Friday, January 25, 2013

Those Blues Storytellers

A few years ago I wrote a small post on my admiration for the blues and their creative turns of phrases. But the storytelling that goes on in those songs always astounds me. The vivid descriptions with few words is something I hope to come close to some day in my own writing.

Here's Shemekia Copeland, an outstanding blues singer whom I've admired for years, performing Never Going Back to Memphis.



The full version of this song on her album is a little over seven minutes and well worth it.

My favorite lines-
There wasn't a thing that man couldn't sell ya.

Cops walked in
Dog pullin' on a chain
Lookin' for a woman ran in from the rain
They sat out front eating fried chicken
While I sat shivering in a shed out behind the kitchen.

And that final verse gives me goosebumps
 
The river is risin'
Sky's gettin' darker
My mind keeps playin'
some old Junior Parker
Three days waitin'
All alone by the tracks
Lyin' to myself that man's coming back
He said he'd come around unless he was dead
guess he took another woman or a bullet in the head
I'm never goin' back to Memphis.

I love to listen to the lyrics of a song. The Man usually disregards most of the lyrics and focuses in on the melody. What do you primarily tune in to when listening to music? Are there any songs right now that you're really into? I'd love to expand my repertoire. So lay them on me in the comments.


5 comments:

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

Really weird how my friend at work an I were talking about song lyrics that reminded us of loved one who are gone.
When my dad was sick, I seemed to hear Garth Brooks singing, The Ones the Wolves Pull Down all the time. I still know the words even though that was 18 years ago.

Ava Quinn said...

They can be very powerful, alright.

nutschell said...

i find that i pick up on lyrics really quickly. probably cause as a writer im more interested in the words than the melody:D
Nutschell
www.thewritingnut.com

Unknown said...
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Ava Quinn said...

Yes! Exactly, Nutschell! :)

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