Fishing Blues

For the album by Atmosphere, see Fishing Blues (album).

"Fishing Blues"
Single by Henry Thomas
Released	1928
Recorded	Chicago, June 13, 1928
Genre	Texas blues
Length	2:44
Label	Vocalion
Songwriter(s)	Chris Smith
Henry Thomas singles chronology
"Bull-Doze Blues" / "Old Country Stomp" (1928) "Fishing Blues" / "Texas Worried Blues" (1928) "Arkansas" (1928)

"Fishing Blues" (also "Fishin' Blues") is a blues song written in 1911 by Chris Smith, who is best known for "Ballin' the Jack". ^[1] "Fishing Blues" was first recorded in 1928 by "Ragtime Texas" Henry Thomas on vocals and guitar with the introduction and breaks played on quills, a type of panpipe. It is Roud Folk Song Index No. 17692. ^[2]

The song ostensibly describes the pleasures of catching, cooking, and eating your own fish, particularly catfish. The refrain includes:

Here's a little somethin' I would like to relate,
Any fish bite, you've got good bait,
I'm a-goin' a-fishin', yes, I'm a-goin' a-fishin',
I'm a-goin' a-fishin' too.

Recordings

• 1928 –Henry Thomas, 10-inch 78 rpm single Vocalion 1249 ^[3]
• 1930s{?)^{[ citation needed ]} – Sam Chatmon, included on the 1979 album Sam Chatmon's Advice ^[4]
• 1964 –Mike Seeger, on the album Mike Seeger ^[5]
• 1965 –The Holy Modal Rounders, ^[6] on the album The Holy Modal Rounders 2
• 1965 – The Lovin' Spoonful, ^[7] on the album Do You Believe in Magic
• 1966 –Jim Kweskin and the Jug Band, ^[8] on the album See Reverse Side for Title
• 1968 –John Martyn, ^[9] on the album The Tumbler
• 1969 – Taj Mahal, ^[10] on the album Giant Step/De Ole Folks at Home
• 1975 – Lillebjørn Nilsen, ^[11] on the album Byen med det store hjertet
• 1977 –Richard Bargel, on the album Blue Steel ^[12]
• 1984 –John Sebastian, on the 2001 album One Guy, One Guitar ^[13]
• 1990 – Nappy Brown, on the album Apples and Lemons ^[14]
• 2000 –Paramount Trio, on the album At the Crossroads of Collingwood and Fitzr ^[15]
• 2001 –Felonius Blues Revue, on the album Sketches in Blue ^[16]
• 2001 – David Thomas, on the album The Harry Smith Project: Anthology of American Folk Music Revisited ^[17]
• 2001 –Claire Tomlinson, on the album Black, White and Blues, Vol. 1 ^[18]
• 2002 – Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, ^[19] on the album Will the Circle Be Unbroken, Volume III
• 2002 –Teja and Luke, on the album Better Day ^[20]
• 2003 – Disney, on the soundtrack album Finding Nemo: Ocean Favorites ^[21]
• 2003 –Doofus, on the album Handful of Songs ^[22]
• 2003 – Jean-Jacques Milteau, ^[23] on the album Blue 3rd
• 2003 – Artie Traum, Chris Shaw and Tom Akstens, on the album Big Trout Radio: Songs About Fishing ^[24]
• 2003 –David Thompson and Ben Winship, on the album Fishing Music ^[25]
• 2004 –The Juggernauts, on the album As We Like It ^[26]
• 2006 –Blues Etc., on the album Blues Etc. ^[27]
• 2006 –Ben Bonham, on the album Kids Only ^[28]
• 2006 –The Gutbucket Jug Band, on the album Raunchy, Paunchy, Rootless and Blue ^[29]
• 2006 –Gareth Hedges and Lance Bennett, on the album Candy Man ^[30]
• 2006 – Hell's Kitchen, on the album City Streets ^[31]
• 2006 –Peter "Madcat" Ruth, on the album Live in Rio ^[32]
• 2006 –Someday Baby, on the album Backbone Move ^[33]
• 2007 –Bill and Kristin Morris, on the album Not Your Regular Cup of Tea ^[34]
• 2008 –Steve Baker and Dick Bird, on the album King Kazoo ^[35]
• 2008 –Electric Apricot, on the soundtrack album of the movie Electric Apricot: Quest for Festeroo ^[36]
• 2009 –Graham Hine, on the album You'll Be Hearing from Me Real Soon ^[37]
• 2015 –Spuyten Duyvil, on the album The Social Music Hour, Vol. 1 ^[38]

