Since music has been on my mind a lot, when I saw the prompt I thought of music involving mothers. First thought was Roger Waters’, “Mother,” but that’s a little too dark for this bright and beautiful day. Instead I’m going for a song about motherless children. Much brighter, right?
“Motherless Children” is found on Eric Clapton‘s exceptionally good album, “461 Ocean Boulevard.” It is the 2nd studio album by Clapton after he got clean from a 3-year addiction to heroin. If this album were a rollercoaster, you wouldn’t find any dead space on it. Released in July 1976, it is one of his most commercially successful, making the top 10 in 8 countries and #1 in 3, including the US and Canada. “I Shot the Sheriff” and “Willie and the Hand Jive” were the two singles released from it. There are some covers on it, including Bob Marley’s, “I Shot the Sheriff” and the song being highlighted today.
“Mother’s Children Have a Hard Time“, also known as “Motherless Children”, is a gospel blues song recorded by Blind Willie Johnson in 1927. It is a solo performance, with Johnson singing and playing an acoustic slide guitar.
Listening to the song, it is not only the slide guitar that jumps out at me, but the drumming by Jamie Oldaker. Dang, man! I’m getting some Twilight Zone goosebumps right now. Looking at wikipedia for information, it says that Oldaker died just a few weeks ago. This explains why the song jumped into my head. Jamie you knocked this tune out of the park with your drumming.
Motherless children have a hard time when mother is dead, lord.
Motherless children have a hard time when mother is dead, lord.
They don’t have anywhere to go;
Wandering around from door to door.
Nobody treats you like a mother will when your mother is dead, lord.
Father will do the best he can when your mother is dead, lord.
Father will do the best he can when your mother is dead, lord.
Father will do the best he can;
So many things a father can’t understand.
Nobody treats you like a mother will when your mother is dead, lord.
Sister will do the best she can when your mother is dead, lord.
Sister will do the best she can when your mother is dead, lord.
Sister will do the best she can;
So many things a sister can’t understand.
Nobody treats you like a mother will when your mother is dead.
When your mother is dead, when your mother is dead.
When your mother is dead, Lord, when your mother is dead.
Songwriters: Eric Patrick Clapton / Carl Radle / Pd Traditional
Paula Light is the host of Thursday Inspiration. Paula says:
This week’s theme is mother and the picture is below. Here is the song snippet from “Your Mother Should Know,” a 1967 song by the Beatles.
Let’s all get up and dance to a song
That was a hit before your mother was born
Though she was born a long long time ago
Your mother should know
Great song Lisa…I like the drums in this and Eric’s guitar…. John Lennon’s Mother would have been too dark also…and painful.
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Glad you like it, Max.
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This is a really good one Li. Your song made me think of the Odetta song Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child.
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Glad you like it, Jim.
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Great tune from one of Slowhand’s best albums ever, IMHO.
If you consider how much Clapton’s heroin addiction dragged him down to the point where he no longer could play guitar and didn’t even care about it, this record is what I would call as miracle or as close as you can get to one.
Tragically, Clapton later on replaced heroin with alcohol but luckily also overcame that addiction.
He’s really one of my guitar heroes, and sadly, I never saw him live. To the extent he still performs, ticket prices are beyond ridiculous – so, no, thank you!
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Glad you like it, and Slowhand. Didn’t realize he later went on to alcohol but glad to hear he recovered from it. He’s one of my guitar heroes as well. Have you heard Doyle Bramhall II? He’s another guitar hero of mine. Clapton was recently featured on one of his albums.
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Clapton has had a quite eventful life with lots of drama. It’s remarkable he was able to pull through all of it.
While the name Doyle Bramhall II does sound familiar, I don’t believe I actually know his music. “The further one travels, the less one knows/The less one really knows” 🙂
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Doyle’s dad was a musician also. The first time I saw him was playing Gilmore’s part in Roger Waters: In the Flesh — Live. He had me there. Been listening to him ever since.
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Thanks for the tip, I’ll make sure to check him out!
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Nice one!
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🙂 Thank you.
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Such a beautiful song. I also love Roseanne Cash’s version. (K)
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Haven’t heard Roseanne’s version but going to check it out right now.
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sounds good with acoustic and Roseanne’s voice also
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she has a way with certain kinds of songs, and this is one of them
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A friend of mine just played this on his radio show. I wore this album out when i first got it. The music on this is so good. I like that JJ Clapton guy.
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Cool!
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