Big Bill Broonzy

This is "Big Bill" Broonzy playing in his traditional folk-blues style. I decided to do some more learning about blues music and those who helped develop the blues in America. I found Big Bill's name and some of his songs and really liked his style. His real name was William Lee Conley Broonzy. He was born in 1898 and began his music career in the 1920's. He began with country blues and then moved to a more urban style in Chicago. He was a big part of helping develop the Chicago blues and did a lot of recording there. Then towards the end of his life in the 50's he turned back to folk music. He also had an impact on work songs, spirituals and ragtime music.

This song, "Hey, Hey", is an example of his traditional, acoustic folk-blues. As you listen you can hear that it is in a 12-bar blues form. It has a very rich cord base and a catchy tune. I loved this song the first time I heard it. It's great! He is also a great singer/song writer. To hear more clips of his music visit http://www.broonzy.com/Music2.html.

Bill Broonzy was important to helping to form Blues music and introduce a truly American form and style of music. It was actually recognized by both black and white Americans and later by much of the world as a great American creation. Elements from blues music were used in many other American forms of music. These elements of the blues are found in jazz, popular, country and even classical music. Many popular composers and musicians were very successful with using blues elements and were known as being uniquely American.

Here are some lyrics by Big Bill showing some of the vocal artistry and African-American identity:

Mississippi River Blues-

Mississ-ippi river
Is so long, deep and wide
I can see my good girl
Standin' on that other side

I cried an I called
I could not make my baby hear
Lord, I'm 'on get me a boat, woman
Paddle on away from here
(guitar)

Ain't it hard to love someone
When they are so far from you
Lord, I'm on' get me a boat and
Paddle this old river blue

I went down to the landing
To see if any boats were there
And the fareman told me
Could not find the boats nowhere
(guitar)

The big boat ease up the river
Are turnin' 'round an 'round
Lord, I'm 'on get me a good girl
Or jump overboard an drown.

More lyrics: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/b/big_bill_broonzy/#share

Freedom to Choose

My husband helped me come up with the idea for this paper. I thought it an important topic and pretty touchy for many people. It is not meant to be offensive or crude in anyway. I felt that some strong language was needed to imitate Twain's style. So, here it is:

The clinic was full with a line extending out the door. Women were coming from all around the area to exercise their right to choose. America is a land where women have freedom and power. Freedom to dictate there lives in any way they please. These women were coming to choose to have an abortion. For some the wait in line was indeed long, unsettling, and tentative. There were many young girls there on that day as was the case everyday.

One particular young girl, in line all alone, was vindicating in her mind her appearance to the clinic. She was nervous, but why should she be? She has the right to an abortion if she doesn’t want to be pregnant. It is her body, and she can do what she wants with it because it’s not going to affect anyone else. “The law says I am the proper age to abort if I choose” she thought to herself, “and I am not obligated to tell my parents. It’s all legal so it must be right. My parents don’t need to know anyway. They would just make things difficult. After all, it’s not a baby yet, it’s just an embryo, a bunch of cells. It is still early enough for me to abort without hurting anyone or anything.” These thoughts continued to flood her mind as she stood in the endless line as an effort to console her nervous anxiety.

As this validating process was going on inside this young girl, she suddenly noticed an older woman was standing next to her. This woman was rather short with wiry grey hair that ruggedly hung about her shoulders. Her face was wrinkled and tan and her eyes were a piercing blue. Her hands were also wrinkled holding a short cane. She had on a simple brown dress that covered her tattered shoes. The girl did not know the woman and thought it odd that she would stand next to her, but the girl gave the old woman no notice. The old women then looked at the girl and began to speak, saying, “There is reason to doubt.” The girl who vaguely heard the women turned and asked the old woman if she was speaking to her. The old woman repeated, “There is reason to doubt your decision.” The young girl responded, “Do I know you?”

“I was once in your shoes,” replied the old woman, “and I wish I had never come to this place.” The young girl wondered where this woman had come from, and wished she would just go away. But the old woman continued. “I didn’t know there was another voice that I could not hear. When I made my decision there was another voice, a child’s voice. But I did not hear. The voice said, ‘Do you really know what your doing? Do you know what will happen to me? You are killing my chances for life on earth. You are killing me. This is cold blooded murder. You talk about your right to choose, but what about my right to live. By exercising your legal right to an abortion you deny me even a glimmer of hope of any life on earth. By your promiscuous behavior and lack of self control you brought yourself into this situation and took upon yourself the responsibility to take a life into your hands. You have the ability and responsibility to bring life into the world or deny your responsibility and take an innocent life away. By choosing an abortion now you are only delaying the consequences that must surely come. You even deny yourself to seek the guidance, experience and wisdom of those who truly love you; those are your parents. They would be of the most help to you at this time, but you choose to be alone and forsaken. This does not just affect you. No matter how much you think this is your life and it only affects one, you can not change the fact that you have an impact on so many that are living now and even more that are to come. With this abortion, generations will not come into being because the life of one child did not make it to the earth.’ These are the words of the unheard voice. I was sent to you for this reason; to tell you of the truth of these words that reach only to God. Now you know them. Use your agency wisely.” When the old woman had finished, she vanished. The young girl stood perplexed. She never saw the old woman again and thought no more of her afterward.