* A traditional saying and the most well known is "I'd rather go bling than see you walk away" the song written by Ellington Jordan and co-credited to Billy Foster and Etta James. It was first recorded by Etta James in 1967 and subsequently become regarded as a blues and soul classic.
Something told me it was over
When I saw you and her talkin'
Something deep down in my soul said, 'Cry, girl'
When I saw you and that girl walkin' around
Whoo, I would rather, I would rather go blind, boy
Then to see you walk away from me, child, no
Whoo, so you see, I love you so much
That I don't wanna watch you leave me, baby
Most of all, I just don't, I just don't wanna be free, no
Whoo, whoo, I was just, I was just, I was just
Sittin here thinkin', of your kiss and your warm embrace, yeah
When the reflection in the glass that I held to my lips now, baby
Revealed the tears that was on my face, yeah
Whoo and baby, baby, I'd rather, I'd rather be blind, boy
Then to see you walk away, see you walk away from me, yeah
Whoo, baby, baby, baby, I'd rather be blind...
James version is, to me, the best and she recorded several versions of the song. This live performance though shows how she really put her heart into it:
The song has been covered by quite a few well-known musicians, some doing great versions like BB.King and Elkie Brooks and others mangling it like Rod Stewart and a whole lot of Britain's Got Talent-type wannabes.
Beyonce did a good job in the film Cadillac Records in which she played the part of Etta James:
Another quite powerful version is by Beth Hart who has a great voice and presence enough to do this song justice:
The first version I heard myself wasn't the original by Etta James, it was sung by Christine Perfect who was in the band Chicken Shack which I used to listen to in the late 60s and early 70s along with lots of other British R&B bands. I still like her version:
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Now I appreciate the sentiment in the song and the meaning of the song title as a failed love affair can be devastating, but I do feel that Ellington Jordan et al might not have enough of an appreciation of how devastating actually going blind is. I'm not blind and, touch wood (I'm superstitious) am not going blind but I do have poor eyesight and have to wear corrective eyeglasses. This has always been a hassle in day to day activities like sports, lovemaking, work, driving, swimming and, on the one occasion, getting the shit kicked out of me alongside Richard at a Wellington party (I had to hold on to my glasses so that the thugs didn't smash them as they were trying to do with my head).
