Today's News: History Of The Blues

History Of The Blues

The blues as a genre is undoubtedly influenced by many traditions and cultures. In early America, the environment in which Africans had to live and work is solely responsible for shaping this style of music. Peoples from all over Africa were bought and sold and forced to work in America. The perception at the time was that these people were all the same, a singular unit that shared many views and cultural practices. However, nothing could be farther from the truth. These people were as diverse as the Europeans that held these presumptions. Their customs, language and means of expression were all different. As DjeDje states: “the type of music blacks created in the Americas, particularly before 1900, depended upon the extent of interaction and ethnic distribution among Africans, the demography and geographical location of black and white populations, the demands of the white masters, and the characteristics of the economy.”[1] The assumption that all of these people shared the same customs is no more logical than the thought that a Western European and an Asian immigrant shared the same customs and traditions. The people of Africa were diverse, which accounted for the development of such a unique genre of music.

Delta Blues

The Blues, like many other genres of music, are deeply influenced by the region in which they are created. Politics, religion, customs, dialect and traditions can all be heard in the various styles of the Blues. The regional differences allow us to “define delta blues, or the blues of Carolinas, Virginia and Georgia….in an acceptably concrete manner, taking as our raw data the work of all the blues singers who learned their music from oral tradition in these regions.” The Mississippi Delta Blues are often argued as the father of the Blues. The vocal tradition of Delta Blues musician’s is gritty, raw, has a melodically confined style that was much closer to the ‘field hollers’ than any other form of music. The instrumental characteristics of the Delta Blues are definable as well; “guitar and piano accompaniments were percussive and hypnotic, and many Delta guitarists mastered the art of fretting the instrument with a slider or bottleneck; they made the instrument “talk” in strikingly speechlike inflections.”

African Influences

The African influence in the blues is undeniable. The poetic structure of many of the verses is similar to the Western African tradition of AAB poetry. The story like verses carries on the oral tradition of African cultures. As DjeDje points out in her article, many of the cultures of Africa made, and performed on instruments similar to what would be found in the Americas. Instruments like the balafon (xylophone), lute, drums, aerophones and fiddle like instruments would make the assimilation of this new music more transitional. Other performance practices are undeniably African as well. The earliest ‘blues’ music can be heard in the call and response type music known as field hollers. Slaves would communicate and ease the doldrums of their labor through improvised call and response songs. As these songs were sung during work they were often unaccompanied and completely original in their content. “On Southern plantations, the roots of gospel and blues were introduced in work songs and "field hollers" based on the musical forms and rhythms of Africa. Through singing, call and response, and hollering, slaves coordinated their labor, communicated with one another across adjacent fields, bolstered weary spirits, and commented on the oppressiveness of their masters.” Scoops and bent notes are reminiscent of the quarter tone scale common in African music. The refusal to center fully on a pitch is common in blues music, as the performer instead begins above or below the note. This refusal or uncertainty about tonal center can be seen as a refusal of African musicians to fully conform to the European tradition they were forced into in the new America. The lowered pitches of the blues scale are also closely related to the African quarter tone scale. The flatted 3rd and 7th are uncommon in the European tradition and add an element that is completely unique to the music. Other performance practices, like playing the guitar with a knife blade or playing the banjo with a bottleneck would likely produce sounds similar to those produced from African instruments.

However, the blues are not solely defined by African customs and traditions. The melding of cultures together makes it impossible to ignore some common musical practices of the European tradition. The blues is centered around a strong harmonic progression, that comes directly from traditional European counterpoint. The use of the I (tonic), IV (subdominant) and V (dominant) is directly related to the fact that African musicians would have been exposed to these new sounds. The masters often expected the musicians to perform at ceremonies and gatherings for the white cultures, and playing in the European tradition wasn’t just expected it was demanded. The ability to learn this new style of music, only demonstrates how capable these new musicians really were. Also, the reliance on form is not just a European tradition, but one that is certainly stressed in the European study of music. The strict and simple time meter is a musical element that was taken from this new style of music as well.

