Altered Zones

Stuart Leslie Braithwaite of Mogwai says:
I first heard the music of Blind Willie Johnson on the John Peel radio show a long time ago, and it had an instant and transformative effect on me. At that point, i knew nothing of the man; I was just moved by the power and emotion of his voice, and the extraordinary way that he played the guitar.

Born in 1902 around Marlin, Texas, he was abandoned by his mother and lost his eyesight after a jealous stepmother threw lye in his eyes when he was seven. In this song, he laments his abandonment and praises and places his trust in God. It truly is a very special song, sung with utter conviction. The lines-- “I thought when she first left me, I’d grieve for a little while/ Soon it all would be over, I’ll journey on with a smile/But the thoughts as I get older, I think of what I told her/And I just can’t keep from cryin sometimes"-- have a huge resonance, and in conjunction with his slide guitar, just blow me away. I hope you enjoy it.

MP3: Blind Willie Johnson: "Lord I just Can't Keep From Crying" (1928)