Listen What I Gotta Say: Women in the Blues
Lesson Hub 1
Hear Me Howl: Introduction to the Blues
3rd grade–5th grade
What is the “essence” of the blues?
Big Mama Thornton with the Muddy Waters Blues Band, photo by Jim Marshall. Arhoolie Records.
Introduction to the Blues
Hello! I’m the howlin’ hound dog, Sister Rosetta Bark!
Today, I'm going to introduce you to a style of music called the blues and an influential woman who played it!
Hear Me Howl: Introduction to the Blues
Big Mama Thornton with Band, by Chris Strachwitz. Arhoolie Records.
Path 1
Big Mama Thornton at Coast Recorders, San Francisco, CA, ©Jim Marshall Photography LLC.
The Blues Isn't Always Blue
15+ minutes
King of Blues, Photo of a Guitar, by Libby Junior, CC0 1.0, via PublicDomainPictures.net.
Introduction to the Blues
How would you describe blues music?
Is it sad?
Is it happy?
Does it talk about life?
Is it all about sad love stories?
What's in a Name?
Blues Word Cloud, by Ty-Juana Taylor. Smithsonian Folkways Recordings.
The word blues is comes from expressions like “feelin' blue,” “to have blue devils,” and “to have low spirits.”
These expressions describe feelings—we can use them when we're sad, worried, or troubled.
Attentive Listening
Listen to the first two or three verses of a song called “Session Blues.”
Big Mama Thornton Singing, by Chris Strachwitz. Arhoolie Records.
Is this what you thought "blues" music would sound like? If not, why?
Meet the Artist
The singer on this recording was a famous blues musician in the 1950s and 1960s named
Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton.
Big Mama Thornton, Berkeley Folk Festival, photo by Kelly Hart; © Northwestern University.
About Big Mama Thornton
Big Mama Thornton with Purse, by Chris Strachwitz. Arhoolie Records.
Willie Mae Thornton (1926-1984) was born and raised in Alabama. At 14, she left home to tour with the Hot Harlem Review. No one ever formally taught her how to sing or how to play the harmonica and drums, but she learned from watching others. Around 1950, Big Mama Thornton made her first recording in Houston, which was released under the name of the Harlem Stars. In 1953, Big Mama recorded “Hound Dog” and it put her name on the map. The song was a hit. Big Mama found herself in high demand, touring from coast to coast. Later, Elvis Presley recorded the song and made a monster hit for himself utilizing mostly the same arrangement.
Text
Blues History
The blues became an important American musical form at the turn of the 20th century (late 1800s / early 1900s).
The style originated in African-American communities in southern states and was influenced by song forms like spirituals, field hollers, shouts, and chants.
Though formed 100+ years ago, the blues has been a major influence on American popular music, inspiring genres like ragtime, jazz, gospel, bluegrass, rhythm and blues, rock and roll, hip-hop, and country.
Blues Topics
While the topics of blues compositions can be sad or melancholic, they are usually autobiographical.
This means that they often deal with personal relationships and social issues, such as poverty.
However, they can also be joyous, sharing about a new love, a new job, a new instrument, or a favorite band.
Generally Speaking .....
Expressing the Blues
Whatever the topic, the themes of blues compositions are often expressed by the singer in an emotional, powerful, and somewhat raw (unrefined) way.
These qualities can be seen and heard in the lyrics of “Session Blues,” as sung by Big Mama Thornton.
Big Mama Thornton, Arms Crossed, ©Jim Marshall Photography LLC.
Listening for Musical Meaning
Listen to Big Mama Thornton’s “Session Blues” in its entirety.
Pay attention to the lyrics (words) and think about some of these questions:
What is this song about?
How does Big Mama interpret the lyrics?
How do you think she was feeling?
How do you know? (Are there clues in the lyrics or in the musical sounds?)
Lyrics of "Session Blues" by Big Mama Thornton
Aye I want you to listen what I gotta say (2x)
I've got everybody I need right here today
Hey Looka here baby I'm gonna be walking down your street one day (2x)
And I want you to follow me down to the lil oh country shack and that where we begin to play
The band is the swingelest in the land (2x)
I want you to listen babe, I want you to clearly understand
Buddy Guy he's a swinging guitarist (2x),
but when you hear him play you wanna run out in the pouring cold
Instrumental Break
Hey Hey I know everything gonna be all right this morning (2x)
I want everybody to know that I'm coming through their town and I might come through in the early dawn
Look out Eddie Boyd
Instrumental Break
I gotta let everybody know I've gotta end this song (2x)
When you hear the trumpet, I'll be in your town in just a lil short while and it won't be long
Instrumental Break
Learning Checkpoint
- What are some types of music that have been influenced by the blues?
- What are some common topics in blues music and how are these topics often expressed?
End of Path 1: Where will you go next?
Path 2
Listening for the "Blues"
30 minutes
The Blues Isn't Always Blue
Although the blues is often thought to be sad, it doesn’t have to be!
Blues music can express a wide variety of emotions.
