Born:
November 16, 1873
, March 28, 1958
Info:
This is a popular American song composed by W. C. Handy in the blues style. It remains a fundamental part of jazz musicians' repertoire. It was also one of the first blues songs to succeed as a pop song. It has been performed by numerous musicians of all styles from Louis Armstrong and Bessie Smith to Count Basie, Glenn Miller, Guy Lombardo, and the Boston Pops Orchestra.
Verse 1.
I hate to see de evening sun go down,
Hate to see de evenin' sun go down,
Cause ma baby he done lef dis town.
Feelin' tomorrow lak ah feel today,
Feel tomorrow lak ah feel today,
I'll pack my trunk make ma git away,
St. Louis 'oman wid her diamon' rings,
Pulls dat man roun' by her apron strings,
'Twant for powder an' for storebought hair,
De man ah love would ot gone nowhere.
Chorus 1
Got de St.Louis Blues jes blue as ah can be,
Dat man got a heart lak a rock cast in the sea
Or else he wouldn't gone so far from me.
Dog-gone-it!
Verse 2.
Been to de Gypsy to get ma fortune tole,
To de Gypsy done got ma fortune tole,
Cause I'm is wile bout ma jelly Roll.
Gypsy done tole me "don't you wear no black,
"Yas she done tole me "don't you wear no black," Go to St.
Louis you can win him back,
Help me to Cairo make St.Louis by maself,
Git to Cairo find ma ole friend Jeff,
Gwine to pin maself close to his side,
If ah flag his train I sho can ride.
Chorus 2,
I loves dat man lak a schoolboy loves his pie
Lak a Kentucky Col'nel loves his mint an rye,
I'll love ma baby till de day ah die,
Dog-gone-it!
Verse 3.
You ought to see dat stove pipe brown of mine,
Lak he owns de Dimon Joseph line,
He'd make a crosseyed 'oman go stone blin'.
Blacker than midnight teeth lak flags o' truce,
Blackest man in de whole St.Louis,
Blacker de berry, sweeter are the juice,
About a crap game he knows a pow'ful lot,
But when work time comes, he's on de dot,
Gwine to ask him for a cold tenspot,
What it takes to git it he's cert'nly got.
