Poor Boy Blues

"Poor Boy Blues" or "Poor Boy, Long Ways From Home" is a traditional blues song of unknown origin. As with most traditional blues songs, there is great variation in the melody and lyrical content as performed by different artists. However, there is often a core verse containing some variation of the line "I'm a poor boy a long way from home." The song is often associated with a slide guitar accompaniment.

The song is often cited as one of the oldest in the blues genre^[1][2] Bo Weavil Jackson (as "Sam Butler") recorded the song in Chicago in 1926 for Vocalion Records.^[3]

Renditions

Many artists have recorded versions, including:

• Chet Atkins and Mark Knopfler on their album Neck and Neck (1990)
• Barbecue Bob – "Poor Boy a Long Ways from Home" (Columbia 1927)
• Jeff Beck – "Poor Boy"
• The Black Keys – "The Moan"
• Jeff Buckley – "Poor Boy Long Way From Home"
• R. L. Burnside – "Poor Boy"
• John Fahey – Takoma, 1959
• Gus Cannon – "Poor Boy Long Ways From Home" (Paramount 12571, 1927)
• HowellDevine – "Poor Boy," Delta Grooves (2012)
• Howlin' Wolf – "Poor Boy"
• Mississippi John Hurt – "Poor Boy, Long Ways From Home" ("Last Sessions", 1966)
• Furry Lewis
• Peg Leg Sam – "Poor Boy" ("Early In The Morning", 1975)
• Poison – "Poor Boy Blues"
• Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee – "Po' Boy"
• Ramblin' Thomas – "Poor Boy Blues" (Paramount 12722A, 1928)
• Booker "Bukka" White – "Po' Boy" (field recording by John Lomax, 1939)

Footnotes

References

• Evans, D. Big Road Blues : Tradition and Creativity in the Folk Blues, Da Capo, 1987. ISBN 0-306-80300-3
• Palmer, R. Deep Blues : A Musical and Cultural History of the Mississippi Delta, Penguin, 1982. ISBN 0-14-006223-8