“Watergate Blues,” Song by Big Joe Williams, 1978
The name of this song, “Watergate Blues,” is shared by songs created by other artists such as the Heath Brothers (1975), Tom T. Hall (1973), Howlin’ Wolf (1973), Bob Kirkpatrick (1973), and more. The popularity of this song title as well as variations like “Watergate Boogie” by Nimrod Workman (1981), “How High's the Watergate, Martha” by David Allan Coe (1987), “Talking Watergate” by Tom Paxton (1977), and more demonstrate the role that popular music plays in helping the public make sense of current events.
This version of “Watergate Blues” was written by Big Joe Williams (Joeseph Lee Williams; 1903-1982), a Delta blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter known for playing a nine-string guitar. Williams regularly recorded in the 1930s and 1940s, and he remained well-known throughout the blues revival of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. He was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1992 and was honored with a marker on the Mississippi Blues Trail in Crawford in 2003.
University Libraries holds many versions of this song and in varying formats—from records to CDs to digitized versions. All of Wilson Library’s holdings of “Watergate Blues” can be found by searching the library catalog.
References
Mississippi Blues Trail. (n.d.). Big Joe Williams. Retrieved February 1, 2024, from https://msbluestrail.org/blues-trail-markers/big-joe-williams
Pearson, B. L. (2018). Introduction [Liner notes]. In Classic Delta and Deep South Blues from Smithsonian Folkways. Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. https://folkways-media.si.edu/docs/folkways/artwork/SFW40222.pdf
Smithsonian Folkways American Roots Collection [Liner notes]. (1996). In Smithsonian Folkways American Roots Collection. Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. https://folkways-media.si.edu/docs/folkways/artwork/SFW40062.pdf
Wirz, S. (n.d.). Big Joe Williams. Wirz’ American Music. Retrieved February 1, 2024, from https://www.wirz.de/music/willbigj.htm
