American Blues

1
American Blues

• 1920s-1940s

Connie McLean
Louis Armstrong
Bessie Smith
Ma Rainey
Duke Ellington
Bessie Jackson
2
Great Migration to Harlem RenaissanceWWI
Northern Jobs, 1920s S. Cotton Plague

• Boweavil Blues
• Hey boweavil don't bring them blues no more (2x)
• Boweavil's here, boweavil's everywhere you go
• I'm a lone boweavil, been out a great long time
  (2x)
• For to sing this song, to ease boweavil's
  troublin' mind
• I don't want no sugar put into my tea (2x)
• The mens are so evil, I'm scared they might
  poison me
• I went downtown
• I bought myself a hat
• I brought it back home
• I laid it on the shelf
• I looked in my bedroom
• Tired sleepin' by myself
• I'm tired sleepin' by myself

• G. Brooks Clara Smith, Far Away Blues (1923)
• We left our southern homes and wandered north to
  roam
• Like birds, went seekin a brand new field of
  corn
• We dont know why we are here
• But were up here just the same
• And we are just the lonesomest girls thats ever
  born
• Some of these days we are going far away
• Some of these days we are going far away
• Where we have got a lots of friends and dont
  have no roof rent to pay
• Oh, therell come a day when from us youll hear
  no news
• Oh, therell come a day when from us youll hear
  no news
• Then you will know that we have died from those
  lonesome far away blues.

3
Housing, Pay, Prostitution

• 24. Ruth Ladson with the Three Shadows, Windy
  City Blues (1941) Sissy Man Blues.
• When I was down in Georgia, reading the Chicago
  news,
• Say, when I was down in Georgia, reading the
  Chicago news,
• Now, I wasn't satisfied I got those Windy City
  blues.
• Then I came up out of Georgia, green as I could
  be,
• I met a Chicago woman she said, "Come and go
  with me."
• She asked me if I had any money, but was I broke
  as I could be.
• She said, "Look here, young woman, you're young
  and I am so old,
• And you're in dear old Chicago, where there's
  plenty of gold,
• You'll have to use your head to get it there's
  easy ways I've been told."

• When we get up to her house, up on the second
  floor,
• I saw the head of a man, peepin' from every door
  
• I said, "You better get me outa here
• Before it is too late, too late, too late.
• Just the sight of all these men gives me the
  belly-ache."
• I've got those Windy City blues, blue as I can
  be.
• I've got those Windy City blues, blue as I can
  be.
• 'Cause all those Chicago men have made a doggone
  fool of me.
• 1. Why might she not be satisfied in Georgia and
  think Chicago the place to go?
• 2. What kind of opportunities for easy money were
  there?
• 3. What was the narrators view of the older
  womans advice, and what happened?
• 4. Why would she feel a fool?

4

• 13. Maggie Jones with Louis Armstrong, Anybody
  Here Want to Buy My Cabbage? (1924) Sissy Man
  Blues.
• Anybody here want to try my cabbage,
• Just step this a-way!
• Anybody here like to buy good cabbage,
• Just holler hey!
• Theres no sweeter cabbage anywhere in town.
• You can have it corner of 9th and Brown.
• Anybody here want to try my cabbage,
• Just step this a-way!
• Anybody here want to try my cabbage,
• Just step this a-way!
• Anybody here like to buy good cabbage,
• Just holler hey!
• Gave some to the parson and he shook with glee.
• He took a collection gave it all to me.

• Anybody here want to try my cabbage,
• Just step this a-way!
• Gave it to a cornder (?) just to fix my feet.
• Every time he sees me he wants to eat.
• Anybody here want to try my cabbage,
• Just step this a-way!
• Anybody here like to buy good cabbage,
• Just holler hey!
• Gave some to the jailer who turned the key on me
• When I got through feeding him he said, Girl
  youre free.
• Anybody here want to try my cabbage,
• Just step this a-way!
• Whats is the narrator selling (whats cabbage)?
• How are men portrayed in both songs?
• How does this narrator portray or feel about what
  shes doing?

