Songs

Sonny Boy Williamson recorded over 150 songs between 1951 and 1965. Most of these were his own compositions, and many were recorded more than once. A brilliant improviser, he was able to make each performance unique, through differing arrangements, tempos and even lyrics (as illustrated by the 11 takes/false starts of "Little Village" recorded in one famous session).

The list below includes all versions of all songs known to have been recorded by Sonny Boy. Unless otherwise indicated, all were written by Sonny Boy Williamson II and recorded in the studio. Most are published by Arc Music Group/BMI.

For inexplicable reasons, Arc Music does not differentiate between the songs of John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson (Sonny Boy I) and Alex "Rice" Miller (Sonny Boy II, the subject of this website). Lost or unissued takes and Sonny Boy II songs recorded only by other artists have not been included, nor have songs in which Sonny Boy was accompanying another artist.

Each song listing includes the following details:

  • The full title (or titles)
  • The writer (if not Sonny Boy Williamson)
  • The recording date (or dates)
  • The albums on which the song appears (in order of release), with links to the relevant pages.
 

KEY

APIB  A Portrait In Blues
BMV12  Blues Masters, Vol. 12
BR Bummer Road
BWS  Boppin' With Sonny
CKR Checker / Chess Singles
CWTW  Clownin' With The World
DAOB  Down And Out Blues
DMAM  Don't Make A Mistake
DSMNF  Don't Send Me No Flowers
FTB From The Bottom
GIYD  Goin' In Your Direction
HB  His Best
KBT  King Biscuit Time
KITO  Keep It To Ourselves
MRFB  More Real Folk Blues
OWO  One Way Out
SBR Sonny Boy's Rhythm
SBW  Sonny Boy Williamson
SBW&TY  Sonny Boy Williamson & The Yardbirds
SBWIE Sonny Boy Williamson In Europe
TAASBW  The Animals And Sonny Boy Williamson
TBOSBW  The Blues Of Sonny Boy Williamson
TESBW  The Essential Sonny Boy Williamson
TIMS  This Is My Story
TPT Trumpet 78's
TRFB  The Real Folk Blues

