| "Worried Life Blues" "Someday Baby" "Trouble No More" |
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| Written by | Traditional |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Form | Blues |
| Original artist | Sleepy John Estes (1935) |
| Recorded by | Big Maceo Merriweather (1941) Charles Brown (1949) Muddy Waters (1955) Ray Charles (1958) Chuck Berry (1960) Fred McDowell (1964) The Animals (1965) Junior Parker (1969) B.B. King (1970) Keith Richards (1977) Eric Clapton (1980) Bob Dylan (2006) Night Horse (2010) |
"Worried Life Blues" is a song that has become one of the most recorded blues songs of all time.[1] Originally recorded by Major "Big Maceo" Merriweather in 1941, "Worried Life Blues" was an early blues hit[1] and Maceo's most recognized song. It was inspired by an earlier song and has been recorded by hundreds of artists, including several who had record chart successes with their interpretations of the song.
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"Worried Life Blues" is based on "Someday Baby Blues" recorded by Sleepy John Estes in 1935 (Decca 7279). Estes' song is performed as a vocal and guitar country blues, whereas Maceo's is a prototypical Chicago blues. To illustrate the lyrical differences of the originals, the first few verses are as follows:
Over the years the differences have become blurred by various cover versions of the songs, which use elements from both songs, often combined with new lyrics and variations in the music.
Big Maceo recorded "Worried Life Blues" June 24, 1941, shortly after arriving in Chicago.[1] It was his first single (Bluebird 8827) and he was joined by frequent collaborator, guitarist and fellow recording artist, Tampa Red. "Worried Life Blues" is a moderate-tempo eight-bar blues, with Maceo (vocal and piano) accompanied by Tampa Red (guitar) and Ransom Knowling (bass). It became "a major hit"[1][3] and "eclipsed the song that inspired it".[4] Several other versions soon followed, including those by Bill Gaither (1941), Sonny Boy Williams (1942), and Honeyboy Edwards (1942). In 1945, Maceo recorded a second version with additional lyrics, also accompanied by Tampa Red. Titled "Things Have Changed", it reached number four in the Billboard R&B chart.[5]
Over the years numerous artists have covered "Worried Life Blues" or some mixture of it, "Someday Baby Blues", and other elements. Some of these versions include (all titled "Worried Life Blues" except as noted):
Big Maceo's "Worried Life Blues" was in the first batch of songs inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame in 1983 in the "Classics of Blues Recordings" category, alongside "Stormy Monday," "Sweet Home Chicago," "Dust My Broom," and "Hellhound on My Trail").[4] In 2006, the song received a Grammy Hall of Fame Award.[9]