Feeling the Monday blues? Why not sing them away! 2/2

So the first half of Monday is over, and New Order’s pop-tastic Blue Monday has gone some way to help fend off the Monday blues. But the second half’s looming, and you think, maybe it’s time to switch gears a little, you know, go for something smoother, cool, like you know, the real folk blues to ease you through the rest of bad ol’ blue Stormy Monday. So here’s another little somethin’ to pull you through…

Song Name: After Hours/Stormy Monday
By: Muddy Waters

Lyrics can be found here.

Muddy “Mississippi” Waters - ‘Live’
By: Muddy Waters
Format: CD [Sound Recording]
Call No.: RAV 782.421643 MUD
For Reference Only
Location: Music Village, library@esplanade

Bob Margolin, who played guitar alongside Muddy in this set, tells the story behind this song, on the night it was played. It is a moving tribute to the man and his genius, and on reflection, a heartfelt mourning at the loss of a voice that will always be heard, but never in the “live” again.

“After Hours/Stormy Monday.”

This may be the most important song on both CD’s because in his playful band introductions, his reminiscing about T-Bone Walker, and his sudden delivery of the deepest blues, Muddy revealed so much of who he was.

Muddy sang this when he took the bandstand for the second set of the night. Muddy had enjoyed playing a strong first set and had been relaxing in the dressing room with his friends and family. He had a ryder in his performance contracts for the venues to provide a bottle of vintage Piper-Heidseick champagne and he probably had imbibed a touch more than usual this night.

He takes the stage, begins to introduce the band and can’t hear himself, so he tests the mic impatiently, “Hello, Hello, who is you?” The soundman had not turned his mic on yet in the club’s sound system though it was still feeding the tape recorder. When he could hear the mic, Muddy slurs “Yeah, hey…” and you can hear the champagne, maybe a little reefer too.

He complains about how the club owner wants two sets, “will not let me leave after one like a gentleman.” He playfully introduces the band and it was one of the few times he pronounced my name close to right. As I begin to play some T-Bone Walker licks, Muddy muses over T-Bone’s recent death — “…never will be replaced-ed….” Lost in music and memories, he doesn’t actually call T-Bone’s name but the subject is obvious to any blues fan when begins to sing “Stormy Monday.” I think this song is the vocal high point of these albums as well as an intimate look at Muddy, the man.

The day after we mixed this song, in August, 2002, I drove to Chicago to pick up Willie Smith, the drummer on these albums, to do some gigs together. Willie lives next to Muddy’s old apartment on the South Side of Chicago. There’s a historic plaque in front of 4339 So. Lake Park.

As I pulled up to the curb, Muddy’s stepson, Charles Williams, came walking by. I hadn’t seen Charles since Muddy’s funeral. I told him we were mixing songs from Harry Hope’s and he told me he used to like the way I played guitar on “Stormy Monday.” Since I had the the CD-R of the new mixes in my van’s CD player, I opened the door and played “Stormy Monday” for Charles. We got goosbumps as Muddy’s unique voice suddenly rang out strong, clear, and alive in front of his old apartment building almost 20 years after his death.

Work Cited
Margolin, Bob. “After Hours/Stormy Monday.” CD liner notes. Muddy “Mississippi” Waters - ‘Live’. New York, NY: Epic/Legacy, 2003.

they call it stormy monday
but tuesday s just as bad
wednesday s worse and
thursday s all so sad

let s just chill and be cool
take it easy
take to the blues
find
it ain t so bad
yeah
find
it ain t so sad