I've been thinking about some of the unusual aspects regarding Worried Down With The Blues. First of all, I think that it's a great song, that Warren always slays on it. But I'm not sure how it will be remembered in the years ahead.
Although it had a strong rotation in ABB's live setlists, there was never a studio version released by the ABB (to my knowledge). Frequent ABB concert goers remember it well, but it's more like a footnote or a deep track for anyone whose exposure to the ABB was through radio and commercial releases.
According to the HTW show database, WDWTB was performed in concert by the ABB from 1995 until 2014. Except it was not performed between May 2005 and March 2011. Warren wasn't in the band between 1997 and 2000, so that wouldn't explain the gap between 2005-2011. I'm curious about why it wasn't performed between 2005-2011.
The only studio performance of the song that I'm aware of is on Gov't Mule's Deep End Vol. 1, 2001. It is credited to Gov't Mule (at the time composed of Warren Haynes and Matt Abts), with Gregg Allman, Derek Trucks, and Otiel Burbridge sitting in. Gregg shares vocals with Warren.
WDWTB shows up on the ABB's Live from the Beacon Theatre DVD in 2003. It was also included in the ABB's One Way Out, Live from the Beacon Theatre CD in 2004. But it was not on the ABB's studio CD, Hittin' the Note.
Most writing credits for WDWTB list Warren Haynes and John Jaworowicz, but the Gov't Mule Deep End Vol 1 credits W. Haynes, A. Woody, and J. Jaworowicz. I don't know why it's inconsistent.
Any thoughts or information would be appreciated!
I understand blues musician and song writer John Jaworowicz came up with the song then gave it to Warren Haynes and he and Allen Woody finished and polished it.
With End Of The Line, Allen Woody came up with that song then he showed it to Warren Haynes and John Jaworowicz who finished it. Then the song went to Gregg Allman for his ideas and Gregg trimmed it down and gave it a tighter arrangement.
I never got to see Jaworowicz but I have an album by him. He sadly died in 2001 just a year after Allen Woody passed.
I have The Deep End and love that version.
Unfortunately from what I've been able to gather from my old radio contacts The Allman Brothers Band doesn't get the airplay they did in the 1990's and 2000's here in 2025.
And the stations who continue to have the ABB in rotation for the most part only play ONE ABB song in regular rotation that was recorded after 1989 and that is Soulshine.
Songs such as Seven Turns, Good Clean Fun, End Of The Line, No One Left To Run With, Firing Line occasionally get some deep cuts play.
Most of the album rock airplay is Ramblin' Man, Jessica, One Way Out, Melissa, Blue Sky, Ain't Waisting Time No More, Statesboro Blues and a few others from the 1969 -1973 albums.
Us hardcore fans want to hear tracks from all the albums except maybe the two Arista albums. I actually like some of the tracks on those especially Reach For The Sky.
Worried Down With The Blues likely will be a track that just us hard core fans will play when we are playing songs from the Allman Brothers Band.
Warren Haynes is on this track on the album by John I have.
I don't have any strong opinions on "Worried Down with the Blues", it's an ok slow blues song. I guess since it debuted at a time when the band wasn't recording, Warren decided to use it on a Mule album. They could have included it on HTN, like "Rockin' Horse", but maybe they wanted to feature fresher material. Not sure why they shelved it during the 2000s, but some songs went in and out of the rotation. Maybe they wanted a break from it, or maybe they wanted to focus on ABB material.
