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Just my opinions and outlook on life |
| March 5 It's Music time: Pick a song from the 40's, feel free to share a YouTube link. Why do you think the song you chose was popular then? Could you see yourself dancing to the song? Have fun there's a lot of great artists from that decade. I love the blues so Robert Johnson came to mind to start with and an old blues song. This particular song speaks to me because Chicago is the place my parents used to go to after WW2 for vacation from Michigan and they danced in the clubs there. They liked Big Band music also but they knew some smaller places in Chicago to go that weren’t so expensive and both blacks and whites had a great time there grooving to the blues. I guess it makes me think of all the share croppers like my dad, including those that toiled in the hot sun of the South that made the transition to the North where wages were higher for a working man. The industrial north was hiring men of all colors to work with a decent wage and the possibility of security. You had the chance to get a GI loan and buy a house, have a family, and that was considered paradise. I couldn’t find a video of Robert Johnson but did find this good one of Buddy Guy surrounded by blues lovers from the White House . Eric Clapton proclaimed him a superior blues man. I can only imagine the joy of the war ending and people flocking to places to dance and celebrate. Actually this song is older than the 1940’s and has been reworked with new lyrics but it stands the test of time. Five of Chicago's professional sports teams have played the song at their games in one form or another. On February 21, 2012, Barack Obama and Michelle Obama hosted, "In Performance at the White House: Red, White and Blues", a celebration of blues music held in the East Room of the White House. President Obama began by describing the origins of blues in the South and added "The music migrated north – from Mississippi Delta to Memphis to my hometown in Chicago" Later, encouraged by Buddy Guy and B.B. King, he joined in singing the first verse of "Sweet Home Chicago". Every time my husband and I go to Chicago, we go to a restaurant my parents used to frequent. It isn’t a very fancy place but the photos on the wall are of all the stars of the 40’s and 50’s, Sinatra, Crosby, Sammy Davis Jr, Louis Armstrong, Lena Horne, etc. They serve everything from burgers to a flambé at your table. The last time we went to Chicgo, we went out on a night time cruise on Lake Michigan, had a wonderful dinner and dancing. My husband actually danced with me to a song or two, unusual for him. The hotel we booked had a room where the balcony overlooked the lake. It was spectacular. Nice memories. I remember as a child ,after we had moved to Atlanta, we would spend a couple nights in Chicago on our way to or coming back from Michigan to visit relatives. Mom and dad would take us to museums., parks, shopping on Michigan Ave., and we’d go to the places they used to go. They would dance and act like kids themselves again. This song would always be a standard for the house band. Chicago and the song have a special place in my heart. Try listening to this and not wanting to get up and shake your bootie. |
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