Blues in the Night
Two Faces of Love: Benny Goodman's Blues in the Night Reveals the Bittersweet Journey
Lyrics
My mama done tol' me,
Advisory statement from the speaker's mother.
When I was in knee pants,
Recollection of being young.
My mama done tol' me, Son!
Continuation of maternal advice.
A woman'll sweet talk
Women can use charm and flirtation.
And give ya the big eye;
They can attract attention through flirtatious behavior.
But when the sweet talkin's done,
After the charm, their true nature may reveal.
A woman's a two face
Women can be duplicitous or deceitful.
A worrisome thing
Women can be a source of worry or concern.
Who'll leave ya t'sing
They might abandon or disappoint you.
The blues in the night
Resulting in feeling melancholic and troubled.
Now the rain's a-fallin',
Setting the scene of rain falling.
Hear the train a-callin'
Imagery of a train's sound in the background.
Whoo-ee (my mama done tol' me)
Recalling mother's advice amidst the sounds.
Hear that lonesome whistle
Depiction of a lonesome train whistle.
Blowin' `cross the trestle,
Train sound echoing.
Whoo-ee (my mama done tol' me)
Reiteration of mother's advice.
A whoo-ee-duh-whoo-ee, ol' clickety clack's
Onomatopoeic description of train sounds.
A-echoin' back the blues in the night
Train sounds intensify feelings of melancholy.
The evenin' breeze'll start the trees to cryin'
Nature seems to empathize with emotional pain.
And the moon'll hide its light
The environment reflects the emotional state.
When you get the blues in the night
When one feels deeply troubled.
Take my word, the mockin' bird'll
Metaphorical reference to a bird singing a sad song.
Sing the saddest kind o' song
The bird understands and vocalizes sorrow.
He knows things are wrong and he's right
The bird's perception of emotional distress.
From Natchez to Mobile,
Listing places, suggesting widespread experience.
From Memphis to St. Jo,
Extensive travel across locations.
Wherever the four winds blow,
Wherever life takes the speaker.
I been in some big towns,
Experiences in significant cities.
An' heard me some big talk,
Heard boastful or pretentious speech.
But there is one thing I know
Despite experiences, certain truths are evident.
A woman's a two face,
Reiterating the earlier warning about women.
A worrisome thing
Women can be a source of worry.
Who'll leave ya t'sing the blues in the night.
They might cause feelings of melancholy.
My mama was right,
Acknowledgment of the mother's wisdom.
There's blues in the night.
Reiteration of the prevailing sense of melancholy.
Comment