Runnin' Blue

[TheWallsScreamedPoetry]

Poor Otis dead and gone
Left me here to sing his song
Pretty little girl with the red dress on
Poor Otis dead and gone

Yeah, back down, turn around slowly
Try it again, remembering when
It was easy, try it again
Much to easy, rememberin' when

All right, look at my shoes
Not quite the walkin' blues
Don't fight, too much to lose
Can't fight the runnin' blues Well, I've got the runnin' blues
Runnin' away, back to L.A.
Got to find the dock of the bay
Maybe find it back in L.A.

Runnin' scared
Runnin' blue
Goin' so fast
What'll I do

Well, I've got the runnin' blues
Runnin' away, back to L.A.
Got to find the dock of the bay
Maybe find it back in L.A.

All right, look at my shoes
Not quite the walkin' blues
Don't fight, too much to lose
Can't fight the runnin' blues

All right, look at my shoes
Not quite the walkin' blues
Don't fight, too much to lose
Can't fight the runnin' blues



1970 Magazine advert for Runnin' Blue Single.

[TheWallsScreamedPoetry]

Otis Redding died on December 10th 1967 in a plane crash.
On December 26th 1967 during WTMO, at the Winterland Arena San Francisco, Jim Morrison places some red roses upon the stage and says......

'Poor Otis dead and gone
Left me here to sing his song
Pretty little girl with the red dress on
Poor Otis dead and gone'

.....as a tribute to the singer who was due to support The Doors during their short run of shows at the Winterland.
This would later be incorporated into the song Runnin' Blue which was written by Robby Krieger along with this contribution from Morrison.

One of the less substantial songs on The Soft Parade album containing a lot of horns which seemed superfluous it is sung by Morrison as the lead vocalist with the chorus sung by Krieger.
This is notable as the first time Krieger's voice is heard on a Doors album.
Musically it has a countrified feel to it and The Doors do an adequate job but it never really feels comfortable on the album and seems somewhat out of place as if the band were looking for something and not finding it.
Of course this was a very turbulent period for The Doors and one which would result in a complete change brought on by Morrison's demeanor into The Doors becoming more blues orientated.
the 3rd and 4th Doors albums are described on this forum as being the 'Indecision' period and so it seemed until the band emerged as a blues band. Ironically this country style ballad was called Runnin' Blue which summed up The Doors in 1968/1969.

Waiting For The Sun V The Soft Parade

[casandra]

It’s interesting, there is an English or American traditional folk song titled "Pretty Little Girl With The Red Dress On". The song is also known as "Poor Howard", which lyrics are very similar the introduction of "Runnin' Blue".

Poor old Howard's dead and gone,
Left me here to sing this song,
Who'll be here when I am gone?
Pretty little girl with the red dress on (3)
Pretty little girl with the red dress on, who knows,
Pretty little girl with the red dress on

Poor old Howard's dead and gone,
Poor old Howard's dead and
Left me here to sing this song,
Who'll be here when I am gone? gone,
Left me here to sing this song,
Who'll be here when I am
Pretty little girl with the red dress on
Pretty little girl with the red dress on, gone?
Pretty little girl
Pretty little girl with the red dress on (2)
Pretty little girl with the red dress on, who knows,
Pretty little girl with the red dress on,
Pretty little girl with the red dress on, who knows,
Pretty little girl with the red dress on (2)

www.reginaldunterseher.com/Sample%20scores/Pretty%20Little%20Girl%20With%20The%20Red%20Dress%20On.perusal.pdf

Poor Howard's dead and gone,
Left me here to sing this song,
Poor Howard's dead and gone,
Poor Howard's dead and gone,
Left me here to sing this song.

Who's been here since I've been gone, (2)
Pretty little girl with a red dress on.
Pretty little girl with a red dress on.

