Rollin’ and Tumblin’ e’ un brano del blues suonato, interpretato e modificato cosi’ tante volte e da tanti musicisti da essere considerato un traditional.
La prima versione mai registrata portava il titolo Minglewood blues dei Gus Cannon’s Jug Stompers (Victor,1928). Hambone Willie Newbern la incise come Roll and Tumble Blues nel1929 e finalmente, nel 1936 Robert Johnson come If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day.
Nei primi anni ‘40 fu la volta di John Lee Hooker che la intitolo’ Rollin’ Blues, ma esattamente nel 1950 Muddy Waters incise Rolling and Tumbling in quella versione che sara’ una delle piu’ amate e, forse, la piu’ conosciuta tra tutte.
A seguire, negli anni ‘60, la suonarono i Canned Heat, Johnny Winter, Bob Dylan, i Cream, Jeff Beck e molti altri;i versi della canzone, ogni volta rimaneggiati e adattati dai diversi musicisti, vengono classificati tra le prison-themed lyrics e raccontano la storia di una fuga…
Well, I rolled and I tumbled,
Cried the whole night long.
Well, I rolled and I tumbled,
Cried the whole night long.
Well, I woke up this mornin,
Didn’t know right from wrong.
Well, I told my baby,
Before I left that town.
Well, I told my baby,
Before I left that town.
Well, don’t you let nobody,
Tear my barrelhouse down.
Well, ahh, mmm-hmmm,
Owww, oww ooo, aww, oww, oh.
Aaa, mmm-hmmm, oww, oh oh oh
Owww, oww ooo, aww, oww, oh.
Well, if the river was whiskey,
And I was a divin duck.
Well, if the river was whiskey,
And I was a divin duck.
Well, I would dive to the bottom,
Never would I come up.
Well, I could a had a religion,
This bad old thing instead.
Well, I could a had a religion,
This bad old thing instead.
Well, all whiskey and women,
Would not let me pray.
Muddy Waters
1950
