It's Nobody's Fault But Mine
Encyclopedia
"It's Nobody's Fault but Mine" or "Nobody's Fault but Mine" is a traditional song first recorded by gospel blues
artist Blind Willie Johnson
in 1927. The song is a solo performance with Johnson singing and playing slide guitar. It tells of a spiritual struggle, with reading the Bible as the path to salvation, or, rather, the failure to read it leading to damnation.
Blind Willie Johnson recorded "It's Nobody's Fault but Mine" in a time when illiteracy was common in the rural South. Blinded as a young child, Johnson was singing this song as a warning to those who had learned to read, but concerned themselves too much with earthly matters, but Johnson tries to point the way to salvation. He admits to having fault, and he blames himself for not taking advantage of the skill he has, reading, and saving himself. The context of this song is strictly religious. It is a melancholy expression of his spirit, as the blues style echoes the depths of his guilt and his struggle.
In performing this song, Johnson alternated between vocal and solo slide-guitar melody lines, using a bottleneck (or sometimes a jackknife) on the first and second or sometimes third and fourth strings. He also provided an alternating bass figure with his thumb.
recorded "Nobody's Fault but Mine", which is credited to Jimmy Page
and Robert Plant
, for their Presence album. The following lists those versions credited as "Traditional" or to Johnson.
Gospel blues
Gospel blues is a form of blues-based gospel music that has been around since the inception of blues music, a combination of blues guitar and evangelistic lyrics...
artist Blind Willie Johnson
Blind Willie Johnson
"Blind" Willie Johnson was an American singer and guitarist, whose music straddled the border between blues and spirituals....
in 1927. The song is a solo performance with Johnson singing and playing slide guitar. It tells of a spiritual struggle, with reading the Bible as the path to salvation, or, rather, the failure to read it leading to damnation.
- I have a Bible in my home, I have a Bible in my home
- If I don't read my soul will be lost ... nobody's fault but mine
Blind Willie Johnson recorded "It's Nobody's Fault but Mine" in a time when illiteracy was common in the rural South. Blinded as a young child, Johnson was singing this song as a warning to those who had learned to read, but concerned themselves too much with earthly matters, but Johnson tries to point the way to salvation. He admits to having fault, and he blames himself for not taking advantage of the skill he has, reading, and saving himself. The context of this song is strictly religious. It is a melancholy expression of his spirit, as the blues style echoes the depths of his guilt and his struggle.
In performing this song, Johnson alternated between vocal and solo slide-guitar melody lines, using a bottleneck (or sometimes a jackknife) on the first and second or sometimes third and fourth strings. He also provided an alternating bass figure with his thumb.
Other versions
"It's Nobody's Fault but Mine" has been interpreted and recorded by numerous blues and other musicians, usually using the title "Nobody's Fault but Mine" and often with variations in the lyrics or music. English rock band Led ZeppelinLed Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
recorded "Nobody's Fault but Mine", which is credited to Jimmy Page
Jimmy Page
James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
and Robert Plant
Robert Plant
Robert Anthony Plant, CBE is an English singer and songwriter best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the iconic rock band Led Zeppelin. He has also had a successful solo career...
, for their Presence album. The following lists those versions credited as "Traditional" or to Johnson.
- 1944 – Bunk JohnsonBunk JohnsonWillie Gary "Bunk" Johnson was a prominent early New Orleans jazz trumpet player in the early years of the 20th century who enjoyed a revived career in the 1940s....
with the Yerba Buena Jazz BandYerba Buena Jazz BandLu Watters & the Yerba Buena Jazz Band is the name of the Dixieland revival band founded by Lu Watters. Notable members include singer and banjoist Clancy Hayes ; clarinetist Bob Helm; trumpeter Bob Scobey; trombonist Turk Murphy; tubist/bassist Dick Lammi; and Watters himself. The band broke up in...
as a single (Good Time Jazz Records 37) - 1949 – Sister Rosetta TharpeSister Rosetta TharpeSister Rosetta Tharpe was an Amercian pioneering gospel singer, songwriter and recording artist who attained great popularity in the 1930s and 1940s with a unique mixture of spiritual lyrics and early rock and roll accompaniment...
single (Decca 48089) - 1965 – The Staple SingersThe Staple SingersThe Staple Singers were an American gospel, soul, and R&B singing group. Roebuck "Pops" Staples , the patriarch of the family, formed the group with his children Cleotha , Pervis , Yvonne , and Mavis...
