Try counting the number of measures for the different stanzas. ( ...

[aabwk4]

Try counting the number of measures for the different stanzas.
  (  1 2 3 4  2 2 3 4  3 2 3 4  . . . etc.)
 
  What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

What are typical blues lyrics about? How do blues lyrics usually end? Give an example and cite its source. Are Poor Boy Blues and She Got Me Walkin typical blues lyrics? Explain your answer. What is the cultural context of the typical blues lyrics?
 
  What will be an ideal response?

[ApricotDream]

Answer to Question 1

If you count the first stanza very carefully from the first syllable of the word Ko-ko- mo me ba-by to exactly when the same syllable occurs again at the beginning of the second stanza, you will notice that the stanza seems to be 15-measures-plus-two-extra-beats long This is because McDowell stretches out the usual twelve-bar blues stanza by adding a few measures. Then he actually adds two beats to the first measure of the second stanza on the word Well. The second stanza thus starts out with a measure of six rather than the usual four beats per measure.
Adding a few extra beatsor even entire measuresto the usual twelve-bar stanzas was typical of the earlier rural (or downhome) blues that we hear exemplified in McDowell's rural Mississippi juke-joint guitar style. Notice that the stretching-out of the blues stanzas does not in any way interfere with the hypnotic dance groove provided by McDowell's guitar playing.

Answer to Question 2

 lovers and mistreatment
 The mistreated party gets out of the situation with a parting, ironic comment
 The typical blues theme of lovers and mistreatment is found in She Got Me Walkin,' but not in Poor Boy Blues which deals with poverty/illiteracy.
 Blues music in African-American culture helps lovers understand each other.  . . .the themes are traditional and shared by the community, blues songs also give listeners community approval for separation in response to mistreatment (WOM, p. 131).

[aabwk4]

TYSM

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