Was there ever a recording of Son House's Death Letter with the last verse intact.?

Question

In the original version of the song Son's character confesses to killing the woman in the song.

Answer 1

If I were you I would question my information. I know of no version of "Death Letter," by Son House or anyone else, where the narrator confesses to killing the woman in the last verse.



Furthermore, there is no "original" version of Death Letter. The song contains multiple elements from older blues songs. The first time Son House recorded "My Black Mama Parts 1 and 2" in 1930, the lyrics contained 3 or 4 verses of "Death Letter," but there is no reference to killing a woman at all. Later, Son House recorded "Death Letter" by itself with the addition of a few verses, but again, there is no reference to the narrator killing the woman.