White Man Singin' the Blues
Harmony Beyond Color: A Tale of Blues and Brotherhood
Lyrics
The old man paid no mind to color
The elderly man did not discriminate based on skin color.
'Cause he knew that I'd been down and out
He didn't judge because he knew I had faced difficulties.
Old Joe said that I was a soul brother
Old Joe considered me a kindred spirit due to my song lyrics.
From the things I'd been singin' about
Recognition of shared experiences expressed in my songs.
Well, he liked how I played my old guitar
The old man appreciated my guitar playing style.
So he sit down beside me to sing.
He joined me to sing together.
And together we hummed out an old timey blues
They harmonized on an old blues song.
Hmm, do dee dang
Expressing musical sounds rather than specific words.
From the same side of the railroad tracks
Both coming from a place with little to lose.
Where people have nothin' to lose
Referencing a common background of hardship.
I'm the son of a gambler who's luck never came
Describing the singer's unfortunate gambler father.
A white man singin' the blues
The singer identifies as a white man singing the blues.
Well, we both done a heap of hard-livin
Both the singer and the old man have lived challenging lives.
And hard to describe in a song
Their experiences are difficult to fully capture in a song.
But the blues was one thing we both understood
Despite difficulties, they both understand the blues.
And the old man hummed right along
The old man joins in humming, showing shared understanding.
From the same side of the railroad tracks
Reiteration of shared origin and struggles.
Where people have nothin' to lose
Highlighting a community with little material wealth.
I'm the son of a gambler who's luck never came
Repeating the singer's tough background as a gambler's son.
A white man singin' the blues
Reaffirming the identity as a white man singing the blues.
From the same side of the railroad tracks
Emphasis on the commonality of having little to lose.
Where people have nothin' to lose
Restating the shared background of hardship.
I'm the son of a gambler who's luck never came
Reiterating the singer's father's unfortunate luck.
I'm a white man singin' the blues
Emphasizing the singer's identity as a white man singing the blues.
Now the old man paid no mind to color
The elderly man remains non-judgmental regarding skin color.
'Cause he knew that I'd been down and out
Reiterating the lack of judgment due to shared hardships.
Old Joe said I was a soul brother
Confirmation from Old Joe about being a soul brother.
From the things I'd been singin' about
Recognition of shared experiences reflected in the songs.
Comment