The Mississippi tradition of the blues is characterized by embellished and bent notes. “Black men and women sang about themselves, played guitar with a knife blade, or blurred, embellished or bent notes when singing.” The blues are believed to have begun in Mississippi, perhaps in a levee camp or logging camp or more likely on a plantation between 1870 and 1890. The tradition that would become the blues would go on to influence several other sub-genres of the blues as well as jazz and rock n roll. Another element of the blues that solidified during the early years in the Mississippi Delta is the 12 bar form that would define this genre of music. From something as atrocious as slavery, a musical genre as beautiful and diverse as blues was born.

The dual influences of cultures and traditions can easily be heard in many songs. For example the piece by Bessie Smith, “Black Mountain Blues,” the vocal smears and the poetic structure of the verse is reminiscent of African elements that were discussed earlier. The repeated vocal line AA followed by the third line B, is holding to the poetic tradition of Western Africa. The ensemble and harmonies are traditions borrowed not only from African tradition, but European tradition as well. The verses of this piece are a story being told, carrying on the tradition of the musician to pass on history orally. Another great example of African musical elements being transformed into a style of music is Robert Johnson’s “Walkin’ Blues.” The “holler” that Johnson uses throughout, the bent notes, scoops and style of playing the guitar are all examples of past traditions being used to form a new genre of music.

Delta Blues

Two songs; “I Be’s Troubled” and “That’s No Way to Get Along” will all be analyzed for musical characteristics, delivery and accompaniment and the meaning of the lyrics. The two artists of these songs are from the Mississippi Delta region and a similarity can be heard in the pieces because of the regional influences. “The Delta style is characterized by a strong rhythmic pulse, the use of a slide with open tunings, and thumbed bass notes.” The first piece “I Be’s Troubled” by Muddy Waters is a great example of the Delta sound that would come to shape and influence the Chicago, Memphis and rock styles of music. The opening of Muddy Waters’ piece is the wailing sound of a slide guitar. The accompaniment sound at the beginning is a foreshadowing of the vocals to come. Muddy Waters uses some more complex fills than heard in early blues music, but it is understandable as some of his most influential musicians were Son House, Robert Johnson, Jefferson, the Mississippi Shieks and Charley Patton. “Muddy Waters listened to them all.” Although artists from different regions impacted him musically, they did not alter his style. He studied the new sounds carefully, borrowed guitar riffs but always sounded Delta. The song “I Be’s Troubled” is no different; it is heavily influenced by his Delta sound. The whining guitar, the scooping vocals and flatted pitches, the story like lyrics are all characteristic of his sound. Bernie Pearl, a blues musician, says: “It's a powerful don't-mess-with-me Mississippi Delta blues song with a slashing slide guitar riff that underlines a sense of rootlessness, bravado, jealousy and threat of violence conveyed in the lyrics.” The lyrics seem to hint at a relationship that no longer works. The singer, Muddy Waters, is saying that he needs to leave the woman in the relationship because she has not been faithful. “I don’t need no telling, girl, I can watch the way you do.” Obviously this line speaks about the infidelity in the relationship, as most songs tell of personal hardships or ordeals the musician has gone through.

The piece “That’s no way to get along” by Robert Wilkins is another great example of the Delta style of the blues. Wilkins, like Muddy Waters, was born in Mississippi and was influenced greatly by the regional culture of the Mississippi Delta. Wilkins’ piece was recorded first in 1929, and it sounds a bit more simplistic than Muddy Waters’ “I Be’s Troubled.” His song starts out with a simple plucked bass note, followed by chord strums and a sliding effect. The piece has a strong rhythmic feel and carries it through to the end. The guitar however begins to become more complex throughout the piece if special attention is given to the accompaniment. The sliding effect of the guitar sounds to be happening on beats 1 and 3, and truly add that special sound of the Delta blues. The vocals are a little more melodic, but do feature sliding and scooping which is another common characteristic of the Delta Blues. The lyrics of this piece of music are undoubtedly filled with double entendres. Looking at the lyrics of the song, it would appear that this piece is simply about a love torn man that has ended his relationship. However, the use of the term “low down” women instead implies something a little more risqué. Low down women is more than likely a derogatory term for women that are un-discriminatory in their sexual intercourse. Again, the line “treated me like my poor heart was made of rock or stone,” can again describe the nonchalant nature in which “working girls” would have acted. Robert Wilkins interestingly was also an ordained minister and later changed the lyrics completely to remove the unholy words and align it more with a biblical theme, titling it the “Prodigal Son.” Again the lyrical content, vocal and instrumental performances align with the characteristics of the Delta Blues.

