Bessie Smith is a blues songwriter that is very parallel to that of “Ma” Rainey. By this I mean that, they write songs that connect about many of the same issues; such as Ma’s use of the theme of marriage in her songs. In the case of Bessie Smith, “she alludes to rejection, abuse, desertion, and unfaithful lovers but still manages to keep positive ideal in her songs by speaking about “independence and assertiveness” (pg 21). This idealism can be seen in the song, “Broken Hearted Blues”, Smith says, “It may be a week, it may be a month or two; but the day you quit me, honey, it 's comin’ home to you” (pg 21). Another theme that had been exemplified by Bessie Smith was that of northern migration of blacks and the disillusionment that the north
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In the song, “Far Away Blues”, her lines presented the problem of black women and the loneliness they felt away from their southern homes and the longing they felt to go back where they came from (pg 85). Finally, the other theme I want to mention in Bessie Smith’s work is the belief that she had no understanding of rich and poor but only of black versus white (pg 97). In the song, Black Man’s Blues”, she takes her feminist stance while attacking the idea of poverty by saying “poor working man’s wife is starvin’, your wife livin’ like a queen” (pg 97). In this song she shows the differences between the rich and the poor. She does this through her identified to of a poor black women. She uses this identity to show not only the differences of white and black but also showing that white men have money and live like queens and kings while most black women live like peasants who would do anything to make a quick buck, even selling out their …show more content…
She often referred to herself as a race woman, and was said to have played for the “Associated Communist Clubs of Harlem”, which included a communist anti-war song in her performance (pg 162). Whether that speaks to her views on the war is not important, the importance is that is shows her “deep association of poor and working class people- and especially African Americans (pg 162). She developed this by her class identity, wherein she played her music in swanky bars; truly climbing for the bottom to reach the class identity she had before she died (pg 163). In contrary to this, the majority of her songs were about love pain (pg 162). Such as in the song, “You Let Me Down”, she sings, “you told me I was like an angel; told me I was fit to wear a crown; so that you could get a thrill; you put me on a pedestal; and then you let me down” (pg 169). Here she, like the other singers I’ve talked about, attacks this male dominance of the time by criticizing the relationships that went on at the time. She argues that male dominance is directly seen in the love pain that occurs in relationships during the time. These themes can also be seen in many of Holiday’s songs such as “My Man” and “When A Women Loves A Man” (pg 179-180). The final analogy I want to make is to her anomaly song, “Strange Fruit”, which was seen as her form of racial protest (pg 181). In the books, it is said that, “”Strange Fruit”
In the song, “Far Away Blues”, her lines presented the problem of black women and the loneliness they felt away from their southern homes and the longing they felt to go back where they came from (pg 85). Finally, the other theme I want to mention in Bessie Smith’s work is the belief that she had no understanding of rich and poor but only of black versus white (pg 97). In the song, Black Man’s Blues”, she takes her feminist stance while attacking the idea of poverty by saying “poor working man’s wife is starvin’, your wife livin’ like a queen” (pg 97). In this song she shows the differences between the rich and the poor. She does this through her identified to of a poor black women. She uses this identity to show not only the differences of white and black but also showing that white men have money and live like queens and kings while most black women live like peasants who would do anything to make a quick buck, even selling out their …show more content…
She often referred to herself as a race woman, and was said to have played for the “Associated Communist Clubs of Harlem”, which included a communist anti-war song in her performance (pg 162). Whether that speaks to her views on the war is not important, the importance is that is shows her “deep association of poor and working class people- and especially African Americans (pg 162). She developed this by her class identity, wherein she played her music in swanky bars; truly climbing for the bottom to reach the class identity she had before she died (pg 163). In contrary to this, the majority of her songs were about love pain (pg 162). Such as in the song, “You Let Me Down”, she sings, “you told me I was like an angel; told me I was fit to wear a crown; so that you could get a thrill; you put me on a pedestal; and then you let me down” (pg 169). Here she, like the other singers I’ve talked about, attacks this male dominance of the time by criticizing the relationships that went on at the time. She argues that male dominance is directly seen in the love pain that occurs in relationships during the time. These themes can also be seen in many of Holiday’s songs such as “My Man” and “When A Women Loves A Man” (pg 179-180). The final analogy I want to make is to her anomaly song, “Strange Fruit”, which was seen as her form of racial protest (pg 181). In the books, it is said that, “”Strange Fruit”