Skip James sings "Crow Jane"

Blues legend Skip James sings "Crow Jane." From 1967.

[@ClintT13]

I heard three teenagers cover this song about a year ago and was blown away. Good to know there are still a few young kids digging up the good stuff.

[@ExcitedAnacondaSnake-hg8ec]

I listened to this stuff as a teen

[@drinkingmuddywater]

​@@ExcitedAnacondaSnake-hg8ecsame here

[@MichaelStefano-k3b]

@@ExcitedAnacondaSnake-hg8ecme too. Now my band covers delta blues

[@brandonjosephmarcum]

Yeah right. For five dollars I could tell you where you got those shoes too. You can't find anybody who covers anything good no more.

[@theapothecary777]

​​@@brandonjosephmarcumyou're too cynical and making too many assumptions about a performance you haven't heard, your head is probably so far up your ass you can't even enjoy the music in this video anymore as much as you should. Just enjoy the music and don't concern yourself with shitting on a performance you haven't heard, it's a waste of time and energy. Your attitude will lead to your downfall, and people will see through it and stop valuing your opinion.

[@gitaneVYS491R]

Wish I could give this a "like" each time I listen.

[@lithiumfore7233]

I gave it 5 stars back in 2007

[@bilbus3]

I was just wishing the same.

[@derekgreenacre9530]

I saw Skip James in a concert in 1967 and I had never heard of the guy. When he started to play I felt I had undergone a religious experience and my world was changed forever. His music and voice had a haunting quality to it which somehow seemed to make other music seem trivial. When art becomes this powerful it defies all explanations.

[@neilbuchan5088]

This is my favourite Skip James Track. Contrary to the idiots defaming him in other comments here, his father was the bootlegger. He entered a music competition in 1931 in which he played several songs in different blues styles. He was offered a cash prize or royalties for his songs. He chose the latter. As the great depression sunk in he never received a cent. Skip disappeared for 30 years. There was nothing. Then he was discovered in a hospital by some blues enthusiasts. He was visiting 'kin'. They arranged to have him appear at the Newport Folk Festival where he was amazing and can be seen on film. He died in 1969 and is revered by so many including Bonnie Rait.

[@joshuaford2831]

I have to say man, as a guy that is an idiot but appreciates people like you smart guys who have a passion for history, I love your desire to keep these moments in history alive, remember listening to one of his live performances of "Hard Time Killing Floor Blues" and it was clear he was an intelligent man born in the wrong era, would imagine he was smart enough to appreciate royalties over a lump sum in that day and age, bad luck hit him in every aspect of his life. poor bloke.

[@CarlosPEnis]

Even if he was, who cares. Half of my county were bootleggers back in the 30s lol. It's how you made money when there was no other way

[@jobdylan5782]

@@CarlosPEnis i assume the accusation is that he was astroturfed along with most of the 60's blues revival, for political reasons.

[@livingstranger]

The look on his eyes at the end of the song, he feels his music...wow

[@johnnywade8998]

like he was in a trance...lol

[@Stanlayy-em4fk]

I think at this point he'd been battling cancer for years.

[@thatpickingguy]

Maybe he didn't want to look at the camera sitting 2 inches from his face?

[@citygasbatteryriot964]

I've only seen that look in the eyes of Irish singers, like Thomas McCarthy, after emerging from a song. They are on a deep journey, and they invite us to join them on it, rocky as it may be.

[@BrianCarnevaleB26]

the story has meaning to him.

[@funkality]

I've always found the Delta blues to be so powerful. It truly does move your soul.

[@NabiscoOfficial]

Skip wasn't Delta. He was from Bentonia.

[@jesusbrunomontesbugarin8222]

That look at the end of the video 😢, you know that man passed through a lot of stuff

[@Kefacrow]

Exactly. After the build of the performance id finished and you get that look... It is a human who has seen/done horrific things.

[@matthewstokes1608]

No man is beyond repentance and redemption - we don't know the man's mind... There is something Old Testament going on in this song... A man faces judgement - that look at the end is not celebratory or proud or evil... That's a look of repentance and self reckoning... What a ballad. God Bless the man - and maybe old 'Crow Jane' got a strange justice... Stuff happens in this fallen world.

[@JasonAlvarado46]

God I'm so glad youtube exists... It would be much harder to discover great music like this if it didn't.

[@dreamsR4real]

Skip is treasured by so many who 'know and feel' what others can't for some reason. His music cuts through the ribcage and sinew and hits the heart directly.

[@treyokelly3520]

Found this video back in 2006 when I was 14 and been coming back over and over since then. I’m 30 now. Thanks for this upload whoever you are.

