He came somewhere out of Africa centuries ago
He wound up on a giant farm ... living in a broken down shack
Somewhere in a swampland...he would never be goin' back
Singing field hollers as the Delta gave it's yield
After years of toil he was finally set "free"
Six Hundred Thousand had just died in a
"Civil" killin spree...
He met a man from Europe...somewhere along the way
Who gave him some of his old music and some instruments to play
He tried to mix up what he knew from centuries ago...
He even came up with his own instrument
African rhythms and microtonal fare
Some European instruments
Now...he was getting somewhere
He sat out on the back porch
And started to get it right
Drinkin' that corn whiskey with his friends
And singing long into the night
Nineteen hundred and Three
Sliding his knife down the neck of his guitar
When he was "discovered " by a man named "Handy"
Mr. Handy just stood there with his mouth wide open
and didn't say a word
Later he would admit ...
"It was the weirdest music I ever heard"
The story wasn't over
In fact it had just begun
His first song was "published"
He could now be proud of what he had done
They now put out a "Race Record"
By the way it sold like hotcakes
They knew this music would be a hit
That there was something special to it
Many of them had really loved it all along
You know a real music lover always loves a really great song)
Some fella named "Lomax" liked the music too
So he went way down south to see what he could do
He took some recording gear and when he was done
He had make an official record of what all these people had begun
Things still weren't easy for the man who started it all
Even though he traveled the world
He had to sleep out in the hall!
He got a real good gig playing in a Big Band
He was finally getting one step closer
To the musical "Promised Land"
After a second World War...that shook the world up
As far as freedom was going, things were looking up
He had trouble making ends meet after the war was done
At first he stood out on the corner
But he finally got inside
Now the post war boom was really catching on
Not just on the Southern Farms
The music world was on fire...now he couldn't stop
(he was even involved in a little side thing called "Bee Bop")
After centuries of being childless
He had a baby named "Rock and Roll"
His son was born in Memphis
About fifty years ago
The Son was born at a place named "Sun"
It was named that by a man called Sam
Who had felt a "New Day" had begun
(The father of this story got kind of mad
Because after "Rock and Roll" was born
Everybody had forgotten that he had been his Dad.)
And then for a while things got "willy nilly"
It was because of Rock and Rolls brother
They called him "Rock a Billy"
Things went well for the son but the father had been forgotton
After all his hard work at home
He was now being treated pretty rotten
He finally was invited to England by some "Rolling Stones"
Who ,even though they were across the Sea,
Knew that he was feeling all alone
When he got to that country
They didn't really know what to think
They just knew they loved this man
Whose music was on the brink
The British had done their part to keep this man alive
That it was time for the old man to revive
Now back home in the USA
They began to see
What had happened to this old man and his musical history
He was "rediscovered"
Right in his own home
Since that day he has never been alone
Gives this old man so much respect
No matter what language they speak..or what dialect
Remember , please the words that this old man just told to me...
I know that they are true...
"You don't choose the Blues..my son..
It is the The Blues that Chooses You!"
Long Live the Blues
written by: Big Harmonica Bob
11/8/2003
this story was written by Big Harmonica Bob and you better not
steal it or you will be in Big Trouble.
Please make a cheap copy for your personal use
and spread it around the world.
The Blues is comin... The Blues is comin.. thank you
