Several years ago (5-10?) I heard a bluesy song on the airplane, I think by Ry Cooder, with a line something like “everything I ever did was wrong”, but I’ve never been able to find it. Can anyone tell me the title and album?
The line you quote is in the song “Matchbox Blues”, recorded by Blind Lemon Jefferson in the 1920s. It was later covered (and renamed “Matchbox”) by Carl Perkins in the 1950s. The Beatles covered it around 1965.
I searched a couple of Ry Cooder discographies for “Matchbox” and came up blank.
It’s possible the line was used in another bluesy song recorded by Ry Cooder.
Also, are you sure it was Ry Cooder?
FU Shakespeare
No, I’m not sure it was Cooder. I’m sure it wasn’t in the 20’s style, but I’ll have to check out the others.
Meanwhile, it looks like I’ve got my work cut out for me with Reeder’s link.
Phartizan,
Good luck with your search. Also keep in mind that like most old blues songs, “Matchbox Blues” could be redone in a more modern, rocked-out style – you might want to search for artists who’ve covered “Matchbox Blues”, aka “Matchbox”.
FU Shakespeare
PS: Be prepared for a lot of false positives from the group “Matchbox 20”!
Also check out Jonny Lang’s version.
A recurring “problem” with blues lyrics is the communal nature of lines. The line “everything I ever did was wrong” might pop up in many many blues songs. If you were to do a lyric search on something like “I woke up one morning and packed my leaving trunk” you’d get somewhere upwards of a bazillion hits.
I actually opened this thread thinking that it would be a R.C. appreciation thread and I happen to be midway through “Boomer’s Story” right now. (Maria Elena is simply beautiful.)
I’ll give my collection a listen with a specific ear for the line in question, 'course, my collection is far from complete.