Her lyrics aid the audience in understanding why she is down. Thank you. While many latter-day . 'Cause my house fell down. She manages to escape her flooding home, only to look back and see that she will never be able to go back to it. What are the introductory chords that illustrate this? It was covered by Brother John Sellers, Toni Lynn Washington, Meschiya Lake and The Little Big Horns, The Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band and other artists. hasContentIssue false. This is historically problematical because that flood began two months after Smith . Smith is believed to be one of the highest paid black performers of her time. Smith, Bessie. Carl Van Vechten Estate/Library of Congress, Washington D.C., photograph by Carl Van Vechten, 1936, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bessie-Smith. Instagram oder Facebook auf Songtexte.com geladen werden. The song "Backwater Blues" is a blues and jazz standard written by Bessie Smith. When it's . To pack my things and go. The blues artists who wrote and sang in this era there are famous names in this era such as Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, Howling Wolf, and of course, Bessie Smith, who is one of my favorites. The elements of voice, musical instrument, and audience formed a living tercet in which the blues singer and musician resound one another to deliver that final line blues statement. Lets look at this poem closely. The flood from The Cumberland River that struck Nashville, Tennessee on Christmas Day 1926, AAB e.g. Major keys, along with minor keys, are a common choice for popular songs. "When it rains five days, and the skies turn dark as night (x2) There's trouble taking place in the lowland that night." Harmonically, what is the piece based on? As a poet who writes in English I know that every time I write a sonnet I pay homage to the high European tradition and to master poets like Shakespeare, Dunn, Keats, Petrarch. Considering these notes about the blues inception, the blues endured and scoredif not directly then through derived musical formsthe majority of the United States early nation-building and cultural formation. When it rains five days and the skies turn dark as night, when it rains five days and the skies turn dark as night, then trouble's takin' place in the lowlands at night. There's thousands of people ain't got no place to go. [3] However, that flood was at its worst some two months after the song was written. C, F7, C, C7, F7, C. In this recording of \"Backwater Blues,\" we can hear these techniques at work, and they stand in contrast to the very structured twelve-bar blues form of the song. And I can't live there no more. She believed that her truth needed to be told, so she told it. Published online by Cambridge University Press: Backwater Blues does not sound as much like the blues as Down Hearted Blues to me, but it is still distinguishable as the blues due to the sad content of the song. The piano's bass part keeps the rhythm of the piece steady but when doing the 'response', the right hand can complicate this and create interest. The three most important chords, built off the 1st, 4th and 5th scale degrees are all major . Poet, writer, teacher, and political activist Amiri Baraka was born Everett LeRoi Jones in 1934 in Newark, New Jersey. Discuss Bessie Smith's performance of "Back Water Blues" as an example of both. The blues poems remind us that the American poetic tradition can be traced to African American oral tradition; that great art, great poems come from deep suffering that is personal, historical, and political and could be read on the page as well as sung out loud. Alle Informationen dazu findest du in unseren The first two lines are of almost equal length. Has data issue: false In order to interrogate said materials, six recordings by different musicians were chosen and meticulously transcribed. Theres this rich toughness in her voice that tells us this girl and her people are going to get through this calamity. I chose these works for how they built upon classic blues (blues that follows the standard AAB lyrical structure and common themes of love, longing, suffering, and travel) by addressing an ecological concern, as in Backwater Blues, or innovating the classical structure, as in Too Blue, and Duplex., I want to encourage reading and listening to early blues poetry and classic blues as a method toward mastering blues aesthetics. Updated September 9, 2020. This personal depression by extension is about the depression of an entire people, marginalized in the back waters, stricken with poverty, homelessness, suffering social injustice, discrimination, and now hit with this catastrophic natural disaster. Please download this song, preferably the original 1927 recording by Bessie Smith, and listen to her amazing singing. hear how the piano embodies the texture of what is being sung, as if the piano witnesses and takes on the storm and flood alongside Bessie Smith. Furthermore, Baraka notes that Africanisms (retentions of African culture throughout the African diaspora) were not limited to US Black people but that the culture of the Americas contains and is itself influenced by Africanisms. Back-Water