Compose lyrics to your own blues song. It should have 5 stanzas, in AAB form. You can either research a situation from 1900–1930 and write a blues based on that, OR you can write a blues that relates to the current state of the world: COVID-19, police violence, loss of income, returning to school (or not!), etc. This can reflect a situation anywhere in the world—it doesn’t have to be U.S.-based, but it should reflect your reality. Whatever you choose, keep in mind:
Rhyme scheme. The last word of A and B lines should rhyme (this can either be an exact rhyme, an assonant rhyme (an approximate rhyme, like “hid/with” or “self/else”), or repetition of the same word (only if you’re desperate!).
Innuendo: Remember that metaphor and figurative language are often more powerful than explicit statements. See what you can come up with!
Give your blues a characteristic title (look at the blues songs we’ve studied).
And finally: Write, wait a bit, and revise.
At the end, write one paragraph that explains makes this a characteristic blues song! For example: How do the lyrics fulfill the purpose and aesthetics of the blues? Does it speak for a community? etc. Please review our class material on blues songs before handing this in!