Key To the Highway (Big Bill Broonzy, Charles Segar)

registered as composers for the copyright are also Mc Kinley Morganfield, Walter Jacobs, Walter B. McGhee, Riley B. King and others [GEMA]

Sources:

Wikipedia. www.allmusic.com

Sheet Music:

Leeds Music Corp.

Recordings:

1940 - Charles Segar - Feb. 23, 1940 - Chicago IL - WC-2957-A Vocalion 05441 - Charles Segar (v,p), unknown (d)

1940 - Jazz Gillum - May 9, 1940 - Chicago IL - 044972-1 Bluebird 8529 - Jazz Gillum (v,h), Big Bill Broonzy (g), prob. Alfred Erkins or Al Collins (imb)

1941 - Big Bill Broonzy - May 2, 1941 - Chicago IL - C-3745-1 OKeh 06242 - Big Bill (v,g), Jazz Gillum (h), Washboard Sam (wb), unknown (sb) - listen on YouTube

1949/50 - Stick McGhee, Brownie McGhee, Sonny Terry

1952 - John Lee Hooker - [May 22] 1952 - Detroit MI - MM 3013 Modern 886, Crown 5353, on: The Great John Lee Hooker (released 1963) - John Lee Hooker (v,g), "Little" Eddie Kirkland (v,g), unknown (org)

1956 - Big Bill Broonzy - Feb. 17, 1956 - Baarn, NL - 58169 Columbia WL 111, on: Big Bill's Blues - Big Bill Broonzy (v,g)

1956 - Big Bill Broonzy - Nov. 14, 1956 - Chicago IL - Folkways 3586, on: Big Bill Broonzy interviewed by Studs Terkel (released 1957) - Big Bill Broonzy (v,g)

1957 - Big Bill Broonzy - May 7, 1957 - Chicago IL - Folkways 3817, on: Big Bill Broonzy Blues With Sonny Terry, Brownie McGhee - Big Bill Broonzy (v,g), Sonny Terry (v,h), Brownie McGhee (g)

1957 - Big Bill Broonzy - July 12/13, 1957 - Chicago IL - Verve 3000-5, on: The Big Bill Broonzy Story (Last Session) - Big Bill Broonzy (v,g), Bill Randle (sp)

1958 - Little Walter - Aug. 1958 - Chicago IL - 8981 Checker 904 - Little Walter (v,h) His Jukes (Muddy Waters (slide g), Luther Tucker (g), Otis Spann (p), Willie Dixon (b), Francis Clay (d)) - listen on YouTube

1959-64 - Sonny Terry, Brownie McGhee - Newport RI

1960 - Count Basie - on: Just the Blues

1960s/70s - Lightnin' Hopkins

1961 - K.C. Douglas - Feb. 12, 1961 - Stockton CA - Bluesville 1050, on: Big Road Blues

1961 - John Lee Hooker - Live at Sugar Hill

1961 - Jazz Gillum - New York City - Folkways - Jazz Gillum (v,h), Memphis Slim (p), Arbee Stidham

(1961) - Blind Connie Williams - May 5, 1961 - Philadelphia PA - Testament 2225, on: Philadelphia Street Singer (released 1974)

1962 - Bill Jackson - Jan. 1/3, 1962 - on: Long Steel Rail

1962 - Jimmy Witherspoon - Collectables, on: Roots

1963 - Bob Dylan - Oct. 23, 1963 - New York City - Columbia unissued

1963 - Jesse Fuller - May 13, 1963 - Prestige, on: Jesse Fuller's Favorites

1963 - Dinah Washington - Capitol, on: Back to the Blues

1964 - John Lee Hooker - 1959 - Detroit? - Riverside 008, on: Burning Hell - John Lee Hooker (v,g)

1964 - Rolling Stones

1964 - Mance Lipscomb - Arhoolie, on: Texas Songster, Vol. 2: You Got to Reap What You Sow

1964-73 - Clifton Chenier

1966-72 - Peppermint Harris

1967 - Eddie Boyd - Mar 14-21, 1967 - on: Eddie Boyd and His Blues Band

1968 - The Band - Capitol, on: Music from Big Pink [Outtake]

1968 - Dr. K's Blues Band - on: Dr. K's Blues Band

1968 - Steve Miller Band - Capitol, on: Children of the Future

1969 - Don Covay & The Jefferson Lemon Blues Band - Sepia Tone, on: House of Blue Light

1969 - George Smith - Oct. 3, 1968 - Los Angeles CA - World Pacific 21887, on: George Smith: Blues With A Feeling: A Tribute to Little Walter - George Smith (v,h), Chicago Blues Band (Otis Spann (p), Muddy Waters (g), Marshall Hooks (g), Sonny Wimberley (b), S.P. Leary (d))

1970 - Derek & The Dominos - on: Layla & Other Assorted Love Songs

1970 - Ilmo Smokehouse - on: Ilmo Smokehouse

1970 - King Biscuit Boy - on: Official Music

1971 - Freddie King - Oct. 1970 - Shelter, on: Getting Ready...

