Cocaine Blues: A Brief History

I'm currently reading journalist Joe Klein's Woody Guthrie biography, an unbelievably in-depth and historically detailed account of the songwriter's life. While taking a break from the book, I looked up a few of Woody's songs and found "Bad Lee Brown (Cocaine Blues)" which I immediately realized was also one of my favorite Johnny Cash songs—"Cocaine Blues"—famously performed live at Folsom Prison in 1968. The song's origins, however, date further back than Guthrie. It was originally written by T. J. "Red" Arnall around 1947 as a reworking of the traditional Western song "Little Sadie." I couldn't find Arnall's version, but Bob Dylan covered it in his 1970 album Self Portrait.

Bob Dylan - "Little Sadie" (from Self Portrait)

Woody Guthrie - "Bad Lee Brown (Cocaine Blues)" (from The Asch Recordings, Vol. 4)

Johnny Cash - "Cocaine Blues" (from At Folsom Prison)

There are several other popularized versions of "Cocaine Blues," including an eight-bar blues song attributed to Reverend Gary Davis. Both Keith Richards and Townes Van Zandt mention it as one of the first songs that they learned how to fingerpick.

Townes Van Zandt- "Cocaine Blues" (from Live at the Old Quarter, Houston, Texas)

Keith Richards - "Cocaine Blues"

Bob Dylan - "Cocaine Blues (live 1997)" (from Tell Tale Signs)

Lastly, here is a version of "Tell It To Me," also sometimes referred to as "Cocaine Blues."

Old Crow Medicine Show - "Tell It To Me" (from O.C.M.S.)

Introducing Justin Townes Earle

Here's what you'll read when you see the name Justin Townes Earle: his father is rebel folk legend and icon Steve Earle, a recovering drug addict (who played the role of Waylon in HBO's the Wire); he's named after Townes Van Zandt, considered one of the all-time great songwriters; he himself is a recovering drug addict and at one point was kicked out of his own father's touring band. 

What you'll also read is that his second album, Midnight At The Movies, is damn good. His best yet. While people like Kenny Chesney and Carrie Underwood strangle the remaining bits of life out of country music, Earle is pumping his own blood back into it—whether or not anyone cares or listens. Songs like "Black Eyed Suzie" display Earle at his best: an upbeat and lively bluegrass rhythm, earthy and acoustic instrumentation, and dark and intimate lyrics (this time about a prostitute that was a former lover) colored by Earle's own distinctive and nasally bad-is-good Dylanesque voice.

Justin Townes Earle - "Black Eyed Suzy" (from Midnight At The Movies)