In the folk tradition, there are many traditional blues verses that have been sung over and over by many artists. Blues singers, who include many country and folk artists as well as those commonly identified with blues singers, use these traditional lyrics to fill out their blues performances. Artists like Jimmie Rodgers, the "blue yodeler", and Big Joe Turner, "the Boss of the Blues" compiled virtual encyclopedias of lyrics. Turner reputedly could sing the blues for hours without repeating himself.
Traditional blues verses in folk-music tradition have also been called floating lyrics or maverick stanzas. Floating lyrics have been described as “lines that have circulated so long in folk communities that tradition-steeped singers call them instantly to mind and rearrange them constantly, and often unconsciously, to suit their personal and community aesthetics”.[1]
Examplesedit
Although many blues songs, such as "Jelly Jelly" or "St. Louis Blues" are composed in the usual fashion with lyrics focusing on a single theme and telling a story, many others, like "Roll 'Em Pete" or "T for Texas" combine one or two new verses with a flock of traditional ones.
Traditional blues verses are most common in twelve bar blues, with the characteristic repeated first line (indicated here by x2).
Some Examples:
See that spider crawlin' up that wall (x2)
He's crawlin up there to get his ashes hauled.
I'll be your little dog till your big dog comes (x2)
And when the big dog gets here, don't tell him what the puppy done
Rebecca, Rebecca, get your big legs off of me (x2)
It may be sending you baby but it's worryin' the hell out of me.
I'm gonna buy me a pistol with a great long shiny barr'l (x2)
Gonna shoot that rounder who stole away my gal
If you see me comin', heist your window high (x2)
If you see me goin', baby, hang your head and cry.
If your house catches fire and there ain't no water 'round (x2)
Throw your rags out the window, let the doggone shack burn down.
With her feet in the cellar and her head in the hall, Little Liza Jane
From "Little Liza Jane," American trad.
Referencesedit
^Carl Lindahl, ‘Thrills and Miracles: Legends of Lloyd Chandler’, Journal of Folklore Research, Bloomington: May-Dec 2004, Vol. 41, Issue 2/3, pp. 133-72.
December 15, 2023
traditional, blues, verses, this, article, multiple, issues, please, help, improve, discuss, these, issues, talk, page, learn, when, remove, these, template, messages, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, arti. This article has multiple issues Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page Learn how and when to remove these template messages This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Traditional blues verses news newspapers books scholar JSTOR August 2019 Learn how and when to remove this template message This article possibly contains original research Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations Statements consisting only of original research should be removed August 2019 Learn how and when to remove this template message Learn how and when to remove this template message In the folk tradition there are many traditional blues verses that have been sung over and over by many artists Blues singers who include many country and folk artists as well as those commonly identified with blues singers use these traditional lyrics to fill out their blues performances Artists like Jimmie Rodgers the blue yodeler and Big Joe Turner the Boss of the Blues compiled virtual encyclopedias of lyrics Turner reputedly could sing the blues for hours without repeating himself Contents 1 Terminology 2 Examples 2 1 Traditional lyrics of known origin 3 ReferencesTerminology editTraditional blues verses in folk music tradition have also been called floating lyrics or maverick stanzas Floating lyrics have been described as lines that have circulated so long in folk communities that tradition steeped singers call them instantly to mind and rearrange them constantly and often unconsciously to suit their personal and community aesthetics 1 Examples editAlthough many blues songs such as Jelly Jelly or St Louis Blues are composed in the usual fashion with lyrics focusing on a single theme and telling a story many others like Roll Em Pete or T for Texas combine one or two new verses with a flock of traditional ones Traditional blues verses are most common in twelve bar blues with the characteristic repeated first line indicated here by x2 Some Examples See that spider crawlin up that wall x2 He s crawlin up there to get his ashes hauled I ll be your little dog till your big dog comes x2 And when the big dog gets here don t tell him what the puppy doneRebecca Rebecca get your big legs off of me x2 It may be sending you baby but it s worryin the hell out of me I m gonna buy me a pistol with a great long shiny barr l x2 Gonna shoot that rounder who stole away my galIf you see me comin heist your window high x2 If you see me goin baby hang your head and cry If your house catches fire and there ain t no water round x2 Throw your rags out the window let the doggone shack burn down Traditional lyrics of known origin edit Some lyrics crop up in song after song such as I got a gal lawd she big and fat x2 Because it s tight because it s tight like thatFrom Yo Yo Blues No 2 by Barbecue Bob I got a girl say she long and tall x2 She sleeps in the kitchen with her feets in the hallFrom They re Red Hot by Robert Johnson I got a gal who s ten feet tall Little Liza Jane With her feet in the cellar and her head in the hall Little Liza JaneFrom Little Liza Jane American trad References edit Carl Lindahl Thrills and Miracles Legends of Lloyd Chandler Journal of Folklore Research Bloomington May Dec 2004 Vol 41 Issue 2 3 pp 133 72 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Traditional blues verses amp oldid 1180710102, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