Who's been here since I've been gone, (2)
Great big man with a derby on.
Great big man with a derby on.

www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/bluegrass-songbook/008246.HTM

I guess Jim’s reference to "Got to find the dock of the bay" as also a tribute to Otis Redding's song "Sitting on the dock of the bay". It was released posthumously in early 1968.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCmUhYSr-e4

[TheWallsScreamedPoetry]

Morrison was extremely well read so it is likely then that he got his little tribute from the source you state in one way or another.
That's why I started a lyric and music section
This band never fail to surprise in their depth and range of influences.
I know lots of bands from the 60s and 70s were clever too but the Doors were exceptional even by the standards of that era.
Nice bit of info

I don't know if it's related but Dylan mentions Poor Howard in Highway 61 revisited.

Well Georgia Sam he had a bloody nose
Welfare Department they wouldn't give him no clothes
He asked poor Howard where can I go
Howard said there's only one place I know
Sam said tell me quick man I got to run
Ol' Howard just pointed with his gun
And said that way down on Highway 61.

Perhaps this old folk tune was well known among contempories of Jim at the time. Still clever.

[casandra]

Many thanks.

I don’t know either, I'm far from the U.S. and I don’t know anything of English or American traditional music. I guess Bob Dylan's reference can be considered more normal, it’s not a surprise, because he began as a folk singer. I haven't read much about Bob Dylan or his influences, although I have many of his records of the 60's.

Maybe that song "Poor Howard" was a traditional song very known in America in those times as you say. Maybe some American members of this forum can say some thing about this if some of them dare to speak here.

Anyway, I think I read that Jim wasn't interested in folk music. For that I find interesting he took that traditional song in his tribute to Otis Redding or as you said when you talked about the excerpts of St. James Infirmary that he also sang and as you said that is an old folk song, too. Even I think that is “Live in Pittsburgh 1970” when he whistled “Dixie” song, which was the anthem of the Confederacy during American Civil War (1861-1865), although this song is very popular, even I know it!!!. For that all, it seems he had a deeper understanding and interest of American folk music than we guess. It could come from literary influences or film influences, but I think it’s interesting.

[TheWallsScreamedPoetry]

Dylan has a tenuous Doors link in that Jac Holzman recognised his talent early on and wanted to sign him to Elektra before he even heard of The Doors.
It's no surprise how many really smart people were associated with The Doors in their early period.
From folks like Dorothy to Paul Rotchild to Jac Holzman.
Elektra was a really intelligent label as it had a very eclectic roster and a lot of smart people working for it.

Similar to here with the Harvest label and Famous Charisma Label from which Jac also signed several very smart bands from the UK including Genesis and Lindisfarne who were distributed in the US by Elektra.

[casandra]

I did a little research about the song "Poor Howard" and I think it was a song known enough at that time, even now. In 1958 it was recorded by a folk singer named Cisco Houston in an album titled "Cisco Houston Sings American Folksongs". In the B side appears "St. James Infirmary" and after the song "Old Howard" which is a variant of "Poor Howard". So it's likely that Jim Morrison listened that album. I think Bob Dylan, too.

www.ciscohouston.com/LPs/sings_american_folksongs.shtml

Cisco Houston- St. James Infirmary

www.youtube.com/watch?v=06BoBdzI7Lc

Cisco Houston- Old Howard

www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-bSOPyDF9U

A folk group, The Weavers (Pete Seeger was a member of that group), also sang this song in 40's and 50's. Pete Seeger is an American folk singer better known (I even know who he is!), politically engaged. He was interviewed in Scorsese’s documentary “No direction home” about Dylan.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVq_5eEX87I

[TheWallsScreamedPoetry]

Excellent stuff
Also factor in that Elektra when it first started was a folk label.
Jac Holzman used to go out and record American folk live.
Morrison did not like The Stone Ponies when they toured with The Doors but I think he said about their singer Linda Rondstat.
'Folk music she's cute.'
Might have gotten that wrong but I am sure Jim heard folk in his time on radio and such.

[casandra]

¡Muchas gracias!
I'm agree with you, he surely heard that music on radio.