cliff friend • irving mills
This song is *not* written by Hank Williams, as many country fans seem to believe. That bloke never used more than 3 chords in his songs; often only 2 (G, D). It's not even a country tune. It's a song from Tin Pan Alley, musical "Oh, Ernest", written by Cliff Friend assisted with "lyrics" by music publisher Irving Mills (who often else were credited due to publishing rights). It was first released by Jack Shea (Irving Kaufman) in May 1922. But the 1948 recording by HW made the song famous ... and HW famous. Funny, because HW hardly ever performed and recorded covers, and his manager directly warned against this release.
I regard yodeling a human plague, as well as singing falsetto for no reasons. It sounds ridiculous. But "Lovesick Blues" *is* ridiculous. It's vaudeville, and I've got sense of humour. My former LP collection (got stolen, shit) contained 2 albums with live versions of this snappy tune, both remarkable: "Charlie Pride in Person" and "Don McLean Solo". The first for the purest yodeling I've ever heard; the latter for common skill.
But I've never performed this one in public, and I never will. It belongs to my inner circle of very good and confidential friends.
I got a feeling called the blues oh Lawd since my baby said goodbye
Lawd I don't know what to do : all I do is sit and sigh
that last long day she said goodbye well Lawd I thought I would cry
she'd do me : she'd do you : she's got the kind of loving
Lawd I love to hear her when she calls me sweet daddy • such a beautyful dream
I hate to think it's all over • I've lost my heart it seems
I've grown so used to you somehow
but I'm nobody's sugar daddy now
and I'm lonesome : I got the lovesick blues
cause I'm in love : I'm in love with a beautyful gal
that's the matter with me
well I'm in love : I'm in love with a beautyful gal
but she don't care about me
oh Lawd I tried and I tried to keep her satisfied but that gal wouldn't stay
so now that she is leaving this is all I can say
I got a feeling called the blues oh Lawd since my baby said goodbye
Lawd I don't know what to do : all I do is sit and sigh
that last long day she said goodbye well Lawd I thought I would cry
she'd do me : she'd do you : she's got the kind of loving
Lawd I love to hear her when she calls me sweet daddy • such a beautyful dream
I hate to think it's all over • I've lost my heart it seems
I've grown so used to you somehow
but I'm nobody's sugar daddy now
and I'm lonesome : I got the lovesick blues
For the following CHORD section, fullscreen/horizontal mobile is recommended.
Chords in brackets may be omitted.
A E I got a feeling called the blues oh Lawd since my baby said goodbye E7 A ... A7 Lawd I don't know what to do all I do is sit and sigh D D7 A F# that last long day she said goodbye well Lawd I thought I would cry F#m B she'd do me she'd do you she's got the kind of loving B7 E7 A ... A7 E Lawd I love to hear her when she calls me sweet daddy such a beautyful dream E7 C#7 I hate to think it's all over I've lost my heart it seems D D7 I've grown so used to you somehow A F# but I'm nobody's sugar daddy now B7 E7 A and I'm lonesome I got the lovesick blues C#7 F#m cause I'm in love I'm in love with a beautyful gal C#7 F#m that's the matter with me B well I'm in love I'm in love with a beautyful gal B7 E but she don't care about me E7 A oh Lawd I tried and I tried to keep her satisfied but that gal wouldn't stay B B7 E so now that she is leaving this is all I can say
