Poor Boy Blues

Poor Boy Blues or Poor Boy, Long Ways From Home is a traditional blues song of unknown origin. As with most traditional blues songs, there is great variation in the melody and lyrical content as performed by different artists. However, there is often a core verse containing some variation of the line "I'm a poor boy a long way from home." The song is often associated with a slide guitar accompaniment.

The song is often cited as one of the oldest in the blues genre (Evans, 1987 and Palmer, 1982).

Many artists have recorded versions, including:

* Barbecue Bob - "Poor Boy a Long Ways from Home" (Columbia 1927)
* R. L. Burnside - "Poor Boy"
* The Black Keys - "The Moan"
* Furry Lewis
* Mississippi John Hurt - "Poor Boy, Long Ways From Home" ("Last Sessions", 1966)
* Gus Cannon - "Poor Boy Long Ways From Home" (Paramount 12571, 1927)
* Peg Leg Sam - "Poor Boy" ("Early In The Morning", 1975)
* Ramblin' Thomas - "Poor Boy Blues" (Paramount 12722A, 1928)
* Howlin' Wolf - "Poor Boy"
* John Dudley - "Po' Boy Blues"
* Booker "Bukka" White - "Po' Boy" (field recording by John Lomax, 1939)
* Rochelle French - "Po' Boy, Long Ways From Home" (field recording by Alan Lomax and Zora Neale Hurston, 1935)
*Bo Weavil Jackson - "Poor Boy" - (Paramount 1926)

References

* Evans, D. "Big Road Blues : Tradition and Creativity in the Folk Blues", Da Capo, 1987. ISBN 0-306-80300-3
* Palmer, R. "Deep Blues : A Musical and Cultural History of the Mississippi Delta", Penguin, 1982. ISBN 0-14-006223-8