I found this week's reading very interesting -- reading the summaries about each song's lyrics was the most entertaining of the read. My favorite one is probably "Gaudy woman lures child from playfellows; stabs him as victim dictates message to parents" because it is so bizarre. It's such a strange idea when condensed into short clauses, but it probably holds a heavier emotion or message when listening to the entirety of the song. Another one that caught my attention was "Father finds daughter's body with note attached when railroad boy mistreats her." Again, it is so strange, but this one in particular sounds like the beginning of a crime or revenge-driven film. This plays well into a ballad; telling a story through music.
Many of the songs address the sins of women and suggest their tragic deaths, many of which were not their fault, but they were mistreated by their significant other. Most, if not all, of the songs have sad outcomes: losing life, farm, crops, love, jobs; with themes of regret or deception. I thought it quite strange that there are songs about unemployment, deaths of presidents and politics. Nowadays, there aren't songs like these -- so reading even the summaries about these songs was strange.
Fifty Miles of Elbow Room
By Rev. F.W. McGee
Lots of room for you and me on the other side.
Starts and ends with a chorus. Congregational style singing; voices overpower the piano, violin and clapping; lyrics hard to understand from the main duet; layered and free singing.
Fishing Blues
By Henry Thomas
Can catch more fish than you; going fishing.
Solo singer; features some type of woodwind instrument; quick upbeat tempo.
Discography: Texas Worried Blues: Completed Recorded Works 1927-1929
Spike Driver Blues
By Mississippi John Hurt
John Henry was a steel driver; he's gone.
Light guitar; ends abruptly.
Discography: Avalon Blues: The Complete 1928 OKeh Recordings
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