The blues as truth and cultural statement

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Blues and the American experience

It is a very well-known fact that music is one of the oldest means of expression in human civilization. It represents the way through which some of the deepest feelings and emotions have been expressed along the history of mankind. Whether it is through music and instruments, such as symphonic music, or whether this music includes words and lyrics, all musical creations aim at sending a message about the world their creators lived in, their emotions, and their feelings related to that world, or its surrounding elements.

The Blues has provided music lovers and not only them a comprehensive image of different experiences of the American history particularly because this music genre is a creation of the American history. One of the important aspects of the American history is the "American dream" theme. It is rather well-known the fact that especially during the 19th and 20th century, all those in search for a better life and a brighter future saw the United States as a Promise Land. At the same time, the 19th century, the slavery issue, then the racism and eventually the segregation were all part of a dark aspect of the American history for the African-American population. This is why, placed together, the dream (and in here the famous "I have a dream" quote from Martin Luther King) and the tough conditions the African-Americans had to endure throughout history determined a pessimistic outlook on life. The songs I have chosen for this assignment focus on this outlook. The songs chosen are "Ain't Nobody's Business" by Billie Holiday and Freddie King, "Hard Times" by Ray Charles, Eric Clapton, "Night Patrol" by Robert Cray, and "Nobody Knows You When-You're Down And Out" by Eric Clapton

The Blues is one of America's finest creations in terms of music particularly because it is a genre that has been used in time to express all types of emotions, mixed feelings, and thoughts. Some of the greatest blues artists influenced the next generations of musicians and music genres. An example would be in this sense Muddy Waters. "The rhythm and blues of Muddy Waters and other urban blues artists served as the foundation for Elvis, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, and most other rock-and-rollers."

One of the most interesting aspects of the musical creation is the fact that each listener can provide its own interpretation of the lyrics and the music. At the same time though, Blues is the type of musical genre that can express both happiness and sorrow and can be interpreted as such. The four songs have in common, in my interpretation, the disappointment in the American Dream. This is not to say necessarily that the lyrics focus on this, but the sense got out from the songs is related to this. For example, in "Ain't Nobody's Business," the sense is that the person is reluctant to any outside opinion and somehow disappointed in his condition ("There ain't nothing I can do, or nothing I can say, Some folks will criticize me. So I'm gonna do just what I want to anyway, And don't care if you all despise me.") This can be interpreted as a revolt against the society he lives in. Similarly, in "Nobody Knows You When-You're Down And Out," the disappointment is with the closer society and the intimate relations. For instance, "Well, once I lived the life of a millionaire, (…)Then I began to fall so low, Lost all my good friends had no place to go," it refers to the power of the money and the consequences when loosing it. The disappointment throughout the song is self-obvious.

Another example is present in "Night Patrol," especially in "Now I'm drawing unemployment / Got replaced by a machine," after the depiction of a poor society which is in contradiction with the American Dream and the success of the middle class. The song portrays a young woman, no more than seventeen who is left with only her shattered dreams. The disappointment is obvious in this song as well.