There are many versions of this old blues song but the one I know the best is Them featuring a 19-year-old Van Morrison on lead vocal. This song was the A-side to Gloria when it was released. Gloria ended up being the hit but this one managed to peak at #10 in 1961 and #65 in the UK in 1991.
Morrison based Them’s version on John Lee Hooker’s 1949 arrangement, which he titled “Don’t Go Baby.” He heard the song on Hooker’s 1959 Highway of Blues album.
A pre-Led Zeppelin Jimmy Page, a session musician at the time, played guitar on Them’s version. There’s debate over whether or not he wrote the guitar part or simply played what Them’s Billy Harrison came up with. Whether or not Page is actually the one playing is, itself, debated.
Blues great Big Joe Williams is credited with writing this song, but it was developed from a folk song titled “Long John,” which was recorded in 1934 by John and Alan Lomax for the Library of Congress. That recording captures the song being sung by black prisoners working at Darrington State Prison Farm in Texas. It was a popular tune there because “Long John” was about an escaped prisoner on the run from authorities.
Baby, Please Don’t Go
Baby, please don’t go
Baby, please don’t go
Baby, please don’t go
Down to New Orleans
You know I love you so
Baby, please don’t go
Baby, your mind done gone
Well, your mind done gone
Left the county farm
You had the shackles on
Baby, please don’t go
Before I be your dog
Before I be your dog
Before I be your dog
To git you way down here
I make you walk alone
Baby, please don’t go
Hey
Baby, please don’t go
Baby, please don’t go
Baby, please don’t go
Down to New Orleans
You know I love you so
Baby, please don’t go
Before I be your dog
Before I be your dog
Before I be your dog
Git you way down here
Make you walk alone
Baby, please don’t go
Know how I feel right now
My baby leavin’, on that midnight train
And I’m cryin’
Baby, please don’t go
Oh, baby please don’t go
Baby, please don’t go
Down to New Orleans
You know I love you so
Baby, please don’t go
Let’s go
Before I be your dog
Before I be your dog
Before I be your dog
To git you way down here
I make you walk alone
Baby, please don’t go, yeah
Alright
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That’s one 45 rpm where you got your money’s worth! They both have a primal sound and feeling to my ears. The sound engineer really captured something on these recordings. Great stuff!
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I didn’t know 9-string guitars existed. Big Joe Williams is really good on it! I’m surprised at how close the crowd is around Them. That would never work with The Beatles or The Rolling Stones!
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No they would have got swamped, and pulled off the stage, and torn to bits by teen girls.
I’ve read about 9 strings but never have played with that…
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Muddy Waters used to open his shows with this one. Classic old blues tune.
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Yes it is..we played this song a lot when I was younger. As a bass player I hated it until I started to play guitar on it. It was hard for me to continually do that bass repetition.
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Great song Max. Big Joe Williams also wrote Crawlin’ King Snake which was done by the Doors and Eric Burdon.
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I knew I heard his name before.
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Young Van Morrison looks really cute..
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He does look different. I like seeing those early Them live performances.
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