Classic and Contemporary Poetry
BLUES FOR BESSIE, by MYRON O'HIGGINS First Line: Let de peoples known (unnh) / what they did in dat southern town Last Line: Wid de blood (lawd) a-streamin' down Subject(s): African Americans - Women; Blues (music); Racism; Singing & Singers; Smith, Bessie (1894-1937); Social Protest; Racial Prejudice; Bigotry | ||||||||
Bessie Smith, the greatest of the early blues singers, died violently after an auto accident while on a theatrical tour of the South in 1937. The newspapers reported that she bled to death when the only hospital in the vicinity refused her emergency medical attention because she was a Negro woman. Let de peoples know (unnh) what dey did in dat Southern town Let de peoples know what dey did in dat Southern Town Well, dey lef' po' Bessie dyin' wid de blood (Lawd) a-streamin' down Bessie lef' Chicago in a bran' new Cadillac; didn' take no suitcase but she wore her mournin' black (unnh) Bessie, Bessie, she wore her mournin' black She went ridin' down to Dixie (Lawd) an' dey shipped her body back Lawd, wasn't it a turr'ble when dat rain come down Yes, wasn't it a turr'ble when de rain come down An' ol' Death caught po' Bessie down in 'at Jim Crow town Well, de thunder rolled an' de lightnin' broke de sky Lawd, de thunder rolled an' de lightnin' broke de sky An' you could hear po' Bessie moanin', "Gret Gawd, please doan lemme die!" She holler, "Lawd, please hep me!" but He never heerd a word she say Holler, "Please, somebody help me!" but dey never heerd a word she say Frien', when you' luck run out in Dixie, well, it doan do no good to pray. Well, dey give po' Bessie to de undertaker man; ol' Death an' Jim Crow (Lawd) done de job, hand in han' Well, Bessie, Bessie, she won't sing de blues no mo' Cause dey let her go down bloody (Lawd) trav'lin' from door to do' Bessie lef' Chicago in a bran' new Cad'lac eight Yes, Bessie lef' Chicago in a gret big Cad'lac Eight But dey shipped po' Bessie back (Lawd) on dat lonesome midnight freight Lawd, let de peoples know what dey did in dat Southern Town Yes, let de peoples know what dey did in dat Southern Town Well, dey lef' po' Bessie dyin' wid de blood (Lawd) a-streamin' down | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...BLACK WOMAN by GEORGIA DOUGLAS JOHNSON FOREDOOM by GEORGIA DOUGLAS JOHNSON I MUST BECOME A MENACE TO MY ENEMIES by JUNE JORDAN A SONG FOR SOWETO by JUNE JORDAN ON THE LOSS OF ENERGY (AND OTHER THINGS) by JUNE JORDAN POEM ABOUT POLICE VIOLENCE by JUNE JORDAN DRAFT OF A RAP FOR WEN HO LEE by JUNE JORDAN THE NIGHT THAT LORCA COMES by BOB KAUFMAN THE MYSTIC RIVER by GALWAY KINNELL |
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