Blues. First, research supports the claim that blues music originated during the postUS Civil War era (186165) and is derived from spirituals and work and field songs of Black sharecroppers of the rural south, particularly the Mississippi Delta. I see myself as an activist Chinese American poet, and I want to show the multiple sides of my literary inheritance. Down Hearted Blues, her first recording, sold nearly 800,000 copies, firmly establishing her as a new singer in the blues genre. The lyrics are in the often-used AAB blues format. The first line sets the scene, the second line repeats the first for emphasis. "When it rains five days, and the skies turn dark as night (x2). The flood was a devastating ordeal. Download and Print scores from huge community collection ( 1,426,528 and growing) Advanced tools to level up your playing skills. } "useRatesEcommerce": false Backwater Blues is written in the key of E Major. Brown, who alongside Langston Hughes was a pioneer of blues poetry in the 1920s. Cause my house fell down and I can't live there no more. Though theres no singular definition of the blues that fully encompasses the history and culture of the people from whom the blues are derived, I do think there are some notes to consider. Bemoaning the fate of losing a home to flood waters after five days and nights of rain, Smith laments: 'Thousands of people ain't got no place to go.'. ). There is one integral line throughout the stanza. The piece uses syncopation to allow variation between the instruments and the vocals. Bessie Smith, "Backwater blues", 1927The song "Backwater Blues" is a blues and jazz standard. The first two verses are unique and do not have any repetition. Dazu brauchen wir deine Einwillung*. 04 January 2007. Hi! A modified 12 bar blues. They relocated the white folks in an expedient manner but corralled the black folks into abysmal camps. Train with real songs. Study of Smith's touring itinerary, of testimony of fellow entertainers who toured with her, and of contemporary reports indicates that the song was written in response to the flood that struck Nashville, Tennessee on Christmas Day 1926. Designed and built by Hooktheory in California. The three most important chords, built off the 1st, 4th and 5th scale degrees are all major chords (E Major, A Major, and B Major). I love writing blues poems. Great cover of blues classic Backwater blues on The Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band 2011. album How I Go Bessie Smith (Down Hearted Blues, 1923) Jazz Legend. Youtube, uploaded by RagtimeDorianHenry, 3 Jun 2009, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=go6TiLIeVZA. One subscription across all of your devices. homophonic texture. My name is Lex and I am a rising senior at the University of Georgia. The song has long been associated with the great flood of the lower Mississippi River in 1927. The opening choruses of each performance . After discussing blues history, we went over Bessie Smiths Backwater Blues, then Langston Hughes Too Blue, and concluded our study with Jericho Browns Duplex (specifically A poem is a gesture toward home). Backwater Blues tells the story of how the speaker is forced out of her home due to flooding waters. Hooktheory requires WebAudio and this browser doesn't support it. Perhaps the build-up of rain made her anticipate the flood; it was released just as the flood came, and as a result, it became a big hit., Charter Member Directory (Password Protected). In our workshop, In the Voice and in the Deep, Blues Poetry, participants and I studied blues music, history, aesthetics, and ultimately blues poetry. Teach music and songwriting in ways that keep students engaged, excited, and inspired. Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out (Bessie and Me). See the E Major Cheat Sheet for popular chords, chord progressions, downloadable midi files and more! "Backwater Blues" (1927) . Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings. One more piece. Backwater blues done called me to pack my things and go. Lets look at the blues poem as a form. Back-Water Blues, composed by Bessie Smith and recorded by her on 17 February 1927, has long been associated in the popular mind and even by some writers with the great flood of the lower Mississippi River and its tributaries that occurred that year. Marilyn Chin (1955- ) was born in Hong Kong, grew up in Oregon, and received her MFA from the University of Iowa. What is 12-bar-blues form? There were reports that officials behaved in a discriminatory fashion. The blues poems was more here on American soil, and so I study the blues poems closely and write blues poems to pay homage to all those African American blues masters. She is the author of three collections of poems, most recently Rhapsody in Plain Yellow (2002). And the rain begin to pour. The best song poems, I believe, can live on the pages as well as in the ear. Known as the\"Empress of the Blues,\" Bessie Smith's first recording, \"Down-Hearted Blues,\" from 1923, was very successful, and helped her to become the leading African-American performer of the time. Backwater Blues is written in the key of E Major. Bessie Smith is the best-known of the female \"classic blues\" (or \"city blues\") singers from the 1910s and 1920s (others include Ma Rainey, Ethel Waters, Clara Smith, and Mamie Smith). She lets the chords of the instruments dangle off of her words, resulting in a beautiful piece that focuses primarily on the lyrics. This suggests to me that aspects of contemporary US poetry could be in lineage of African diasporic culture. The scene is set with the terrific storm by the female speaker, so depressed that she cant even get out of the door. Backwater Blues by Bessie Smith - Digital Sheet Music, View our Accessibility Statement or contact us with accessibility-related questions, Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out. Chin is the recipient of the PEN/Josephine Miles Award, a Fullbright Fellowship, and the Paterson Prize, among numerous other honors. Pro Credit Pack (3 Pro Credits) Included with first year, Your high-resolution PDF file will be ready to download in Photo credit: Carl Van Vechten, Celebrating Contemporary Books & Writers at the Library, From the Catbird Seat: The official Poetry and Literature podcast, Receive notifications about events, activities, and online resources, Marilyn Chin reads and discusses Bessie Smith's "Backwater Blues", Rhapsody in plain yellow, by Marilyn Chin, Archive of Recorded Poetry and Literature. The conjunct melody made me want to sing along with her! Mmm, I can't move no more. In "Backwater Blues", the writer retells the incidents surrounding the flooding of Nashville in 1927. The third line either comments or reverses the first two lines. Once more, listen for the turnaround (the melody at the final two bars of each 12-bar progression or last line of each stanza) and hear it transform the melody of one progression/stanza into the next. Total loading time: 0 Though, after repeated listening and reading of blues standards like Backwater Blues, call and response became more than an AAB tercet on page/to my ear. We could define and reproduce several devices of blues lyric, such as call and response, and blues turnaround, and surely, we can write sad poems. View all Google Scholar citations I mean, first, it sets up a terrible storm when it rained five days and the skies turned dark as night, when it rained five days and the skies turned dark as night. Jazz- Review Questions. Bessie actually wrote "Backwater Blues" for the Cumberland River flood that hit Nashville on Christmas morning 1926. It also deals with how said flood displaced several victims and led to the loss of hundreds of lives. Leadbelly - Backwater BluesTaken from: 16 Greatest Songs (As Pictured)Track no. Bessie actually wrote Backwater Blues for the Cumberland River flood that hit Nashville on Christmas morning 1926. After discussing blues history, we went over Bessie Smith's "Backwater Blues," then Langston Hughes' "Too Blue," and concluded our study with Jericho Brown's . Her ability to use \"blue notes\" and other vocal embellishments, along with a loose melodic phrasing, became hallmarks of jazz and blues inflection that other musicians (singers and instrumentalists) emulated. Log dich ein um diese Funktion zu nutzen. Smith describes how down she is about her life and how she knows there is nothing she can do about it. Writer(s): Smith I cant do justice to this poem, to Backwater Blues, by just reciting it myself. La Bouche) [2023 Mix] [Extended Mix] Songtext. I make it a point to learn the African American poetic tradition. Smith continued on to become very successful with hits like St. Baraka attributes this knowledge to his mentor Sterling A. The song "Backwater Blues" is a blues and jazz standard written by Bessie Smith. Yeah, when it's thunderin' and lightnin'. The vocalization stands out far more than the sound of the instruments, primarily due to Smiths incredible voice. Nose To Tail - Dragon Ball Z Raging Blast 2, Mushihimesama Futari - Sea of Frozen Crystals. Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like backwater blues, libretto, step interval and more. LISTENING part 1 SEIGFRIED CHAP 5. richard wagner germany Major keys, along with minor keys, are a common choice for popular songs. Almost half a million homes were destroyed. Writer (s): Smith Lyrics powered by www.musixmatch.com. Bessie Smith (1894-1937) began her professional career as a blues singer in cabarets in 1912. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bessie-Smith, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gXShOJVwaM, https://www.rockhall.com/inductees/bessie-smith, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=go6TiLIeVZA, 1980: Inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame, 1989: Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, 1989: Received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, 1994: Face was placed upon a US Postage Stamp, 2001: Down Hearted Blues was named one of the Songs of the Century by the National Endowment for the Arts, 2002: Down Hearted Blues was listed on the National Recording Preservation Board by the Library of Congress, 2006: Down Hearted Blues listed in the Grammy Hall of Fame. The song is called "West End Blues" and was recorded by Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five in 1928. The melody