Blues in the Night
Two-Faced Shadows: Unveiling the Blues in the Night
Lyrics
My mama done tol' me,
Parental advice: The speaker's mother warned him.
When I was in knee pants,
Recalling childhood ("knee pants" phase).
My mama done tol' me, Son!
Reiteration of maternal advice to her son.
A woman'll sweet talk
Caution about women using sweet talk.
And give ya the big eye;
Warning about deceptive gestures and allure.
But when the sweet talkin's done,
After flattery, true nature is revealed.
A woman's a two face
Women can be deceptive or have a dual nature.
A worrisome thing
Describing women as a source of worry.
Who'll leave ya t'sing
They can leave you with the burden of singing the blues.
The blues in the night
Emphasis on experiencing sadness and sorrow.
Now the rain's a-fallin',
Setting the scene with rain falling.
Hear the train a-callin'
Highlighting the sound of a distant train.
Whoo-ee (my mama done tol' me)
Reiteration of maternal advice with rain and train sounds.
Hear that lonesome whistle
Loneliness echoed in the whistle sound.
Blowin' `cross the trestle,
Imagery of a train crossing a trestle.
Whoo-ee (my mama done tol' me)
Reaffirming maternal advice with train sounds.
A whoo-ee-duh-whoo-ee, ol' clickety clack's
Descriptive onomatopoeia representing train noises.
A-echoin' back the blues in the night
The train echoes the blues back to the speaker.
The evenin' breeze'll start the trees to cryin'
Nature reflects the speaker's emotional state.
And the moon'll hide its light
Symbolic hiding of light represents despair.
When you get the blues in the night
Blues are intensified during the night.
Take my word, the mockin' bird'll
Mention of a mockingbird singing a sad song.
Sing the saddest kind o' song
Mockingbird symbolizes awareness of wrongs.
He knows things are wrong and he's right
Acknowledgment of the correctness of the bird's song.
From Natchez to Mobile,
Naming places affected by the blues.
From Memphis to St. Jo,
Geographical reference to illustrate widespread impact.
Wherever the four winds blow,
Emphasizing the universality of the blues.
I been in some big towns,
Personal experience in large cities.
An' heard me some big talk,
Encountering boastful talk in urban areas.
But there is one thing I know
Despite experiences, the truth about women remains.
A woman's a two face,
Reiteration of the dual nature of women.
A worrisome thing
Describing women as a source of worry.
Who'll leave ya t'sing the blues in the night.
Women can leave you singing the blues.
My mama was right,
Acknowledging the accuracy of maternal advice.
There's blues in the night.
Confirmation of experiencing the blues in the night.
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