[@Jim-oe9pt]

So beautiful! Where would American music be without this saint and all his gifts?

[@joshualayne1]

This is truly one of the greatest songs ever penned by man.

[@bobsmith-ji2uh]

This guy was the best. Really under appreciated in my opinion.

[@KingLouis420th]

This song needs to be for forever....not two minutes!! Thank you Skip!

[@Zeratul723]

Holy shit. This dude rocks. How have I never heard of him? I've been slackin'.

[@feraloracle8239]

this is my favourite song in the world

[@ideath173]

therefore, your future looks bright

[@jamesfreud1]

Ur my kind of woman.

[@0patience4flz]

Mine too

[@citygasbatteryriot964]

So the only truth is death. Taxes are a lie. Hup!

[@goldenthug9]

Bonafide genius in the great Skip James....the guitar play is flawless my Lord Mr. Skip James and the lyrica and feel amazing. America's finest original music

[@citygasbatteryriot964]

The wee flaws are the best bits. The natural improvisations. He seems to care more about the words and boot of the song, than his sparkling backing.

[@jpcohen1978]

Amazing. It seems like every time he played his songs, he played them a little different--like a jazz man--and this is certainly the best rendition I've ever heard.

[@ValleyoftheRogue]

I love Skip James and have since the late 1960s, when I was in my early teens. He was as good in the 1960s as he was in the 1930s despite being in poor health (he died in 1969). Have the three-volume set from where this video was taken.

[@gerardsikma237]

Real good playing! A 'haunting sound'..

[@dreamsR4real]

"never missed that water till my well went dry" THANK YOU SKIP!!

[@brendamello2202]

Even Dion Dimucci of Dion and the Belmonts is a fan. Did an album awhile back called ''Son of Skip James''

[@modernape9878]

I love his voice! And he has such a command over that guitar.

[@crisisactor420]

Unbelievable. You can't teach this kind of blues. Can't shake it either

[@donw171]

The blues is the most beautiful evil you will ever hear....The darkness

[@xxtemuxinxx]

@donw171 interesting description. i'm sure you're aware of the tension between singing inside v outside of the church back in the aughts through the 1920s.

[@janepatton2907]

My name is Jane (tagged with Crazy Jane by friends). In 4 months I’ll be ..70). I did not want a funeral until I heard and watched Mr James do this Crow Jane. Now I want a funeral with this video played. Or at least have it played when they put me only 6 feet under. This is the only music I want to hear anymore.

[@JuanCastillo-nx3oi]

Make it 8 ft under fuck it right 😉

[@mehhhhist]

specifying the spade as being "silver" is somehow very chilling it's the little things

[@divingduck1970]

You can call a spade a spade...

[@antonmikofsky2073]

and a golden chain. This is mythic stuff. Like Blind Willie McTell's "Dying Crapshooter's Blues" -- amazing funeral images

[@Inksmudger]

Anton Mikofsky yeah the silver spade and the golden chain, it’s like some sort of dark fairytale almost.

[@gregarmstrong9334]

that spade is tiny,had a lot of money down inside.............

[@freax1978]

read somewhere that the silver spade refers to a power shovel (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Silver_Spade) and used to "dig his grave ".

[@sirsancti5504]

Idk, man.. It's brutal! Love it!

[@CharlieAnteby]

Skip James. Not only a great talent, but a class act in every sense of the word.Thank you for posting the magnificent piece of blues history and sharing it with others.

[@L3adb3lly]

I don't think I've ever listened to this song just once, always 2 or 3 times in a row

[@TomTom150]

This song is hypnotizing me. I can't help myself but listening to it over and over again. Thanks for posting it!! :-)

[@0patience4flz]

13 years ago?....i just found this...im listening over and over...

[@rattlesnakejake5513]

Damn I’m listening to it NOW

[@interestingusername1049]

14 years ago... this comment is just one year younger than me.

[@withgoddess7164]

This is a truly terrifying song. So upbeat and deadly.

[@gerrybrindel3704]

Man, where have I been most of my life? Thought I knew lots of the blues greats...but holy cow, Skip James was special, love his work.

[@xXscreamblupoxXx]

I wish this was on the radio, the radio would then become a place only for true music lovers.

[@levitane11]

Old Skip got hands as clever as a seamstress but as strong as a god damn sledgehammer.

[@pmanmusicman]

I was born the year this was filmed yet it is timeless. Hard to believe Skip is 65 in this video.

