I Had a Good Father and Mother

"I Had a Good Father and Mother" is a 1929 gospel blues song by Washington Phillips (18801954, vocals and zither). The song has sometimes been covered as "I Had a Good Mother and Father"; or with, in both cases, "Real" inserted before "Good".

Unusually, the song does not have a conventional refrain; instead, the verses are separated by a wordless vocalise.

The final verse reflects a concept mentioned several times in the Gospel of John:

• A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
• As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
• This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.John 15:12

The recording history suggests that the song was composed by Phillips himself: there seems to be no earlier or contemporary version, nor any cover version until 64 years after his recording of the song.

Recordings

• 1929Washington Phillips, 10-inch 78&nbsp;rpm single Columbia <small>14566-D</small>
• 1993Palace Brothers on the album There Is No-One What Will Take Care of You
• 1994Kate Wolf on the album Looking Back at You
• 2003Gillian Welch on the album Soul Journey
• 2004Paul Rishell and Annie Raines on the album Goin' Home
• 2016The Lower Lights on the album A Hymn Revival, Vol. 3

References