Level: U
DRA: 44
Social Studies
Strategy:
Summarize
Word Count: 1,357
6.1.5 Build Vocabulary
HOUGHTON MIFFLIN
Online Leveled Books
1033002
H O UG H T O N M IF F L IN
by Myron Banks
ILLUSTRATION CREDIT: 9 Joe LeMonnier / Melissa Turk
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Table of Contents
A Chance to Hear the Blues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
What Is Blues Music? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
The Roots of the Blues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Blues Develops and Spreads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Blues Becomes Popular . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
The Rock ’n’ Roll Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
A Chance to
Hear the Blues
On a cold, windy street
corner in Chicago, a musician
huddles over his guitar.
Some people have gathered
around. They wait for him
to start playing.
With a shy smile, the
man thanks the crowd for
stopping to listen. Then he
clears his throat. He strikes
a chord on his guitar and
begins to sing. The words,
or lyrics, tell the story of a
man who yearns to leave On a busy city street,
a musician performs
his home. The people move for an eager crowd.
closer to hear every word
and note.
I woke up this mornin’, feelin’ round for my shoes
Know by that I got these old walkin’ blues
Woke this mornin’ feelin’ round for my shoes
You know by that, I got these old walkin’ blues
3
As the man sings, his voice shakes with emotion.
Suddenly, he breaks the tension with a loud shout.
Between verses, he plays a solo. Some people in the
crowd close their eyes and listen. Others hum along.
The singer finishes his song. The crowd stays
silent for a second or two. Then the people start to
clap. As they turn to go, some people drop money into
the man’s guitar case. It’s not a lot of money. Still, it
shows that the people have enjoyed listening to this
music known as the blues.
What Is Blues Music?
Every day across America, blues musicians
share their music with fans. Blues takes many forms.
It almost always includes instruments. The guitar, the
piano, the trumpet, and the saxophone are common.
However, some performers don’t play instruments at
all. They use their voices to sing the blues.
Blues songs can vary, but they all express deep
feeling. The name “blues” refers to this aspect of the
music. When people get the “blues,” they feel sad.
However, not all blues music expresses sadness. The
blues can also express hope and even joy. Ask blues
musicians what their music is about, and they’ll
probably give you a simple answer. The blues is
about life.
4
People of all different ages, races, and
backgrounds play and sing the blues.
5
Another aspect of the blues is its use of repetition.
Musical passages and lyrics often repeat. Take a look
at these lyrics:
I went down to the river, hung my head and I cried.
I went down to the river, hung my head and I cried.
I couldn’t believe my loving sweetheart had died.
In this example, the first and second lines repeat.
The third line is different, but it rhymes with the first
two. This AAB pattern of lines is common in blues
music. It isn’t complicated. In fact, you can try writing
some blues lyrics of your own!
The Roots of the Blues
No one knows for sure
where the blues began. No
musician has been given credit
for singing the first blues song.
But we do know that the music
got its start on the plantations of
the Old South. Its rhythms came
from the distant lands of Africa.
However, it is a genuinely
American form of music.
B.B. King is known as
“King of the Blues.”
6
Africans made and played
instruments like these.
African music was based on strong rhythms.
It was played on many kinds of instruments. Music
was a part of special ceremonies. The people played
it just for fun, too. African music expressed many
emotions, from joy to deep sorrow.
Enslaved Africans in the American South left
their musical instruments in Africa. But they carried
their knowledge of music with them. They made
new instruments from materials in North America.
They used both the instruments and their voices to
express themselves.
7
On plantations, the slaves sang work songs.
These songs made time seem to pass more quickly.
They also provided a steady rhythm for work. In these
songs, one singer often called out a lyric. Other singers
responded. This pattern of “call and response” would
become part of the blues. Enslaved people sang in
church, too. The deep emotions of this church music
would also inspire the blues.
Field work was hard, and
music helped to pass the time.
8
Blues Develops and Spreads
The Civil War (1861–1865) ended slavery in the
United States. African American musicians could
now travel and perform. Soon, the work songs
combined with church songs and popular songs
to create the blues.
