Fishin' Blues

Written by: 
Chris Smith
1 Oct 1968

I have been fishing all the time,
Won't you come fishing too?
You can bet your life,
Your sweet loving wife
Gonna catch more fish than you!
If the fish bite, you got a good bait,
Here's a little something I would like to relate:
If the fish bite, you got a good bait;
I'm a-going fishing,
Yes I'm going fishing,
I'm a-going fishing too.

I went up the river by one o'clock,
I spied that catfish, so many around,
And I got so hungry, didn't know what to do;
Reckoned I might catch catfish, too.

And I have been fishing all the time,
Won't you come fishing too?
You can bet your life,
Your sweet loving wife
Gonna catch more fish than you!
If the fish bite, you got a good bait,
Here's a little something I would like to relate:
If the fish bite, you got a good bait;
I'm a-going fishing,
Yes I'm going fishing,
I'm a-going fishing too.

And I went down the river by two o'clock,
I spied that ale, just so many around.
I got so hungry, didn't know what to do;
Ain't gonna catch that ale, not you...

And I have been fishing all the time,
Won't you come fishing too?
You can bet your life,
Your sweet loving wife
Gonna catch more fish than you!
If the fish bite, you got a good bait,
Here's a little something I would like to relate:
If the fish bite, you got a good bait;
I'm a-going fishing,
Yes I'm going fishing,
I'm a-going fishing too.

{repeat chorus two times}

sitenotes:
The song is credited to John Martyn but was in fact written by Chris Smith in 1911. Texas blues guitar player Henry Thomas (1874–1930) recorded Fishing Blues in Chicago 13 June 1928, as flipside of Texas Worried Blues (Vocalion 1249). The song resurfaced November 1965 on the Lovin' Spoonful debut album Do You Believe In Magic. Mike Seeger also recorded it one year earlier, als Tony Wilson rightly pointed out in his Melody Maker review.

First release: