Fixin' to Die Blues
Bukka White
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I'm lookin' funny in my eyes and I believe I'm fixin' to die, believe I'm fixin' to die I'm lookin' funny in my eyes and I believe I'm fixin' to die I know I was born to die but I hate to leave my children cryin' Just as sho' as we livin', just as sho' we born to die, sho' we born to die Just as sho' as we livin', sho' we born to die I know I was born to die but I hate to leave my children cryin' Your mother treated me children like I was her baby child, was her baby child Your mother treated me like I was her baby child That's why's I find it so hard to come back home to die So many nights at the fireside, how my children's mother would cry, how my children's mother would cry So many nights at the fireside, how my children's mother would cry Cause I told the mother I had to say goodbye Look over yonder, on the burying ground, on the burying ground Look over yonder, on the burying ground Yon' stand ten thousand, standin' still to let me down Mother take my children back, before they let me down, before they let me down Mother take my children back, 'fore they let me down I don't need for them to screamin' and cryin' on the graveyard ground
The easy, fast & fun way to learn how to sing: 30DaySinger.com
Written by: Booker T. Washington
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
7 facts about this song
Origin of the Song"Fixin' to Die Blues" was originally written and performed by Delta blues musician Bukka White in 1940.
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Genre DescriptionThis song is a prime example of Delta Blues, a genre of music native to the Southern US that combines traditional African music with new world influences.
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Bob Dylan's VersionFolk-rock legend Bob Dylan covered "Fixin' to Die Blues" during his early career, acknowledging the influence of the Delta Blues on his own work. The song was included in his debut studio album Bob Dylan, released in 1962.
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Dylan's InspirationDylan, known for his poetic and socially conscious lyrics, drew significant inspiration from White's works, with "Fixin' to Die Blues" ranking amongst his favorite songs to cover.
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Song Meaning"Fixin' to Die Blues" recounts the despair of a man who feels death approaching. It is a powerful song dealing with existential dread and impending doom, themes that resonate well with Dylan's own songwriting.
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Led Zeppelin's TributeWhile Led Zeppelin didn't directly cover "Fixin' to Die Blues", they did recognize Bukka White's influence on their music. Lead vocalist Robert Plant often identified White as one of his main influences and Zeppelin’s "Hats Off to (Roy) Harper," from their third album, contains echoes of "Fixin' to Die Blues."
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White's LegacyBukka White was largely forgotten during the 1950s and 1960s until his discovery by blues enthusiasts in the 1960s. His song "Fixin' to Die Blues" in itself has become a standard in the blues genre, covered by numerous artists across generations.
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"Fixin' to Die Blues Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 13 May 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/7178715/Bukka+White/Fixin%27+to+Die+Blues>.
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