[@gajina-b4i]

seeing that nobody talks about such great artists anymore makes me feel empty. the thought of being (almost) forgotten is pretty scary. glad that there are still people who listen to this type of music.

[@agungwayne3090]

True soul right there.

[@jameat3r]

1:45 Those eyes of a bluesman. Just look at them and understand how great he is.

[@thejoin4687]

It's reassuring to know that this was one of the earliest KZbin vids.

[@frankgoodall6885]

Simply majestic....Crow jane..So profound but brilliant..X :)

[@citygasbatteryriot964]

Word.

[@coyotecreekblues6935]

Every time I listen to Skip sing this I just want to put the song in loop and listen to it over and over again.

[@baptistasilva1984]

Obrigado, Skip James, por permitir a minha alma uma conducção mágica ao Mississipi. Nossos espíritos têm um contacto poderoso desde sempre, viva Skip James.

[@thebisbybisby]

This brings me to tears. Thank you thank ohh thank you for this being in existence

[@0patience4flz]

Try Hobo Blues...john lee hooker....made me cry

[@timmyles314]

This is GREAT MUSIC....too bad there aren't more players like this around.

[@beckett9375]

When I was 5, my grandma gave me an acoustic guitar from the Green Stamp store as a Christmas gift. Figuring out how to play was hard, so I set it aside till I was 12 and got a Skip James cassette for 50 cents from a cutout bin. I worked myself like a dog, trying to play like him. He is still one of my heroes, for opening up the world of music to me. It's long been cool to say Robert Johnson was the greatest bluesman, but Skip James reaches right to the marrow of your bones.

[@maxten]

his style is quite different from the other blues artists. Lots of picking like folk.

[@ChristianHMA]

Skip dedicated his life to the church. He wrote many religious songs before becoming a pastor. You can feel it in his distinguished style he was humble and not dedicated to becoming rich and famous and was a pious man.

[@jonw6921]

He often plays with an open d minor tuning which sets a unique tone. His rhythm is hypnotic too. Chills.

[@davidquinn5430]

Bentonia is style. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bHbcemyegMl9mK8&feature=share

[@MichaelMoore-yt3pu]

@@jonw6921 it's not minor a lot of blues artist tuned by ear once or twice and wouldn't tune often so the guitars are always slightly out of tune from our standards but in my opinion we just tune wrong . Led Zeppelin would tune their guitars to open g then drop them to get that blues sound!!

[@seanleblanc6564]

@@ChristianHMA The way I understood it he was a pimp in his younger days and a curmudgeon suspicious of any other artist stealing his techniques in the 60s. By all accounts he seems like a dick. Great music nonetheless

[@lsw444]

Thank God there is footage like this around. And how else would I be getting to see it other than youtube? Young kids will never appreciate the pre-youtube days...

[@elpanchito421]

this is amazing footage, what a great song.

[@ienjoyapples]

young kids appreciate the post-youtube days. how else would we be getting to see this other than youtube?

[@annaqueen37]

Everyone's gotta enjoy some classic blues every once in a while :3

[@ricardblanc]

I want to cry when I see this. It doesn't get any more authentic than this!

[@thelongdogger]

Its amazing that somebody voted less than 5 stars! I loved it. I think the hardest thing and most rewarding thing is when the guitar compliments the voice.

[@ricardblanc]

What a sense of syncopation along with the loose strings and falsetto voice giving it an erie bluesy feeling that was Skip James.

[@vinniedurrant]

he pours his heart into this song,how can i ever get my guitaring skills up to this standard.

[@citygasbatteryriot964]

Your ear is bent in one of the good, good directions, you'll have you're own sound, voice and style.

[@sasquatch3217]

Brilliant. I'm 29, from Cincinnati and I feel at home right now for some reason. This makes my hair stand up.

[@accentiate2007]

Incredible voice and playing. The master of blues, second to none!

[@the_local_bigamist]

It surprises me that no one has mentioned the look at the end in those eyes. This guy lived thru some shit: Prohibition, the Great Depression, living in the south during those times. Lord knows what happened in his personal life. I think "Crow Jane" might be an old song which he covered but I could be wrong. Either way, it is a pretty dark song if you can listen beyond being amazed by the skill and the style of Skip's playing.

[@DiamondSoul]

Every time I listen to this it always amazes me that it's just one man that's making all that music. :) Brilliant. What else is there to say?

[@abysmal990]

日本人だけど、これを聴くと泣けてくる。言葉や人種を越えて来る何かがある。

[@jonathanamaral3273]

man, the sarcastic thing with the nice melody and the tragical lyric is so intense that it looks like a frickin demon wrote that... Seriously, Skippy, you're scary man...

