Showing posts with label Mercury Blues. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mercury Blues. Show all posts

Thursday, September 22, 2022

Mercury Blues

We have the original by K. C. Douglas, in a field recording from 1952:



It's been covered by country, blues, and rock artists, including ...

The Steve Miller Band (1983):



Alan Jackson (1993):



David Lindley and his band, Ex Rayo-X, took it in a different direction (of course!), with Mister Dave playing steel guitar.

Here's the studio version, from 1981. If you were learning to play steel, as I was at the time, you couldn't have hoped for anything better.



We also have three live versions from Mister Dave and his friends. The first is from Rockpalast (1982):



Here's one from Washington, D. C. (1988):



And here's one from 1999, with an all-star cast including Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, Shawn Colvin and Bruce Hornsby:

Everybody sings it a little bit differently, but here's the main idea:
If I had money, I tell you what I'd do
I'd go downtown and buy a Mercury or two
I'm crazy 'bout a Mercury
I'm crazy 'bout a Mercury
I'm gonna buy me a Mercury and cruise it up and down the road

The girl I love, I stole her from a friend
He got lucky, stole her back again
'Cause she knew he had a Mercury
She knew he had a Mercury
I'm gonna buy me a Mercury and cruise it up and down the road

Hey now mama, you look so fine
Ridin' 'round in your Mercury '49
I'm crazy 'bout a Mercury
I'm crazy 'bout a Mercury
I'm gonna buy me a Mercury and cruise it up and down the road

My baby went out, she didn't stay long
She bought herself a Mercury, come a-cruisin' home
I'm crazy 'bout a Mercury
I'm crazy 'bout a Mercury
I'm gonna buy me a Mercury and cruise it up and down the road

If I had money, I tell you what I'd do
I'd go downtown and buy a Mercury or two
I'm crazy 'bout a Mercury
I'm crazy 'bout a Mercury
I'm gonna buy me a Mercury and cruise it up and down the road
I'm gonna buy me a Mercury and cruise it up and down the road