Bessie Smith

Both Bessie Smith and Janis Joplin transcended the limitations of words through manmade sounds. At the end of “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out,” Smith interspersed sound with phrases. While she hummed “mmmmm” to demonstrate frustration with the speaker’s situation, Smith wove in phrases like “I felt so low” and “not one penny / And my friends I haven’t any.” She portrayed the bitterness and nostalgia people feel after loss. This lyric choice only made the ballad’s content more poignant. Joplin borrowed this technique in “Me and Bobby McGee” to display regret towards a past lover. While singing varied combinations of “la” and “da,” she dropped in phrases like “my Bobby,” and “I call him my lover, call him my man.” Her performed feelings were multifaceted. The soft sounds conveyed tenderness, the louder ones reflected “unabashed sexuality,” and the roughest notes hinted at sadness (“Controversy” para 5). In the end, the most valuable thing …show more content…
She stressed pure vowels in “Black Mountain Blues.” For example, she lengthened the ‘ah’ in “cryin,’” the ‘uh’ in “gun,” the ‘oo’ in “booze” and the ‘eh’ at the end of “bullet’ll.” Smith used these vowels and avoided nasal ones to create a polished sound. This style allowed her to convey emotional clarity. The way she vocalized notes only enhanced “a whole vision of tragedy in the briefest stroke” (Ehrenpheis 10). When she sang the line “Out in Black Mountain, can’t keep a man in jail,” for instance, she grunted ‘ohhhhhhh’ and ‘caaaaaiin’t.’ Her powerful voice throbbed like a beating heart and portrayed the psychological complexity of the blues. Smith’s angry, harsh notes smoothed out and, therefore, showed a pained mental state. This combination of coarse and fluid notes inspired Joplin to communicate deep feelings through sound. Listening to Smith’s music also convinced Joplin to over-use Ebonics