[@johnanderson2320]

Jonathan Amaral that mississippi delta blues dawwgg!! Itll do that to you and no telling if he had his run in on the cross roads!

[@mr.squirbs7745]

Its about the crow that would bother him in his backyard

[@Exeliz]

Nehemiah James (Skippy) actually had cancer during this recording.. died 2 years later. Kinda puts a lot of the song in perspective to me.. What with his playing being weak and his emotions running so high.. It's beautiful. "I never missed that water, till my well ran dry..."

[@Earthdogbonzo3]

Skip's high, thin and mournful voice is chilling. Especially on a dark quiet night lighted by a full moon. 'Hard Time Killing Floor Blues' . . . . Listened on the night of a blue moon not too far back . . . . in December I believe.

[@laescueladefilosofiaafricana]

Shout out to Mama Africa.

[@tinroofbusted]

Sweet Mother of Jesus this is sweet song. The Lord is singing and saying it through this man, God bless this and us all. Thanks for giving this to us all.

[@erikgiertyk2377]

there is no appearance like this. what did the film makers say to Skip? hey man, we wanna film you playing Crown Jane in front of this building, and he did. this is the most sentimental piece i've ever heard. he nails it to the bone, there is no mistakes, he just play from his heart and kicks it in the ass. this is pure art. thanks for the upload, favorited on many youtube accounts. thanks for saving this piece of history!

[@nickelangelo5070]

Well this was part of the American folk blues festival witch was a collaboration with a bunch of artists, in this particular scene son house and bukka white are sitting next to him. But I agree, skip James is playing straight out of his soul. (As do son house and bukka white in their performances)

[@saulsaul934]

[@TheRoyayers]

Erik Giertyk This is the best description I've ever heard of this master. Skip James and Mississippi John Hurt for me, the most emotional performers. Right to the bone!

[@nickelangelo5070]

majklet oh, my bad. Its on a DVD I have titled american folk blues festival. So I kinda assumed. Good to know though!

[@samwaldorf351]

+Erik Giertyk from 0.58 - 1.03 is all mistook. no mistakes? ha!

[@dazedcola]

wow, that was great.First time i heard that song. We're all lucky that he started to record again in the sixties.

[@likesingjamesloublank839]

SKIP JAMES : A LEGEND

[@markybgoode]

I love this guy. Never heard it before, incredible organic finger picking and what a beautiful voice. Just slammin'!

[@pumpkinheadsteve]

His guitar playing was great but it's really his voice that made him unique I think. It's really haunting.

[@demienpropedo7226]

this is a beautiful song!😍

[@thecorduroysuit]

he plays in open C alot too. But yeah, he is absolutley my favorite bluesman as well. He is the greatest.

[@citygasbatteryriot964]

It's hard to make a choice. All so unique. Elizabeth Cotton / Jimi, the kitterfists. Their choice was survival. Many didn't for long. Skip is so brillliant.. But my first exposure to him was Jack Bruce (also brilliant).Thanks to these early recordings, and this later, dubious technology, we can appreciate and learn something. Nehamiah, but his name really fits with his music, it's Biblical. I'm so glad.

[@eltonjazz]

Just discovered this gem. Will look elsewhere for this beautiful music.

[@battistedennis390]

What a voice!

[@jamesbaker7780]

A unsung influence on music. God rewarded him I trust

[@juangonzalez-cl2uj]

Yo Skip James dope as fuck

[@illuminutteh_2033]

he is 100 times doper than fuck ;)

[@dherndon93]

My Microecon professor showed this to the class for bonus. by far one of the coolest professors i've had.

[@ripoffhitman]

Really inspirtional. I mean, even Robert Johnson would cover Skip James's songs. Skip helped make alternative tunings famous. He'd use open minor tunings, open sus4 tunings, open major, tunings down, using capos, ect. Great guitarest. If you really like the stuff he does here, you'll want "Blues from the delta" which was the stuff he made shortly before he died. If you want to hear his early delta blues, get the 1931 recordings.

[@snote1]

Ditto to Almost all of the above .. I'm hypotized by this Video . Skip is/was one of a very small handful of TRUE BLUESMEN .. his music will LIVE on Forever .. I Pray . Thx again for Posting this . 0_0

[@BM-vi5hk]

Alan Wilson (RIP) brought me here.

[@Scoobiesdoobie73]

omg at the end of the song look at his face that says it all right there, he was feeling it really feeling it omg, I am moved.

[@MarianaCruzMarianaCruz]

Thank you for this :)

[@jarcorframdajel]

Do you like blues?

