Lyrics: Peter Monk
Music: C J Stetson
Recorded Mickey Hart's first solo album, Rolling Thunder,
with Grace Slick, Paul Kantner and others on vocals. Also played live
by Jefferson Airplane. I had assumed that "C.J.Stetson" was a pseudonym for
some of the performers, but see this.
Blind John the guitar playerNotes
Singing out each day
Blind John the guitar player
Love might make him play
Blind John the guitar player
Giving it away
Blind John the guitar player
Never sees the day
Blind John the guitar player
Paid up all his dues
Blind John the guitar player
Singing simple blues
Blind John the guitar player
Gospel means good news
Blind John the guitar player
Tell us something new
And you know he said to me
Just how special life could be
If everybody else could see as clear as me
Old John the guitar player
Taking careful aim
Blind John the guitar player
Songs to ease the pain
Blind John the guitar player
Cooling down the flames
Blind John the guitar player
He ain't got no last name (note 2)
Blind John the guitar player
Fingers on my face
Blind John the guitar player
Never leaves a trace
Blind John the guitar player
Help us through the day
Blind John the guitar player
The night's not far away
And that smile on his face
Shining pennies in his case
Tell us that he's won the race and now he's through
Blind John the guitar player
Singing out each day
Blind John the guitar player
Love might make him play
Blind John the guitar player
Singing out each day
Blind John the guitar player
Giving it away
Blind John the guitar player
Singing out each day
Blind John the guitar player
Love might make him play
[etc]
"C.J. Stetson is not a pseudonym that the performers used, but is a real person. His real name is "Texas" Jim Stalarow. He was a regular in the San Francisco music scene in the late 60s/early 70s, and prior to that briefly managed The Thirteenth Floor Elevators. I know this because his sister was, until quite recently, my landlady. One day we got to talking about Roky Erikson and The Thirteenth Floor Elevators when she brought up her brother Jim and asked if I had ever heard the Mickey Hart album "Rolling Thunder". She let me borrow an old dog-eared copy she had on vinyl, saying that "he was going by the name C.J. Stetson at the time". Then she showed me the photo montage on the album cover and pointed him out, and I knew she wasn't lying. They look very much alike. His headshot is in the lower right hand corner of the montage--- the person with the fu-manchu beard to the immediate right of the guy in the striped shirt. She said he had passed away, but she didn't tell me when."(2) Thanks to Rob Gualtieri for clarifying this line.
Recordings | |||||
Date | Album | Recorded By | |||
studio 1972 | Rolling Thunder | Mickey Hart | |||
22 Sep 1972 | Last Flight | Jefferson Airplane |