Homeboy Sang The Blues
from:  Grandpa's Ashes
 

          ”Homeboy sang the blues! Y’all don’t hear me. I said, homeboy sang the blues! I don't know what the song was about, but I do know that everybody there was into it. He started out howlin’, then added a little moan, and before anybody knew, we was all caught up.

I ain’t sure if he was singin’ about his dog or his woman, but something cut that man deep. He sang about making some deal with the Devil. U’m pretty sure what he owed was com’n due, cause he started sing’n ‘bout walkin’ the train tracks. He said he was hoppin’ a train that was coming soon, to put him out of his misery. He sang about leapin’ from a tall building and letting his sorrows stain the sidewalk. He sang about look’n down the barrel of a gun he was holdin’, but all he hand in his hands was a guitar. He sang ‘bout hang’n high and then about walkin’ in the lake until his head was six feet under.

          Somewhere in the middle of the song he stopped singing and just played his guitar. Now that’s when homeboy played the blues. Y’all don’t hear me, I said homeboy played the blues, mind-ya. First he made that old guitar squeal, then he made it scream, and finally he had it cryin’. Just when we thought he was through, he made that thang sound like a train. The sound was so real I thought I might get runned over too. Um tellin' you, I looked to the left, then to the right, then turnaround and looked behind me. I just wanted to be sure. 

          He hit one note that hurt so much I could see the Devil smilin’ and could feel them hot coals ‘bout me feet. As God is my witness, homeboy played dem blues. When he got all he could out-a-that guitar, he put it down and started tappin’ his feet and clappin’ his hands. Movin’ his head from side-to-side he moaned some more, then he groaned some more, then he howled some more. Finally, he talked about how loved cost him his soul, but he didn’t mind none. Like I said, I don’t know if he was singin’ about his dog or his woman, both, or one of 'em, cut him deep.

All of a sudden he got quiet. So we did the same. It got so quiet in here you could hear homeboy’s heart beat. He got up, put the guitar strap ‘round his neck. We had never seen’t him before and we hadn't seen’t him since. 

          I’ll never forget that night. Somewhere between too dark and not light, homeboy walked in and sang, played, and made us all feel the blues. He rocked his head and made us rock ours. He clapped his hands and moaned and we did the same. Yep, by the time he was done, we all had learnt somethin’ ‘bout the blues, and what life, and love, and losin’ such would make a body do.” 

          The old man tossed back the shot of whiskey we bought for him. He looked through us when he stood and said, “To dis day, I don't know if it was his woman, or if it was his dog. Or maybe it was that the Devil was comin’ to collect his due, but somethin’ made that man teach us the blues that night. I did hear some say that he had sold his soul to the Devil, and every now and again he would sneak out from hell and play the blues, but I can’t swear to that.” 

          After one last drink, the old man stood, and walked out the door. I must have been to that bar a thousand times. I never saw that man before and I haven't seen since. That night, I watched him as opened the door and just before he walked out, he picked up something and put a strap around his neck. When the door closed the loud sound of a train came rushing through the windows, then he was gone.