Greens are the tough-yet-nutritious leaves of collards, kale, mustard, or turnip… and since this is the blues, slang for a number of other things. Find out the whole story now!
Author: Debra Devi
Debra Devi
Debra Devi is a rock musician and the author of the award-winning blues glossary The Language of the Blues: From Alcorub to Zuzu (foreword by Dr. John). www.debradevi.com
See how grave dirt came to be used as a curse, and how the bleus tied it into our modern vocabulary!
The word goofer comes from the Bantu kufua and the Ki-Kongo kufa. Both mean “to die.” But Goofer’s dust digs deeper than that. Find out what magic Ma Rainey and the early blues masters were talking about.
Musicians say the word thousands of times, but do you really know where the word “GIG” came from? Find out! From the man that knows everything… The NITE tripper… Dr. John.
They say you have to live the blues to sing the blues. Unfortunately, not everyone survives that ride. But those who do return with gold…
A “gate” is 1920s slang, but went on to take on a greater meaning in the Louisiana area. Find out EVERYTHING about Gatemouth in this week’s edition!
Read about the particularly FIERCE creature that Blind Lemon Jefferson sang about!
Foot track magic is a hoodoo practice, and was talked about by Robert Johnson
The sometimes creepy, sometimes uplifting meaning of “Fix” in the blues has it’s roots in Voodoo… and junkies. Find out how!
Tommy Johnson sang about “Fat Mouth”, but the origins of the word run much, much deeper! Discover the story!