Delia

I was thinking today of the old folk tune Delia. Many readers will recognize the Johnny Cash version of it - the later one from American recordings that is - but he also recorded it way back in the early 60s. Bob Dylan did a great version of the story on World Gone Wrong. If you can find it though, I recommend Blind Willie McTell's version. I have it on a CD called Atlantic 12-string. Delia is an old story. She loved those rounders and she ignored Cutty. A rounder, often used in card-playing slang, usually refers to someone who knows all the angles. Anyway, Cutty (depending on the version, he is also Curtis or Kenny), enraged, shoots Delia down (often with a smokin 44). "If I hadn't shot poor Delia, I'd have had her for my wife". This theme comes up in a heck of a lot of American folk material. Usually Cutty asks the judge "what will be my fine", and the judge says, "you got 99". In one version, Cutty is sent to the big house until Delia comes back.

By the way, I have a cat named Delia. Usually we just caller her "D".

Blind Willie McTell sang lyrics close to these:
Delia, Delia, how can it be?
You love that old rounder but you don't love me
Well, that's one more rounder gone
Delia, Delia sitting all around
Some of your old rounders gonna pay my way back home
Sitting on the housetop, high as I can see
You love that old rounder, but you don't love me

Delia's poor mother took a trip out West
When she returned, Delia lyin' in rest
Delia's mother wept, Delia's father moaned
They'd have wanted their poor child to die at home
Rubber tired buggy, two-seated hack,
Took Delia to the graveyard, never brought her back

Kenny lookin' high, Kenny lookin' low,
Shot poor Delia with that hated .44
Delia, Delia, wouldn't take no one's advice
Last words I heard her say were, "Jesus Christ!"
Judge said to Kenny, "Here's a natural fact:
you going to wait in jail till Delia come back"

Kenny's in the basement, drinking from a silver cup
Delia's in the graveyard, never come back up
Kenny said to judge, "What's the fuss about?
Just that no good woman trying to put me out"

Bob Dylan sings it this way:
Delia was a gambling girl, gambled all around
Delia was a gambling girl, she laid her money down.

All the friends I ever had are gone.

Delia's dear ol' mother took a trip out West
When she returned, little Delia'd gone to rest.

All the friends I ever had are gone.

Delia's Daddy weeped, Delia's momma moaned
Wouldn't have been so bad if the poor girl died at home.

All the friends I ever had are gone.

Curtis's looking high, Curtis's looking low
He shot poor Delia down with a cruel forty-four.

All the friends I ever had are gone.

High upon the housetops, high as I can see
Looking for them rounders, looking out for me.

All the friends I ever had are gone.

Men in Atlanta, trying to pass for white
Delia's in the graveyard, boys, six feet out of sight.

All the friends I ever had are gone.

Judge says to Curtis, "What's this noise about ?"
"All about them rounders, Judge, tryin' to cut me out."

All the friends I ever had are gone.
Curtis said to the judge "What might be my fine ?"
Judge says, "Poor boy, you got ninety-nine."

All the friends I ever had are gone.
Curtis' in the jailhouse, drinking from an old tin cup
Delia's in the graveyard, she ain't gettin' up.

All the friends I ever had are gone.

Delia, oh Delia, how can it be ?
You loved all them rounders, never did love me.

All the friends I ever had are gone.

Delia, oh Delia, how could it be ?
You wanted all them rounders, never had time for me.

All the friends I ever had are gone.