Traditional / Arrangement Bob Dylan / 3:23
Musician: Bob Dylan: vocals, guitar / Recording Studio: Bob Dylan Garage Studio, Malibu, California: May 1993 / Producer: Bob Dylan / Sound Engineer: Micajah Ryan
Blind Willie McTell, born William Samuel McTier, was a Piedmont and ragtime blues singer and a remarkable 12-string guitar player. He played all styles of African-American music, from folk blues to gospel to ragtime. He recorded many blues songs covered by numerous guitarists. Because of the number of adaptations, “Statesboro Blues” is perhaps his most famous song. Also, it is noteworthy to mention “Broke Down Engine Blues,” recorded for Columbia Records in 1931. The tale: The unfortunate narrator feels “like a broke-down engine” because he lost everything in a game and his girlfriend left him: “Been shooting craps and gambling, momma, and I done got broke.” He has only the Lord to implore for his beloved to come back: “I ain’t crying for no religion, Lord, give me back my good gal please.” Blues in all its drama!
According to Dylan, “Broke Down Engine” is one of McTell’s masterpieces. But he totally revises it, offering a very different arrangement. Sometimes it is a bit messy (around 3:07), sometimes at the limit of saturation, but his interpretation comes straight from the heart. He sings with all his soul. It seems he plays on his 12-string Martin D-35, even if the sound is not typical of this type of guitar. This hypothesis is based on the difficulty he has playing some phrases. The only real similarity with McTell’s version is that Dylan hits on the body of his guitar (1:53) to accompany the words, “Can’t you hear me, baby, rappin’ on your door?”