FA 4312 Spring 2019: Analysis of the Blues and African-American Life

This essay analyzes the Blues music genre as a reflection of the African-American experience, particularly their journey from slavery to liberation. It references Robert Palmer's "Deep Blues" to understand the music's origins in the Mississippi Delta and its global influence. The essay examines songs like "Dead Man Blues" by Jelly Roll Morton, which portrays the celebration of life after hardship, and "Young Woman’s Blues" by Bessie Smith, highlighting the struggles of black women in a patriarchal society. The analysis concludes that the Blues served as a powerful medium for African-Americans to express their pain, seek freedom, and assert their dignity in a world marked by racial discrimination.

Running head: ANALYSIS OF THE BLUES
Analysis of the Blues
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1ANALYSIS OF THE BLUES
The state of America is usually related to slavery. The rich capitalists of the United States
bought the African population from their native places in order to work on their cotton fields and
other various places (Palmer, Robert). Such an outlook of the “black” Africans gave rise to the
socially evil practice of racial discrimination. This essay seeks to analyze the lives of the African
Americans as told in the words of a famous music band called the “Blues” and show how the
African-American celebrated their victory from slavery. For this purpose the essay looks in to
the book written by Robert Palmer and also makes reference to several famous songs of the
“Blues” which deal with the cause of the African-Americans.
In the book of “Deep Blues”, the author Robert Palmer analyzes the influence of the
music of the blues which originated from the Mississippi Delta and extended around the world.
Palmer believes that a musician cannot be separated from his music; the music shows the inner
desires and needs of the said musician. In the book, Robert palmer wrote about different
musicians who identified themselves as blues such as Son House, Robert Lockwood, Muddy
Waters and a few others. According to the author they had a high level of influence on the
foundation of rock music of the future generation.
The Blues showcase the condition of the African-Americans within the region of the
United States of America particularly and in the other parts of the world in general ("Racing
Down The Blues, An Interview With Adam Gussow"). The victory of the African-Americans in
terms of liberation from slavery had a resounding impact on the entire world. This victory has
been portrayed beautiful in some of the songs such as that of “Dead Man Blues” by Jelly Roll
Morton. The lyrics of the song show the celebration of life after a long hard tiring day by an
African-American. The lyrics “So don't let them begin the beguine Let the love that was once
a fire remain an ember; Let it sleep like the dead desire I only remember When they begin

2ANALYSIS OF THE BLUES
the beguine” ("Jelly Roll Morton - Dead Man Blues") Provide an image of how life needs to be
enjoyed, even at the funeral of a dead man. The documentary of “Young Woman’s Blues” by
Bessie smith is another such revolutionary work of the blues which is aimed at the emancipation
of the African-Americans, especially those of the black women ("Bessie Smith – Young
Woman's Blues"). “I woke up this mornin', can't even get out of my door
There's enough trouble to make a poor girl wonder where she wanna go.” The sad condition
of the African-Americans became much worse when it came to the black women. They had the
disability of being the inferior gender as well as racial inferiority in a land where people
considered themselves to be ‘superior’. The songs in the documentary show how the “white”
males had dominated and abused the females under the garb of patriarchy. As a result, the
women are now protesting for their rights and freedom.
In conclusion, it is observed that the Africans never got the respect and dignity given to
the Americans as they were seen to be mere slaves whose main purpose is to make the lives of
the “white” Americans easier. The blues tried to provide the rightful freedom and dignity to the
African-Americans by the way of songs and showcasing their scenario to the world. This is
showcased by the songs of Blues such as that of “Young Woman’s Blues” by Bessie smith and
“Dead Man Blues” by Jelly Roll Morton. The lyrics reveal the sadness and pain of the African-
Americans faced during that time.

3ANALYSIS OF THE BLUES
References:
"Bessie Smith – Young Woman's Blues." Genius. N.p., 2019. Web. 25 Jan. 2019.
"Jelly Roll Morton - Dead Man Blues." YouTube. N.p., 2019. Web. 25 Jan. 2019.
"Racing Down The Blues, An Interview With Adam Gussow." Press.uchicago.edu. N.p., 2019.
Web. 25 Jan. 2019.
Palmer, Robert. "Deep blues: A musical and cultural history, from the Mississippi Delta to
Chicago’s South Side to the world." (1981).