Blind Fiddler, The

DESCRIPTION: "I lost my sight in the blacksmith's shop in the year of 'Fifty-six." The singer, with no other trade available, has had to become a wandering fiddler. Not even Doctor Lane of San Francisco could help him. He hopes his family is safe and well
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1923 (Belden-BalladsSongsCollectedByMissourFolkloreSociety)
KEYWORDS: homesickness poverty rambling separation fiddle injury family doctor hardtimes music
FOUND IN: US(So)
REFERENCES (4 citations):
Belden-BalladsSongsCollectedByMissourFolkloreSociety, p. 446, "The Blind Fiddler" (1 text)
Darling-NewAmericanSongster, p. 364, "The Blind Fiddler" (1 text)
Silber/Silber-FolksingersWordbook, p. 55, "The Blind Fiddler" (1 text)
DT, BLINDFID*
Roud #7833
RECORDINGS:
Pete Seeger, "The Blind Fiddler" (on PeteSeeger13, AmHist1)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Blind Man's Song" (theme)
cf. "Jilson Setters's Blind Song" (theme)
cf. "The Blind Man's Regret" (theme)
NOTES [152 words]: Until this century, there was nothing resembing a social safety net for the victims of industrial accidents -- in particular, no workers' compensation, and little chance of compensation by the employer.
Pete Seeger dates this song from 1850, with no supporting documentation; as the first line reads "I lost my eyes in the blacksmith shop in the year of '56", this date is doubtful. It has the feel of the mid-19th century about it, but I've dated it only back to the field recording for safety's sake. - PJS
Joe Hickerson, who probably would know, implies that this is the earliest recording known to him, though the fact that there is also a version in Belden-BalladsSongsCollectedByMissourFolkloreSociety implies that it is older. He speculates that it is derived from the earlier "The Rebel Soldier"(primarily on the basis of the final line; "I am a (blind fiddler/rebel soldier) and far from my home." - RBW
File: FSWB055

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