Sylvester went out on his lot, he looked at his mule
And he decided he send the President some news
Sylvester went out on his lot, and he looked at his mule
And he decided he send the President some news
Sylvester walked out across his field, begin to pray and moan
He cried, "Oh, lord, believe I'm gonna lose my home"
Sylvester walked out across his field, begin to pray and moan
He cried, "Oh, lord, believe I'm gonna lose my home"
[Play it, Dennis] (*)
He thought about the President, he got on the wire
"If I lose my home, I believe I'll die"
He thought about the President, he got on the wire
"If I lose my home, I believe I'll die"
First time he called, he get him somebody else
"I don't want to talk to that man, I want to speak to Mr. President Roosevelt"
First time he called, he get him somebody else
"I don't want to talk to that man, I want to speak to Mr. President Roosevelt"
He said, "Now, Sylvester, you can rest at ease
Catch that big, black jackass and go to the field"
He said, "Now, Sylvester, you can rest at ease
Catch that big, black jackass and go to the field"
And he decided he send the President some news
Sylvester went out on his lot, and he looked at his mule
And he decided he send the President some news
Sylvester walked out across his field, begin to pray and moan
He cried, "Oh, lord, believe I'm gonna lose my home"
Sylvester walked out across his field, begin to pray and moan
He cried, "Oh, lord, believe I'm gonna lose my home"
[Play it, Dennis] (*)
He thought about the President, he got on the wire
"If I lose my home, I believe I'll die"
He thought about the President, he got on the wire
"If I lose my home, I believe I'll die"
First time he called, he get him somebody else
"I don't want to talk to that man, I want to speak to Mr. President Roosevelt"
First time he called, he get him somebody else
"I don't want to talk to that man, I want to speak to Mr. President Roosevelt"
He said, "Now, Sylvester, you can rest at ease
Catch that big, black jackass and go to the field"
He said, "Now, Sylvester, you can rest at ease
Catch that big, black jackass and go to the field"
(*) Nome di un pianista, purtroppo sconosciuto, cui sovente Memphis Minnie si rivolge nelle sue registrazioni.
Contributed by Bernart Bartleby - 2017/12/6 - 11:56
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Scritta da Memphis Minnie (nome d’arte di Lizzie Douglas, 1897-1973), a partire da un sermone del Rev. J.M. Gates di Atlanta
Nella raccolta “Memphis Minnie – Complete Recorded Works 1935-1941 In Chronological Order: Vol. 1 (10 January To 31 October 1935)”, pubblicata dall’austriaca Document Records nel 1991
Sylvester Harris era un contadino afroamericano di Columbus, Mississippi. Rischiò di essere travolto dalla Grande Depressione, come tanti, ma lui non si diede per vinto e si attaccò al telefono cercando di parlare direttamente con il presidente Roosevelt alla Casa Bianca. Dopo innumerevoli tentativi ci riuscì, il presidente lo aiutò impedendo che la banca si prendesse la fattoria ed il mulo di Sylvester, Jesse, perché il contadino non era riuscito a pagare le rate di un mutuo. Sylvester Harris divenne famoso in tutti gli USA. Lui non mancò mai di ringraziare FDR (così gli americani chiamavano il loro presidente, Franklin Delano Roosevelt) e tutti gli anni gli fece arrivare un tacchino per il giorno del ringraziamento.