Ma Rainey- "Dream Blues"
Monday, October 12, 2009 at 2:01 PM
The form of this song is ABAB. The first line “Had a dream last night” ends in a high pitch and the second line “And the night before” ends with a slighly lower pitch. The following two lines (same lyrics as line one and two) are the same form but with very low pitches. Each line of the musical form is: theme, contrast, theme, contrast-therefore giving you an ABAB form.
The lyrics of this song represent the blues in that it is a sad song. Ma Rainey is singing about a bad dream. She says she dreamed of her man not treating her right, just like her dead father did. However, later in the song Ma Rainey says she feels like crying, her heart is aching, and wouldn’t mind dying. These lyrics seem like it is not a dream and the situation is really happening to her. One line says “Take me back, Mama, or else I’ll die” when Ma Rainey sings this she sounds helpless and is talking about herself. She also ask the Lord what to do, another indication that the song is about her. This song is very sad and the one instrument, the banjo, helps define this blue song.
Reader Comments (1)
Many of you that wrote about “Dream Blues” and “Black Eye Blues” mentioned the portrayal of women in abusive relationships. Do you think the women in these songs are strong or weak? What part of the music makes you feel that way? (the lyrics, the singer’s expression, the instruments, etc.) Are these songs meant as a warning to the listener or are they meant for commiseration between women in the same situation? or both? Here are three posts that address some of these questions well. Please comment on one of the posts to add your thoughts to the discussion.
http://benleedscarson.com/ma-rainey-and-bessie-smith/2009/10/10/dream-blues.html
http://benleedscarson.com/ma-rainey-and-bessie-smith/ma-rainey-dream-blues.html
http://benleedscarson.com/ma-rainey-and-bessie-smith/what-it-means-to-have-the-black-eye-blues.html