Birth of the Blues
Oh . . . they say some people long ago,
Were searchin' for a diff'rent tune,
One that they could croon,
As only they can . . .
They only had the rhythm . . . so,
They started swayin' to and fro . . .
They didn't know just what to use,
That is how the blues,
Really began . . .
They heard the breeze in the trees,
Singin' weird melodies,
And they made that,
The start of the
blues!
And from a jail came the wail,
Of a down-hearted frail,
And they played that,
As part of the
blues!
From a whippoorwill out on the hill,
They took a new note
( whippoorwill, whippoorwill, whippoorwill . . .
)
Pushed it through a horn 'till it was
worn,
Into a blue note . . .
( whippoorwill, whippoorwill, whippoorwill . . .
)
An' then they nursed it, and rehearsed it,
And gave out the news,
That the "Southland" . . .
Gave birth to the
blues!
( Shout out the wonderful news!
)
Oh, the breeze from the trees,
A wail from the
jail,
A buzz from the
cousin of a nightin'gale,
And "Southland"
( hello, hello! )
Gave birth to the
blues!
~ featured in the 1956
film musical
"The Best Things In Life
Are Free"
Music by
Ray Henderson
with lyrics by
B.G. DeSylva and
Lew Brown
, 1926
 
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