"BLUE 52" 

BIGDADDY BLUES BIRTHDAY GIFT OF BLUES ON HIS 52ND BIRTHDAY

To Celebrate My 52nd Birthday I Have Composed Two Blues Songs/Lyrics

I.  "YOUR CHEAT'N GAME"

II.  "SALLY-MAE"

YOUR CHEAT’N GAME

I remember why I left you,

And the reason’s still the same,

I remember why I left you,

And the reason’s still the same,

Cause You ain’t never had no intentions,

To give up your cheat’n game,

While you was sipp’n honey,

I was drink’n boot-ley with my beau,

While you was sipp’n honey,

I was drinik’n boot-lay with my beau,

I always kept my goings tidy,

Just so you didn’t have to know,

Now it don’t matter baby,

Which one of us cheated first,

Now it don’t really matter baby,

Which one of us had cheated first,

Cause we was both stepp’n round the corner,

Ain’t no tell’n which of us was worse,

Can’t say revenge is why I cheated,

Cause I got somethi’n that I shuddah had,

Can’t say revenge is why I cheated,

Cause I got somethi’n that I shouddah had,

T’uh make up for all the time I’d wasted,

Being fooled by a no good, cheat’n man!

I remember why I left you,

Yes, the reason’s still the same,

I remember why I left you,

Yes, the reason’s still the same,

I’m happy now that I put you down,

I think I’ve evened up the game…

Written By Bigdaddy Blues

SALLY-MAE

Sally-Mae, I’m gonna miss you,

Sally-Mae, I’m gonna miss you,

Every time I go to kiss you girl,

Sally-Mae, every time I shut the door,

Sally-Mae, every time I shut the door,

Reminds me i won’t be see’n you no more,

Sally-Mae, when they took you out the room,

Sally-Mae, when they took you out the room,

This house was emptied of everything but gloom,

Sally-Mae, to see you layi’n in that bed,

Sally-Mae, to see you layi’n in that bed,

White satin pillow underneath your head,

Sally-Mae, I’ll see you on the other side,

Sally-Mae, I’ll see you on the other side,

Walking here beside you on your last carriage ride,

Love ain’t never been an easy thing to find,

And it’s a harder thing to lose,

To keep me from lose’n my mind,

I have to cry out singing these low down blues,

Sally-Mae, when I get home and shut the door,

Sally-Mae, when I get home and shut the door,

Gonna close it softly case I won’t see you no more…

Written by Bigdaddy Blues

BLUES 52

The tradition of Blues has decorated American culture for over 200 years but only during the turn of the century during the late 1800's did it begin to gain recognition and momentum of its own.  This is probably because by that time Black Americans had established their own businesses and entertainment venues to accommodate traveling musicians and for the first time in history sound could be recorded.

However, many of the earliest works of what 

we would recognize as Blues today 

were never recorded, their lyrics and composition were passed down in the tradition of folk music.  Blues is essentially country/folk music that has become citified over the years but its lyrical form suggests a linguistic structure reminiscent of 

that spoken by Black American slaves.

The purpose of Blues is to tell a story about the human experience.

From the foundation of Blues in black spiritual and work music comes its ability to not only convey a story but to uplift, reflect and to mourn in a fashion designed to help the human psyche overcome adversity. 

Perhaps the best way to describe the medicinal quality of Blues was coined by my father who I quote,

"TURN A STUMBLING BLOCK INTO A STEPPING STONE"

I hope that you have enjoyed these two Blues poems I composed afresh on my birthday. I cannot imagine anything more suitable and enjoyable for me to do on my day of birth than to contemplate and write in the Blues medium.

FIN

BIGDADDY BLUES