from the album Freedom Highway - 1967 – John RenbournJohn RenbournJohn Renbourn is an English guitarist and songwriter. He is possibly best known for his collaboration with guitarist Bert Jansch as well as his work with the folk group Pentangle, although he maintained a solo career before, during and after that band's existence .While most commonly labelled a...
from Another Monday - 1969 – Nina SimoneNina SimoneEunice Kathleen Waymon , better known by her stage name Nina Simone , was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist widely associated with jazz music...
from Nina Simone and PianoNina Simone and PianoNina Simone And Piano is an album by American jazz singer-songwriter and pianist Nina Simone.On this concept album we only hear Simone's voice accompanied by her own piano playing. The album was critically acclaimed, but sold badly... - 1973 – Paul ButterfieldPaul ButterfieldPaul Butterfield was an American blues vocalist and harmonica player, who founded the Paul Butterfield Blues Band in the early 1960s and performed at the original Woodstock Festival...
(with Better Days) from Better Days - 1977 – David BrombergDavid BrombergDavid Bromberg is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter. Bromberg has an eclectic style, playing bluegrass, blues, folk, jazz, country and western, and rock and roll equally well. He is known for his quirky, humorous lyrics, and the ability to play rhythm and lead guitar at the...
from Reckless Abandon - 1977 – Van MorrisonVan MorrisonVan Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
from The Wonderland Tapes - 1986 – Martin SimpsonMartin SimpsonMartin Simpson is an English folk singer, guitarist and songwriter. His music reflects a wide variety of influences and styles, rooted in the British Isles, America and beyond.-Biography:...
from Nobody's Fault But MineNobody's Fault But Mine (Martin Simpson)Nobody's Fault But Mine is a 1986 album of instrumental pieces recorded by the English guitarist Martin Simpson and released on the Dambuster records label... - 1990 – KaiserGlenn KaiserGlenn Kaiser is a Chicago-based Christian blues musician, singer-songwriter and pastor. He was the leader of Resurrection Band and is currently the leader of The Glenn Kaiser Band.-Childhood:...
/MansfieldDarrell MansfieldDarrell Mansfield is an American gospel/blues musician.-Biography:Mansfield got his musical start in 1974, releasing his first album Gentle Faith in 1976. He later formed the Darrell Mansfield Band...
from Trimmed and Burnin - 1991 – Johnny ShinesJohnny ShinesJohnny Shines was an American blues singer and guitarist. According to the music journalist Tony Russell, "Shines was that rare being, a blues artist who overcame age and rustiness to make music that stood up beside the work of his youth...
from Traditional Delta Blues - 1993 – Grateful DeadGrateful DeadThe Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
from Dick's Picks Volume 1Dick's Picks Volume 1Dick's Picks Volume 1 is the first live album in the Dick's Picks series of releases by the Grateful Dead. It was recorded on December 19, 1973 at Curtis Hixon Hall in Tampa, Florida, and contains a rare "Nobody's Fault But Mine".... - 2000 – Ben HarperBen HarperBenjamin Chase "Ben" Harper is an American singer-songwriter and musician. Harper plays an eclectic mix of blues, folk, soul, reggae and rock music and is known for his guitar-playing skills, vocals, live performances and activism. Harper's fan base spans several continents...
from Burn to Shine (additional live material) - 2000 – Glenn Kaiser BandGlenn KaiserGlenn Kaiser is a Chicago-based Christian blues musician, singer-songwriter and pastor. He was the leader of Resurrection Band and is currently the leader of The Glenn Kaiser Band.-Childhood:...
from Winter Sun - 2001 – Blind Boys of Alabama from Spirit of the Century
- 2003 – Joan Osbourne with The Holmes BrothersThe Holmes BrothersThe Holmes Brothers are a vocal and instrumental trio originally from Christchurch, Virginia. Mixing sounds from blues, soul, gospel, and rhythm & blues, they have released nine original albums, with two reaching the top 5 on the Billboard Blues Albums chart. They have gained a following by playing...
from Shout, Sister, Shout: A Tribute to Sister Rosetta TharpeShout, Sister, Shout: A Tribute to Sister Rosetta TharpeShout, Sister, Shout: A Tribute to Sister Rosetta Tharpe is a 2003 tribute album to Sister Rosetta Tharpe. It's an enhanced CD with both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files.- Track Listing :... - 2003 – Kelly RicheyKelly RicheyKelly Richey is an American blues rock guitarist, singer and composer based out of Cincinnati, Ohio.-Early life:Kelly Richey was born and raised in Lexington, Kentucky, in a conservative Christian household that avoided rock music. Her first instrument was the piano. Her second instrument was a...
