"The Blues is where we came from and what we experience. The blues came from nothingness, from want, from desire."
W.C. Handy
After reading the selected readings i don't feel i learned too many new things about the blues or their roots but i did learn a lot about the people who helped contribute to making the blues. this quote embodies the blues because it has a very literal meaning. those who began the blues movement would make these songs as a positive way to express themselves. these people had very little material possession and their music would give them a way to release these feelings of anger or guilt or whatever emotion which drove the song. i feel as though the blues was the first genre to really unite emotion and music. the lyrics would tell a story of hardship and such that one can relate to. the song folsom prison blues from the reading is one of my favorite blues songs by johnny cash. another song thats really good by him is the boy named sue. i didnt really know any of these other songs or artists except for langston hughes but i only knew his for his short stories and poems.