College Town Needle Blues
1976 · Oliver 50 · USA
- Artist
- Wanda Lee
- Title
- College Town Needle Blues
- Release
- Boonville Pinto Pony / College Town Needle Blues
- Year
- 1976
- Label
- Oliver # 50
- Format
- 7" · Single
- Language
- English
- Country
- USA
- Songwriter
- Wanda Lee
- Genre
- Blues · Blues
- Primary theme
- Post-War
Annotation
Post-war 70s blues song, "College Town Needle Blues" by Wanda Lee - this is very obscure, with no information known about the artist and location, only the date printed on the record, "1976". It seems to be about a drug addicted soldier or the narrator is using war as a metaphor for drug addiction. The narrator notes "some have died to win the war, but I've lived to lose", because of a "self inflicted glory hole in my arm". The narrator warns: "soldiers take heed".
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
Lyrics
English: Dear mom, writing this note / Remind you of my self addressed envelope / Was it lost in the mail? / Did you lose it in jail? / Well if you can please spare the time / Why don't you drop me a line / And fill it with some money until I can get make it on line / Needle blues / I'm all confused / Some have died to win the war / But I've lived to lose / Soldiers take heed / The enemies been freed / So aim for the high ground / You'll find yourself on the way down / With no strings left to shoot another man like me / P.S. in case you haven't guessed / The people here are stripped my soul from self inflicted glory hole in my arm / But they meant me no harm / And when times are so tough I won't need this stuff / One more hit can't hurt me since ain't had enough / Needle blues / I'm all confused / Some have died to win the war / But I've lived to lose / Soldiers take heed / I'm all confused / Some have died to win the war / But I've lived to lose / Soldiers take heed / The enemies been freed / So aim for the high ground / You'll find yourself on the way down / With no strings left to shoot another man like me
Notes
Oliver Records 50 B (ARP 2822), side 2, stereo, orange label; "College Town Needle Blues" (Wanda Lee), 2:38; ℗ Wanda Lee 1976. [From the record sleeve and labels]