Blues for life
Characters:
Theme: Can/can’t. American English. Colloquial expressions.
Competencies
Competence in Linguistic Communication
Digital Competence
Personal, social and learning to learn competence
Competence in cultural awareness and expressions
Subjects and year by Educational System
Spain > English > 2nd ESO > Communication
Spain > English > 2nd ESO > Multilingualism
Spain > English > 2nd ESO > Interculturalism
Enunciation
Guess what the Blues says
Discover the hidden words under this Lucille Bogan’s Blues before listening to the song. Find out what subject she is talking about in the lyrics.
1. Listen to the song and fill in the missing words.
<https://www.letras.com/lucille-bogan/796288/> (última visita 12/04/2022)
Comin' a time, B.D. 1__________, they ain't gonna need no men
Comin' a time, B.D. women, they ain't gonna needs no 2______
Oh, the 3 ____ they treat us is a low down and 4______ thing
B.D. women you sure can't 5_________
B.D. 6________ you sure can't understand
They got a 7______ like a sweet angel² and they 8______ like a nach'l³ man
B.D. women, they all done 9_______ their thing
B.D. women, they all done learned their thing
They can lay their jive just like a natch'l man
B.D. women, B.D. women, you know they sure is rough
B.D. women, B.D. women, you know they sure is 10______
They are 11_______ up many a whisky and they sure can strut their stuff
B.D. women, you 12 ______ they work and they make their dough➃
B.D. women, you know they 13________ and they make their dough
And 14________ they get ready to spend it, they know the 15_______ where to go
BD WOMEN= antique term “B.D. (bulldyke) Woman” of the 1920s and 1930s, at a moment when the rise of a universal queer subject threatens to erase specific lesbian histories. Characterized by an aggressive stance and an enormousness that confronts rather than merely protests, Black B.D.
2. Talk about the lyrics
Observations and context
- Interdisciplinarmente puede estudiarse junto a la asignatura de Música.
- Esta actividad abre paso a un debate que lleve a un proyecto final de investigación.
- Clásica artista femenina de blues de los años 20 y 30 cuyas letras francas tratan sobre la sexualidad de una manera que logra llamar la atención.
- Contemporáneas suyas son: Gladys Bentley (1907-1960), Victoria Spivey (1906-1976), Memphis Minnie (1897-1973), Mamie Smith (1883-1946), Gertrude “Ma” Rainer (1882- 1939).
- Referentes actuales: Saffire- The Uppity Blues Women (1990-2010), Ann Rabson (1945) y Asylum Street Spankers (1990-).
Description
En esta actividad el alumnado conocerá a una de las precursoras del Blues, tanto en su faceta de compositora como de cantante. Observará las estructuras coloquiales derivadas de algunas formas verbales y se acercará al inglés americano de principios de siglo. Así aprenderá la evolución del lenguaje y se acercará a formas diferentes del inglés estrictamente académico. En este caso se aborda a través de una canción revolucionaria, ya que habla claramente sobre el concepto de lesbianismo y empoderamiento femenino.