Thursday, December 20, 2012

Returning To The Blues

Back in March, I did a post on the Blues.  It was one of my best pieces; you can check it out here.

During a long ride yesterday, I had more thoughts on the matter.  Blues folk have a different vocabulary and life experience than rich people.  Here are some examples:

Rich People: "We will be dining al fresco this evening."
Blues Folk: "We gonna pitch a Wang Dang Doodle all night long."

Rich People: "I won the tennis championship at the club last week."
Blues Folk: "I did some time in Tennessee.  I shot a man in Memphis just to watch him die."

Rich People: "Excuse me, Ma'am.  Can you break a $100 bill?"
Blues Folk: "Gimme  more of that cold black coffee, hon.  Bitter."

Rich People: "After Exeter, I attended Yale undergrad and then, of course, got my law degree from Daddy's alma mater."
Blues Folk: "A gypsy woman told my mama before I was born, she said you gonna have a boy child comin’ and he gonna be a son of a gun. He gonna make pretty women jump and shout, then the world’s gonna know what this’s all about. You know I’m here, everybody knows I’m here; I’m your hootchie kootchie man."




(Photos are of the great Muddy Waters and Big Mama Thornton.  Big Mama did the definitive version of "Hound Dog" -- years before Elvis covered the song.)

8 comments:

  1. Now I have to say .... AGAIN ... Yours is the BEST blog in the world!!! I LOVE checking out what you are up to and what things of interest you are going to put out there for us to contemplate. Well done Ally!!!

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  2. This is such a cool post! Music is definitely a big part of our lives. My husband plays guitar and drums, Kayla plays piano and the flute and me and the little one sing (off key). Music is awesome! We love all music, but the blues is one of our favorites :) Heather

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  3. I promise to look at your blues post. I love what you've been teaching me lately! Yesterday it was biographies and today it's blues language. :-) You rock.

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  4. I LOVE music greatly, and still have my Muddy Walters' album that my father gave me. Blues is one of my top favourites! Great post!

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  5. This post has me heading to youtube for some Johnny Cash. I never felt sad over a celebrities death until Johnny Cash, and I genuinely cried when I heard he died.

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  6. Love the first Blues post; hadn't gotten that far back in your journal yet. I guess I qualify to sing the blues since I was once a bald woman. Hooray!

    Very happy to have found your blog. I'm learning so much from you!

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  7. great to read the blues post. I love creating the alike lines for blues matter and feels like my favourite music. I guess I'm to young to sing it but I surely try a little of it when nobody sees.
    I love finding more connections between us by the way

    Merry Christmas

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  8. I think there's something very natural about feeling pulled towards the blues during the holiday season. Even if one is happy as a clam, they (the holidays) can dredge up old memories or inject moments of stress that make us feel like our emotions are more in line with a soulful blues tune than, say, Jingle Bells. No matter the time of year, I always enjoy blues music, especially some of the earlier artists like Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey, nd T-Bone Walker.


    Happiest Boxing Day wishes, my friend!
    ♥ Jessica

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