Blues In the Night
Two-Faced Melody: Unveiling the Soulful Tale of Blues in the Night
Lyrics
My mama done tol' me
Introduction: The speaker recalls advice from their mother.
When I was in knee pants
Reflecting on childhood: Recalls advice received when very young.
My mama done tol' me
Reiteration: Repeats the advice received from the mother.
Son, a woman'll sweet talk
Warning: Women can use sweet talk to deceive.
And give ya the glad eye
Deceptive allure: Describes the enticing behavior of a woman.
But when the sweet talkin's done
Reality check: After sweet talk, a woman may reveal her true, less pleasant nature.
A woman's a two face
Harsh truth: Describes a woman as having two sides, one of which is troublesome.
A worrisome thing
Characterizes women as a source of worry and trouble.
Who'll leave ya to sing
Warning about heartbreak: Predicts that a woman may leave, causing sorrow.
The blues in the night
Summarizes the potential outcome of trusting a woman—singing the blues.
Now the rain is fallin'
Setting: Rain falling, creating a somber atmosphere.
Hear the train a callin'
Additional atmospheric elements: The sound of a distant train.
Whoo-ee, my mama done tol' me
Reiteration of maternal advice in the context of the current atmosphere.
Hear that lonesome whistle
Highlighting loneliness: The sound of a lonesome whistle.
Blowin' cross the trestle
Emphasizing solitude: The whistle blows across the trestle.
Whoo-ee, my mama done tol' me
Repeating maternal advice concerning the emotional impact of the night.
A whoo-ee-duh-whoo-ee,
Descriptive sounds: Evoking the rhythmic sounds of a train.
Ol' clickety clack
Imitating the train's sound, adding to the melancholic atmosphere.
Echoin' back blues in the night
Reinforcing the theme of experiencing blues during the night.
Evenin' breeze'll start
Introducing nature: The evening breeze and its impact on trees.
The trees to cryin'
Personifying nature: Trees cry in response to the evening breeze.
And the moon'll hide its light
Symbolism: The moon hides its light, representing emotional darkness.
When you get the blues in the night
Reiterating the impact of the blues during the night.
Take my word, the mockin' bird'll
Metaphor: The mockingbird singing a sorrowful song.
Sing the saddest kind of song
Emphasizing the bird's awareness of things being wrong.
He knows things are wrong
Commenting on the correctness of the bird's perception.
And he's right
Acknowledging the bird's insight into the sadness of the situation.
From Natchez to Mobile
Geographical reference: Mentioning locations from Natchez to Mobile.
From Memphis to St. Joe
Highlighting a broad range: Memphis to St. Joe, wherever the four winds blow.
Wherever the four winds blow
Expressing the speaker's extensive experience of life's challenges.
I been in some big towns
Reflecting on travels to big towns and encounters with boastful talk.
And heard me some big talk
Conveying skepticism toward grandiose statements and empty promises.
But there is something I know
Asserting personal knowledge: Despite experiences, the speaker knows something.
A woman's a two face
Reiteration of the dual nature of women and the potential for heartache.
A worrisome thing
Recalling the worrisome aspect of women emphasized earlier.
Who'll leave ya to sing
Repeating the warning about potential abandonment and resultant blues.
The blues in the night
Final affirmation of the likelihood of experiencing the blues in the night.
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