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Hesitation Blues
Traditional Old-Time Blues Song; Widely Spread US
ARTIST: From Hot Tuna based on Jim Jackson’s version;
CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes DATE: Early 1900’s
RECORDING INFO: Buddy Boy Hawkins-1930, "Voice Throwing Blues" (on TimesAint01); Bookbinder, Roy. Ragtime Millionaire, Blue Goose 2023, LP (1977), cut#B.05; Kaleidoscope. Side Trips, Epic BN 26304, LP (196?), cut# 3; Van Ronk, Dave. Dave Van Ronk Sings, Vol. 2, Folkways FA 2383, LP (1961), cut#A.06; Brown, Milton; & his (Musical) Brownies. Western Swing. Vol. 2 Historic Recordings, Old-Timey LP 116, LP (1975), cut#A.04; Famous Pyle Brothers. Up on Pyle Mountain, Pyle, Cas (1989), cut#B.02; Garcia, Jerry; and David Grisman. Shady Grove, Acoustic Disc ACD 21, CD (1996), cut#13b; Hall, Kenny; and the Sweets Mill String Band. Kenny Hall and the Sweets Mill String Band, Vol.II, Bay 103, LP (197?), cut# 13; Holy Modal Rounders. Holy Modal Rounders, Prestige PR 7720, LP (1964), cut# 6; Holy Modal Rounders. Holy Modal Rounders, Fantasy 24711, LP (1972), cut#3.06; Laketown Buskers. Dance Around in Your Bones, Marimac 4006, Cas (1991), cut#B.03; Lunsford, Bascam Lamar. Folk Songs of America. The Robert Winslow Gordon Collection., Library of Congress AFS L68, LP (1978), cut# 3b; Poole, Charlie; and the North Carolina Ramblers. Charlie Poole and the North Carolina Ramblers. Vol Two, County 509, LP (196?), cut# 1 (If the River Was Whiskey); Poole, Charlie; and the North Carolina Ramblers. Southern Dance Music, Vol. 1, Old-Timey LP 100, LP (196?), cut# 3 (If the River Was Whiskey); Poole, Charlie; and the North Carolina Ramblers. White Country Blues, 1928-36 - A Lighter Shade of Blue. Vol. 1, Columbia Legacy CT47920, Cas (1993), cut# 4 (If the River Was Whiskey); Rag Daddy. On the Road Again, Voyager VRLP 201-S, LP (197?), A.02; Shootin' Creek String Band. Young Fogies, Vol. II, Rounder 0369, CD (1995), cut#16 (If the River Was Whiskey); Stringbean (David Ackerman). Stringbean and His Banjo. A Salute to Uncle Dave Macon, Starday SLP 215, LP (196?), cut# 5; Watson, Doc and Merle. Down South, Sugar Hill SH-3742, LP (1984), cut# 5; Old Crowe Medicine Show, Eutaw; McTell, Ralph. Eight Frames a Second, Capitol ST-24O, LP (196?), cut#
OTHER NAMES: If the River Was Whiskey; The Hesitating Blues;
RELATED TO: I’ve Got the Morning Blues; Yodeling Blues;
SOURCES: Silber-FSWB, p. 75, "Hesitation Blues;" Sweet Bunch of Daisies, Colonial Press, Bk (1991), p154 (Drinking Song- Davis Version);
NOTES: Form AB. There are many different sources and versions of this blues song. The main versions are: WC Handy’s “Hesitating Blues”; Billy Smythe's "Hesitation Blues," Charlie Poole’s “If the River Was Whiskey”; Rev. Gary Davis "Hesitation Blues;" There are some great fiddle solos and fiddling on the old-time jug band versions including newer bands like the Old Crowe Medicine Show’s “Hesitation Blues” from their CD, Eutaw. Most jug band versions are upbeat similar to Poole’s version.
The Library of Congress has a version of Hesitating Blues by Jelly Roll Morton, piano, vocal, with an introduction by Alan Lomax. Arkansas oldtime group Reaves White County Ramblers recorded a version under the 'Hesitation Blues' title with the delightful couplet: I went down to the river to jump in an' drown/I thought of my honey and I couldn't go down.
The lyrics from ‘Hesitation Blues are generally floaters from other songs, especially the “Rye Whiskey/Jack O’Diamonds” group.
Abbe Niles suggests that both of the first published 1915 versions by Handy and Smythe were inspired by "by the same folk source." That source could have been Louisville pianist Thomas "Hop" Hopson but more likely was a "wandering musician who sang Poole version with the "If the river was whiskey" line as well as one about "silk stockin's and ruffled drawers/ got many a po' man wearin' overalls." (A line also used by Robert Johnson) [Source: David Evans in his book, "Ramblin' on my Mind."]
