minglewood

New Minglewood Blues

I was born in a desert, raised in a lion's den I was born in a desert, raised in a lion's den And my number one occupation is stealing women from their men

Well I'm a wanted man in Texas, busted jail and I'm gone for good Well I'm a wanted man in Texas, busted jail and I'm gone for good Well the sheriff couldn't catch me But his little girl sure wished she would

Yes and the doctor call me crazy, some says I am some says I ain't (note a) Yes and the doctor call me crazy, some says I am some says I ain't The preacher man call me a sinner, but his little girl call me a saint

Well a couple of shots of whiskey, women round here start lookin' good Well a couple of shots of whiskey, women round here start lookin' good (note b) Couple more shots of whiskey, I'm goin' back to Minglewood

It's T for Texas, yes and it's T for Timbuktu It's T for Texas, yes and it's T for Timbuktu Yes and it's T for San Francisco Where the little girls know what to do

The version on the Dead's first LP (called "New New Minglewood Blues") was rather different:

I was born in a desert, raised in a lion's den I was born in a desert, raised in a lion's den And my number one occupation is stealing women from their men

If you're ever in Memphis, better stop by Minglewood If you're ever in Memphis, better stop by Minglewood Well take a walk down town, the women sure look good

If you can't believe me, don't make it hard to believe in you If you can't believe me, don't make it hard to believe in you 'Cause we all need each other, well you know it's true

There women [??] don't mean no man no good

You ever go down to Memphis, stop by Minglewood You ever go down to Memphis, stop by Minglewood You Memphis women don' mean no man no good

John L Yarbro, Jr. sent me an email with additional background: "New Minglewood Blues was originally written about a company mill village, Menglewood, Tennessee (built by the Menglewood Box Company) which my grandfather purchased along with the former woodlands in the 1920's, cleared and farmed. The property is still in my family. My father grew up in Menglewood, but it was a lot tamer after my grandfather moved his people there. Local history about Menglewood as a company town paint it as wild and wide open with whiskley, women and gambling. Menglewood is located about 78 miles north of Memphis, Tennessee, alongside the Obion River which is in the Mississippi River floodplain."