Fixin' to Die (Blues) (Bukka White)

Booker T. Thomas White Jr (?), Ginger Boatwright, Carsten Dane, Justin Alexander Adams and others are also registrated as composers for the copyright on this titel [GEMA]

Sources:

Wikipedia

Sheet Music:

Universal/MCA Music

Recordings:

1940 - Bukka White - Chicago IL - March 8, 1940 - WC-2989-A Vocalion 05588 - Bukka White (v,g), Washboard Sam (wb) - listen on YouTube

1962 - Bob Dylan - New York City - Nov. 20, 1961 - Columbia, on: Bob Dylan - Bob Dylan (v,g)

(1962) - Bob Dylan - March 11?, 1962 - New York City - Yellow Dog, on: Folksinger's Choice (released 1992) - Bob Dylan (v,g)

1963 - Dave van Ronk - April 1962 - Prestige, on: Folksinger

(1963) - Bukka White - Adelphi 9903, on: 1963 isn't 1962, Adelphi (released 1994) - Bukka White

1964 - Koerner, Ray & Glover - on: Lot's More Blues, Rags & Hollers

1967 - Dave Van Ronk - on: Dave Van Ronk, Folksinger

1968 - Backwards Sam Firk - on: True Blues and Gospel

1976 - Stretch - on: You Can't Beat Your Brain for Entertainment

1984 - Col. Bruce Hampton - on: Arkansas

1992 - Railroad Jerk - on: Raise the Plow

1993 - Dave Moore - on: Over My Shoulder

1995 - Spacemen 3 - on: For All the Fucked Up Children of This World We Give You...

1998 - James Colin - on: National Steel

2000 - The Codetalkers - on: Bootleg Live!

2000 - Sourmash - on: I Never Do This - (Version Bob Dylan)

2002 - Dockery Dawgs - on: Moan

2002 - Robert Plant - on: Dreamland - "Funny in My Mind (I Believe I'm Fixin' to Die)" (Version Bob Dylan)

2002 - Rory Block - on: Women in (E)motion

2003 - Dave McLean - on: Blues From the Middle - "Fix'n to Die"

2007 - Eli Cook - on: Miss Blues' Child

2007 - Mare Edstrom - on: Sugar Sweet

2007 - Chuck Ragan - on: Feliz

2009 - I'll Be John Brown - on: I'll Be John Brown

2009 - Spirit - on: California Blues Redux (Composer Leadbelly [allmusic.com]?)

? - Richard Ray Farrell - on: Acoustic Roots

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm lookin' funny in my eyes
I b'lieve I'm fixin' to die
B'lieve I'm fixin' to die
I'm lookin' funny in my eyes.
B'lieve I'm fixin' to die.
I know I was born to die,
But I hate to leave my children around cryin'.

Just as sho' we live
It's a sho' we's born to die
Sho' we's born to die
Just as sho's we live
Sho' we's born to die.
I know I was born to die
But I hate to leave my children around cryin'.

Yo mother treated me, children
Like I was her baby child
Was her baby child
Yo mother treated me
Like I was her baby child
That's why's I sighed
Sighed so hard and 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 buryin' ground
On the buryin' 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
Ain't no need a-them screamin' an cryin'
On the graveyard ground.

Version Bob Dylan:

Feeling funny in my mind, Lord,
I believe I'm fixing to die.
Feeling funny in my mind, Lord
I believe I'm fixing to die.
Well, I don't mind dying
But I hate to leave my children cryin'.

Well, I look over yonder
To that burying ground.
Look over yonder
To that burying ground.
Sure seems lonesome,
Lord, when the sun goes down.

Feeling funny in my eyes, Lord,
I b'lieve I'm fixing to die, fixing to die.
Feeling funny in my eyes, Lord,
I b'lieve I'm fixing to die.
Well, I don't mind dying but
I hate to leave my children cryin'.

There's a black smoke rising, Lord,
It's rising up above my head, up above my head.
There's a black smoke rising, Lord,
It's rising up above my head.
And tell Jesus
Make up my dying bed.

I'm walking kind of funny, Lord,
I b'lieve I'm fixing to die, fixing to die.
Yes I'm walking kind of funny, Lord,
I believe I'm fixing to die, fixing to die, fixing to die.
Well, I don't mind dying
But I hate to leave my children crying.