References

1. Elijah Wald: Fishing (Blues) (Chris Smith/Sweetie May), June 10, 2017 Here Wald explains how Smith's original composition differed from the better known version that Thomas recorded
2. "Fishing Blues". Vaughan Williams Memorial Library . Retrieved February 16, 2022.
3. Fishing Blues at AllMusic . Retrieved September 15, 2015.
4. Owens, Thom. Sam Chatmon –Sam Chatmon's Advice at AllMusic . Retrieved September 15, 2015.
5. Unterberger, Richie. Mike Seeger –Mike Seeger at AllMusic . Retrieved September 14, 2015.
6. The Holy Modal Rounders –Fishing Blues at AllMusic . Retrieved September 14, 2015.
7. The Lovin' Spoonful – at AllMusic . Retrieved September 16, 2015.
8. Jim Kweskin –Fishin' Blues at AllMusic . Retrieved September 16, 2015.
9. John Martyn –Fishin' Blues at AllMusic . Retrieved September 21, 2015.
10. Taj Mahal –Fishing Blues, Composed by Henry Thomas / Taj Mahal at AllMusic . Retrieved September 14, 2015.
11. Lillebjørn Nilsen –Fishing Blues at AllMusic . Retrieved September 15, 2015.
12. Richard Bargel –Blue Steel at AllMusic . Retrieved September 15, 2015.
13. Unterberger, Richie. John Sebastian –One Guy, One Guitar at AllMusic . Retrieved September 14, 2015.
14. Wynn, Ron. Nappy Brown –Apples & Lemons at AllMusic . Retrieved September 16, 2015.
15. Various Artists –At the Crossroads of Collingwood & Fitzr at AllMusic . Retrieved September 15, 2015.
16. Felonius Blues Revue –Sketches in Blue at AllMusic . Retrieved September 16, 2015.
17. Tamarkin, Jeff. Various Artists${\displaystyle \wedge }$The Harry Smith Project: Anthology of American Folk Music Revisited at AllMusic . Retrieved September 14, 2015.
18. Claire Tomlinson –Black, White & Blues, Vol. 1 at AllMusic . Retrieved September 14, 2015.
19. The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band –Fishin' Blues, Composed by Taj Mahal at AllMusic . Retrieved September 16, 2015.
20. Teja & Luke –Better Day at AllMusic . Retrieved September 14, 2015.
21. Phares, Heather. Disney –Finding Nemo: Ocean Favorites at AllMusic . Retrieved September 21, 2015.
22. Doofus –Handful of Songs at AllMusic . Retrieved September 15, 2015.
23. Howard Johnson / Jean-Jacques Milteau –Fishing Blues at AllMusic . Retrieved September 14, 2015.
24. Traum Shaw & Akstens –Big Trout Radio: Songs About Fishing at AllMusic . Retrieved September 16, 2015.
25. Ruhlmann, William. David Thompson / Ben Winship –Fishing Music at AllMusic . Retrieved September 14, 2015.
26. The Juggernauts –As We Like It at AllMusic . Retrieved September 15, 2015.
27. Blues etc –Blues etc at AllMusic . Retrieved September 14, 2015.
28. Ben Bonham –Kids Only at AllMusic . Retrieved September 15, 2015.
29. The Gutbucket Jug Band –Raunchy, Paunchy, Rootless and Blue at AllMusic . Retrieved September 14, 2015.
30. Gareth Hedges –Candyman at AllMusic . Retrieved September 15, 2015.
31. Hell's Kitchen –City Streets at AllMusic . Retrieved September 14, 2015.
32. Peter "Madcat" Ruth –Live in Rio at AllMusic . Retrieved September 15, 2015.
33. Someday Baby –Backbone Move at AllMusic . Retrieved September 15, 2015.
34. Bill & Kristin Morris –Not Your Regular Cup of Tea at AllMusic . Retrieved September 15, 2015.
35. Steve Baker –King Kazoo at AllMusic . Retrieved September 15, 2015.
36. Ruhlmann, William. Original Soundtrack –Electric Apricot: Quest for Festeroo at AllMusic . Retrieved September 14, 2015.
37. Graham Hine –You'll Be Hearing from Me Real Soon at AllMusic . Retrieved September 14, 2015.
38. Spuyten Duyvil The Social Music Hour, Vol. 1: Essential Traditional Music Arranged For Today's Listener By Spuyten Duyvil at AllMusic . Retrieved September 15, 2015.