24.03.2013 Views

Language of the Blues - Edmonton Blues Society

Language of the Blues - Edmonton Blues Society

Language of the Blues - Edmonton Blues Society

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

`<br />

Lay began his career in 1957 drumming for The Original Thunderbirds, and soon became<br />

<br />

<br />

. That man taught me how to keep from starving<br />

348<br />

<br />

<br />

Butterfield accidentally shot himself, and backed up Dylan when he introduced electricfolk-rock<br />

to <strong>the</strong> shocked crowd at <strong>the</strong> 1965 Newport Folk Festival and on Highway<br />

61 Revisited.<br />

Songs:<br />

- - Bobby Lecann<br />

- Big Bill Broonzy (Willie Lee Conley Broonzy)<br />

- Earl Hooker<br />

SI G NI F Y IN G<br />

<br />

manipulating <br />

<br />

oppression. By using innuendo and doubletalk that is fully understood only by members<br />

<br />

llows <strong>the</strong> speaker to express bold opinions or feelings<br />

without fear <strong>of</strong> repercussion. One could convey abject obeisance while a listener from<br />

<br />

to his face.<br />

If <strong>the</strong> person doing <strong>the</strong> signifying is confronted about what was said, he or she can<br />

legitimately pretend to have no idea what <strong>the</strong> accuser is talking about. Countless blues<br />

lyrics use metaphor and innuendo to allow <strong>the</strong> singer to brag about physical attributes and<br />

sexual prowess, and state all kinds <strong>of</strong> desires, without uttering a single pr<strong>of</strong>ane or <strong>of</strong>f-<br />

<br />

<br />

e<br />

<br />

good signifying.<br />

In The Signifying Monkey: A Theory <strong>of</strong> African-American Literary Criticism, scholar<br />

<br />

ion to say one thing but<br />

349<br />

<br />

As anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston explained in her<br />

folklore study Mules and Men<br />

Negro <strong>of</strong>fers a fea<strong>the</strong>r-bed resistance. That is, we let <strong>the</strong> probe enter, but it never comes<br />

out. It gets smo<strong>the</strong>red under a lot <strong>of</strong> laughter and pleasantries. The <strong>the</strong>ory behind our<br />

<br />

<br />

m to play with and handle. He can<br />

161

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!