Between 1910 and 1920, many thousands of
African Americans left the South. Most moved to
large cities in the North. By moving, they hoped to
escape racism. They wanted to leave behind poor
living conditions. Perhaps most of all, they wanted
to improve their economic welfare.
Many African Americans from the South
moved north and west in search of better lives.
9
Blues Becomes Popular
In northern cities, blues music caught the
attention of other musicians. Jazz and blues players
often shared parallel ideas. Like the blues, jazz was
based on African music. Jazz and blues developed
side by side. These two music styles soon changed
American popular music.
In the 1920s, record shops sold the latest
hits. People bought the records to play at home.
Blues music went along for the ride. At first, only
African American performers recorded blues music.
Their records sold in shops that were predominantly
for African Americans. Eventually, that would change.
Large jazz orchestras sometimes played blues songs.
10
History of the Blues
Composer W. C. Handy publishes the
1912
first blues song, “Memphis Blues.”
Bessie Smith records “Downhearted Blues.”
1923
It sells more than two million copies.
1936
Robert Johnson, a master of the Mississippi Delta
to
blues, makes a famous set of recordings in Texas.
1937
Chicago bluesman Muddy Waters records “I Can’t
1948 Be Satisfied.” Fans love both his voice and his
electric guitar.
Elvis Presley makes his first recordings. They include
1954
blues, country, and gospel songs.
Five British musicians form the Rolling Stones.
1962
Their style is heavily influenced by the blues.
2000
Taj Mahal, Susan Tedeschi, and other performers
and
continue the blues tradition in the 21st century.
beyond
11
Blues singers performed in large clubs in places
such as Harlem, an African American neighborhood
in New York City. They performed for both black and
white audiences. Perhaps the most famous early blues
musician was Robert Johnson. He was known for his
spine-tingling vocals. Johnson’s recordings still thrill
blues fans today.
The Rock ’n’ Roll Connection
By the 1940s, demand for the old-style blues music
had faded. Many blues musicians retired or performed
less often. Blues was down, but it wasn’t out. It would
inspire a new style of music aptly called rock ’n’ roll.
In the 1950s, American musicians such as
Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, and Jerry Lee Lewis began
to play music in a new style. Rock ’n’ roll was loud,
wild, and loaded with attitude. It took America by
storm. Rock ’n’ roll included many aspects of the
blues. It had repeating verses, strong rhythms, and
instrument solos.
Starting in the 1960s, rock ’n’ roll brought blues
artists back into the spotlight. Many of them had
never been heard by white audiences. Blues musicians
finally received credit for their innovations. Suddenly,
the blues was big again.
12
Blues inspired the rock ’n’
roll played by Chuck Berry.
13
Today, blues music remains popular. The tendency
of the blues to adapt and change has helped keep it
alive. The blues has even influenced rap and hip-hop
music. These newer forms also use rhythm, repeating
words, and a steady beat to convey emotional messages
about life. On street corners and in concert halls, the
blues lives on.
At a blues festival, these
musicians wow a big crowd.
14
Responding
TARGET VOCABULARY Word Builder The
letters -ly at the end of a word often mean “in a
particular way.” For example, genuinely means
“in a genuine way.” What other words do you
know that end in -ly? Copy the chart below and
write the words and their meanings.
Word Meaning
joyfully in a joyful way
? ?
? ?
Write About It
Text to Self Write lyrics for a blues song of your
own. Include two words from the Word Builder
in your lyrics, and remember the AAB rhyme
pattern described on Page 6.
15
TARGET VOCABULARY
aptly parallel
aspect predominantly
credit tendency
genuinely tension
innovation welfare
TARGET STRATEGY Summarize Briefly tell the
important parts of the text in your own words.
Got something I want to mention.
Got something I want to mention.
Listening to the blues can help
relieve ___________.
16
Level: U
DRA: 44
Social Studies
Strategy:
Summarize
Word Count: 1,357
6.1.5 Build Vocabulary
HOUGHTON MIFFLIN
Online Leveled Books
1033002
H O UG H T O N M IF F L IN
