Last Kind Word Blues
# Last Kind Word Blues

Last Kind Words Blues, more commonly known as Last Kind Words is a 1930 blues song, written, performed and recorded by Geeshie Wiley and Elvie Thomas. It was released on the Paramount Records label in July 1930, with Skinny Leg Blues as B-side.

## Last Kind Word Blues

Last Kind Word Blues was sung and performed on guitar by Geeshie Wiley, with Elvie Thomas providing additional guitar accompaniment. The lyrics reflect on the singer's father, who went to serve in the German War (World War I) and before he left, told her: "If I die (...) I want you to send my body to my mother." However, he also told her that he didn't want a burial and preferred to be left outside, to "let the buzzards eat me whole." The female protagonist in the song went to the depot, but cried as "some train don't come, there'll be some walkin' done." The song then concludes with the last words of the protagonist's mother. She told her daughter to "not be so wild" and commented that the Mississippi river is "so deep and wide I can stand right here, see my babe from the other side." The dying woman then concluded: "I may not see you after I cross the deep blue sea.".

The song's haunting lyrics and atmosphere have been praised by many listeners and music critics.

## Crumb

Last Kind Word Blues gained more notability after being featured in the 1994 documentary film Crumb by Terry Zwigoff, about cartoonist Robert Crumb. In one scene Crumb talks about his love for old blues, country and jazz music from the 1920s and 1930s and puts a record on the needle. The soundtrack then plays Last Kind Words over a series of strange and disturbing images from Crumb's comics. Yet, as Crumb himself pointed out in interviews, he doesn't actually own Last Kind Words on vinyl, since original pressings of this record are extraordinarily rare. On Crumb's official website, he declared Last Kind Words "the greatest female vocal.". Crumb was also interviewed in 2014 for a New York Times article about Geeshie Wiley and Elvie Thomas.

Thanks to Crumb, music historians like Greil Marcus have tried to find out more about the identity of Geeshie Wiley and Elvie Thomas.Last Kind Word Blues itself has also been included on several compilation albums, including the official soundtrack album of the film Crumb, but also blues compilation records like The Rough Guide To Delta Blues (World Music Network, 2002), Mississippi Masters: Early American Blues Classics 1927-35 (Yazoo Records, 2007)., American Epic: The Collection (Sony Legacy, Lo-Max, 2017) and American Epic: The Best of Blues (Sony Legacy, Third Man Records, 2017)

Last Kind Words was also included on the compilation record Chimpin' The Blues (East River Records, 2013), for whom Robert Crumb illustrated the album cover.

## Covers

Last Kind Word Blues has been covered by several artists:

* David Johansen and the Harry Smiths on their album Shaker (2002). Johansen also sang a portion of "Last Kind Words" in the movie Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus (2003).
* C. W. Stoneking on the album Mississippi & Piedmont Blues 1927–1941 (2006).
* Dex Romweber Duo released a version featuring Jack White, on White's vinyl-only label, Third Man Records.
* Christine Pizzuti covered it, available on Music from The American Epic Sessions: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2017).
* Ransom Riggs used the song in his video "Talking Pictures", in which he talks about vintage photographs.
* Rhiannon Giddens (member of Carolina Chocolate Drops) on her solo debut album, Tomorrow Is My Turn.
* The Kronos Quartet performed an arrangement of the song at their fortieth anniversary concert, broadcast in 2013.
* Hogan & Moss on the album You've Been That Friend To Me. (2016)
* Robert Plant / Alison Krauss on the album Raise the Roof, released in November 2021.

## Sources

* ↑ https://www.discogs.com/release/4014566-Geeshie-Wiley-Last-Kind-Words-Blues-Skinny-Leg-Blues
* ↑ Sullivan, John Jeremiah (2009). Best Music Writing 2009: Unknown Bards. Seal Press. p. 31. ISBN 978-0-306-81782-3.
* ↑ https://fortnightlyreview.co.uk/2021/02/riley-kind-words/
* ↑ https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/rhiannon-giddens-cultural-curiousity
* ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/04/13/magazine/blues.html
* ↑ https://www.crumbproducts.com/Crumb-on-Others--Part-Eleven_b_22.html
* ↑ https://www.crumbproducts.com/Crumb-on-Others--Part-Eleven_b_22.html
* ↑ https://oxfordamerican.org/magazine/issue-95-winter-2016/see-my-face-from-the-other-side
* ↑ https://www.discogs.com/release/14385246-Various-Crumb-Original-Soundtrack
* ↑ https://www.discogs.com/release/1899923-Various-The-Rough-Guide-To-Delta-Blues
* ↑ Russell, Tony (1997). The Blues: From Robert Johnson to Robert Cray. Dubai: Carlton Books. p. 210. ISBN 1-85868-255-X.
* ↑ https://www.discogs.com/release/6240323-Jerry-Zolten-R-Crumb-Chimpin-The-Blues
* ↑ "Shaker - David Johansen & the Harry Smiths | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
* ↑ "Release "Mississippi & Piedmont Blues 1927-1941" by C.W. Stoneking - MusicBrainz". Musicbrainz.org. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
* ↑ "Dex Romweber Duo Featuring Jack White Discography - USA - 45cat". 45cat.com. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
* ↑ "Tomorrow Is My Turn - Rhiannon Giddens | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". Allmusic. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
* ↑ https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/rhiannon-giddens-cultural-curiousity
* ↑ "Last Kind Words". WhoSampled.com. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
* ↑ "Home". Hoganandmoss.com. Retrieved 20 May 2019.
* ↑ "Alison Krauss / Robert Plant: Raise the Roof". AllMusic. 2021. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
* ↑ https://www.discogs.com/release/21372535-Robert-Plant-Alison-Krauss-Raise-The-Roof
