Larvatus Prodeo

This is a revision of a recent post at Rock n Roll Damnation.

Got A Letter This Morning traces the history of the song Death Letter, a song that is synonymous with blues legend Son House. There is also a podcast that accompanies this post as if we are talking about music it pays to be able to hear it.

While some readers will be familiar with Son House, others may not be. Either way I hope you enjoy this piece of musicology and philatelical history. I’ve split the post into two parts to reflect the music in podcast. Part 1 is over the fold. Part 2 is here.

Death Letter Podcast Part 1 (9.1 MB)

“Got a letter this morning.”

With an almost matter of fact delivery Son House delivers the opening line to Death Letter. The simple statement is followed up by the question “whaddya reckon it read?� The tragic denouement of ‘It said, hury hurry. The gal you love is dead’ setsup one of the great Blues songs and performances of all time (I refer to the 1965 Columbia recording).

The teacher and mentor of both Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters, the legacy of Son House is one of the most important in blues history. It was his voice more than instrumental dexterity that drove his music. His religious upbringing and occasional vocation as a preacher was very much evident in his approach to the blues (and choice and inspiration for material). Death Letter still remains one his best known songs. A stunning performance of grief and loss.

The events in Death Letter were never experienced by Son House himself. He drew on traditional sources for the song. But there is a historical foundation for the song as Mr House relates:

‘Used to be such things as death letters. Of course most of the young generation don’t know nothing about that to much. But the older head do and it can be proven because..well don’t get no ideas y’all because I’m no that old, I just have some young ideas. But this is true though. There used to be that you’d get a letter with a narrow, black stripe all the way around. You’d used in the mail back in, I’d say the 19 and ..and..(19)16, (19)17, (19)18, (19)20. That was true! There was such thing as a death letter. And you would know it when you meet the mailman.’

The black edged letters were also known as mourning covers.

Ernest Mosher who has written a history on such letters and the postal service states:
“Mourning covers can be briefly defined as black-edged posted letters used in many countries, especially during the 19th and early 20th centuries, as harbingers of death and messengers of grief. Mourning covers were as common in the past as wedding and birth announcements are today.”

Postal themes have been quite common in the history of American Folk music. In 1897 Hattie Nevada is credited with writing Letter Edged In Black. Thematically the song is a antecendant of Death Letter though there is little similarity lyrically. It is something of a folk standard and quite a few versions are around.

I was standing by the window yesterday morning
Without a thought of worry or of care
When I saw the postman coming up the pathway
With such a happy look and jolly air

Oh, he rang the bell and whistled while he waited
And then he said, Good morning to you, Jack
But he little knew the sorrow that he brought me
When he handed me a letter edged in black

You can find Marty Robbins singing a version here.

The song Death Letter Blues became something of a standard for Jazz/Blues singers in the mid 1920s. Ida Cox, Helen Gross, Clara Smith and Monette Moore all recorded versions of Death Letter Blues. The theme of The Letter Edged in Black is very much evident but the lyrics had taken on the more traditional blues form. While there are no direct influences on Son House the lyrics were changing from The Letter Edged in Black to something closer to Son House’s 1930 recording of My Black Mama.

I received a letter that my man was dying
I received a letter that my man was dying
I caught the first plane and went home flying

The direct influences on Son House in regards to lyrics and structure of Death Letterwere Ishman Bracey and James McCoy . James McCoy is credited with teaching Son House My Black Mama. As far as I know there are no existing recordings of McCoy and he has been lost to the past.

Ishman Bracey’s Trouble Hearted Blues is an obvious influence on Death Letter (some of the lyrics and themes did end up in My Black Moma) and was recorded in 1928. Bracey eventually gave the blues away to become a preacher (a not uncommon career path back then). Atypically Son House went from a preacher to being a bluesman.

Note that Bukka White’s Fixin’ To Die Blues also references some of the same lyrics as in Trouble Hearted Blues. Blind Willie McTell’s Coolin’ Board is another likely influence.

Down so long, down don’t worry me.
I’ve been down so long [Lord], down don’t worry me.

Don’t believe I’m sinkin’, [see what a] hole I’m in.
If you don’t believe I love you [though], think what a fool I’ve been.

Went to the graveyard, fell down on my knee.
Hollered, “Lord, have mercy on this lonesome place.”

Went to the graveyard, peeped in my rider’s face.
Says I love you rider, Lord, just can’t take your place.

Thousand people (sp.: Lord, have mercy) round the burying ground.
Just to see [them moochers, Lord] let my rider down.

The ‘thousand people’ or ‘ten housand people’ at the burying ground is quite a famous blues lyric.

Please go to Part 2.