An earlier song titled "How Long Must I Wait" was in the repertoire of George and Nina Coleman who performed the song in Texas in 1913 as their own composition.
Both Handy's and Symthe's 1915 versions were successful.
W.C. HANDY: W. C. Handy produced a song, "The Hesitating Blues" (copyright 1915; see Handy/Silverman-Blues, pp. 100-103) which uses this key line, but it is much more elaborate and with a different plot; Handy's version is a rewrite of an earlier song. The essential similarity is the last lines: Honey, oh honey, how long/Will I have to wait?/Oh, won't you tell me now/Baby, why do you hesitate?
Handy's piece was originally titled Hesitating Blues and several artists give credit to W.C. Handy for writing it in 1915. Louis Armstrong did a cover of Handy's version in 1954. Billboard's edition of August 1915 called it "A hesitation novelty with ginger and go." The earliest recording I have found is by Esther Bigeau, who recorded a slow sensual version on March 28, 1923.
ART GILLHAM: In California he had a group known as Art Gillham’s Society Syncopaters. Art met his long time song writing partner in St. Louis. Billy Smythe and and Billy's cousin, Scott Middleton appear to have gone with Art to California. By 1915 they returned to the midwest and in Louisville, Kentucky published their first composition, Hesitation Blues. The same year, W.C. Handy published a similar song, Hesitating Blues. Both appear to have been based on a folk song. W.C. Handy acknowledged the two songs were independently composed. The Smythe-Middleton-Gillham team wrote a large number of lyrics to go with the song. One of the phrases Art wrote was "Ashes to ashes and dust to dust, show me a man a woman can trust." Art, Billy and Scott went to New York as song pluggers. In New York Art studied music with Ernest E. Brambach. In 1925 Gillham did an acoustic session for Columbia 140390-2 Hesitation Blues (electric microphone) (2 takes) recording his version.
Billy Smythe's version has the line:
The eagle on the dollar says, "In God we trust,"
Woman wants a man- she wants to see that dollar first.
Thomas "Hop" Hopson: According to David Evans in his book, "Ramblin' on my Mind" Handy stole his Hesitating Blues from Louisville pianist Thomas "Hop" Hopson. Evean states that, "according to oral history the song was written by Hopson." Clearly Handy's version is a rewrite based on an earlier song. Perhaps Gillham's song was taken from Hopson since they were both in Louisville in 1915.
CHARLIE POOLE: Charlie Poole and the North Carolina Ramblers, "If the River Was Whiskey" Columbia 15545-D, 1930; on CPoole02; Charlie Poole's lively breakneck speed version was copied by the Holy Modal Rounders, which is similar to the Philadelphia Jug Band version.
REV. GARY DAVIS: The Davis version has been copied by Hot Tuna, Von Ronk and others. The version is usually played fingerstyle and has an Am/E vamp in the verse.
Notes From Patrick Sheehan: This version of the song "Hesitation Blues" is taken from Hot Tuna's self titled album recorded live at the New Orleans House, Berkley. Jorma Kaukonen does the vocals and acoustic guitar, and Jack Casady plays the bass. I put a question mark after Jim Jackson's name as I don't know for sure that he wrote the song, though the earliest recording I could find of "Hesitation Blues" is from the Earl Blue Documents BD613(Au), Jim Jackson 1928-1938.
One thing I like about this song is the way each verse is connected to the next verse by a common article. Money is mentioned in the first verse, then the eagle on the dollar, money again, is mentioned in the next verse. Then in the third verse the duck can be connected back to the eagle. The river, which the duck swims in, can then be connected to the ocean in the next verse. This song has a theme common to blues songs, a man in love with a woman, but said woman wants to see his money before she commits herself to him. The woman's unwillingness to commit herself to the man is driving him to drink and he is at a loss as to what to do, although he is considering moving on to another woman. The acoustic guitar work in this song is excellent and the repetitive main chorus makes this a very listenable song.
Here are the lyrics from Hot Tuna:
Well a nickel is a nickel, a dime is a dime.
Need a new gal she won't mind.
Tell me how long do I have to wait.
Can I get you now, say must I hesitate.
The eagle on the dollar says in God we trust.
You say you want a man, you want to see that dollar first.
Tell me how long do I have to wait.
Can I get you now, say must I hesitate.
Well if the river was whiskey, say I was a duck.
You know I'd swim to the bottom might never come up.
Tell me how long---
Acoustic guitar and bass break
Well rocks in the ocean said fish in the sea.
Know what you mean that world to me.
Tell me how long do I have to wait.
Can I get you now, Lord must I hesitate.
Acoustic guitar and bass break.
Well hesitation's talk has got the hesitation shoes.
You know Lord I get these hesitation blues.
Tell me how long do I have to wait.
Can I get you now Lord must I hesitate.
Say, can I get you now Lord must I hesitate.
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