Monday Morning Blues
(Mississippi John Hurt)
1928
I woke up this morning… woke up this morning…
Woke up this morning, with the Monday morning blues.
I couldn’t hardly find… couldn’t hardly find…
Couldn’t hardly find, my Monday morning shoes.
Monday morning blues… Monday morning blues…
Monday morning blues, made me leave my home.
I’ve been laying in jail… been laying in jail…
I’ve been laying in jail, six long weeks today.
Lord, tomorrow morning… Lord, tomorrow morning…
Lord, tomorrow morning, gonna be my trial day.
Monday morning blues… Monday morning blues…
Monday morning blues, searched all through my bones.
Lord, I asked the judge… Well, I asked the judge…
Well, I asked the judge, what might be my crime?
Get a pick and shoveL.. Get a pick and shovel…
Get a pick and shovel, let’s go down in the mine.
That’s the only time… That’s the only time…
That’s the only time, I ever felt like cryin’.
Well, my heart struck sorrow…My heart struck sorrow…
My heart struck sorrow, tears come rolling down.
Mister change a dollar…mister change a dollar,
Mister change a dollar and
give me a lucky dime.
I woke up this morning… I woke up this morning…
Woke up this morning, with the Monday morning blues.
One’s chances of being arrested on spurious charges and sent into the convict leasing system in the South were far higher than being lynched, and for many just as deadly. Convict leasing persisted until 1942. Hurt recorded the tune during his first recording sessions on Valentine’s Day in Memphis in 1928.