Hard Time Killin' Floor Blues (Nehmhiah "Skip" James)

Sources:

www.allmusic.com

Sheet Music:

Wynwood Music Company Inc.

Recordings:

1931 - Skip James - cFeb. 1931 - Grafton WI - L-752-2 Paramount 13065 - Skip James (v,g) - listen on YouTube

(1964) - Skip James - July 23-26, 1964 - Newport RI (Newport Folk Festival) - Vanguard VSD 77/78, on: Great Bluesmen Newport (released 1976)

1964 - Skip James - Dec. 16, 1964 - Falls Church VA - Melodeon MLP 7321, on: Greatest Of the Delta Blues Singers

1966 - Skip James - Jan. 9/10, 1966 - New York City - Vanguard VSD 79219, on: Today!

(1968) - Skip James - March 30, 1968 - Bloomington IN - Document DOCD 5633, on: The Complete Bloomington Indiana Concert (released 200?)

1972 - Geoff & Maria Muldaur - WEA, on: Sweet Potatoes

1977 - Stefan Grossman - Kicking Mule, on: Country Blues Guitar

1980 - Fred Frith & Henry Kaiser - July 8/17, 1979 - SST, on: With Enemies Like These, Who Needs Friends?

1986 - Spencer Bohren - New Blues Music, on: Down in Mississippi

1986 - Cephas & Wiggins - Flying Fish, on: Dog Days of August

1988 - The Hellcats - New Rose, on: Cherry Mansions

1991 - Terry Garland - Planetary, on: Trouble in Mind

1992 - Ramblin' Jeffrey Lee - Triple X Entertainment, on: Ramblin' Jeffrey Lee

1995 - Joan Crane - Three Rivers Productions, on: Foothills

1995 - Peach Cobbler - Ajax, on: Georgia Peach

1995 - Kelly Joe Phelps - Burnside Distribution, on: Lead Me On

1997 - Jim Greene - May 1995 - Black Magic, on: Just A Dream

2000 - R.L. Burnside - Fat Possum, on: Wish I Was in Heaven Sitting Down

2000 - Chris Thomas King - Universal, on: O Brother, Where Art Thou? [Soundtrack]

2000 - Ernie Hawkins - Orchard, on: Blues Advice

2002 - Chris Con Carne - March 12/13, 2002 - Double Crown, on: Concarnage

2002 - Alice Stuart - Burnside Distribution, on: Can't Find No Heaven

2003 - Colin Linden - Accord Music, on: Big Mouth

2003 - Buddy Guy - Silvertone, on: Blues Singer

2003 - Chris Thomas King - July 1998-Feb. 28, 1999 - on: The Roots: The Soul of Chris Thomas King

2003 - Lucinda Williams - on: The Soul Of A Man [Soundtrack]

2004 - Hans Theessink - Minor Music, on: Songs from the Southland

2004 - The Twilight Singers - Birdman/One Little Indian, on: She Loves You

2009 - Geoff Muldaur and the Texas Sheiks - Tradition & Moderne, on: Geoff Muldaur and the Texas Sheiks - Johnny Nicolas (v,g,kick drum), Suzy Thompson (fiddle), Stephen Bruton (bj), Bruce Hughes (sb)

2015 - Faris - Reaktion, on: Mississippi To Sahara - Farim (v,g,perc) - "Alwaq Semman"

2021 - Hans Theessink, Big Daddy Wilson - Blue Groove, on: Pay Day

Version 1931:
Hard time's here an' ev'rywhere you go,
Times is harder than ever been before.

And the People are driftin' from door to door,
Can't find no heaven I don't care where they go.

Um, hm-hm...

Let me tell you people just before I go,
These hard times will kill just try long so.

Um, hm-hm...

When you hear me singing my blue lonesome song,
These hard times can't last us so very long.

Um, hm-hm...

If I ever can get up off this killin' floor,
I'll never get down this road no mo'.

No, no, no, no, I'll never get down this road no mo'.

And you'll say you had money you better be sure
'Cause these hard times'll drive you from door to door.

Um, hm-hm...

Sing this song and I ain't gonna sing no more,
Sing this song and I ain't gonna sing no more.

Um, hm-hm... hard times will drive you from door to door.


Version 1964:
Hard time's is here an ev'rywhere you go,
Times are harder than ever been before.

Um, hm-hm...

You know that people they are driftin' from door to door,
But they can't find no heaven I don't care where they go.

Um, hm-hm...

People, if I ever can get up off a-this old hard killin' flo',
Lord, I'll never get down this low no mo'.

Um, hm-hm...

Well, you hear me singin' this old lonesome song,
People, you know these hard times can't last us so long,

Hm, hm-hm..

You know, you'll say you had money you better be sure
But these hard times gon' kill you just drive a lone' soul.

Um, hm-hm...