Bound No’th Blues

"Bound No’th Blues" is the second song of Erik Santos' song cycle Dreamer: 7 Poems of Langston Hughes. The song cycle consists of five songs and is written for tenor, harp, and piano. The work was commissioned by tenor Darryl Taylor.

Date: 2001Composer: Erik SantosText: Langston HughesSong Collection: Dreamer: 7 Poems of Langston Hughes

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Text

Bound No’th Blues
by Langston Hughes

Goin’ down the road, Lawd,
Goin’ down the road.
Down the road, Lawd,
Way, way down the road.
Got to find somebody
To help me carry this load.

Road’s in front o’ me,
Nothin’ to do but walk.
Road’s in front of me,
Walk…an’ walk…an’ walk.
I’d like to meet a good friend
To come along an’ talk.

I hates to be lonely,
Lawd, I hates to be sad.
Says I hates to be lonely,
I hates to be lonely an’ sad,
But every friend you finds seems
Like they try to do you bad.

Road, road, road, O!
Road, road…road…road!
Road, road, road, O!
On the no’thern road.
These Mississippi towns ain’t
Fit fer a hoppin’ toad.

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