Musicians tell their personal stories through meaningful lyrics (and the way they sing them) and through many other musical choices.
Generally Speaking .....
Listening to the Blues
Each time you listen, think about a new guiding question.
Let's start by listening to short excerpts from Big Mama Thornton’s recording of the “Session Blues.”
How does Big Mama interpret the lyrics (style)?
How does Big Mama engage with the other musicians?
What instruments do you hear?
Listening Log: "Session Blues"
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Listen to "Session Blues" by Big Mama Thornton
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As you listen, you can write down some ideas in the first column of your “Blues Compare and Contrast” Worksheet.
Lyrics of "Session Blues" by Big Mama Thornton
Aye I want you to listen what I gotta say (2x)
I've got everybody I need right here today
Hey Looka here baby I'm gonna be walking down your street one day (2x)
And I want you to follow me down to the lil oh country shack and that where we begin to play
The band is the swingelest in the land (2x)
I want you to listen babe, I want you to clearly understand
Buddy Guy he's a swinging guitarist (2x),
but when you hear him play you wanna run out in the pouring cold
Instrumental Break
Hey Hey I know everything gonna be all right this morning (2x)
I want everybody to know that I'm coming through their town and I might come through in the early dawn
Look out Eddie Boyd
Instrumental Break
I gotta let everybody know I've gotta end this song (2x)
When you hear the trumpet, I'll be in your town in just a lil short while and it won't be long
Instrumental Break
"Steamboat Whistle"
Next, watch this performance of a different type of blues music: “Steamboat Whistle,” recorded by John Jackson in 1997.
Steamboat Whistle. Smithsonian Folkways Recordings.
About John Jackson
Raised in a large, musical farm family in Rappahannock County, Virginia, John Jackson (1924-2002) was the most important black Appalachian musician to come to broad public attention during the mid-1960s.
"Steamboat Whistle"
Listen again, this time while following along with the lyrics.
What is this song about?
What do you think John Jackson was feeling as he sang?
I hate to hear the steamboat whistle blow (3x)
She blowing like she's never blown before
I'm going where the chilly winds don't blow (3x)
I'm going away but I ain't neva comin back (3x)
Them dog on blood hounds dog on my track
I hate to hear the steamboat whistle blow (3x)
She blowing like she's never blown before
Lyrics of "Steamboat Whistle" by John Jackson
I hate to hear the steamboat whistle blow (3x)
She blowing like she's never blown before
I'm going where the chilly winds don't blow (3x)
I'm going away but I ain't neva comin back (3x)
Them dog on blood hounds dog on my track
I hate to hear the steamboat whistle blow (3x)
She blowing like she's never blown before
Additional questions to think about:
Is there any significance to the steamboat whistle in this song?
Why is the performer being chased by hound dogs?
Listening Log: "Steamboat Whistle"
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Listen to “Steamboat Whistle” by John Jackson
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As you listen, write down some ideas in the second column of your “Blues Compare and Contrast” Worksheet.
Write down some ideas in the final column of your “Blues Compare and Contrast” Worksheet.
What similarities and differences did you notice between these two interpretations of the blues?
Compare and Contrast
After comparing the two examples, what did you find?
Similarities:
Others?
Differences:
Stylistic differences (guitar picking styles, improvisational breaks, etc.)
Others?
Blues Form (Harmony)
"Steamboat Whistle"
Both examples are based on a standard 12-Bar Blues chord progression.
John Jackson’s “Steamboat Whistle” uses a 16-bar adaptation, within which, measures 5-8 are repeated.
"Session Blues"
Standard 12-bar blues chords
16-bar variation
| I | I or IV | I | I |
|---|---|---|---|
| IV | IV | I | I |
| V | V or IV | I | I or V |
| I | I | I | I |
| IV | IV | I | I |
| IV | IV | I | I |
| V | V or IV | I | I |
Blues Form (Lyrics)
Blues Form (Lyrics)
Both examples are based on a standard lyrical form called AAB.
Hey, I want you to listen what I gotta say
A
Hey, I want you to listen what I gotta say
A
I've got everybody I need right here today
I hate to hear the steamboat whistle blow
A
I hate to hear the steamboat whistle blow
A
I hate to hear the steamboat whistle blow
A
She blowing like she's never blown before
B
B
"Session Blues"
"Steamboat Whistle"
Blue Notes
Both artists incorporated a stylistic technique known as “blue notes.”
Essentially, a “blue note” is a note that is lower than you would expect.
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In blues and jazz, the lowered 3rd, 5th, and 7th degrees of the major scale are considered “blue notes.”
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However, a “blue note” can also be less that a full semitone (the sound between a white and the closest black key on the piano).
"Session Blues"
Electric vs. Acoustic Blues
The “Session Blues” was an example of electric blues.
Electric blues refers to any type of blues music using electric amplification for musical instruments. The guitar was the first instrument to be popularly amplified.
“Steamboat Whistle” was an example of acoustic blues.