1971 - Muddy Waters - Dec. 4, 1971, 1972 - London UK, New York City - 2065 Chess 60013, on: The London Muddy Waters Sessions - Muddy Waters (v), Carey Bell (h), Steve Winwood (p), Sam Lawhorn, Mick Kelly, Rory Gallagher (g), Rick Grech (b), Mitch Mitchell (d), Ernie Royal, Joe Newman (tp), Garnett Brown (tb)

1972 - Frank Edwards - Sept. 27-Dec. 8, 1972 - Trix, on: Done Some Travelin'

1973-80 - Kingfish - on: Kingfish (1973-80) (released 1985)

1974 - Freddie King - Atlanta GA - on: Live at the Electric Ballroom, 1974

1975 - David Honeyboy Edwards - Dec. 10, 1975

1975 - Charlie Musselwhite - Capitol, on: Leave the Blues to Us

1975 - Junior Wells - Jan. 10/13, 1975 - Chicago IL - Delmark, on: Live at Theresa's 1975 (released 2006)

1975-77 - Robert Richard

1977 - Luther Allison - on: Love Me Papa

1979 - John Jackson - Rounder, on: Step It Up and Go

1980 - David Bromberg - on: You Should See the Rest of The Band

1982 - Dr. John

1982 - Big Joe Duskin

1982 - John Hammond - Rounder, on: Frogs for Snakes

1983 - Chuck Berry - Sept. 3, 1983 - Peterborough UK - Magnum Force 092, on: Live On Stage - Chuck Berry (v,g), Billy Peek (g), Jim Marsala (b), Graham Hollingworth (d)

1985 - Dave Moore - Red House, on: Jukejoints & Cantinas

1986 - Charlie Musselwhite - Sanctuary, on: Live 1986: Up and Down the Highway

1987 - Snooky Pryor - Blind Pig, on: Snooky

1988 - Alexis Korner, Colin Hodgkinson - on: Live in Paris

1989 - Spencer Bohren - on: Live in New Orleans

1990 - Ann Armstrong/Steve Hughes - Heads Up, on: I Go to Pieces

1991 - Carey and Lurrie Bell - Alligator, on: Second Nature

1991 - Zora Young - Deluge, on: Travelin' Light

1992 - Johnnie Johnson - Elektra/Nonesuch, on: Johnnie B. Bad

1992 - Madcat & Kane - Schoolkids, on: Key to the Highway

1992 - Josh Sklair - Vital, on: Josh

1993 - Buddy Guy & Junior Wells - Mar 22/23, 1993 - Chicago IL - Silvertone, on: Last Time Around: Live at Legends

1993 - Dave Hole - Alligator, on: Working Overtime

1994 - The Blues Band - on: Wire Less

1994 - J Blues Band Monque'D - Wolf, on: Butter Churnin Man

1994 - Jimmie Lee Robinson - Delmark, on: Lonely Traveller

1994 - Eddie "Vaan" Shaw

1994 - Little Mac Simmons

1995 - Carlos del Junco Band - BRR, on: Just Your Fool: Carlos del Juco Band-Live

1995 - Peter York, Zoot Money, Miller Anderson - Inakustik, on: Extremely Live at Birmingham Town Hall

1996 - Jimmy Witherspoon & Groove Holmes - Rykodisc, on: 'Spoon & Groove

1996 - Local Rabbits - Murder, on: You Can't Touch This

1996 - Paul Rishell & Annie Raines - Tone-Cool, on: I Want You to Know

1997 - Greg Douglass - Greg Douglass, on: The Natives Are Restless

1997 - Millage Gilbert - Red Hot, on: 3 Faces

1997 - Michael "Hawkeye" Herman - May 21, 1995 - OWR/Topaz, on: Blues Alive!

