Festival (1967)

Son House: Self

Photos 

Quotes 

• Son House : The blues, what I try to explain, the real old blues, me and the Reverend was talking that over this mornin'. He knows that too. The real old blues, no cause for no jumpin'. You go to jumpin', that ain't the blues. They can name it the blues, but it ain't the blues. The blues is just by itself. That's the blues. Need got lonesome and worried, don't know what to do. Thinkin' about your loved one and people that you want to be nice to you. You been nice to them; but, they ain't and you're deceived by 'em. Now, you got the blues by 'em. You don't know what to do. You wants to see 'em. Wonder where they at. Wonder where they goin'. Wonder why they deceived me. I trust 'em with everything I had. I done everything. I turned my heart to 'em - with faith and belief in 'em. And then they get up and deceive me. Now, you don't know whether to cut their throat or to cry again. That's the blues! B-L-U-S-E.

• Son House : [singing]  Boy, did you ever love anybody, When they didn't love you? Is you ever loves anybody, Yes, yes, when they didn't love you? You know it don't look like it'd be satisfaction, Don't care what in this ole world you do...

• Son House : This old time stuff - that was out before he come here. And, so, when he see it, then that's new to him.

• Son House : Cry and you cry alone. Weep alone. You want to shut up in your room someplace. You don't want no company too much. You're not mad with the other people, but, you wanted to lock your door and get in there where you can cry a good fashion. You hear somebody knocking on your door. You don't want to hear 'em! It's not that you're mad with 'em. You don't want no company right now. You want to sit down and concentrate in your own mind and you don't want no botherin'. Even with Daddy, Sister, Mama, nobody. Oh, I wish they would go away.