is conjunct, making it easy to follow the lyrics of the song and the instrumental portions at the same time. The narrator, who presents himself as a victim describes how . Try listening to Backwater Blues while reading the lyrics; hear how the piano embodies the texture of what is being sung, as if the piano witnesses and takes on the storm and flood alongside Bessie Smith. There was evidence of lynchings and unspeakable killings and terrible acts against the black community. The lyrics of the song are interpreted with respect to the events of that flood. Most of us dont remember the great Mississippi River Flood of 1927, but when I read this poem a few years ago during a gathering on the behalf of Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, the same issues resoundedneighborhoods destroyed, slow government response, the African American neighborhoods were hit the hardest. Discover an intuitive and deep understanding of how music works. The beginning of Down Hearted Blues actually reminded me of Ragtime music slightly. Este es un disco muy bueno; una gran voz, la Reina del Blues Dinah Washington, y unos temas espectaculares, las canciones de la gran Bessie Smith. As an attempt to escape poverty as a teenager, she joined the Moss Stokes Company with her brother and Gertrude Ma Rainey, the Mother of the Blues. Ma Rainey served as the most influential person during Smiths pre-professional career. Bessie Smith had a powerful impact on future blues and Rock and Roll singers, like Billie Holiday, Aretha Franklin, and Janis Joplin. Content may require purchase if you do not have access. The repetition of her lyrics depict just how saddening her situation is- she is in the middle of losing everything. This is historically problematical because that flood began two months after Smith recorded her song. Each verse in the song follows an AAB pattern from beginning to end. Become a Musicnotes Pro - Premium member today and receive 24 titles per year plus take 15% off all digital sheet music purchases and get PDFs included with every song! El disco e. Mchtest du Inhalte von aktivieren? She began recording regularly in the 1920s, distinguishing herself as the most successful African American artist of her time with her recording Down Hearted Blues in 1923. Back-Water Blues was one of the best known works of the Empress of the Blues, Bessie Smith, recorded for Columbia Records in 1927 with James P. Johnson on piano. What are the introductory chords that illustrate this? Thematically, write about whatever you feel must be sung. Third, Mamie Smith became the first Black blues singer to record a blues record in 1920. *Als Songtexte.com PUR User kannst du entscheiden, welche Inhalte von externen Anbietern wie Youtube, How does the music reflect the lyrical content of the piece? Notice, however, that although the form remains the same throughout, pianist James P. Johnson's accompaniment style frequently changes during different verses of the song, as he interacts musically with Smith and attempts to depict the meaning of her lyrics through his playing.\r\rBessie Smith (vocal); James P. Johnson (piano)\r\rRecorded in New York, February 17, 1927 Smith's voice not only had this quality, it also possessed a rich timbre and tremendous emotive power. Her powerful voice stands out so much in this song that the instrumental background may not even be needed as supplementation. Following her death, Smiths legacy continued on as she inspired new artists to display who they truly were. Of course, I learn so much from the Bessie Smiths blues poems. The initial first line resoundstherefore necessitates itself perhaps as a question, a declaration, or even a second guessing of this sung things existence to its audience of many or just their self. She earned her title by displaying her powerful voice to the public for everyone to hear. But the second strophe, the second stanza, we turn inward, and its about personal disaster: I woke up this morning cant even get out of my door, I woke up this morning cant even get out of my door. Smith . Louis Blues featuring Louis Armstrong, Backwater Blues, and Nobody Knows You When Youre Down and Out. As the Swing era was emerging, Bessie Smith was tragically killed in an automobile accident in 1937 in Clarksdale, Mississippi. Smith (on vocal with James P. Johnson on piano) recorded it as "Back-water Blues" on February 17, 1927, in New York City. "it rained five days and the sky turned dark as night". In terms of chords and melody, Backwater Blues is more complex than the typical song, having above average scores in Chord Complexity, Melodic Complexity, Chord-Melody Tension and Chord Progression Novelty. Play the music you love without limits for just $9.99 $3.33/month. Not only did she sing, she was also an actress and comedian. It was written by Bessie Smith, and recorded (under the title ". Print and download Backwater Blues sheet music by Bessie Smith. Back-Water Blues' was one of the best known works of the Empress of the Blues, Bessie Smith, recorded for Columbia Records in 1927 with James P. Johnson on piano. The song has a homophonic texture due to the use of instruments and vocalization in unison. Although Smith is very pleasing