In this column: Dust my broom, mop the floor, moppers blues, help me, diggin my potatoes, cabbage sprouts, tattoos all red|This column is about sayings and words in blues lyrics. For a Dutchman it is sometimes hard to understand, what a singer is singing. In earlier days, we copied lyrics from vinyl records. If we …
In this column: Symbolic meaning of animals in blues lyrics, fattening frogs for snakes, monkey, dog, cat, kingsnake, catfish, PART3 Fattening frogs for snake, Sonny Boy Williamson"It took me a long time, to find out my mistakesTook me a long time, to find out my mistakes(It sho' did man)But I bet you my bottom dollar, …
In this column: Symbolic meaning of animals in blues lyrics, chicken, rooster, PART2 In Bessie Tucker's Katy Blues you read the following stanza:"Well, I ain't no pullet, I'm a real young hen;If you come by here once, you'll come back again."A pullet is a female chicken younger than one year of age. On her first …
In this column: Symbolic meaning of animals in blues lyrics, pig in a sack, cow and milk, bee's, low down dog, salty dog, PART1 The images of animals are commonly used with a symbolic meaning and characterize a person in a negative manner.For instance in "Ups and Down Blues" by Roosevelt Sykes. Roosevelt uses the …
In this column: Colorado Central, Narrow Gauge Railways, The Chief, Santa Fe's Fleet Of Famous Trains, Freight Train Blues, Yellow Dog Blues, Smokestack Lightning, Trixie Smith, Louis Armstrong, W.C.Handy, Howling Wolf In the episode about C.C.Rider you can read that C.C. the acronym could be for Colorado Central.The Colorado Central Railroad operated in Colorado and southeastern Wyoming in …
In this column: The Katy, The Santa Fe, The Dummy, The Chief, The Midland, The T.P, Mystery Train, Mean Old Train, Midnight Special, The Box Car More background information on trains, on the basis of the song Katy Blues of Bessie Tucker."Katy's at the station, Santa Fe is in the yard; Mmmmmmmm, Santa Fe is …
In this column: Weevil, Boll Weevil, The Katy, The Santa Fe, The Mule, Bessie Tucker Weevil in Can't get no grinding (Muddy Waters) and Boll Weevil (Lead Belly). See an earlier episode.The wheat weevil / grain weevil in "Can't get no grinding" (Muddy Water) is a beetle that causes damage to harvested stored grains and …
In this column: Shorty George Blues, Shorty George, Sippie Wallace, Lead Belly, Shorty George Snowden, Mailed in the air, Monkey Man Shorty George BluesBeulah "Sippie" Wallace recorded "Shorty George Blues" in 1923. It is like "Fore Day Creep" and "Empty Bed Blues" about men who leave their women. If Sippie wrote the song with her …
In this column: Fore Day Creep, Creepers, Don't advertise your man, Grinding, Can't get no grinding, Axe to grind, Bushel and a peck |This column is about sayings and words in blues lyrics. For a Dutchman it is sometimes hard to understand, what a singer is singing. In earlier days, we copied lyrics from vinyl …
In this column: Easy Rider, Pimp Walk, Rider, Day Rider, Ghost Rider When "easy rider" is used for a sexual partner, the word "easy" for a woman and a man has a different meaning. For a woman it is an expression of admiration, for a man the significance is lightly or faithless.When you see me …
In this column: See See Rider, Rider, Fore Day Rider See See Rider / C.C. Rider / See See Rider Blues or Easy Rider is a 12-bar blues song. Gertrude "Ma" Rainey recorded it in 1924 followed by many other musicians over the years. The song tells the story of an unfaithful lover, commonly called …
In this column: Signifying, Match box hold my clothes, Baby bought a ticket Signifying in the blues refers to the use of doubletalk that is understood by members of one’s community.Blues lyrics use metaphor to allow the singer to brag about physical attributes and sexual ability. Bessie Smith sang “I need a little hot dog …
In this column: Riding the blind, Armful of Greyhound, Shut your damper down Meaning It was common for musicians to jump onto freight trains to visit nearby towns and farms. Later they moved on to other states and metropolitan areas. If the crew didn't allow the bluesmen a free ride, they sought other ways to …
In this column: Terraplane, Axe-handle pistol, Meet at the bottom I've been driving my Terraplane for a year since I've been gone... (Robert Johnson)Meaning The Terraplane was popular and Robert Johnson wrote "Terraplane Blues" in 1936. In that song the Terraplane becomes a stand-in for sex. When the car won't start and suffers other mechanical …
The Crossroads (Devil's Crossroads) is the location where the legend says blues musician Robert Johnson sold his soul to the Devil for the ability to play a mean guitar. Located at the corner of Highway 61 (The Blues Highway) and Highway 49 in Clarksdale (Mississippi). According to Son House the true crossroads is located at …
