Death Letter
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"Death Letter", also known as "Death Letter Blues", is the signature song of influential blues musician Son House. It is structured upon House's earlier recording "My Black Mama, part 2" from 1930. House's 1960s performance was on a metal-bodied National resonator guitar using a copper slide.
Lyrically, the song is about a man who learns of the death of the woman he loves through a letter delivered to him early in the morning. The narrator later views her body on the cooling board at the morgue, attends her funeral, and returns to his home in a state of depression.
House's lyrics draw from traditional sources. Other blues musicians recorded related songs, including Lead Belly ("Death Letter Blues"), Ishman Bracey ("Trouble Hearted Blues"), Ida Cox ("Death Letter Blues"), Robert Wilkins ("Nashville Stonewall") and Blind Willie McTell ("On The Cooling Board").
"Death Letter" was the centerpiece of Son House's live performances during the blues revival of the 1960s. House often altered the tempo and lyrics for different performances of "Death Letter", occasionally playing the song more than once during the same concert. Some renditions exceeded fifteen minutes in length.
The song has been reworked by other major bluesmen. Robert Johnson, who was heavily influenced by Son House, may have incorporated and reworked "My Black Mama" / "Death Letter" into his own song, "Walking Blues", though that title also has its own pedigree in versions by Son House and in Charlie Patton's work. Skip James reworked the music and lyrics into his song "Special Rider Blues". Avant-garde blues artist Jandek reworked a verse from "Death Letter" into his song "I Went Outside". Muddy Waters's closely related song about the same subject is "Burying Ground".
"Death Letter" has been recorded by several popular musicians, including the Blues Band, Grateful Dead, John Mellencamp, Chris Thomas King, David Johansen, Tony McPhee, The Derek Trucks Band, The White Stripes and The Tallest Man on Earth. The White Stripes performed part of the song live at the 2004 Grammy Awards. The song has also been given a hardcore punk makeover by Canadian punk rock band Eamon McGrath & The Wild Dogs. It was also featured in the 2005 horror/suspense film The Skeleton Key, as performed by Johnny Farmer. The song has also been recorded by Diamanda Galás, Cassandra Wilson, Preacher Boy, Gov't Mule, Cal Williams Jr. and Geoff Muldaur.