# Why do Blues singers repeat themselves? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 9, 2008, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-blues-singers-repeat-themselves/436907 "2008-02-09T05:51:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2008, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-blues-singers-repeat-themselves/436907/21 "2008-02-09T23:08:22Z")
[QUOTE=hawthorne] In 12 bar blues the lyric might be the same and the melody might be the same, but it’s not _just_ a repeat. The first time through it’s all over the tonic and the second time it’s over the IV chord returning to the tonic. [/QUOTE] As much as I love Robert Johnson, I don’t have a clue what you are talking about. Hey, wait a minute, ya’ll ain’t from Mississippi… :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2008, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-blues-singers-repeat-themselves/436907/22 "2008-02-10T00:24:54Z")
Sigh. It’s because every blues song is simply an excuse for a guitar or harmonica solo. The lyrics are merely added as an afterthought in an effort to differentiate the otherwise indistinguishable songs on the album. ---
**Author:** ![Olive\_The\_Other\_Reindeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Olive\_The\_Other\_Reindeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olive_The_Other_Reindeer)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2008, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-blues-singers-repeat-themselves/436907/23 "2008-02-10T01:48:33Z")
Let me try . . . My man don’ love me, gave me a lousy orange I SAID, my man don’ love me, gave me a lousy orange If I ever see him again, I’m goin’ to . . . ummmm . . . Some help here, please??? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2008, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-blues-singers-repeat-themselves/436907/24 "2008-02-10T02:45:41Z")
[QUOTE=Olive, The Other Reindeer] Let me try . . . My man don’ love me, gave me a lousy orange I SAID, my man don’ love me, gave me a lousy orange If I ever see him again, I’m goin’ to . . . ummmm . . . Some help here, please??? [/QUOTE] Do somethin’ strange. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2008, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-blues-singers-repeat-themselves/436907/25 "2008-02-10T05:47:31Z")
[QUOTE=carnivorousplant] Do somethin’ strange. [/QUOTE] Involving a door hinge. ---
**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2008, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-blues-singers-repeat-themselves/436907/26 "2008-02-10T23:04:54Z")
Paging Ogden Nash! > [@](#): > > … > I was once slapped by a young lady named Miss Goringe, > And the only reason I was looking at her that way, > she represented a rhyme for orange. > … ---
**Author:** ![MisterThyristor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecccb3/32.png) [@MisterThyristor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MisterThyristor)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2008, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-blues-singers-repeat-themselves/436907/27 "2008-02-10T23:40:03Z")
[QUOTE=Olive, The Other Reindeer] Let me try . . . My man don’ love me, gave me a lousy orange I SAID, my man don’ love me, gave me a lousy orange If I ever see him again, I’m goin’ to . . . ummmm . . . Some help here, please??? [/QUOTE] Pinch his scrotum in the door-hinge? :eek: (crossing my legs in self-defense) on edit: and missing the post by **F.U. Shakespeare** by 18 hours. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![fighting\_ignorant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ac8455/32.png) [@fighting\_ignorant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fighting_ignorant)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2008, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-blues-singers-repeat-themselves/436907/28 "2008-02-11T00:13:31Z")
My baby, yeah she is so angry, I said Yeah, my baby now she is also hungry, Now, don’t you know, my baby, she is also, uh… um… ``` orange. ``` ---
**Author:** ![elelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@elelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elelle)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2008, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-blues-singers-repeat-themselves/436907/29 "2008-02-11T00:48:09Z")
I think the main problem here, in this typing talk, is that you’re viewing it as words only. As **OGRE** alluded to: the lyrics were traditionally passed down, a mix of African and European influenced folk songs. With traditional blues songs, one learns the structure, and then proves one’s ability by musicianship, acing the form with guitar prowess (which we don’t hear merely looking at lyrics) and, by twisting the lyrics up, and playing with them. Again, the best example is by listening to different versions of blues songs by different artists. The vocals and instrumentation differ greatly by musician and area. One important thing to remember is that traditional blues had a lot of codified lyrics, double entendres, both racially and sexually, in its heyday, that were bold at the time, but now seen as quaint.( Although, the best of them still are humdinging kick-ass if you really listen) Rap is the child of blues, with same great codification, ahead of mainstream notice. What you may see as simple, when listened to, is incredibly lush and complex. ---
**Author:** ![SharkB8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/977dab/32.png) [@SharkB8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SharkB8)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2008, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-blues-singers-repeat-themselves/436907/30 "2008-02-11T01:09:45Z")
[QUOTE=F. U. Shakespeare] Involving a door hinge. [/QUOTE] Hmmm…here in the north east, we would have to pronounce that as “DAHR hinge” to make it work. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2008, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-blues-singers-repeat-themselves/436907/31 "2008-02-11T02:50:24Z")
Gonna take my grapefruit, My Baby cut it half in two. Gonna take my grapefruit, My Baby cut it half in two. She got her very own orange, I think it’s most light to. -Apologies to Robert Johnson. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-blues-singers-repeat-themselves/436907.md?page=1)