Puneet Varma (Editor)

I Had a Good Father and Mother

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Format
  
10" 78rpm single

Length
  
3:01

Genre
  
Gospel blues

Label
  
Columbia 14566-D

B-side
  
"The Church Needs Good Deacons"

Recorded
  
December 2, 1929; Dallas, TX

"I Had a Good Father and Mother" is a 1929 gospel blues song by Washington Phillips (1880–1954, vocals and zither). The song has sometimes been covered as "I Had a Good Mother and Father"; or with, in both cases, "Real" inserted before "Good".

Unusually, the song does not have a conventional refrain; instead, the verses are separated by a wordless vocalise.

The final verse reflects a concept mentioned several times in the Gospel of John:

The recording history suggests that the song was composed by Phillips himself: there seems to be no earlier or contemporary version, nor any cover version until 64 years after his recording of the song.

  • 1929 – Washington Phillips, 10" 78rpm single Columbia 14566-D
  • 1993 – Palace Brothers on the album There Is No-One What Will Take Care of You
  • 1994 – Kate Wolf on the album Looking Back at You
  • 2003 – Gillian Welch on the album Soul Journey
  • 2004 – Paul Rishell and Annie Raines on the album Goin' Home

    • References

    I Had a Good Father and Mother Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA