"Early in the Morning" (sometimes called "'Bout the Break of Day") is a blues song that was recorded by Sonny Boy Williamson I in 1937. Identified as a blues standard, it was inspired by earlier blues songs. "Early in the Morning" has been recorded by numerous musicians, including Junior Wells, who made it part of his repertoire.

Charlie Spand recorded "Soon This Morning" on June 6, 1929. The song features Spand's vocal and piano and opens:

It's early in the mornin' 'bout the break of day
My head on the pillow where my mama used to lay

Spand subsequently recorded several versions of "Soon This Morning". Several other bluesmen also recorded renditions of the song, often varying the lyrics. Some early versions include Big Bill Broonzy as "At the Break of Day" (1934),Walter Roland as "Early This Morning" (1934), Jimmie Gordon as "Soon in the Morning" (1935),Bill Gaither as "Bout the Break of Day" (1936),Speckled Red as "Early in the Morning" (1938), and Washboard Sam as "So Early in the Morning" (1939).

Leroy Carr recorded "Truthful Blues" on August 14, 1928, 10 months prior to Spand's recording. Although he performs the song at a slower tempo and uses different lyrics, it has elements similar to "Soon This Morning". Also singing in a piano blues style, Carr's recording opens:

And I woke up this mornin' just about the break of day
And I woke up this mornin' just about the break of day
And I did not have no sweet woman just to drive my blues away

Both lyrical variations have been used frequently in subsequent recordings, but it is unknown if Carr's recording influenced Spand's.

John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson recorded "Early in the Morning" in 1937. The song is a medium-tempo twelve-bar blues that features Williamson's vocal and harmonica accompanied by Robert Lee McCoy (later known as Robert Nighthawk) and Henry Townsend on guitars. He incorporated his signature "call-and-response style of alternating vocal passages with pungent harmonica blasts" that became a fundamental of blues harmonica. Williamson's chorus uses lyrics similar to the earlier songs:

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