Shanty Boat on the Mississippi
Jimmy Murphy was a talented musician who had little commercial success, a familiar story. He first released Shanty Boat Blues on his 1951 album Electricity, but put out a bluesier version of the song for the 1978 reissue; I like them both, but I think the more recent version is brilliant. Shanty boats, by the way, were once a common sight along the Mississippi, but you won’t see many now, but that’s a topic for another day.
Listen to Shanty Boat Blues (the 1978 version) here
More Songs of the Day!
Here’s the 1951 version:
