© 2025 All Rights Reserved Trad Arr B. Merritt, J. Merritt & P. Fulham
Black Dust Blues (Public Domain worldwide) was written and performed by Ma Rainey in 1927.
Glossary:
Hoodoo (not voodooo) is a well defined spiritual belief system that survives to this day in parts of the South - in Louisiana in particular. Two references in the song from Hoodoo are described below.
“Hex" is a synonym for a curse or a spell intended to cause harm.
"Black Dust," graveyard dust or goofer dust is any powder used to cast a spell especially if harmful in nature.
Janice Merritt: vocal and arrangement
Peter Fulham: guitar and arrangement
Bud Merritt: lyric tweaks, arrangement, mix, mastering and photo
Black Dust Blues
It was last year, when my troubles began
Lawd it’s been a hard year since this hex on me began
It was all cause a woman said I took her man
She sent me a letter, said she′s gonna turn me round
She said I was evil and she's gonna run me into the ground
She′s gonna fix me so I won't chase her man around
The next day I found black dust round my door
I was out that morning, black dust was all round my door
Soon I was feeling so bad, worse than I ever had before
I couldn’t eat, I couldn’t sleep, had trouble with my feet
In the middle of the night I could hear my own heart beat
It was cold outside but all I was feeling was heat
Black dust in my window, black dust on my porch mat
I tried to get dressed up but black dust was even in my hat
I didn’t care nothing bout her man, no, I ain’t like that
I got my own, don’t want her man
I ain’t like that
Black Dust Blues (Public Domain worldwide) was written and performed by Ma Rainey in 1927.
Glossary:
Hoodoo (not voodooo) is a well defined spiritual belief system that survives to this day in parts of the South - in Louisiana in particular. Two references in the song from Hoodoo are described below.
“Hex" is a synonym for a curse or a spell intended to cause harm.
"Black Dust," graveyard dust or goofer dust is any powder used to cast a spell especially if harmful in nature.
Janice Merritt: vocal and arrangement
Peter Fulham: guitar and arrangement
Bud Merritt: lyric tweaks, arrangement, mix, mastering and photo
Black Dust Blues
It was last year, when my troubles began
Lawd it’s been a hard year since this hex on me began
It was all cause a woman said I took her man
She sent me a letter, said she′s gonna turn me round
She said I was evil and she's gonna run me into the ground
She′s gonna fix me so I won't chase her man around
The next day I found black dust round my door
I was out that morning, black dust was all round my door
Soon I was feeling so bad, worse than I ever had before
I couldn’t eat, I couldn’t sleep, had trouble with my feet
In the middle of the night I could hear my own heart beat
It was cold outside but all I was feeling was heat
Black dust in my window, black dust on my porch mat
I tried to get dressed up but black dust was even in my hat
I didn’t care nothing bout her man, no, I ain’t like that
I got my own, don’t want her man
I ain’t like that