I really enjoyed listening to 'Fishin' Blues', both the version by Taj Mahal and Henry Thomas. It recalls a simple pleasure of catching and cooking your own food. The quaintness of the music is endearing and makes me happy. 'Sitting on Top of the World' is also a pleasant song, but its lyrics are quite a bit darker and deal with losing an important loved one. Both 'Fishin' Blues' and 'Sitting on Top of the World' have an optimism to them though that makes them pleasant to listen to.
Mississippi John Hurt's Candy Man is a deceptively naughty song. Upon first impression John Hurt's warm and soft voice betrays the scandalous nature of the lyrics. It almost reads as a child overhearing what the women in the town are saying about this "Candy Man'. There's an innocence in the way he sings that gives an otherwise dirty song a humorous slant. Reverend Gary Davis's version has a similar feel, but is more visceral and desperate in his delivery. He is not a child, but a man. This makes the song not as comforting as John Hurt's version. I googled the term "Candy man" to see if it meant anything beyond song lyrics and wikipedia states that it is, "used to refer to a candy street vendor or slang for a drug dealer". I'm not sure whether to trust this information because they do not provide a source, but if it is true then Gary Davis's delivery in his version has an important dark undertone to it.
The chord progression of all these songs has an uplifting feeling to it that can distract from their lyrical content. 'Cocaine Habit Blues' once again takes a whimsical instrumental and combines it with a more serious, almost disturbing song topic of being addicted to drugs.
Blues music is interesting for its contrast between instrumental and lyrics. I'd never listened too intently to it before but it goes against my original expectations. I expected the Blues to sound sad, but somehow the realization that a lot of Blues music sounds happy has thrown me for a loop. Once again I think about how the people who originated these songs must have used them as mood lifters or coping mechanisms. The power of music to distract you from your problems and change your perspective is valuable. In my piece I decided to depict a woman in the middle of dancing joyfully. The bruises on her legs and dirtiness of her feet are in juxtaposition with the carefree nature of her actions. I find this same juxtaposition to be present in the Blues and am interested in exploring it.
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