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BLUES RUN THE GAME (Jackson C. Frank) Catch a boat to England, baby, Maybe to Spain. Wherever I have been, Wherever I've been and gone, Wherever I have gone, The blues are just the same. Send out for whisky, baby, Send out for gin. Me and room service, honey, Me and room service, child, Me and room service, We're living a life of sin. When I'm not drinking, baby, You're on my mind. When I'm not sleeping, honey, When I'm not sleeping, child, When I'm not sleeping, Then you know you'll find me crying. Living is a gamble, baby, Loving's much the same. Wherever I have played, Wherever I've thrown them dice, Wherever I have played, The blues have run the game. Try another city, baby, Another town. Wherever I have been, Wherever I've been and gone, Wherever I have gone, The blues just follow on down. Maybe tomorrow, baby, Some place down the line, I'll wake up older, honey, So much older, child, I'll wake up older, And you know I'll stop all my trying. Catch a boat to England, baby, Maybe to Spain. Wherever I have been, Wherever I've been and gone, Wherever I have gone, The blues are just the same. @blues Filename[ BLUEGAME JD July01 Popup Midi Player Try another city babe, another town/ “Blues Run the Game” is a song about life on the road being a musician. We’ll encounter several songs with that theme in this list. This is the most bleak. Compare this song with “Breakfast in America” by Supertramp, or Dan Fogelburg’s comments on being on the road in “Leader of the Band”. Interestingly, Frank was not as financially successful as either Supertramp or Fogelburg, so perhaps that colored his perception of the road. Jackson C FrankThis song doesn’t just seem to be about the road though, Jackson Frank seems depressed, or as he calls it he ‘has the blues’. That is such a cooler way to describe depression. He talks of crying, drinking, living his life in sin while missing his woman at home. And he doesn’t anticipate the next town will change his habits or mood all that much—it’ll bring more of the same. “Blues Run the Game” contains all the elements of a great blues song lyrically but also musically: including Franke’s clear deep voice, solid finger-picking acoustic guitar, feeling of melancholy and lack of chorus. There is a beautiful cover version of “Blues Run the Game” by the band Headless Heroes that is a bit more accessible for those who aren’t pure folk fans. Catch a boat to England baby, Send out for whisky baby, send out for gin, When I’m not drinking baby, you are on my mind. Find another city baby, another town, Livin’ is a gamble, baby, Maybe tomorrow honey, someplace down the line, Catch a boat to England baby, written by Jackson C Frank |