Blues on My Mind

What's a boll weevil? What did it do? Why sing about a boll weevil?  What might a boll weevil represent?  Explore these questions in Charley Patton's "Mississippi Boll Weevil Blues."

What does a rooster symbolize in 1960s Chicago? Is it just a rooster or is it something more?  Explore these questions in Howlin' Wolf's "Little Red Rooster."

Why depict a woman as a milkcow? Who is the calf? Why is her milk turning blue? Explore these questions in Robert Johnson's "Milkcow's Calf Blues"

How are animals used as metaphor? What might a monkey represent? Explore these questions in Tampa Red's "She Want to Sell My Monkey."

What are labor conditions like in the rural South? On levee camps?  What kinds of labor are mules used for? Explore these questions in Texas Alexander's "Levee Camp Moan Blues"

Why represent a woman as a spider?  What do spiders represent?  How does one break free from a web?  Explore these questions in Muddy Waters' "Mean Red Spider."

When is a bumble bee not a bumble bee? Why would Memphis Minnie want to be stung? Explore the meaning of Memphis Minnie's "Bumble Bee."

How are a mix of emotions conveyed, especially those around conditions in the North and South?  How do musical styles combine to represent a complicated history of migration and frustrated dreams and desires?  Explore these questions in Muddy Waters' "I Can't Be Satisfied."

What is a Terraplane? How does it relate to a woman? What do cars represent to the blues audience of the Depression?  Explore these questions in Robert Johnson's "Terraplane Blues."

How and why do women mix playfulness and seriousness to make statements?  What about demands and threats?  Explore these questions in Debbie Davies' "I'm Not Cheatin' Yet"