Midnight Turning Day Blues (Blue Yodel No 6)
Merle Haggard · Same Train a Different Time [1969]
One of these mornings I'm sure gonna leave this town
One of these mornings I'm sure gonna leave this town
'Cause a triflin' woman sure keeps a good man down.
Yes, she left me this morning midnight was turning day
She left me this morning midnight was turning day
I didn't have no blues till my good gal went away.
I got the blues like midnight moon shining bright as day
I got the blues like midnight moon shining bright as day
I wish a tornado would blow my blues away.
Here come them dobro.
--- Instrumental ---
It's like in 1930.
When a man is down and out a woman don't want him round
Hey, when a man is down and out a woman don't want him round
But when a man's got money he's the sweetest guy in town.
A woman will follow you right to the jailhouse door
Hey, a woman will follow you right to the jailhouse door
Then she'll laugh and tell you that you can't fuss and fight no more.
I got the blues like midnight moon shining bright as day Lord Lord
I got the blues like midnight moon shining bright as day
I wish a tornado would blow my blues away.
Yodel le-ee yodel le-ee e-ee e-ee...
Midnight Turning Day Blues (Blue Yodel No 6)
Merle Haggard's 'Midnight Turning Day Blues,' recorded on the album 'Same Train a Different Time,' stands as a quintessential example of country-western storytelling. The track adapts the traditional 'Blue Yodel No. 6,' transforming its folk roots into a narrative about the passage of time and the inevitability of dawn following the darkest hours. Haggard's distinctive vocal style delivers the lyrics with a weary yet reflective tone, characteristic of his work in the late 1960s. This recording captures the essence of the era's country music, blending traditional yodeling with the emotional depth found in Haggard's broader discography. It serves as a testament to his ability to reinterpret classic material while maintaining the integrity of the original song's themes.