"Walkin' Blues", the record's flipside "Sweet Home Chicago", was mostly based on songs of Son House that Johnson, however, did not know from records but had learned directly from House, who was an early mentor of the young Robert in Robinsonville, Mississippi. Actually House’s recording of his own "Walking Blues" from 1930 was originally not used and stayed unissued until 1985. Robert Johnson’s version takes the first stanza from House's "Walking Blues" but also integrates stanzas from Tampa Red and Georgia Tom ("Train Time Blues", Jan 1929), Blind Lemon Jefferson ("Change My Luck Blues", Feb 1928), and from another song of Son House, "My Black Mama" (May 1930), which is also very similar to Robert Johnson's recording in view of guitar arrangement and vocal style.
Though a rather archaic recording even in 1936, "Walkin' Blues" was selected for the King of the Delta Blues Singers compilation of 1961, whereas "Sweet Home Chicago", in the commercial style of the late 1930s, was excluded. "Walkin' Blues" was also one of the two Johnson recordings that John Hammond chose to be played at his From Spirituals to Swing concert in Dec 1938, in order to represent a major exponent of the country blues. Indeed Hammond had sent for Johnson to play on the concert, who unfortunately had died only a few months before.
"I woke up this mornin', feelin' round for my shoes
Know 'bout 'at I got these, old walkin' blues
Woke up this mornin', feelin' round for my shoes
But you know 'bout 'at I, got these old walkin' blues
Lord, I feel like blowin' my woh old lonesome horn
Got up this mornin', my little Bernice was gone
Lord, I feel like blow ooohn' my lonesome horn
Well I got up this mornin' woh all I had was gone
Well ah leave this morn' of I have to, woh, ride the blind, ah
I've feel mistreated and I don't mind dyin'
Leavin' this morn' ah, I have to ride a blind
Babe, I been mistreated, baby, and I don't mind dyin'
Well, some people tell me that the worried, blues ain't bad
Worst old feelin' I most ever had, some
People tell me that these old worried old blues ain't bad
It's the worst old feelin', I most ever had
She got an Elgin movement from her head down to her toes
Break in on a dollar most anywhere she goes, oooh ooooh
To her head down to her toes, oh, honey
Lord, she break in on a dollar, most anywhere she goes."