Nobody Knows Where the Blues Come from: Lyrics and History

Although the aesthetic appeal of blues music has always been its major asset, the lyrical content of the songs, sometimes overlooked, is at least equally to be credited for its staying power. Eight critiques, resulting from years of research, make up this volume. In all, the focus rests on the historical dimensions of the lyrics with the intention of setting the record straight or creating a record where none existed. Together, this collection presents African American popular music as a self-contained cultural domain and as a form of oral history which continues to be a permanent source of enlightenment shining light on several dark comers of official history.