Re: [Harp-L] harp player seeking political blues songs

[Grant Dermody <gdermody@xxxxxxxxx>]

Little Feat's Apolitical Blues is another worth checking out.
  Grant Dermody

Joel Fritz <jfritz666@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
  J. B. Lenoir recorded several.

Doctor Clayton: "Pear Harbor Blues," "41 Blues"

Johnny Shines: "So Cold in Vietnam"

Casey Bill Weldon: "WPA Blues"

Arthur Crudup: "Give Me a 32-20"

Various: "Uncle Sam Ain't No Woman" ("Uncle Sam ain't no woman but he 
sure can take your man....")

Mississipi Shieks: "Sales Tax," "Bootlegger's Blues"

Peetie Wheatstraw: "Good Whiskey Blues"--end of Prohibition, "Working 
on the Project"

All the above don't sound self-righteous or didactic. Some are cynical. 


In non-blues but still roots music there are a lot. Uncle Dave Macon, 
for example, recorded a bunch of topical songs that didn't try to 
advance a particular ideology.


Hear Barrelhouse Solly on the internet--that's me

http://www.soundclick.com/barrelhousesolly

Yes, it's what everyone has been clamoring for--pictures of the cats:

http://ratemykitten.com/my/?gallery=willie_mctell

Dave R. Fertig wrote:
> {Sam Blancato asks: Does anybody know of blues songs with a decidedly 
> political/social commentary lyric that sounds cool }
> 
> That got me thinking, so I did a little bit of research,and now I'm into 
> it. (E.g., Broonzy's Black, Brown & White; Meeropol's Strange Fruit; 
> Simone's Mississippi Goddamn, and Backlash, etc.; Guthrie's Mean Talking 
> Blues.)
> 
> I will not burden the list with my current findings, (I'll send them, 
> just ask me off-list) as it ain't entirely harp- related, altho I do 
> have harp-content asserted below. I will say that there aren't many 
> tunes that meet Sam's criteria: Of 3500 blues songs on my laptop, only 
> about 24 seem to qualify at first review.
> 
> I'm now working on a research piece, Blues Songs With a Political 
> Point. That is, existing blues songs which take a stance or provocative 
> approach in support of or against some policy or politics or 
> person/institution.
> 
> This is a request for your suggestions of such songs. I would really 
> appreciate any info you have about the song, i.e., who played it, who 
> wrote it, what album, what year, etc., but if you don't know all that, 
> send what you have anyway.
> 
> To be included a song should be at least somewhat controversial when 
> written, and have an element of challenge and risk in its words. And 
> they don't have to be "good" musically, just published.
> 
> HARP CONTENT: This is to help me develop material for to play harp 
> with. This research will hopefully advance my effort to create 
> effectively provocative political blues material, with my harp playing, 
> that's also entertaining. Well, I can hope, can't I?
> 
> Please respond off-list, to drfertig@xxxxxxxxx
> 
> Thanks!!
> 
> Dave Fertig
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