The True Story of the Cocaine Blues

The History of Cocaine in American Folk and Blues Music

Jun 19, 2009

The use of cocaine by workers along the Mississippi River leads to its inclusion in Delta culture and in its music. Read on for the history of Cocaine in American Music.

Cocaine first began to enter American history and culture in the second half of the 19th Century. It was used as a pain killer by doctors, and as a treatment for morphine addiction. It was even an ingredient in the original recipe for Coca-Cola.

Cocaine caught on as a stimulant in the Mississippi Delta among river laborers. A significant area for cocaine users in history was Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee, where it was sold in local drugstores in various forms. Beale Street would soon achieve fame as one of the centers of Blues music, often referred to as “the birthplace of the blues.”

As Cocaine found its way into the local workers and juke joints, it also found its way into the local music. Art imitates life, and in this case drug use and addiction became mirrored in the music. Below are three well known Folk Blues songs dating from that era, all going by the name “Cocaine Blues.”

Cocaine Blues, by T.J. "Red" Arnall

“Cocaine Blues,” written by T.J. “Red” Arnall, is actually a rewriting of one of America’s best known Appalachian murder ballads, “Little Sadie.” “Little Sadie” is alternatively known as:

In both “Little Sadie,” and “Cocaine Blues,” the protagonist shoots his woman. He tries to escape but is overrun by the police. The rest of the tale is of his trial and imprisonment. The major difference between “Little Sadie” and “Cocaine Blues” lyrically is the including of cocaine in the latter.

The addition of cocaine into the murder mix is a direct example of a song’s evolution with history and distance. As “Little Sadie” made its way from the Appalachians to the Mississippi Delta, it picked up the culture. In this case, Arnall added cocaine for realism and detail.

“Cocaine Blues” has been covered by many musicians in the Folk, Country, and Blues genres, including:

Cocaine Blues (Coco Blues), by Traditional and Rev. Gary Davis

It would not be a stretch to call the Rev. Gary Davis the most important figure in the history of the Piedmont Blues. His unique fingerpicking style was later widely incorporated by many folk musicians, and in many ways became the default guitar style for the more blues-oriented of folkies such as

According to his biography (see below) Gary Davis says that he learned his “Cocaine Blues” from a carnival worker in 1905. “Cocaine Blues” is a Piedmont Blues tune, with the 8 bar blues associated with country-blues songs like

In this version, there is no narrative. Rather Davis is lamenting the “cocaine, all around his brain” while calling for his woman. The woman in the song may be a lady, or it may be the drug itself, or both. The lyrics are ambiguous in this matter, assumedly on purpose.

Cocaine Habit Blues (Take a Whiff on Me), by Traditional

“Take a Whiff on Me” is another cocaine influenced folk song. It is often recorded as “Cocaine Habit Blues.” It consists of rhyming couplets about a man looking for cocaine. Usually associated with Lead Belly, “Take a Whiff on Me” is far more lighthearted than the other “Cocaine Blues” songs.

In several different versions of the song, references are made to streets in Memphis, further connecting the song to the cocaine culture in the Mississippi Delta.

There is also a common variation on “Take a Whiff on Me” titled “Tell it to Me.” The rhyming couplets are either identical or similar, but there is an added chorus:

The way that cocaine worked its way into the music of the region is a good example of how music reflects history and culture. As other drugs would infiltrate society, they too will be sung about-- praised and reviled-- in song.

The copyright of the article The True Story of the Cocaine Blues in Traditional Folk Music is owned by Craig Sanders. Permission to republish The True Story of the Cocaine Blues in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.