Blues Paper Assignment Help!!?

Question

I need some help with my blues paper assignment that's due tomorrow.

Search out at least four blues songs that you believe are meaningful and important in telling us something unique and important about the American experience. All four songs should concern a single subject or topic and, when taken collectively, should tell us something important about that topic and the American experience.

The songs don't have to be "traditional" blues songs. Can anyone help me out with this assignment? Even a song or two would help. I can look at the lyrics and figure out the meanings. Thanks!

Answer 1

HIGHWAY 61- Highway 61 connects New Orleans to Memphis by way of Greensville and Clarksdale. Fred McDowell had numerous versions.
KEY TO THE HIGHWAY- Composed by Bill Broonzy. It was first recorded by Jazz Gillum on Bluebird Records in 1940.
Broonzy recorded it in 1941.
NOBODY LOVES YOU WHEN YOU'RE DOWN AND OUT- Bessie Smith 'nuff said.
C.C. RIDER (ALSO CALLED EASY RIDER OR SEE SEE RIDER)
SWEET HOME CHICAGO-Robert Johnson recorded it on Vocalion in 1938.
CANNED HEAT BLUES or BIG ROAD BLUES-Tommy Johnson.
You may also wish to refer to:
http://blueslyrics.tripod.com/blueslanguage.htm

Good Luck

Answer 2

Backwater Blues - 1927 Bessie Smith.
It is about Hurricane Betsy that destroyed New Orleans in the 1920's Also see Kansas City Joe's When the Levee Breaks. In that version he alludes to working on the levees night and day. Blacks in NOLA at the time were forced to work long hours at gunpoint to attempt to shore up the levees during the storm.

Stagolee - Mississippi John Hurt
Not his composition - but an old folk tale about Stagolee or Stack-o-Lee and his murder of Billy Lyons over his magic Stetson Hat. Possibly originated froma real murder in the 1890's. This song has MANY version.

Travelin Blues 1931 - Blind Willie McTell - a good song to help understand hoboing on trains and such during the depression

Parchman Farm 1940 - Bukka White. About the experience of being on a chain gang on Parchman Farm. Also see Leadbelly's Midnight Special

Answer 3

Look into blues root radio online, they have some very informative info.

Crossroads by Robert Johnson
Why I Sing The Blues by BB King
Can't Keep a Good Boy Down by Leadbelly
Pride and Joy by Stevie Ray Vaughan

Answer 4

You might try a topical approach. As others have suggested, there are a lot of breakup songs in the blues (that's why they call it the blues.....). But there are also political songs, songs about relations with whites, songs about food or lack of it, songs about being poor. You might also try railroad songs (the railroads were used a lot by blacks travelling in the classic blues periods). A good topic might even be prison songs. Songs about being poor. I would say to limit your songs to those before say 1963, for you have a much different period of black culture then, before segregation was ended and blacks and whites did not interact so much socially or culturally.

"I got my mojo working" is a song that deals a lot with a connection with African voodoo culture, which was (and in some areas, still may be important to at least some black people). (In case you are wondering, a mojo is NOT a piece of male reproduction equipment; it is the left front foreleg of a black cat killed at midnight in a crossroads, and a love charm to be pointed at the reluctant member of the opposite sex.
You might even try songs that use black idiomatic speech for titles or in the song lyrics. "Down Home girl" "mule kicking in my stall" etc. still convey a lot of what was basically a rural southern culture which had only recently moved north to urban areas.
Songs? Nah, I gave ya a few. Better to listen to a lot, then you will appreciate the music more, and hopefully, love it as much as so many of us do.

Answer 5

Start with anything by Charlie Patton, then look at Robert Johnson, next look for anything by the more modern blues artists like BB, Albert, or Freddie King. Also look up Fleetwood Mac from about '67 to '70.

Answer 6

I'll tell you someone you should read up on... Robert Johnson. His story and the "legend" surrounding him is quite interesting. ALL of his songs would be good things to try out. Specific ones: Me and the Devil Blues, 32-20 Blues, Im A Steady Rollin' Man, They're Red Hot...

and so on...

hope that helps you!

Answer 7

crossroad blues Robert Johnson (the song just says it all
Whiskey and women John Lee Hooker
Pick a bail of cotton Leadbelly (a great part of the origins of blues worksongs)
Mannish boy Muddy Waters (what a way to pick up women)

Answer 8

"You Don't Know Me" -Ray Charles, a coded message to whites

"I'm A Man (Mannish Boy)" - Muddy Waters, declarative, swaggering masculine song at a time black men were called 'boy'.

"Blues Falling Like Rain" - Robert Johnson, referring to hellhounds on his trail and his inner conflicts.

"The Thrill Is Gone" - BB King, probably the most eloquent breakup song ever.

Answer 9

oaky, like the other folks mentioned


Robert Johnson: Crossroads Blues- its a classic
Huddie Ledbetter (Leadbelly) folk/blues: Goodnight Irene
Many Aritist recorded "Bo Weevil Blues"
Muddy Waters- one of the first electric bluesman

Answer 10

sure I can help just use any four of my songs because all my songs have a moral message but your teacher might quest it because of my name here's a list of four of my songs that are sure to impress your teacher
alone she cried
your in a lonely place
Live another day
Cant lose these blues