  • 23 Hours Too Long
  • "309"
  • "99" [a.k.a. Ninety Nine]
  • All My Love In Vain
  • All Night Boogie [instrumental]
  • Baby Don't Worry [a.k.a. Baby, Don't You Worry]
  • Baby Please Come Back Home
  • Boppin' With Sonny [retitled take of Clownin' With The World]
  • Born Blind [a.k.a. Eyesight To The Blind]
  • Bring It On Home [Willie Dixon]
  • Bye Bye Bird [Willie Dixon, Sonny Boy Williamson]
  • Bye Bye, Sonny, Bye Bye
  • Cat Hop
  • Checkin' Up On My Baby
  • Chicago Bounce
  • City Of New Orleans
  • Close To Me -- see (I Want You) Close To Me
  • Clownin' With The World [Instrumental]
    • 2/11/54 (TAKE 1), CWTW, BWS
    • 2/11/54 (TAKE 2) -- SEE BOPPIN' WITH SONNY
  • Come Go With Me
    • 5/65 (RADIO BROADCAST), KBT
  • Come On Back Home
  • Coming Home To You Baby
  • Cool, Cool Blues
  • Cool Disposition
  • Crazy About You Baby
  • Cross My Heart
  • Decoration Day (John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson)
  • Dissatisfied
  • Do It If You Wanna
  • Do The Weston [Instrumental]
  • Don't Let Your Right Hand
  • Don't Lose Your Eye
  • Don't Make A Mistake
    • 8/64 (TAKE 1), DMAM
    • 8/64 (TAKE 2), DMAM
  • Don't Send Me No Flowers
  • Don't Start Me To Talkin'
  • Down And Out
  • Down Child [a.k.a. Mr. Downchild]
  • Empty Bedroom
  • Eyesight To The Blind [a.k.a. Born Blind]
  • Fattening Frogs For Snakes
  • Find Another Woman
  • From The Bottom [written by Lillian McMurry but credited to "Willie Williamson"]
    • 12/11/54 (TAKE 1), SBR
    • 12/11/54 (TAKE 2), TPT
    • 12/11/54 (TAKE 3), SBR
    • 12/11/54 (TAKE 6), SBR 228, GIYD, BWS
  • Gettin' Out Of Town
  • Gettin' Together
  • Going In Your Direction
  • Good Evening Everybody
  • Got To Move
  • Had My Fun (Goin' Down Slow)(St. Louis Jimmy Oden)
  • Have You Enjoyed My Play?
  • Have You Ever Been In Love
  • Help Me [R. Bass, Sonny Boy Williamson]
  • Hurts Me So Much
    • 8/2/57 (TAKE 1), DMAM
    • 8/2/57 (TAKE 2), DMAM
    • 8/2/57 (TAKE 3), DMAM
  • I Can't Be Alone
  • I Can't Do Without You
    • 14/4/60, BR
  • I Can't Understand
  • I Cross My Heart
  • I Don't Care No More
  • I Don't Know
  • I Know What Love Is All About
  • I Never Do Wrong
  • I See A Man Downstairs
  • (I Want You) Close To Me [a.k.a. Close To Me] [Willie Dixon]
  • I Wonder Do I Have A Friend
  • I Wonder Why
  • I'm Gonna Put You Down
  • I'm Not Beggin' Nobody
  • I'm So Glad
  • I'm Trying To Make London My Home
  • It's A Boody Life
  • It's Rainy Outdoors, Baby
  • (It's) Sad To Be Alone [a.k.a. Sad To Be Alone]
  • Keep It To Yourself
  • Keep Your Hand Out Of My Pocket
  • Key To Your Door -- see The Key (To Your Door)
  • Leavin' Blues
  • Let Me Explain
  • Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide
  • Like Wolf
  • Little Girl
  • Little Girl How Old Are You
  • Little Village
    • 1/9/57 (TAKES 1-11), BR
    • 1/9/57 (EDITED), TESBW
  • Lonesome Cabin
  • Mighty Long Time
  • Movin' Down The River
  • Movin' Out
  • Mr. Downchild -- see Down Child
  • My Babe
  • My Younger Days
  • Night Time Is The Right Time
  • Nine Below Zero
  • Ninety Nine -- see "99"
  • No Nights By Myself [same tune as "Mighty Long Time"; new lyrics written by Lillian McMurry but credited to "Willie Williamson"]
  • Nobody But You
  • November Boogie [Instrumental]
  • On My Way Back Home
  • Once Upon A Time
  • One Way Out [Sonny Boy Williamson, Elmore James, Marshall Sehorn]
  • Open Road
    • 14/4/60, BR
  • Out On The Water Coast
  • Peach Tree
  • Pontiac Blues
  • Rebecca Blues [Peter Chatman]
  • Red Hot Kisses [written by and credited to Lillian McMurry]
  • Right Now [Willie Love]
    • 5/65 (RADIO BROADCAST), KBT
  • Sad To Be Alone -- see (It's) Sad To Be Alone
  • Same Girl
  • Santa Claus
  • She Brought Life Back To The Dead
  • She Got Next To Me
    • 27/3/58 (TAKE 1), BR
    • 27/3/58 (TAKE 2), SBW
  • She Was Dumb
  • She's Crazy
  • She's My Baby
  • Shuckin' Mama
  • Slow Walk
  • Slowly Walk Close To Me
  • Somebody Help Me
  • Sonny Boy's Christmas Blues
  • Sonny Boy's Girlfriends
  • Sonny Boy's Harmonica Boogie
  • Sonny's Rhythm [Instrumental]
  • Sonny's Slow Walk
  • Steady Rollin' Man
    • 1958, FLYR LP 567, PAULA CD 07
  • Stop Crying
  • Stop Now Baby
  • Stop Right Now
  • Stormy Monday
    • 5/65 (RADIO BROADCAST), KBT
  • Take It Easy Baby
  • Take Your Hands Out Of My Pocket
    • 1958, FLYR LP 567, PAULA CD 07
  • Temperature 110
  • That's All I Want [Willie Dixon]
  • The Goat
  • The Hunt
  • The Key (To Your Door) [a.k.a. Key To Your Door]
  • The Sky Is Crying [Lewis, Robinson, James]
  • The Story Of Sonny Boy Williamson
  • This Is My Apartment
  • This Old Life
    • 15/9/60, BR
  • Tippin' Through Customs
  • Too Close Together
  • Too Old To Think
  • Too Young To Die
  • Trust My Baby
  • Trying To Get Back On My Feet
  • Understand My Life
  • Unseen Eye
  • Unseeing Eye
  • V-8 Ford
    • 5/65 (RADIO BROADCAST), KBT
  • Wake Up Baby
  • Walking
  • West Memphis Blues
  • When The Lights Went Out
  • Who's Gonna Take Care Of You?
  • Why Are You Crying?
  • Work With Me
  • You Killing Me
  • Your Funeral And My Trial
  • Your Imagination

Rule

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