[@MarianaCruzMarianaCruz]

-- yep:)

[@Ginzy]

many years ago a love in my life sent me this song shortly after breaking up w me... it is a chilling and mean song, but dang it is addictive, beautiful, good, good.

[@Bogdancbn]

more heart in this shit than in poor quality salami

[@evilbunnysanta]

this version of the song is the best. i liked this song before but now its definitely my favorite song by skip james

[@bhekumuzigwala]

This is who Jimi wanted to be when he grew up.

[@Jiv_Ing57819]

If you are revealing an account, that's incredible, yes it would seem so n love jimi 2 ,:-0

[@samuil_maxim]

I love this man...many years after,many bands with much more instruments are trying to do a cover of his songs and it doesn't sound right...and he is doing it with one guitar and with his voice..!!!

[@deacanloyden6735]

Here in 2019, who else?

[@mathewbaldwin5277]

Absolutely pure love for this song.

[@TheRoyayers]

Dramatic, strong !

[@raoufbasit]

One of my favorite blues guitarist

[@kevinatenine9797]

Because of the time period I see Crow Jane as an personification of Jim Crow. Keeping that in mind it is even more dark and depressing. Amazing song.

[@jackfisher4183]

I've always thought of it as a metaphor for drug addiction. What with crow Jane being an old fashioned Southern American term for a dark skinned woman, the references to silver spoons, and not missing the water until it ran dry (like an addiction, not missing something until it's gone)

[@jackfisher4183]

+Jack Fisher i meant to say the reference to dark skinned woman possibly being a heroin reference due to heroins colour

[@kevinatenine9797]

+Jack Fisher I can certainly see that as well. Especially when he mentions he won't anyone take "her" place. I'm no expert on drug addiction but i've read many people who get clean switch to a different or lesser drug to ease their withdrawal, so maybe the guy is trying to quit cold turkey? Thanks for your interpretation.

[@thebrazilianatlantis165]

Crow Jane was an expression that meant dark-skinned female. The song's about feeling like killing your woman.

[@jasonlettorale5177]

BLUES LEGEND!!! There may be equals but nobody is better. PERIOD FULL STOP!

[@twentyeighthunnid]

DADFAD ! Best tuning ever, just so intuitive. Skip's da dadfad master, yeah xD

[@mmj1342]

This song is hauntingly beautiful -- a virtuoso performance by Skip James. I don't know the context well enough, but it seems to echo the tragic pain of living while black in the Jim Crow South in the early 1900s.

[@amyasseektruth8246]

This is music, not the noise on MTV today...

[@4490reddock]

Hahaha, you're so old you don't even know that MTV doesn't play music anymore

[@amyasseektruth8246]

4490reddock lol!!! yea man, in RSA they still do. Oh I forgot, it's probably because we're a 3rd world country

[@klkgg]

WoW he oozes talent. When I hear this melody my soul dances.

[@markmarsh27]

Awesome.

[@TheJazzeater]

bravo bravo what a great video of a great player

[@AdamSurvivingAmerica]

Crow Janie, Crow Janie, Crow Jane, don't you hold you head high Someday, baby, you know you got to die You got to lay down and... You got to die, you got to... And I wanna buy me a pistol, wants me forty rounds of ball Shoot Crow Jane, just to see her fall She got to fall, she got to... She got to fall, she got to... That's the reason I begged Crow Jane not to hold her head so high Someday, baby, you know you got to die You got to lay down and... And I dug her grave with s silver spade Ain't nobody gonna take my Crow Jane place You can't take her place no, you can't take her... You know, I dug her grave eight feet in the ground I didn't feel sorry until they let her down They had to let her down, let her...they had to let her down... That's the reason I begged Crow Jane not to hold her head too high Someday, baby, you know you got to die You got to lay down and... You know, I let her down with a golden chain And every link I would call my Crow Jane's name Crow Jane, Crow... Crow Jane, Crow... You know I never missed my water till my well went dry Didn't miss Crow Jane until the day she died Till the day she... That's the reason I begged Crow Jane not to hold her head too high Someday, baby, you know you got to die You got to lay down and...you got to die, you got to... That's the reason I begged Crow Jane not to hold her head too high Someday, baby, you know you got to die You got to lay down and...

[@mistatakey]

Love it. The shit-amount of today's music seems so superior that I always enjoy coming here =). Pure and honest art.

[@contactkeithstack]

take a 100 years to play like coltrane but strangely take the same amount of time to sound like Skip James.

[@georgebara1858]

one of the best blues lyric ever penned and one of the most beatiful blues performances ever captured.