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154:, on December 3, 1927. The lyrics are autobiographical, since Johnson's mother died when he was young. His father remarried soon after her death, and later, the stepmother allegedly threw a caustic solution, which blinded the boy: "Motherless children have a hard time, mother's dead, Well don't have anywhere to go, Wandering 'round from door to door".
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describes
Johnson's slide guitar playing as having "a nuance and delicacy that extended and clarified the emotion of his singing", which is supported by his rhythmic fingerpicked bass line. Columbia issued the song on a
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with the title "Mother's
Children Have a Hard Time". Charters notes that this was based on a misinterpretation of Johnson's lyrics and the correct title is "Motherless Children Have a Hard Time".
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currently lists "Mother's
Children Have a Hard Time" as BMI Work #6763772 and "Johnson Willie" as the songwriter/composer.
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Following
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This article is about the Blind Willie
Johnson song. For similarly titled songs, see
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in 1927. It is a solo performance, with
Johnson singing and playing an acoustic
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326:"Eric Clapton - 461 Ocean Boulevard Album Reviews, Songs & More"
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The Blues Line: Blues Lyrics from
Leadbelly to Muddy Waters
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Johnson recorded the song during his first session for the
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List of songs (with recording & catalogue details)
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376:Ramblin' on My Mind: New Perspectives on the Blues
656:American Epic: The Best of Blind Willie Johnson
545:Take Your Burden to the Lord and Leave It There
304:. Workman Publishing Company. August 28, 2008.
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494:If I Had My Way I'd Tear the Building Down
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611:Everybody Ought to Treat a Stranger Right
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33:Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child
556:You're Gonna Need Somebody on Your Bond
479:Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground
301:1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You die
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184:under the title "Motherless Children".
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530:Bye and Bye I'm Goin' to See the King
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206:"Mother's Children Have a Hard Time"
46:"Mother's Children Have a Hard Time"
501:I'm Gonna Run to the City of Refuge
512:Lord I Just Can't Keep From Crying
508:Keep Your Lamp Trimmed and Burning
490:Mother's Children Have a Hard Time
472:I Know His Blood Can Make Me Whole
237:"Blind Willie Johnson – Biography"
116:Mother's Children Have a Hard Time
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640:The Complete Blind Willie Johnson
534:You'll Need Somebody on Your Bond
355:The Complete Blind Willie Johnson
692:
600:Church, I'm Fully Saved To-Day
40:Single by Blind Willie Johnson
1:
708:. You can help Knowledge by
622:Sweeter as the Years Roll By
589:If It Had Not Been For Jesus
483:It's Nobody's Fault but Mine
380:University of Illinois Press
791:
765:Blind Willie Johnson songs
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585:Can't Nobody Hide from God
523:Let Your Light Shine on Me
468:Jesus Make Up My Dying Bed
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567:Trouble Will Soon Be Over
563:The Rain Don't Fall on Me
770:Columbia Records singles
574:Praise God I'm Satisfied
607:Go with Me to That Land
392:Sackheim, Eric (2003).
704:-related article is a
541:God Moves on the Water
519:God Don't Never Change
29:Motherless Child Blues
374:Evans, David (2008).
442:Blind Willie Johnson
360:Blind Willie Johnson
128:Blind Willie Johnson
108:Blind Willie Johnson
56:Blind Willie Johnson
578:When the War Was On
456:78 rpm records
181:461 Ocean Boulevard
120:Motherless Children
18:Motherless Children
632:Compilation albums
552:John the Revelator
178:on his 1974 album
118:", also known as "
72:, December 3, 1927
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648:The Soul of a Man
596:The Soul of a Man
368:Legacy Recordings
362:. New York City:
311:978-0-7611-5385-6
265:, pp. 17–18.
157:Blues researcher
126:song recorded by
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16:(Redirected from
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246:. Retrieved
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176:Eric Clapton
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132:slide guitar
124:gospel blues
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83:Gospel blues
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755:Blues songs
760:1927 songs
749:Categories
702:blues song
248:August 27,
188:References
138:Background
449:Original
217:March 31,
146:label in
451:Columbia
352:(1993).
331:AllMusic
242:AllMusic
144:Columbia
122:", is a
95:Columbia
62:Recorded
659:(2017)
651:(2003)
643:(1993)
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148:Dallas
66:Dallas
52:Single
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152:Texas
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70:Texas
706:stub
402:ISBN
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250:2011
219:2019
31:and
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211:BMI
201:BMI
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