Back to Chicago! "On the Road Again," by Johnny Young

Johnny Young, the great blues mandolin and guitar player, died in 1974. I could not find a single decent video of him, so here's a photo of Johnny Young, taken from this discography site. (More information about Johnny Young here. You can hear him on mandolin here--this was the first track of his I ever heard.)

According to the discography site, "On the Road Again" was recorded in November 1965 at Sound Studios in Chicago, Illinois, by Pete Welding, with a band of musicians from the very top of the Chicago blues scene. Musicians: Johnny Young (vocal, guitar, mandolin); the great pianist Otis Spann; James Cotton on harmonica; Jimmy Lee Morris (bass); S.P. Leary (drums); produced by Chris Strachwitz (the "Chris" mentioned by Johnny Young in the lyrics below).


Link to purchase track.

On the Road Again, Johnny Young

back on the road again, I’ve taken you just to be my friend
I’m back on the road again, darling, and I’ve taken you just to be my friend
you treated me wrong twice baby, darling I hope you never do that again

you’ve heard my warning, darling you hear me, what I say
you have heard my warning darling, darling you heard me, just what I say
back on the road again, I would be out here for so many days

out in old California, where the green grass grows around my door
out in old California, where the green grass grows around my door
it hurts me so bad to think about Chicago just once more

(I’m back on the road again, Chris,
Lord I take Chris just to be my friend)

ain’t it a miserable feeling, darling, when the woman you love is really gone
miserable feeling and the woman that you love has really gone
it’s a cold cold feeling when your darling is not at home