Blog Post: Week 1

 Today I decided to write about "Long John" by Lightning Washington. The first time I listened to it today it sounded a bit different than it did when I first heard it in class-perhaps because I could hear all the layers a bit easier now. My first thought is in reference to how these men kept the beat. They used their equipment to help themselves keep a beat. That beat reverberates through the soul and gives me chills thinking about the fact that this was something that was sung while these slaves worked. This song truly tells a story. 

The second time and third times I listened though the song I tried harder to listen to and examine the lyrics sung. I also pulled up the lyrics so I could read along. Lyrically, the most interesting part to me is whenever the song refers to "going home". On the surface it may seem like slaves simply wishing they could go home to their families. Upon further analysis of the lyrics, however, it is apparent that this song holds a lot of religious significance. The song is addressing the wish to either be released from their current state in slavery by release from their owners or by passing from their life through death. I get the chills when I think about this song through that perspective. Some of these men perhaps didn't fear death because they had faith that whatever was coming next had to be better than their current state.  

Word Count: 252