from Kelly Richey Live...As It Should Be - 2005 – Abigail WashburnAbigail WashburnAbigail Washburn is an American clawhammer banjo player and singer. She performs and records as a soloist, as well as with the old-time bands Uncle Earl and Sparrow Quartet.-Biography:...
from Song of the Traveling Daughter - 2006 – Kenny WhiteKenny WhiteKenny White is a singer-songwriter from New York City. Originally known mostly as a writer of music for radio and TV commercials and a producer and session keyboard player, in 2002 he released his first album, and began touring to promote his albums...
from Yonder Comes the Blues - 2007 – Paul JonesPaul Jones (singer)Paul Jones is an English singer, actor, harmonica player, and radio personality and television presenter.-Career:As P. P...
& Dave KellyDave Kelly (musician)David 'Dave' Kelly , is a British bluessinger, guitarist and composer, who has been active on the British blues music scene since the 1960s...
from An Evening with Paul Jones & Dave Kelly (DVD) - 2007 – Alvin Youngblood HartAlvin Youngblood HartAlvin Youngblood Hart is a Grammy Award-winning American musician.-Career:Born in Oakland California, Hart had family connections with Carroll County, Mississippi, and spent time there in his childhood, hearing his relatives stories of Charlie Patton, "being around these people who were there when...
& the Carolina Chocolate DropsCarolina Chocolate DropsThe Carolina Chocolate Drops is an old-time string band from Durham, North Carolina, United States. Its 2010 album, Genuine Negro Jig, won the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Album at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards, and was number 9 in FRoots magazine's top 10 albums of 2010.The Drops are one...
from The Great DebatersThe Great DebatersThe Great Debaters is a 2007 American biopic period drama film directed by and starring two-time Academy Award winner Denzel Washington and produced by Oprah Winfrey and her production company, Harpo Productions...
(soundtrack) - 2008 – Martin HarleyMartin harleyMartin Harley is a British singer-songwriter and slide guitarist. Specialising in folk and blues, he and his band have released four albums between 2003 and 2010.-Career:...
from Grow Your Own - 2008 – Abigail WashburnAbigail WashburnAbigail Washburn is an American clawhammer banjo player and singer. She performs and records as a soloist, as well as with the old-time bands Uncle Earl and Sparrow Quartet.-Biography:...
and the Sparrow QuartetSparrow QuartetThe Sparrow Quartet is an American acoustic music group that formed in 2005. Its members include Abigail Washburn , Béla Fleck , Casey Driessen , and Ben Sollee...
with Bela FleckBéla FleckBéla Anton Leoš Fleck is an American banjo player. Widely acknowledged as one of the world's most innovative and technically proficient banjo players, he is best known for his work with the bands New Grass Revival and Béla Fleck and the Flecktones.-Early life and career details:Fleck was born in...
from Live at Austin City Limits Music Festival 2008 (EP) - 2008 – Beth RowleyBeth Rowley-Background:Rowley was born to British parents who moved back to Bristol, England from Peru when Rowley was two years old.-Early career:She was influenced by her family's love for many different musical styles, particularly blues, country, folk, gospel and Latin American music. When aged 16, Rowley...
from Little DreamerLittle Dreamer (Beth Rowley album)Little Dreamer is the first full studio album by English singer-songwriter Beth Rowley. It was released on 19 May 2008 in the UK and the day after in North America... - 2010 – Nina HagenNina HagenNina Hagen is a German singer and actress.-Early years:Hagen was born as Catharina Hagen in the former East Berlin, East Germany, the daughter of Hans Hagen , a scriptwriter, and Eva-Maria Hagen, an actress and singer...
from Personal Jesus - 2010 – Willie NelsonWillie NelsonWillie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
from Country MusicCountry Music (Willie Nelson album)- Personnel :* Willie Nelson - vocals; gut string acoustic guitar* Jim Lauderdale - vocal harmonies on 1, 2, 7, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15* Buddy Miller - electric guitar; vocal harmonies on 5, 6, 8, 9* Chris Sharp - acoustic guitar; vocal harmonies on 11... - 2010 – Eric BibbEric BibbEric Bibb is an American acoustic blues singer-songwriter. He is based in London and launched his career in Europe. Today he lives in Finland.-Biography:...
from Booker's Guitar - 2010 – Tom JonesTom Jones (singer)Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE , known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer.Since the mid 1960s, Jones has sung many styles of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, techno, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records...
from Praise & Blame