1997 - Bryan Lee - Justin Time, on: Live at the Old Absinthe House Bar: Friday Night

1997 - The Kelly Richey Band - Sweet Lucy, on: Live at Tommy's on Main

1998 - Rick Derringer - Blues Bureau International, on: Blues Deluxe

1998 - Mike Dowling - Orchard, on: Swamp Dog Blues

1999 - Jo-Ann Kelly - Mooncrest, on: Key to the Highway

1999 - Jimmy LaFave - 1984-1999 - Bohemia Beat, on: Trail

1999 - The Rey-Nichols Shovelhead Band - Thump, on: Music from the Canyon

2000 - Michael Chapman - on: Growing Pains

2000 - Bryan Jacobs - Orchard, on: Remington Steel

2000 - B.B. King, Eric Clapton - Los Angeles CA - Reprise 47612, on: Riding With The King - B.B. King (v,g), Eric Clapton (v,g), Doyle Bramhall II (g,v), Andy Fairweather-Low, Jimmie Vaughan (g), Joe Sample (g), Tim Carmon (p), Nathan East b), Steve Gadd (d), Susannah Melvoin, Wendy Melvoin (v)

2000 - Rod Price - Jan 12/13, 2000 - Burnside Distribution, on: Open

2001 - Neal Pattman - Bent Notes, on: It Seemed Like a Dream

2001 - John Weston - Fedora, on: I Tried to Hide from the Blues

2001 - Arthur Williams - Rooster Blues, on: Midnight Blue

2002 - Eric Clapton - Reprise, on: One More Car, One More Rider

2002 - Rockin Dopsie Jr. - Mardis Gras, on: Rockin' Zydeco Party

2002 - Warner Williams & Jay Summerour - Patuxent Music, on: Little Bit a Blues

2003 - John Campbelljohn - 1995 - ZYX/Pepper, on: Under the Blue Covers

2004 - The Allman Brothers Band - Sept. 25, 2004 - Atlanta GA - Instant Live (Ryko), on: Instant Live: Fox Theatre - Atlanta, GA, 9/25/04

2004 - Big Daddy O - Rabadash, on: Deranged Covers

2004 - James Cotton - Telarc Distribution, on: Baby, Don't You Tear My Clothes

2004 - Detroit Junior - June 2, 2001 - Blue Suit, on: Live at the Toledo Museum of Art

2004 - Carlos Johnson - Universal Distribution, on: In and Out

2004 - W.C. Spencer - Catscan, on: Blues Explorer

2006 - Tina Britt - EMI, on: Blue All the Way

2007 - D.B. and the Dynaflows - DB and the Dynaflows, on: The Road I Go

2007 - Paul Jones/Dave Kelly - Blue Label, on: Live at the Ram Jam Club

2007 - David Lafleur - David Lafleur, on: Shepherd's Pie

2007 - Mark "Big Poppa" Stampley - JMJ, on: Here Come Big Poppa Stampley

2007 - Bob Stroger - March 12/ 13, 2006 - Airway, on: Bob Is Back in Town

2008 - Abner Burnett - Worpt Productions, on: It Ought to Be Enough

2008 - Cephas & Wiggins - Smithsonian Folkways, on: Richmond Blues

2008 - Eric Clapton - on: Live At Budokan

2008 - Jelly Roll Johnson - JMJ, on: Songs from the Record World

2008 - Ray Reed - Dialtone, on: Where the Trinity Runs Free

2008 - Kantaro Uchida - Omagatoki, on: Summer Time Blues

2009 - Rod Piazza & the Mighty Flyers Blues Quartet - Delta Groove, on: Soul Monster

2009 - Geanie Stout and Friends - Bluevox, on: Lost Coast Recordings

2010 - The Derek Trucks Band - Masterworks, on: Roadsongs

2012 - B.B. King - June 28, 2011 - London UK - Universal, on: B.B. King and Friends Live at the Royal Albert Hall - B.B. King, Derek Trucks, Susan Tedeschi, Ronnie Wood, Mick Hucknall, Slash...

... watch B.B. King on YouTube ...

TOP
Version Big Bill Broonzy 1941:
I got the key to the highway, and I'm billed out and bound to go.
I'm gonna leave here runnin', cause walkin' is most too slow.

I'm goin' down on the border, now where I'm better known.
Cause woman you don't do nothin', but drive a good man 'way from home.

Now when the moon creeps over the mountain, I'll be on my way.
Now I'm gonna walk this old highway, until the break of day.

Come here, sweet mama, now and help me with this heavy load.
I am due in West Texas, and I've got to get on the road.

I'm goin' to West Texas, I'm goin' down behind the sun
I'm gonna ax the good Lord what evil have I done.


Version Little Walter:
I got the key to the highway,
Billed out and bound to go.
I'm gonna leave here runnin',
Because walkin' is most too slow.

I'm goin' back to the border,
Where I'm better known.
Because you haven't done nothin',
But drove a good man 'way from home.

Give me one more kiss mama,
just before I go.
But when I'm leave this time, girl,
I won't be back no more.

When the moon creeps over the mountain,
Honey, I'll be on my way.
I'm gonna roam this old highway,
Until the break of day.

Well it's so long, so long, baby,
I must say goodbye,
I'm gonna roam this highway,
Until the day I die.