1920's Blues
In the 1920’s blue’s classic Ain’t no tellin’, blues artist Mississippi John Hurt displays his situation detailing what maybe perhaps his life on the road as a blues artist travelling and performing at different venues throughout a few parts of the country. In attempts to decipher the lyrics, I imagined myself in the 1920’s going through rough times perhaps even being slaved but then gaining an opportunity to travel on the road and perform.
Personally because I would feel ever so wanderlust and the wild lifestyle would change my characteristics as a person. The lyrics start by Hurt stating “don’t you let my good girl catch you here” which leads me to think while Mississippi is on the road he is fornicating with other women he has no “real” feelings for and is fearful of being caught by his true love who may be back in Mississippi. As the progresses it goes into stating how he is constantly travelling perhaps from somewhere north and through Tennessee within the day.
I think the lyrics are very simple and ordinary rather than poetic because Hurt wants to show what his everyday life has become with lyrics such as “my back and shoulders tired” which could be the case as he is constantly travelling and doesn’t get to sleep on a comfortable bed back home but rather a bunk on a bumpy train. The song continues to almost take shape of a letter as he says lyrics like “I told you, I’m coming there won’t you look for me” which makes the audience ponder if he may be having an affair and the song was written while he was en route to go see this girl in secrecy.
Going back to the line “my back and shoulders tired” this may also be a way to show this girl that he has travelled from far on a bumpy train and is in pain but has done so just to see this girl which can also now mean that he may have strong feelings for this woman. Whatever the case Mississippi isn’t attempting to share this story amongst the mass, his audience he may be looking to reach out to would be even
Personally because I would feel ever so wanderlust and the wild lifestyle would change my characteristics as a person. The lyrics start by Hurt stating “don’t you let my good girl catch you here” which leads me to think while Mississippi is on the road he is fornicating with other women he has no “real” feelings for and is fearful of being caught by his true love who may be back in Mississippi. As the progresses it goes into stating how he is constantly travelling perhaps from somewhere north and through Tennessee within the day.
I think the lyrics are very simple and ordinary rather than poetic because Hurt wants to show what his everyday life has become with lyrics such as “my back and shoulders tired” which could be the case as he is constantly travelling and doesn’t get to sleep on a comfortable bed back home but rather a bunk on a bumpy train. The song continues to almost take shape of a letter as he says lyrics like “I told you, I’m coming there won’t you look for me” which makes the audience ponder if he may be having an affair and the song was written while he was en route to go see this girl in secrecy.
Going back to the line “my back and shoulders tired” this may also be a way to show this girl that he has travelled from far on a bumpy train and is in pain but has done so just to see this girl which can also now mean that he may have strong feelings for this woman. Whatever the case Mississippi isn’t attempting to share this story amongst the mass, his audience he may be looking to reach out to would be even