2006 17:53:58 +0000

i agree to sum extent. Jack white doesn’t do it justice. he isn’t too bad tho, and i haven’t heard it live. the lyric in quandry above is: ‘looks like ten thousand people, standin on the burying ground, i didn’t know i loved her til they began to let her down.’

By: Josh

Josh — Mon, 04 Sep 2006 09:13:48 +0000

I hate the fact that everyone likes to lick the balls of the White Stripes. He did no jusitice to that song. The first time I heard them do “Death Letter” I became so pissed off I took the CD out of the player and snapped it in half, then gave my friend (who owned that piece of shit CD) twenty dollars and told him to buy some real music, such as the Son House album “The Original Delta Blues.”

By: Maria

Maria — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 23:28:37 +0000

Cassandra Wilson’s version is on the cd New Mooon Daughter.

By: Kenny

Kenny — Wed, 10 May 2006 05:49:30 +0000

Check this out on AOL sessions, look for the John Mellencamp version of “Death Letter”.

http://music.aol.com/archive/main.adp?category=sessions

Absolutely fantastic.

By: Jeff in Korea

Jeff in Korea — Wed, 21 Dec 2005 09:51:07 +0000

Eric, I agree. Anyone interested in Son House MUST own “The Original Delta Blues.” Very fine album.

By: Eric

Eric — Wed, 21 Dec 2005 09:40:40 +0000

Jack White has really done this song justice. He added a lot to it and made it something that people will still want to listen to while retaining it’s emotion and it’s raw feel. However it’s unfortuanate that people don’t really appreciate the early blues. After all this is where music today comes from. So many people don’t realize and it truly is a shame. This is a great song and I like both versions, the original and Jack’s. Also I might add Jack covers a snipet of John The Revalator on his song from his first album and does a snippet of Grinnin’ In Your Face live. Both good songs found on Son House’s record, The Original Delta Blues. Pick it up and keep bues alive.

By: JimmyKragen

JimmyKragen — Tue, 15 Nov 2005 23:30:53 +0000

That verse you are referring to can actually be found in another song by Booker White called ‘Fixin to Die’ It’s not exactly the same but has the same theme of a funeral with a thousand people standing around. I think this is just another example of there being a library of lyrics that are shared among bluesmen.
Also, I would love to hear the Cassandra Wilson versoin of the song, do you know where I could find it?

By: Sean

Sean — Wed, 26 Oct 2005 10:23:12 +0000

Yeah I’ve heard that verse from one copy of the song, although I think it’s
‘There’s ten thousand people standing on burial ground
Didn’t know I loved him, til they laid him down…”

By: mrjeefer

mrjeefer — Wed, 12 Oct 2005 11:17:37 +0000

Yeah, Cassandra Wilson did a beautiful recording of this one, too, within the last 5 to 10 years.

There’s a verse that’s not in here, though, that to me is one of the most beautiful I’ve heard.

Let me know if anyone’s heard it. I don’t know for sure if it’s from Son House’s original, but it would be interesting to know.

It’s something like:

‘There’s ten thousand people standing on solid ground;

Didn’t know I loved him, til they laid him down…”

–Mr Jeefer

By: Johnny Hits

Johnny Hits — Tue, 11 Oct 2005 12:13:13 +0000

You know, call me ignorant, call me a fool, but I still have not actually heard Son House performing death letter. I have however, heard the White Stripes version and it is damn good- Jack white has some fine steel guitar playing- I first saw this live at the black pool lights in England and was blown away. We are now performing it live at shows with our Band
“Johnny hits and the Mrs.”TM C Registered. The first time we performed it it went over very well. We add a Bit of a kick to it and make it a bit more hard rockish. But stay true to the heart of the song, Excellent song, love to hear Eugenes take on it- Josh