Dry Well Blues
by 
Charley Patton 
recording of 1929-1934 
from 
Charley Patton: Founder Of The Delta Blues (Yazoo L-1020) 
Way down in 
Lula 
, hard livin' has done hit 
Way down in Lula, hard livin' has done hit 
Lord, your drought come an' caught us, an' parched up all the tree 
Aw, she stays over in Lula, bid that ol' town goodbye 
Stays in Lula, bidding you the town goodbye 
'Fore I would come to know the day, oh, the Lula well was gone dry 
Lord, there're citizens around Lula, aw, was doin' very well 
Citizens around Lula, aw, was doin' very well 
Now they're in hard luck together, 'cause rain don't pour nowhere 
I ain't got no money and I sure ain't got no hope 
I ain't got no money and I sure ain't got no hope 
...come in, furnished all the cotton and crops 
Boy, they tell me the country, Lord, it'll make you cry 
Lord, country, Lord, it'll make you cry 
Most anybody, Lord, hasn't any water in the bayou 
Lord, the Lula womens, Lord, puttin' Lula young mens down 
Lula men, oh, puttin' Lula men down 
Lord, you outta been there, Lord, the womens all leavin' town 
__________ 
Note 1: at the time he recorded this song, Patton lived in Lula, Mississippi; 
Note 2: this part of the song is so garbled that even an attempt at a phonetic transcription is doomed to fail, the poor sound quality of the recording doesn't help either; 
Note 3: if "bayou" is indeed the rhyme word of this verse, it's pronounced as "by"