5
Opportunities voting block, jobs, culture, sexual

• 20. The Hokum Boys with the Three Shadows,
  Somebody's Been Using That Thing (1930) Sissy Man
  Blues.
• I took my whiskey jug to get a little shot,
• Someone beat me to it, and they didn't leave a
  drop,
• Mmm-hmm!
• Somebody's been usin' that thing,
• Mmm-hmm!
• Somebody's been usin' that thing,
• Just as sure as you're born, somebody's been
  usin' that thing!
• I met the cutest little brown that I had ever
  seen,
• But when she started lovin', I found she wasn't
  green,
• Mmm-hmm!
• Somebody's been usin' that thing,
• Mmm-hmm!
• Somebody's been usin' that thing,
• Just as sure as you're born, somebody's been
  usin' that thing!

• When Minnie was a girl, her mother kept her from
  men,
• But Minnie had two children when she reached the
  age of ten,
• Mmm-hmm!
• Somebody's been usin' that thing,
• I know,
• Somebody's been usin' that thing,
• Just as sure as you're born, somebody's been
  usin' that thing!
• Oh, Jimmy Jones the gambler owned a pretty pair
  of dice,
• He made his seven once and he made his 'leven
  twice,
• That boy,
• Somebody's been usin' that thing,
• What joy!
• Somebody's been usin' that thing,
• Just as sure as you're born, somebody's been
  usin' that thing!

6

• My friend picked a new girl in a little dance
  hall,
• He used to be a high stepper, but now he can't
  walk at all!
• What's the matter?
• Somebody's been usin' that thing,
• I thought it!
• Somebody's been usin' that thing,
• Just as sure as you're born, somebody's been
  usin' that thing!
• The house on the corner is the funniest place,
• The man who lives there puts paint and powder on
  his face.
• Oh, stop now!
• Somebody's been usin' that thing,
• Oh, boy!
• Somebody's been usin' that thing,
• Just as sure as you're born, somebody's been
  usin' that thing!
• I went down to the levee to watch the boats come
  in,
• I saw a lot of women who walked and talked like
  men,
• What's the matter?
• ,

• Somebody's been usin' that thing,
• Are you sure?
• Somebody's been usin' that thing,
• Just as sure as you're born, somebody's been
  usin' that thing!
• When you see little school-girls skippin' down
  the street,
• Shakin' and twisting from their head to their
  feet,
• I know,
• Somebody's been usin' that thing,
• You can always tell,
• Somebody's been usin' that thing,
• Just as sure as you're born
• 1. What does somebodys been usin that thing
  refer to?
• 2. What are the attitudes the male narrator has
  toward the various females he describes?
• 3. What are the attitudes of the male narrator
  toward the males he describes?

7
Relations Between the Sexes and Attitudes toward
Homosexuality?

• 1. Connie McLean's Rhythm Boys, Sissy Man Blues
  (1936). Sissy Man Blues.
• I believe, I believe Ill go back home.
• I believe, I believe Ill go back home.
• Oh as long as youre not my good girl, mama,
• Lord I know Ive done you wrong.
• Im going to ring up China, yeah man.
• See then I find a good girl over there.
• Im going to ring up China. ?
• See then I find my good girl over there.
• Cause the Good Book tell me
• that I got a good gal in this world somewhere.
• Oh then the church bell is tolling, yeah man
• on one Sunday morning ?
• Oh then the church bell is a tolling
• on one Sunday morning.
• Oh then some ol dirty deacon
• that rung that bell stole my good gal home ?

• I woke up this morning with my poor tiny business
  in my hand
• Well, I woke up this morning with my poor tiny
  business in my hand
• If you can't slip me no woman, bring some sissy
  man.
• Im sing this blues mama, yeah man,
• and Im gonna lay on my barn door shelf.
• Im sing this blues mama, yeah man,
• and Im gonna lay on my barn door shelf.
• Oh youre gonna hear these blues again, mama ?
• sure gonna sing um yourself.
• 1. What are the narrators attitudes toward
  women? Toward sissy men?
• 2. What kind of attitude does he seem to have
  toward sex?