Acoustic blues is one of the earliest forms of blues music. The mainly solo vocals with acoustic finger-style guitar accompaniment developed in the rural Southern United States in the early 1900s.
Learning Checkpoint
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What are some similarities and differences between Big Mama Thornton and John Jackson’s interpretations of the “blues?”
End of Path 2: Where will you go next?
Path 3
Sing the Blues with Big Mama Thornton
20+ minutes
Attentive Listening
Listen to the first few verses of Big Mama Thornton’s recording of the “Session Blues.”
- Think about this guiding question:
What do you notice about Big Mama Thornton’s singing style?
Stylistic Considerations
In blues music, the pitches are not always absolute:
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The singer sometimes slides up to pitches, falls off them, or ornaments them.
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The pitches have a “bent” quality.
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This style of singing is different from choral singing.
Can you practice bending pitches with your voice?
Engaged Listening
Listen to this short excerpt again . . .
- This time, can you pat or clap along on 2 and 4?
Optional Extension Activity: Turn your body into a drum set!
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Tap your toe on 1 and 3.
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Pat with one hand on 2 & 4.
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With your other hand, pat on the steady beat or a basic swing pattern.
2
3
4
1
Generally Speaking .....
Discussion Question
How did Big Mama Thornton learn to sing and play the blues?
Big Mama Thornton with Muddy Waters and Band, ©Jim Marshall Photography LLC.
Generally Speaking .....
In the liner notes of one of her albums, Big Mama talked about her musical style and training:
Is Big Mama Thornton’s musical background/training similar to or different from your own?
"I Don’t Sing like Nobody but Myself"
I like my own old down-home singing, with the feeling. I learned to sing blues by myself. My singing comes from experience. My own experience. My own feeling. I got my own feelings for everything. I never had no one to teach me nothing. I never went to school for music or nothing. I stayed home to take care of my mother who was sick. I taught myself to sing and to blow harmonica and even to play drums by watching other people. I can't read music, but I know where I'm singing! If I hear a blues I like, I try to sing it in my own way. It's always best to have something of your own. I don't sing like nobody but myself.
Generally Speaking .....
Blues music is often learned “by ear”
- It is an oral/aural tradition that is passed on from one generation to the next.
Click to the next slide to learn the first verse of the “Session Blues” by ear.
Learning "By Ear" (Aural Transmission)
Generally Speaking .....
Learning "By Ear" (Aural Transmission)
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The teacher (or Big Mama) will sing the first line and you will echo/repeat.
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Once you are comfortable, sing the first verse together as a class.
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Next, pat or clap on beats 2 and 4 as you sing.
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Finally, play the recording and sing the first verse along with Big Mama Thornton.
Lyrics:
Hey, I want you to listen what I gotta say (2x)
I've got everybody I need right here today
Generally Speaking .....
Extension Activity: Learn the whole song!
Suggestions and notes:
- Pass out the lyrics and sing the whole song with the recording.
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This recording is in the key of A major (using a blues scale, with the third, sixth, and seventh scale degrees frequently flatted).
- If possible (when singing without the recording), sing in the key appropriate to the voices of the students (e.g. C, for young voices, with middle C being the lowest pitch, and the song having a range of an octave).
- Teachers (or students) can consider adding piano or guitar accompaniment (especially at first, keep it simple!).
- Discuss performance criteria as a class . . . Remember to sing expressively.
- Learn a blues scale and practice improvising short melodic riffs.
- Practice and refine.
Lyrics of "Session Blues" by Big Mama Thornton
Hey, I want you to listen what I gotta say (2x)
I've got everybody I need right here today
Hey Looka here baby I'm gonna be walking down your street one day (2x)
And I want you to follow me down to the lil oh country shack and that where we begin to play
The band is the swingelest in the land (2x)
I want you to listen babe, I want you to clearly understand
Buddy Guy he's a swinging guitarist (2x),
but when you hear him play you wanna run out in the pouring cold
Instrumental Break
Hey Hey I know everything gonna be all right this morning (2x)
I want everybody to know that I'm coming through their town and I might come through in the early dawn
Look out Eddie Boyd
Instrumental Break
I gotta let everybody know I've gotta end this song (2x)
When you hear the trumpet, I'll be in your town in just a lil short while and it won't be long
Instrumental Break
Learning Checkpoint
- How is blues music usually learned?
- Which beats are emphasized in blues music?
- How does blues singing differ from traditional choral singing?
Lesson 1 Media Credits
Audio courtesy of
Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
Video courtesy of
Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
Images courtesy of
The Arhoolie Foundation
Jim Marshall Photography
Junior Libby
National Council for the Traditional Arts
Northwestern University Libraries
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
© 2025 Smithsonian Institution. Personal, educational, and non-commercial uses allowed; commercial rights reserved. See Smithsonian terms of use for more information.
This Pathway received Federal support from the Smithsonian American Women's History Initiative Pool, administered by the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum.
For full bibliography and media credits, see Lesson 1 landing page.
End of Lesson 1: Where will you go next?
