January 20, 2007

The Empress of the Blues

When I was growing up we didn't have a television. Dad thought they were lame. We'd spend our Saturday nights playing cards and listening to blues music shows on the radio. So from a tender period in my development, songs about liquor, cigarettes and sin were constant background music in my house. The blues taught me about falling in love and getting your heart kicked around and picking up the pieces in the aftermath. It's a hard world out there. Perhaps my perspective would be prettier if I'd spent the 80's learning life's lessons from Family Ties and Beverly Hills 90210. Perhaps not. But in the end, I can't resist a song that talks about a man fixing up my rusty bedsprings.

7 comments:

Fresh Hell said...

Neil: Yeah, Family Ties didn't weave cautionary tales like Willie Dixon did with "Spoonful" and Howlin' Wolf did with "Killing Floor". Look where it got them... mediocrity. Life is too short for the beige tales of Family Ties. I live gritty, my friend, just like the blues! Please pass my blade and that bourbon over there.

;)

Eddie Waring said...

Your calf is hungry mama
I believe he needs a suck
I say your calf is hungry mama
And I believe he needs a suck
Yes your milk is turnin' blue
I believe he's out of luck
Says I found out now mama
The reason why I can't satisfy you, save my soul
I said hey hey
Can't satisfy you, save my soul
Yes you've got a new cat
He's sixteen years old
But I'm gonna save my jelly mama
Gonna bring it right home to you
I said hey hey
Gonna bring it right home to you
You can't find no young cat
Roll jelly like this old one do
Says I got a new way of rollin' mama
I think it must be best
I said hey hey
Yes I think it must be best
Said these here North Carolina women
Just won't let Blind Boy Fuller rest
Mmmmmmmm
Just won't let me rest
Mmmmmmmm
Just won't let me rest
Said I got the kind of lovin'
Yes Lord I think it must be best
Said I roll jelly in the mornin'
And I also roll at night
I said hey hey
I also roll at night
And I don't stop rollin'
Till I know I rolled that jelly just right


Blind Boy Fuller. May have been blind but was a proper dirty bastard.

Eddie Waring said...

Happy petting ;)

Steven said...

I learned my life lessons from He-Man and look how I turned out....

You are better off. ;)

Steve~

Fresh Hell said...

Steve:

Learning life lessons from He-Man can't be all that bad... you were willing to send spunk to your beloved so it seems like you turned out all right. Pluck up, Buttercup!

Neponset River Bridge Dig said...

Great post!! there's a lot to be said for growing up the way you did. I think Television can influence kids to want and expect things without working that hard for them.

It sounds like this influence of blues made you who you are and I expect you are someone who marches to the beat of your OWN drum?

Fresh Hell said...

Rich: You are right about the blues influence on my life in ever so many ways...