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• 14. Bessie Smith, Foolish Man Blues (1927 in NY)
  Bessie Smith v.3.2
• Men sure deceitful, they getting worse every day
• Lord, men sure deceitful, they getting worse
  every day
• Actin like a bunch of women, they just gabbin,
  gabbin, gabbin away
• Theres two things got me puzzled, theres two
  things I cant understand
• Theres two things got me puzzled, theres two
  things I cant understand
• Thats a mannish actin woman and skippin,
  twistin, woman actin man
• Lord, I used to love that man, he always made my
  poor heart ache
• Yes, I love that man, he makes my poor heart ache
• Hes crooked as a corkscrew, and evil as a
  copperhead snake
• I knew a certain man who spent years runnin a
  poor gal down
• I knew a certain man who spent years runnin a
  poor gal down
• And when she let him kiss her, the fool blabbed
  it all over town.

• 1. What is the narrators view of men and
  relationships between men and women?
• 2. Why do you think she adds the lines about what
  puzzles her?

1. What is the narrators view of men and
relationships between men and women? 2. Why do
you think she adds the lines about what puzzles
her?
1. What is the narrators view of men and
relationships between men and women? 2. Why do
you think she adds the lines about what puzzles
her?
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• 7. Bessie Jackson, B.D. Woman's Blues (1935 in
  Chicago). Sissy Man Blues "B.D." is short for
  "bull-dykers" or bulldaggers, i.e. lesbian
  women.
• Comin' a time, B.D. women ain't gonna need no men
• Comin' a time, B.D. women ain't gonna need no men
• Oh they way treat us is a lowdown and dirty sin
• B.D. women, you sure can't understand
• B.D. women, you sure can't understand
• They got a head like a sweet angel and they walk
  just like a natural man
• B.D. women, they all done learnt their plan
• B.D. women, they all done learnt their plan
• They can lay their jive just like a natural man
• B.D. women, B.D. women, you know they sure is
  rough
• B.D. women, B.D. women, you know they sure is
  rough
• They all drink up plenty whiskey and they sure
  will strut their stuff
• B.D. women, you know they work and make their
  dough

• B.D. women, you know they work and make their
  dough
• And when they get ready to spend it, they know
  they have to go (?)
• 1. How does the narrator depict men?

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• 4. Ma Rainey, Prove It On Me Blues (1928). Sissy
  Man Blues
• Went out last night, had a great big fight
• Everything seemed to go on wrong
• I looked up, to my surprise
• The gal I was with was gone
• Where she went, I dont know
• I mean to follow everywhere she goes
• Folks say Im crooked, I didnt know where she
  took it
• I want the whole world to know
• They said I do it, aint nobody caught me
• Sure got to prove it on me
• Went out last night with a crowd of friends
• They mustve been women, cause I dont like no
  men
• Its true I wear a collar and a tie

• Make the wind blow all the while
• Cause they say I do it, aint nobody caught me
• They sure got to prove it on me
• Say I do it, aint nobody caught me
• Sure got to prove it on me
• I went out last night with a crowd of friends
• They mustve been women, cause I dont like no
  men
• Wear my clothes just like a fan
• Talk to the gals just like any old man
• Cause they say I do it, aint nobody caught me
• Sure got to prove it on me.

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1. How does the narrator describe herself? What
does she imply others view of her is?2. How
does she relate to women? To men?3. What do you
take the I want the whole world to know to mean
compared with Sure got to prove it on me?

• White Search for the Primitive
• Consuming Black Culture Claude McCain, Zora
  Neale Husrton, Paul Robesom, Duke Ellington,
  Gertrude Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith
• Black musicals 1921 Shuffle Along
• Jazz, The Cotton Club, Ellington
• Congo Room in Hotel Alamack 1925