Language of the Blues - Edmonton Blues Society
Language of the Blues - Edmonton Blues Society
Language of the Blues - Edmonton Blues Society
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`<br />
<br />
shit, stop<br />
<br />
full-size bed and everybody got in that bed. Talk about knowing what to do, <strong>the</strong>re was<br />
three girls, and Bessie and I and <strong>the</strong> landlady- <br />
that cat went<br />
<br />
89<br />
<br />
Song:<br />
- Bessie Smith<br />
C A BB A G E<br />
C<br />
The blues are rife with food metaphors for genitalia. Ther<br />
pie for women, and bacon, hambone, hot dog, jellybean, and lemon for men. Cabbage<br />
<br />
Smith teased:<br />
He boiled my first cabbage and he made it awful hot<br />
When he put in <strong>the</strong> bacon it overflowed <strong>the</strong> pot<br />
The use <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se innocent-sounding metaphors, however, depended on what <strong>the</strong> artist<br />
<br />
Morton sang:<br />
I got a sweet woman she lives right back <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> jail<br />
<br />
During one <strong>of</strong> his Library <strong>of</strong> Congress sessions with Alan Lomax, though, Morton<br />
90<br />
changed <strong>the</strong> last line to <strong>the</strong> blunter <br />
Songs:<br />
- James C. Johnson, recorded by Bessie Smith (1928)<br />
- Jelly Roll Morton (Ferdinand Joseph La Men<strong>the</strong>)<br />
<br />
Café du Monde is a blend <strong>of</strong> c<strong>of</strong>fee and chicory that has been served since 1862 from <strong>the</strong><br />
Café du Monde c<strong>of</strong>fee stand near <strong>the</strong> New Orleans French market. The French market<br />
51
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