| "Everybody Ought to Treat a Stranger Right" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Single by Blind Willie Johnson | |
| Released | c. 1930 |
| Recorded | Atlanta, Georgia, April 20, 1930 |
| Label | Columbia |
| Songwriter(s) | Unknown |
"Everybody Ought to Treat a Stranger Right" is a gospel blues song recorded in 1930 by Blind Willie Johnson with backing vocals by Willie B. Harris, who may have been his first wife.[1] The song was released in 1930 on Columbia 14597 as B-side to "Go with Me to That Land".[2]
The chorus consists of the lines:
Everybody should treat a stranger right, long ways from home,
Everybody should treat a stranger right, a long way from home.
The verses comment on that idea, notably with reference to the Three Wise Men offering gifts to the Christ-child in the manger.
In 2018, Ry Cooder recorded the song for his album The Prodigal Son.[3] He commented that it was "one of Blind Willie Johnson’s great songs – he’s the go to guy".[3]
References
- ↑ "Everybody Ought to Treat a Stranger Right". Smithsonian Folkways. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
- ↑ Charters, Samuel (1993). The Complete Blind Willie Johnson (CD booklet). Blind Willie Johnson. New York City: Columbia Records/Legacy Recordings. C2K 52835.
- 1 2 "Video Premiere: Ry Cooder "Everybody Ought to Treat a Stranger Right" (Live in studio)". Relix. April 17, 2018. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
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