Lord I'm Discouraged

- Charley Patton

Tom Feldmann - National Reso-Phonic guitar/vocals

Lyrics

Sometimes I get discouraged and think my works in vain

But the Holy Spirit whispers, and revives my soul again

There'll be glory, wondrous glory when we reach that other shore

There'll be glory, wondrous glory, praising Jesus evermore

I'm on my way to glory, to that happy land so fair

I'll soon reside with God's army, with the Saints of God up there

There'll be glory, wondrous glory when we reach that other shore

There'll be glory, wondrous glory, praising Jesus evermore

Fight on you Christian soldiers with faith, hope and love

And when the battle is over he will take you home above

There'll be glory, wondrous glory when we reach that other shore

There'll be glory, wondrous glory, praising Jesus evermore

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Charley Patton is considered the "Father" or "King" of Delta Blues. It is said that he learned to play from Henry Sloan at the legendary Dockery Plantation, "the place where the blues was born."

"Lord I'm Discouraged" recorded for Paramount in 1929, was taken from Rev. Edward Clayborn's song "There'll Be Glory" released a few years earlier, and appears on many of the available Charley Patton discs.  All versions of the song are the same. I have it from the collection put together by Yazoo Records called King of the Delta Blues.

Although defined or "confined" as a Delta blues legend, Patton was a "jack-of-all-trades".  His repertoire consisted of white hillbilly songs, nineteenth century ballads, spirituals, minstrel songs and country dance music.

His songs were much more than just the usual songs of woman trouble. He played topical songs about the current natural disasters, sang about the injustices in a racist society, and poured out his own intensely personal experiences.

He only recorded 3 times, 2x in 1929 and again in 1930. He was born in Mississippi most likely in 1891 and died in 1934.

More info on Charley Patton