Hambone Riley - The Mud Bug Blues

 

We confess to being perplexed about the title of Hambone Riley's latest, The Mud Bug Blues, but the mystery of the title was dispelled after hearing the song. So hats off to Hambone for piquing our interest; a sign that a song title is a good one! 

Some of the past recordings of Hambone might have given the impression about his sincerity as a musician, but this is a good example of how he's not just about humorous and risque songs, but an accomplished and serious musician. His guitar playing is top notch, here performed on a resonator guitar, and his blues singing is passionate. an all around great bluesman that we're happy to have as one of our artists here at Big And Tall Records!

We didn't know crayfish (or crawdads as we called them when we were kids) are also called mud bugs. We used to catch them near the river bank and use them for fish bait, and they can be a challenge to grab by hand if you don't remember that they're quick and don't move head first. They can scoot pretty quick backwards and hide in the mud (hence the name) or under rocks. And they are really good to eat, and even when you've got some good sized ones it takes a lot to fill you up!  So in the cajun restaurant we used to frequent they're served up by the pail full in an annual Crawdad Festival. They're kind of like mini lobster. Takes a bit to get the hang of eating them; they're boiled up whole, break the tail and body in two. The connoisseurs suck the juices out of the head section and peel the tails while the more faint of heart just eat the tails and sometime the claws. 

We can imagine Hambone's narrator of the story (maybe himself in his younger days) sitting in front of a plate of mud bugs waiting for his lover, but she never shows. And adding insult to injury, he goes to pay for his meal and finds unbeknownst to him that she took all his money as well. Now that's the blues!

Oh, I got the Mudbug blues
Lawd help me, the mudbug blues
My woman's gone, she don't belong
I'm sad from my head to my shoes
 
When I was in New Orleans
I met me a woman there
Me and her hooked up real fast
And it led to my despair
 
Oh, I got the Mudbug blues
Lawd help me, the mudbug blues
My woman's gone, she don't belong
Believin' it my heart just refuse
 
We enjoyed each other for days
Together we seen the sights
Never saw the signs she give me
Amongst all them dazzlin' lights
 
We ate lots of Cajun food
That were as hot as we were
We had a date to have some mo
But she ain't any where

Oh, I got the Mudbug blues
Sittin' here with the mudbug blues
I been abused, and I been used
Cain't even buy me no booze!
 
Sittin' in this restaurant
Done checked my wallet to pay
Guess I gotta stay right here
But I wanna just run away!
 
She stole my money for sure
Done fucked me ever which way
 Stole my heart too, and that's a debt
She ain't never gonna pay!
 
Oh, I got the Mudbug blues
Never get over it again
Won’t forget what she done to me
It's the most worst I ever been!