Alvin, Dave

Public Domain: Songs from the Wild Land

Public Domain:Songs From Wildl

Book Binder, Roy

Travelin' Man

Cordelia's Dad

how can I sleep?

Dylan, Bob

World Gone Wrong

Grossman, Stefan

Shake That Thing

Lansky, Paul

Folk Songs

Leadbelly

Masters Of The Country Blues

McTell, Blind Willie

1940

Rollins, Sonny

Old Flames

Simpson, Martin

Smoke & Mirrors

Bootleg USA

Stewart, Gary

Battleground

Wood, Ron

Gimme Some Neck

Wood, Ronnie

Gimme Some Neck

Back For Seconds

Danteferno

6 DELIA (D)
All My Friends Are Gone (AFG)
Delia's Gone (DG)
Little Delia (LD)

Don Talley
Black Mountain, NC

DELIA"S GONE
Words and Music by
Blake Alphonso Higgs (Blind Blake)

Now Delia cursed Tony
Twas on one Saturday night.
And she cursed him such a wicked curse,
That he swear to take her life.
Delia's Gone one more round, Delias gone.

First time Tony shot Delia
He show her right in her side.
The second time he shot her,
She gave up the ghost and died.
Delia's Gone one more round, Delias gone.

The reason why Tony shot Delia
Because she cursed him a wicked curse
And if Tony hadn't shot lil Delia,
She might have cursed him worse.
Delia's Gone one more round, Delias gone.

Now Delia's friend is in prison
Drinking out the silver cup
Whilest Delia she lying in the grave
Fighting her level best to get up
Delia's Gone one more round, Delias gone.

On Monday Tony was arrested
On Tuesday his case was tried
The juryman brought him down guilty
He began to rollin his goo-goo eyes
Delia's Gone one more round, Delias gone.

A rubber tire buggy
A double seated hack
Took little Delia to the graveyard
And they never brought her back
Delia's Gone one more round, Delias gone.

I went down to the graveyard
Just to look in my dDelia's face
I said "Delia girl, you know I love you"
But I just couldn't take your place."
Delia's Gone one more round, Delias gone.

Jailor, Oh Jailor!
Tony said, How can I sleep?
When all around my bed-side,
I can hear little Delia's feet?
Delia's Gone one more round, Delias gone.

The man that shot my Delia
He was riding on a wheel,
He rode that wheel so mighty fast
They think it was an automobile
Delia's Gone one more round, Delias gone.

Some give Delia a nickel
Some give Delia a dime,
I didn't give her one red cent
Because she wasn't a gal of mine
Delia's Gone one more round, Delias gone.

Sixty four years in prison
Tony told the judge that aint no time
He said my younger brother's in the penitentiary
Servin nine hundred ninety and nine.
Delia's Gone one more round, Delias gone.

Delia's Gone
Written by Johnny Cash, D. Troops and K. Sibersdorf

Delia, oh, Delia
Delia all my life
If I hadn't have shot poor Delia
I'd-a had her for my wife
Delia's gone, one more round
Delia's gone

I went up to Memphis
And I met Delia there
Found her in her parlor
And I tied to her chair
Delia's gone, one more round
Delia's gone

She was low down and trifling
And she was cold and mean
Kind of evil make me want to
Grab my sub machine
Delia's gone, one more round
Delia's gone

First time I shot her
I shot her in the side
Hard to watch her suffer
But with the second shot she died
Delia's gone, one more round
Delia's gone

But jailer, oh, jailer
Jailer, I can't sleep
'Cause all around my bedside
I hear the patter of Delia's feet
Delia's gone, one more round
Delia's gone

So if you woman's devilish
You can let her run
Or you can bring her down and do her
Like Delia got done
Delia's gone, one more round
Delia's gone

© Bughouse (ASCAP)

Delia, Delia, how can it be?
You love that old rounder,
but you don't love me
Well, that's one more rounder gone
Delia, Delia sitting all around
Some of your old rounders gonna pay my way back home
Sitting on the housetop, high as I can see
You love that old rounder, but you don't love me

Delia's poor mother took a trip out West
When she returned, Delia lyin' in rest
Delia's mother wept, Delia's father moaned
They'd have wanted their poor child to die at home
Rubber tired buggy, two-seated hack,
took Delia to the graveyard, never brought her back

Kenny lookin' high, Kenny lookin' low,
Shot poor Delia with that hated .44
Delia, Delia, wouldn't take no one's advice
Last words I heard her say were, "Jesus Christ!"
Judge said to Kenny, "Here's a natural fact:
you going to wait in jail till Delia come back"

Kenny's in the basement, drinking from a silver cup
Delia's in the graveyard, never come back up
Kenny said to judge, "What's the fuss about?
Just that no good woman trying to put me out"

It was available under the same title as sheet music in 1911.

Based on the other songs Dylan recorded on the same album, we might suppose that he learned it from a Blind Willie McTell record. He may also have heard a Rev. Gary Davis rendition directly in New York. Dylan also covered "Jesus Met The Woman At The Well" (on the 1961 East Orange Tape -- probably learned through Dave Van Ronk), "Death Don't Have No Mercy" (on the May 1961 Minnesota Party Tape), "It's Hard To Be Blind" ((aka "Lord, I Wish I Could See" from Davis' 1935 ARC session -- on the May 1961 Minnesota Party Tape and the Dec 1961 Minnesota "Hotel Tape"), "Candy Man" and "Cocaine" (both from Minnesota "Hotel Tape"). Dylan worked with Johnny Cash (Nashville Skyline) so there is another possible path.

From Robert Shelton:

Before the end of 1961, he [BOB DYLAN] was talking about marriage... planning the ceremony in detail. One winter night at the White Horse, he told Suze and me how it would go: 'We'll get Reverend Gary Davis... to perform the ceremony. Naw, he can just sing the ceremony. And we'll have all the singers there.'

(No Direction Home, London, 1987, p. 131)

Dylan's description of the song, from the World Gone Wrong liner notes:

quote:

---

DELIA is one sad tale-two or more versions mixed into one. the song has no middle range, comes whipping around the corner, seems to be about counterfeit loyalty. Delia herself, no Queen Gertrude, Elizabeth 1 or even Evita Peron, doesn't ride a Harley Davidson across the desert highway, doesn't need a blood change & would never go on a shopping spree. the guy in the courthouse sounds like a pimp in primary colors. he's not interested in mosques on the temple mount, armageddon or world war 111, doesn't put his face in his knees & weep & wears no dunce hat, makes no apology & is doomed to obscurity. does this song have rectitude? you bet. toleration of the unacceptable leads to the last round-up. the singer's not talking from a head full of booze.

---

And here's a 1962 picture of a young Dylan and Rev. Gary Davis. Perhaps Dylan is showing off his version of "Delia" to RGD, who is suitably impressed by the youngster's skills?