Tupelo Blues Summary
A Flood of Emotion: An Analysis of John Lee Hooker’s “Tupelo Blues”
John Lee Hooker’s “Tupelo Blues” is a reverent, emotional song which details the events of a catastrophic flood in Tupelo, Mississippi. Rather than simply presenting a dry, factual account of the flood, however, the song evokes a powerful emotional response from the listener. This is done through Hooker’s masterful use of reflective, conversation lyrics; a slow, steady rhythm; and a simple, reflective melody to produce dark imagery in the listener’s imagination.
“Tupelo Blues” is an excellent example of “talking blues,” a musical convention that has roots which can be traced all the way back to spirituals (“Talking Blues”). As such, this song is directly influenced by a captivating
John Lee Hooker’s “Tupelo Blues” is a reverent, emotional song which details the events of a catastrophic flood in Tupelo, Mississippi. Rather than simply presenting a dry, factual account of the flood, however, the song evokes a powerful emotional response from the listener. This is done through Hooker’s masterful use of reflective, conversation lyrics; a slow, steady rhythm; and a simple, reflective melody to produce dark imagery in the listener’s imagination.
“Tupelo Blues” is an excellent example of “talking blues,” a musical convention that has roots which can be traced all the way back to spirituals (“Talking Blues”). As such, this song is directly influenced by a captivating