Traditional blues verses

Traditional blues verses

In the folk tradition, there are many traditional blues verses that have been sung over and over by many artists. Blues singers, which includes many country and folk artists as well as those commonly identified with blues singers, use these traditional lyrics to fill out their blues performances. Artists like Jimmie Rodgers, the "blue yodeler", and Big Joe Turner, "the Boss of the Blues" compiled virtual encyclopedias of lyrics. Turner reputedly could sing the blues for hours without repeating himself.

Terminology

Traditional blues verses in folk-music tradition have also been called floating lyrics or maverick stanzas. Floating lyrics have been described as “lines that have circulated so long in folk communities that tradition-steeped singers call them instantly to mind and rearrange them constantly, and often unconsciously, to suit their personal and community aesthetics”. [Carl Lindahl, ‘Thrills and Miracles: Legends of Lloyd Chandler’, "Journal of Folklore Research", Bloomington: May-Dec 2004, Vol. 41, Issue 2/3, pp. 133-72.]

Examples

Although many blues song, such as "Jelly Jelly" or "St. Louis Blues" are composed in the usual fashion with lyrics focusing on a single theme and telling a story, many others, like "Roll 'Em Pete" or "T for Texas" combine one or two new verses with a flock of traditional ones.

Traditional blues verses are most common in twelve bar blues with the characteristic repeated first line (indicated here by 2X).

Blues songs are by no means all sad. Many of these traditional lyrics are salacious:

:See that spider crawlin' up that wall (2X):He's crawlin up there to get his ashes hauled.

:Let me be your little dog till your big dog comes (2X):And when the big dog gets here, tell him what the puppy done done

:Rebecca, Rebecca, get your big legs off of me (2X):It may be sending you baby but its worryin' the hell out of me.

Other lyrics tell of violence and unhappy romance:

:I'm gonna buy me a pistol with a great long shiny barr'l (2X):Gonna shoot that rounder who stole away my gal

:If you see me comin', heist your window high (2X):If you see me goin', baby, hang your head and cry.

:It's been three weeks since my sweet baby said goodbye (2X):And now my sweet dog, has eaten all of my sweet pie

Others detail the miseries of life:

:If your house catches fire and there ain't no water 'round (2X):Throw your rags out the window, let the doggone shack burn down.

"Traditional lyrics" of known origin

Some lyrics crop up in song after song, such as:

:I did more for you baby than the good Lord ever done:I went downtown and bought you some hair and the good Lord never gave you none

These lyrics seem, however, to have a known origin, in this case the eponymic "S.K. Blues" of Saunders King. The song has several verses on the same theme, ending with the threat, "You won't have no hair, no head at all".

References


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Blues — This article is about the music genre. For other uses, see Blues (disambiguation). Blues Stylistic origins African American folk music Work song Spirituals Cultural origins Late 19th century, southern United States Typical instruments …   Wikipedia

  • Blues (album) — Infobox Album Name = Blues Type = compilation Longtype = Artist = Jimi Hendrix Released = April 26, 1994 Recorded = 1966–1970 Genre = Blues, blues rock, electric blues Length = 72:17 Label = MCA MCAD 11060 Producer = Alan Douglas Bruce Gary… …   Wikipedia

  • Mule Skinner Blues — Blue Yodel #8 / Mule Skinner Blues Song originally by Jimmie Rodgers Published 1930 Recorded July 11, 1930 Genre Country Bluegrass Blues …   Wikipedia

  • Fisherman's Blues — Infobox Album | Name = Fisherman s Blues Type = Studio album Artist = The Waterboys Released = October 1988 Recorded = Windmill Lane Studio Spiddal House 1986 – 1988 Genre = Folk Rock Length = 52:53 Label = Ensign Records, Chrysalis Records… …   Wikipedia

  • Hesitation Blues — Song infobox Name = Hesitation Blues Artist = Album = Released = February 1925 track no = Recorded = 1925 Genre = blues Western swing Length = Label = Columbia Records Writer = Billy Smythe Scott Middleton Art Gillham Producer = prev = prev no =… …   Wikipedia

  • St. Louis Blues (song) — St. Louis Blues is an American popular song composed by William Christopher Handy in the blues style. It remains a fundamental part of jazz musicians repertoire. It was also one of the first blues songs to succeed as a pop song; it has been… …   Wikipedia

  • The Moody Blues — in concert at the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, California in 2005. L R: Justin Hayward, Graeme Edge and John Lodge. Background information Origin …   Wikipedia

  • Kind Hearted Woman Blues — Infobox Song Name = Kind Hearted Woman Blues Cover size = Border = yes Caption = Artist = Robert Johnson Album = A side = Terraplane Blues B side = Kind Hearted Woman Blues Released = Start date|1937|03 Format = 78 rpm Recorded = San Antonio,… …   Wikipedia

  • 12-String Blues — Infobox Album | Name = 12 String Blues Type = live Album Artist = Leo Kottke Released = 1969 Recorded = The Scholar Coffeehouse, Minneapolis, MN Genre = Folk, blues Length = Label = Oblivion obl s1 Producer = Reviews = * Allmusic rating|3|5 [http …   Wikipedia

  • Origins of rock and roll — History of rock and roll and similar terms redirect here. For the radio program, see The History of Rock and Roll. Rock and roll emerged as a defined musical style in the United States in the early to mid 1950s. It derived most directly from the… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”