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Language of the Blues - Edmonton Blues Society

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`<br />

Well, I never believed in that stuff but a lot <strong>of</strong> people do, and <strong>the</strong>y would go over <strong>the</strong>re<br />

239<br />

and get something to get a [mojo] hand <br />

<br />

Smith described taking a<br />

similar journey to get a curse removed:<br />

They tell me Seven Sisters in New Orleans that can really fix a man up right<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

knowed people that believed in it, when I was growing up. But I never believed in that. I<br />

<br />

<br />

t believe it. But a lot <strong>of</strong> people do. A lot <strong>of</strong> people<br />

<br />

<br />

Gray also played piano with Muddy Waters in Chicago and recalled how transplanted<br />

Sou<br />

<br />

<br />

sic<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

Songs:<br />

- Muddy Waters (McKinley Morganfield)<br />

- Memphis Minnie (Lizzie Douglas)<br />

- Junior Wells (Amos Blackmore)<br />

- <br />

H O OSE G O W<br />

A hoosegow is a jail. Hoosegow is derived from <strong>the</strong> Mexican Spanish juzgado, or<br />

courtroom, which comes from juzgar, to judge.<br />

Juzgado was usually painted on courtroom doors in Mexico and elsewhere in Latin<br />

America in <strong>the</strong> 19th Century. Many an unfortunate gold-seeking Yankee who fell into <strong>the</strong><br />

hands <strong>of</strong> local law-enforcement went straight from <strong>the</strong> courtroom to <strong>the</strong> jail- which was<br />

<br />

<br />

Given that <strong>the</strong>re were some 5,000 African American cowboys in Texas alone after <strong>the</strong><br />

Civil Wa<br />

111

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