I Had a Good Father and Mother


"I Had a Good Father and Mother" is a 1929 gospel blues song by Washington Phillips. 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. – John 13:34
  • As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. – John 15:9
  • 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