Blues In The Night
Two-Faced Blues: Unveiling the Heartache in Oscar Peterson & Louis Armstrong's Melody
Lyrics
My mama done tol' me
Reflecting on advice received from the speaker's mother.
When I was in pigtails
Recalling a time of innocence and youth.
My mama done tol' me
Reiteration of maternal guidance about men's behavior.
A man's gonna sweet-talk and give you the big eyes
Warning about deceptive charm and false promises.
But when the sweet-talking's done
Highlighting the ephemeral nature of sweet-talking.
A man is a two-face, a worrisome thing
Describing men as potentially deceitful and troubling.
Who'll leave you to sing the blues in the night
Foretelling the emotional pain and sorrow that may follow.
Now the rain's a-fallin'
Setting the scene with falling rain and the distant sound of a train.
Hear the train a-callin, "whoo-ee!"
Emphasizing the auditory experience of a train's whistle.
My mama done tol' me
Reiterating maternal advice, connecting it to the train's sound.
Hear that lonesome whistle blowin' 'cross the trestle, "whoo-ee!"
Adding atmospheric details with a lonesome train whistle.
My mama done tol' me
Repeating the mother's warning in the context of the train.
A-whooee-ah-whooee ol' clickety-clack's
Imitating the rhythmic and repetitive sound of a moving train.
A-echoin' back the blues in the night
Linking the train's sound to the emotional expression of blues.
The evenin' breeze'll start the trees to cryin'
Personifying the evening breeze and trees as responsive to sorrow.
And the moon'll hide it's light
Describing a somber atmosphere with the moon hiding its light.
When you get the blues in the night
Stating the inevitability of feeling blues in the night.
Take my word, the mockingbird'll sing the saddest kind of song
Suggesting that even nature acknowledges the sadness with a mockingbird's song.
He knows things are wrong, and he's right
Attributing a sense of awareness to the mockingbird.
From Natchez to mobile
Referencing various locations, indicating a broad experience.
From Memphis to St. Joe
Expanding the geographical scope, reinforcing the vastness of experience.
Wherever the four winds blow
Emphasizing the unpredictability of life's journey.
I been in some big towns
Recalling encounters in significant and large cities.
And heard me some big talk
Highlighting the disparity between talk and reality in big towns.
But there is one thing I know
Expressing certainty about a man's deceitful nature.
A man's a two-face, a worrisome thing
Reiterating the warning about men's untrustworthiness.
Who'll leave you to sing the blues in the night
Reemphasizing the potential for experiencing blues in the night.
The evenin' breeze'll start the trees to cryin'
Recycling the imagery of the evening breeze and crying trees.
And the moon'll hide it's light
Reiterating the concealment of light by the moon during blues.
When you get the blues in the night
Reaffirming the inevitability of facing blues in the night.
Take my word, the mockingbird'll sing the saddest kind of song
Repeating the mockingbird's role in expressing sorrow.
He knows things are wrong, and he's right
Stating the mockingbird's understanding of the wrongness in the world.
From Natchez to mobile
Recalling various locations once again.
From Memphis to St. Joe
Adding to the list of cities, reinforcing the extensive travels.
Wherever the four winds blow
Reiterating the unpredictable nature of life's journey.
I been in some big towns
Reflecting on encounters with boasting and exaggeration in big towns.
And heard me some big talk
Recalling the speaker's exposure to self-aggrandizement.
But there is one thing I know
Reiterating the speaker's certainty about men's deceitful nature.
A man's a two-face, a worrisome thing
Reemphasizing the potential for experiencing blues due to deceitful men.
Who'll leave ya to sing the blues in the night
Yes, the lonely, lonely blues in the night
Concluding with a repetition of the lonely blues in the night.
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