Birth of the Blues
Unveiling the Genesis of Musical Emotion
Lyrics
Oh! they say some people long ago
Reference to people in the past searching for a different musical expression.
Were searching for a diff'rent tune
Desire for a unique melody or sound.
One that they could croon
Looking for a song they can sing in a sentimental way.
As only they can
Expressing a unique ability to sing in a particular manner.
They only had the rhythm so
Having only rhythm initially.
They started swaying to and fro
Beginning to move rhythmically without a clear understanding of their musical potential.
They didn't know just what they had
Unaware of the musical treasure they possessed.
And that is how the blues really began
The origin of blues, born from the unknown potential they discovered.
They heard the breeze in the trees
Hearing unconventional melodies in nature.
Singing weird melodies
Strange and unique tunes carried by the wind.
And they made that
Attributing the unconventional melodies as the starting point of the blues.
The start of the blues
Declaring the commencement of the blues.
And from a jail came the wail
From a place of sorrow, a cry that becomes part of the blues.
Of a down hearted frail
Expression of sadness from a fragile individual.
And they played that
Incorporating the cry of the down-hearted into the blues.
As part of the blues
Confirming the integration of sorrow into the blues.
From a whippoorwill out on a hill
Adding a new musical element from nature (whippoorwill).
They took a new note
Creating a new musical note from the natural sound.
Pushed it through a horn
Transforming the note through a horn instrument.
'til it was born into a blue note
The birth of a unique musical note associated with the blues.
And then they nursed it, rehearsed it
Caring for and perfecting the blues through practice.
And gave out the news
Spreading the news about the birth and development of the blues.
That the southland
Attributing the origin of the blues to the southern region.
Gave birth to the blues!
Declaring that the blues originated in the South.
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