Although these two pieces come from different years and different musicians, many common elements can be found in both. The regional influences of dialect, and culture greatly shaped the style of music we know as the Delta blues, and its impact can be heard in the many characteristics that have been described above. The sliding guitars and performance practices of playing with a knife or bottleneck to mimic the singers voice is a very regional quality of the Delta Blues. The vocal production of the singers is reminiscent of the field hollers and working songs that permeated the landscape of Mississippi. Both songs seem to relate directly to the artist and are personal in nature, which again aligns with the characteristics of early Delta Blues. The straightforward and poignant lyrics are easily related to by the performer and the listener. The style of the Mississippi blues would go on to influence countless styles and musicians. It’s laid back feel and simplistic harmonies are supplemented with great vocal and instrumental technique, that truly make the Delta Blues a style all of its own.

Folklore and Robert Johnson

Robert Johnson is perhaps the most enigmatic figure of the Blues. It could be because his short life left so many questions unanswered, or maybe it is the myth surrounding the man. Did Robert Johnson sell his soul to the Devil at the Crossroads? Unfortunately Robert Johnson will never be able to answer this question for us. The myth came from a blues musician that greatly inspired Robert Johnson, Son House. House tells a story that between sets Robert used to pick up his guitar and play so poorly that the audience would demand he stop. Johsnon was often ridiculed for his guitar playing, so he left one day. "So when we'd get to a rest period or something, we'd set the guitars up and go out...so we'd go out and get in the cool, cool off some. Robert, he'd get the guitar and go to bamming with it, you know? I'd say, just leave the guitar alone. but quick as we were out there again we'd hear the guitar making all kind of tunes: BLOO-WAH, BOOM-WAH- a dog wouldn't want to hear it. His father would get at him dogged him so much that he ran away." Upon returning Robert Johnson could play with such a prowess that few have ever matched. Son House recounts the story: “When that boy started playing, and when he got through, all our mouths were standing open. All! He was gone!” Son House did suggest that the only way Johnson could have become so talented was to have sold his soul to the devil. However, Elijah Wald author of Escaping the Delta, does not believe that House seriously meant what was said. “House did not emphasize the point with any seriousness, nor did he repeat it whenever he told the story.” Steven LaVere once asked Willie Coffee if Johnson ever talked about selling his soul. Coffee answered: “Yes, he did I never did thin he’s serious, because he’d always, when he’d come in her with us, he’d come in with a lot of jive, cracking jokes like that. I never did believe in it.”

Whether Johnson ever did sell his soul remains uncertain. However, the myth surrounding him afforded him great popularity. His music would influence countless number of musicians. He influenced Clapton, The Rolling Stones, Jimmy Page, Paul Butterfield even Dylan. “Johnson’s position looms large in the history of the blues, as a musician whose influence was central to the development of the genre.”

Lyrical Content

The lyrics of Robert Johnson’s music, like most artists of the blues, are rarely about the words themselves but more about larger themes that symbolize the personal, spiritual and cultural. “While some see the blues as autobiographical laments, others have seen them as a recounting of “species experience.” In reality they can be either or both.” Johnson’s music can be embodied in two themes; actual deeds and desires, which emphasize the personal over the communal, and conflict which expresses helplessness and empowerment, indicated by themes of lust and impotence. An analysis of Johnson’s lyrics will show that several of his pieces embody the theme of conflict. Enigmatic

In the songs; “Walkin’ Blues,” “Come On In My Kitchen,” and “Terraplane Blues” an element of conflict between women and relationships can be found. Johnson conveys in his text alternating ideas of women as objects and important figures in relationships. These contrasting ideas express the elements of helplessness and empowerment. In “Terraplane Blues” Johnson derogatorily compares a woman to a Hudson Terraplane, which is an inexpensive automobile of the 1930’s. This particular piece exemplifies the lust and anger themes that permeate Johnson’s music. Johnson doesn’t seem interested in the emotional state of this woman; instead he is only concerned with the physical aspects. The beginning of the piece, Johnson is angry at her infidelity as he questions; “who been drivin’ my Terraplane for you since I been gone?” The lusting, physical connection can be seen in other phrases as well. “I’m on'h'ist your hood, mama I'm bound to check your oil,” and “I'm on get deep down in this connection keep tanglin' with your wires.” Both of these phrases suggest a physical solution, that Johnson sees this woman’s sexuality as something as common as working on a car. “The woman here, like a common car, works like any other, has the same parts, needs the same things and starts the same way. He continuously fiddles with her, trying to find the loose connection, the reason she isn't "giving him fire." Johnson’s continued use of aggressive physical ‘solutions’ demonstrates the idea that this association is merely lustful, and that this woman is merely a piece of property he can use as he sees fit.

In the piece “Walkin’ Blues” Johnson seems to portray a different element, this time he expresses helplessness over the loss of a woman. The immediate context of this song seems to be a man totally depressed over the departure of his woman. He says; “I woke up this mornin’ feelin’ round for my shoes, know ‘bout where I got these old walkin’ blues.” However the initial line suggests that Johnson is not surprised by the way he feels. “A literal reading of these two verses would suggest that the performers had no hope and were extremely depressed. …..Johnson's slashing bottleneck technique, register an effect on the listener that suggests anything but defeat or resignation.” The next line “Lord I feel like blowin’ my old lonesome horn, got up this mornin’ my little Bernice was gone,” shows again the lustful context of Johnson’s relationships. The lyrics appear to be describing an “arranged encounter” between Johnson and this woman. Johnson says he will ride the blind, which is an alliteration to hoping on the next freight train without any regard to where it is going. This disconnected emotional state that would allow Johnson to leave so easily, does not seem to convey a feeling of helplessness over the parting of these two people. Instead it summarizes Johnson’s lustful themes, that women can be used to satisfy himself however he chooses.

The last piece, “Come on in my kitchen,” illustrates a different theme altogether. Johnson seems to speak to the importance of a woman in a relationship. The lyrics do not seem to convey a sexual longing for a woman, but rather an emotional need for attachment or Johnson’s helplessness in the longing for a relationship. There are lyrics that provide the double entendre descriptions of sexual acts in this song as well. The song begins with the lyrics: “The woman I love, stole her from my best friend, Joker got lucky and stole her back again.” The vocal delivery along with Johnson’s guitar make this line sound “moodily soulful, the sort of music that sounds as if the singer is somewhere off alone, absorbing all the world’s sorrows and transforming them into a perfectly formed, deeply personal gem of poetic wisdom.” This is the first example of Johnson exhibiting something that is desperately human, a longing that seems like it can never be fulfilled. Several times Johnson makes reference to difficult or hard times, each time offering the woman a place to find shelter: “It’s goin’ to be rainin’….you can’t make the winter..” finishing each line by pleading for the woman to come in to his kitchen. The interesting thing about this piece is how Johnson offers the woman a place for shelter, if she’ll join him in a relationship. The intentions may be somewhat chauvinistic; however this piece differs from the others in the mournful delivery of vocals and guitar.

These three pieces exemplify the idea that Johnson’s lyrics are rarely about the words themselves. Johnson alternates between helplessness and empowerment, lust and impotence in many of his songs. The stark contrast between a woman as a sexual object and woman as someone to long for and desire are seen clearly in these examples. The contrasting ideas affect the way Johnson interacts; whether it is forcefully or carefully depends on the way in which he views the woman. Pieces like “Walkin’ Blues,” “Terraplane Blues,” and “Come In my Kitchen” illustrating the conflicting thoughts. It is unclear what Johnson’s intentions are, however it appears that the contradictory sentiments exhibited in these pieces reflect the conflicting mind set of Robert Johnson himself.

Chicago Blues

The Chicago blues, while musically contrasting to the Delta style, shares lyrical content that often echoes many of the same themes found in the Delta blues. The Chicago blues generally focuses on topical, sexual and chauvinistic themes in its lyrical meaning. Topical themes include ideas of working, traveling and displacement, describing many of the hardships that were endured during the migration north to urban areas. Sexual themes focus on complaint, glorification and the human “animal.” Chauvinistic themes encompass bitterness, resistance, defiance and broken relationships. Like its predecessor, the Chicago blues use analogies, metaphors, symbols and double entendres to convey the message to the listener. An analysis of pieces by Howlin’ Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson, and Muddy Waters will demonstrate the lyrical ideas of the Chicago blues.

The piece “Backdoor Man” by Howlin’ Wolf illustrates the sexual themes that can be found in lyrics of the Chicago blues. The piece describes an adulterer who sneaks around to have relationships with other people’s wives. The use of language is interesting in the storytelling aspect of this song. Rather than abruptly stating that he is an adulterer, the artist uses phrases like “I’m a backdoor man. Well the men don’t know, but the little girls understand.” The phrase I’m a backdoor man alludes to the idea that he needs to enter and exit without being detected. This metaphorical use of language is common in the blues, making ordinary things symbolic. The symbolic use of language is exemplified again in the piece during the phrase; “Yes in the morning the rooster crow, something tell me I got to go.” The use of this phrase plays on the fact that in the morning roosters crow to signify the sun rising, however this is a metaphorical idea relating the roosters crow to the husband returning home and the need to use the backdoor to exit without being caught. The last idea in Howlin’ Wolf’s piece is the implication that the wife’s enjoyed the affair. “They take me to the Doctor. Shot full o’ holes. Nurse cried, please save the soul.” The verse perhaps indicates that the Nurse had been unfaithful to her “Doctor” with this backdoor man. It is possible that the text is highlighting a caring individual concerned with saving the injured man. However, the use of language throughout the piece would allude that the nurse’s concern is more than job related. The sexual theme presented in this piece is characteristic of the Chicago blues and the use of language to obscure the deeper meaning is also very common.

“Don’t Start Me to Talkin’” by Sonny Boy Williamson exemplifies the topical theme of Chicago blues. This particular piece of music speaks to the difficulties of life and the pursuit of love. The piece represents the struggle of an African American after the migration to an urban area. The pursuits of a better life often lead to “squalid living conditions and overcrowding, segregation, unemployment, substandard schools, dependence on welfare, crime, and racism.”[1] In the first verse, Sonny Boy Williamson implies that the news he has to share with Fannie Mae will not be pleasant. More than likely the news he has to share involves the infidelity of her boyfriend and will lead to an end in the relationship as the lyric “I’m gonna break up this single fight, cause somebody’s gotta go” shows. The next verse demonstrates the violence that became part of normal life in these new urban environments. “Jack gives his wife two dollars to go downtown and get some Mulberry. Gets out on the streets and George stops her. He knocked her down and blackened her eye.” Williamson’s use of the word “streets” is also significant. He could have chose any word to describe her going out, but chose this word to illustrate the unsafe nature of the neighborhood. What is unclear is the last stanza of this verse, “She gets back home and tells her husband a lie.” This suggests perhaps she was acquainted with George and did not want her husband to know the truth, again using the infidelity theme in music. The last verse symbolizes an encounter with a prostitute. “He honked his horn, and she began to stop. He said take me baby, around the block.” This piece certainly speaks to the topical ideas of displacement and new surroundings in a harsh life.

The last piece by Muddy Waters, “Got My Mojo Working” conveys chauvinistic themes. The use of several symbols alludes to this idea. The chauvinistic undertones can be heard in the lyrics: “Got my mojo working, but it just won't work on you.” The bitterness expressed in this verse is an extension of the unreturned feelings from this woman. Bitterness and defiance can also be seen in the verse; “Going down to Louisiana to get a mojo hand. I'm gonna have all you women right here at my command.” The mojo hand is a type of sack that in African hoodoo was thought to bring luck. Typically if a person had a mojo bag or mojo hand, they had the ability to control most situations. The longing for a relationship is expressed several times when the artist states his mojo won’t work on her. The singer decides to seek the advice of a gypsy, who would have had magical powers to make the woman return these feelings. The chauvinistic theme is clearly expressed in the bitterness over this broken relationship. Unrequited love is a common theme in Chicago blues.

The Chicago style of blues differs greatly from its predecessor, the Delta blues. The instrumentation, vocal delivery and performance practices have all changed. However, the lyrical content that is obscured through the use of language and symbols remains similar. The Chicago blues encompasses many different themes. Topical, sexual and chauvinistic thematic material makes up the largest portion of lyrical content. The migration to urban areas in search of a better life, certainly gave these artists a new topic to communicate. Analysis of these pieces shows that the artists chose to hide their message through their own unique use of language.