to the ears, she seems to be slightly monotone in this piece. As musicologist Dr. David Evans has noted, Back-Water Blues was recorded in February 1927, before the great disaster of April. The song has a homophonic texture due to the use of instruments and vocalization in unison. AAB e.g. Kevin Young was born in Lincoln, Nebraska. Mmm, I cant move no more. This piece draws its material from the song "Backwater Blues" by Bessie Smith and from the historically articulated performance practice that has accrued to it. Create beats, songs, and musical snippets with built-in music theory, melody guides, and intelligent chord suggestions. The call and response between vocals and piano does what? The words vary from one performer to another; this opening verse is representative: When it rains five days, and the skies turn dark as night (2) Irma Thomas released it on the album Our New Orleans 2005 - A Benefit Album in 2005. Bessie Smith's Back-Water Blues: the story behind https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261143007001158, Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. Today, I hear phrases such as the winter blues and Blue Monday and know that they are not considering this history. The flood was a devastating ordeal. She is considered by many as one of the most successful African-American females of all time. Through an examination of Smith's touring itinerary, the testimony of fellow entertainers who toured with her, newspaper reports, and other documents, it can be shown that the song was composed about a flood of the Cumberland River that struck Nashville, Tennessee, on Christmas morning, 1926. Hier geht's zu meiner Musik auf Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/artist/1EV1CjZHtzJGK5SZyEyKst?si=ya1BsYRcTpSlZeVFtMKekAMeine Musik auf Deezer:https://deezer. Bessie Smith recorded Backwater Blues in 1927, and it became an anthem for one of the most devastating national disasters in US history. Big Bill Broonzy released it on the album Folk Blues in 1954. Nonetheless, when she recorded it in 1927 "Backwater Blues" became an anthem for the great Mississippi River Flood. Adds to the blues feel as the music is seen to reflect the realities of her situation. Sheet music arranged for Piano/Vocal/Guitar in C Major (transposable). Backwater Blues gefllt bisher niemandem. Through an examination of Smith's touring itinerary, the testimony of fellow entertainers who toured . [2], The song has long been associated with the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927. Please use a recent version of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, or Opera instead. However, the blues utility in our everyday language signifies to me that the blues are ingrained into US culture. Create beats, songs, and musical ideas with built-in music theory and AI from over 30k songs. The despair is deep, is deeply personal, but it is also metaphorical and speaks to the despair of an entire community. Smith did not cut any corners in her songs- she told everyone how the world really was and how she felt about it. Death. The Mississippi River flood of 1927 was horrific. Its musical composition entered the public domain on January 1, 2023. Her voice is subversive, defiant despite all odds against her. I am majoring in biology and love helping my community! [1] Its musical composition entered the public domain on January 1, 2023. This is historically problematical because that flood began two months after Smith recorded her song. Learn to hear chords by ear. Includes 1 print + interactive copy with lifetime access in our free apps. She performed in various minstrel and black vaudeville shows, and as her reputation and fame grew, she performed with many of the other leading early jazz musicians of her time: Louis Armstrong, Fletcher Henderson, and James P. Johnson, just to name a few. Almost a million people became homeless for a time. Datenschutzbestimmungen. The vocals to be the focus and the 'response' to be more complex, At times it can sounds almost 'half-spoken'. The beat does . He attended Rutgers University and Howard University, spent three years in Jericho Brown's first book,Please(New Issues, 2008), won the American Book Award, and his second book,The New Testament(Copper Canyon, 2014), was named one of the best poetry books of the year SterlingAllenBrown devoted his life to the development of an authentic black folk literature. When it thunders and lightnin' and the wind begin to blow. Terrible images came across the television screen and recently with global warming and continuous flooding and natural disasters this poem survives the test of time and can speak to a variety of incidents and international dislocated peoples. There aint no place for a poor old girl to go. The rhythm remains constant throughout the song, allowing the melody to flow peacefully during the piece. What is the structure of the lyrics? 'Back-Water Blues', composed by Bessie Smith and recorded by her on 17 February 1927, has long been associated in the popular mind and even by some writers with the great flood of the lower Mississippi River and its tributaries that occurred that year.
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