Those dirty ole blues men

Lisnaholic · 06-14-2016, 09:17 AM

I was once at a blues concert, with a crowd largely made up of enthusiastic youngsters. When the band finished a cover version of the Mississippi John Hurt song, Candy Man Blues, my friend indicated a bunch of cheering girls and said, “I wonder if they realise he was singing about his prick.”
If you are in any doubt about that interpretation, here’s the original song, and Exhibit A, the pertinent lyrics:

Quote:

All heard what sister Johnson said
She always takes a candy stick to bed
Don't stand close to the candy man
He'll leave a big candy stick in your hand
He sold some candy to sister Bad
The very next day she took all he had
If you try his candy, good friend of mine
You sure will want it for a long long time
His stick candy don't melt away
It just gets better, so the ladies say

That set me wondering about other blues lyrics, for example, BB King’s line, "I’ve got a sweet little angel, I love the way she spreads her wings” or the following gem, originally by Memphis Minnie. Did she really have a paid driver about whom she felt possessive, or should we read between the lines, even if it means finding something less innocent?

So, have I become some dirty-minded perv, or is there more to these old blues songs than meets the eye? If anyone else has been troubled by suggestive lyrics, I’d be interested to hear other examples - if only to be reassured that I’m not alone.