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Indlæser... Hear My Sad Story: The True Tales That Inspired "Stagolee," "John Henry," and Other Traditional American Folk Songs (2015)af Richard Polenberg
   Ingen Der er ingen diskussionstråde på Snak om denne bog.   MusicalGlass | Apr 25, 2021 |  This book takes a number of well-known American folk songs about historical events and sums up the history behind them. It's not trying to tell the full history of America, or the full history of the songs for that matter, but it gives a nice overview for most of the songs and lists additional references. For the most part, the songs are well-chosen and widely known, and the historical summaries both interesting and concise. I can't recall ever seeing a book that gives a better feeling for the sort of material that becomes the subject of folk song; neither have I seen a book that covers so many of the best-known songs. I do have to point out that the first and last songs, "St. Louis Blues" and Woody Guthrie's song "Sacco and Vanzetti" are not folk songs (that is, they have not been found in oral tradition). That's a nitpick, since you still have two dozen genuine folk songs in this book to study -- more, really, since there are two songs about Naomi Wise, and more than that about Pearl Bryan, and more than a dozen on the Titanic (although only a few of those are mentioned, and somewhat mixed up). The only down side -- the reason I give four stars instead of five -- is that the facts are occasionally a little off. For example, the Titanic did not sink "four hundred miles southeast of Iceland" (p. 223) -- the closest land was Newfoundland. I found some similar minor errors in other entries. For those who just want a general overview, this won't matter much, and there really is no other book like it. By all means read it, although be sure to check the facts before depending on them entirely. (  ) waltzmn | Jan 2, 2021 | I was given a digital copy of this book by the publisher via Netgalley in return for an honest unbiased review. (  ) Welsh_eileen2 | Jan 23, 2016 | The author clearly did extensive research, not just regarding the history of the songs, but also the circumstances surrounding the events. With each song discussed, Polenberg places us right in the midst of these people's lives. We're part of the society in which they live. We feel the struggle to survive, the racism, the sorrow, and the pride. We see the truth behind the people immortalized in song, and how those songs evolved over time. I wish this book had an accompanying soundtrack. While I knew many of the songs, there were some I'd never heard of, and it would be ideal to have them all available to listen to as we read. Polenberg does share snippets of each song's lyrics as we go along. None of the song lyrics are shared in their entirety, which is a bit of a disappointment but also understandable. Many of these sounds went through dozens, if not hundreds, of changes over time. A foreknowledge of these folk songs is absolutely not required in order to enjoy this book. The stories stand on their own, with or without having heard the songs. This book is a profound look at early American culture, and should appeal to readers looking to experience a piece of that history. *I received an ebook copy from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.* ( ) Darcia | Nov 30, 2015 | ingen anmeldelser | tilføj en anmeldelse
Read an excerpt and listen to the songs featured in the book at http://folksonghistory.com/In 2015, Bob Dylan said, "I learned lyrics and how to write them from listening to folk songs. And I played them, and I met other people that played them, back when nobody was doing it. Sang nothing but these folk songs, and they gave me the code for everything that's fair game, that everything belongs to everyone." In Hear My Sad Story, Richard Polenberg describes the historical events that led to the writing of many famous American folk songs that served as touchstones for generations of American musicians, lyricists, and folklorists. Those events, which took place from the early nineteenth to the mid-twentieth centuries, often involved tragic occurrences: murders, sometimes resulting from love affairs gone wrong; desperate acts borne out of poverty and unbearable working conditions; and calamities such as railroad crashes, shipwrecks, and natural disasters. All of Polenberg's accounts of the songs in the book are grounded in historical fact and illuminate the social history of the times. Reading these tales of sorrow, misfortune, and regret puts us in touch with the dark but terribly familiar side of American history. On Christmas 1895 in St. Louis, an African American man named Lee Shelton, whose nickname was "Stack Lee," shot and killed William Lyons in a dispute over seventy-five cents and a hat. Shelton was sent to prison until 1911, committed another murder upon his release, and died in a prison hospital in 1912. Even during his lifetime, songs were being written about Shelton, and eventually 450 versions of his story would be recorded. As the song-you may know Shelton as Stagolee or Stagger Lee-was shared and adapted, the emotions of the time were preserved, but the fact that the songs described real people, real lives, often fell by the wayside. Polenberg returns us to the men and women who, in song, became legends. The lyrics serve as valuable historical sources, providing important information about what had happened, why, and what it all meant. More important, they reflect the character of American life and the pathos elicited by the musical memory of these common and troubled lives. No library descriptions found. |
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 Google Books — Indlæser...GenrerMelvil Decimal System (DDC)782.42162The arts Music Vocal music Secular Forms of vocal music Secular songs General principles and musical forms Song genres Folk songsLC-klassificeringVurderingGennemsnit: (4.3)
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