Gonna journey up the Hudson
goin' on a lonesome trail
Gonna journey up the Hudson,
goin' on a lonesome trail
They can put me in the Death House
or keep me in Sing Sing jail
I wrote in, asked the warder
“Why they call the jail Sing Sing?"
I wrote in, asked the warder
“Why they call the jail Sing Sing?"
He said, “Stand here by this rock pile
and listen to them hammering”
The jury's in the courthouse
papers sellin' for fifty cents
The jury's in the courthouse
papers sellin' for fifty cents
All the juries tryin' to jail me
my lawyer pleadin' self defence.
The judge says, “Listen Bessie
tell me why you killed your man”
The judge says, “Listen Bessie
tell me why you killed your man”
I said, “Judge, you ain't no woman
and you can't understand”
“You can send me up the river
or send me to that mean old jail
You can send me up the river
or send me to that mean old jail,
I killed my man
and I don't need no bail”
goin' on a lonesome trail
Gonna journey up the Hudson,
goin' on a lonesome trail
They can put me in the Death House
or keep me in Sing Sing jail
I wrote in, asked the warder
“Why they call the jail Sing Sing?"
I wrote in, asked the warder
“Why they call the jail Sing Sing?"
He said, “Stand here by this rock pile
and listen to them hammering”
The jury's in the courthouse
papers sellin' for fifty cents
The jury's in the courthouse
papers sellin' for fifty cents
All the juries tryin' to jail me
my lawyer pleadin' self defence.
The judge says, “Listen Bessie
tell me why you killed your man”
The judge says, “Listen Bessie
tell me why you killed your man”
I said, “Judge, you ain't no woman
and you can't understand”
“You can send me up the river
or send me to that mean old jail
You can send me up the river
or send me to that mean old jail,
I killed my man
and I don't need no bail”
Contributed by Bernart - 2013/10/8 - 11:48
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Scritta da Porter Grainger & Freddie Johnson.
Incisa da Bessie Smith nel 1924, in seguito nella raccolta intitolata “The Empress” pubblicata nel 1971.
Canzone “femminista” in cui, per una volta, è la donna che ammazza il proprio maschio, stanca dei tradimenti e delle violenze subite:
- “Perché Bessie hai ammazzato il tuo uomo?”
- “Giudice, tu non puoi capire perché non sei una donna. Puoi mandarmi dove vuoi, anche nel braccio della morte a Sing Sing: ho ucciso il mio uomo e non sono affatto pentita, non chiedo perdono!”