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Miss-Meal Cramp Blues

Spencer Williams
Language: English



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[1928]
Scritta Spencer Williams (1889-1969), importante compositore, pianista e cantante jazz
Interpretata da tal Alec Johnson, oscuro bluesman, che nel 1928 incise un pugno di titoli per la Columbia Records
In varie raccolte, a partire da “Next Week Sometime (A Compilation Of 'Pre-War' Blues 1927-1940)”, pubblicata dall’australiana Nugrape Records nel 1977

Ain't Times Hard: Political and Social Comment in the Blues (2008)

Non era nemmeno ancora il 1929 ma la Grande Crisi, partita dagli USA e poi estesa al mondo, spiegava i suoi effetti nefasti. Qui il nostro protagonista è letteralmente divorato dalla fame, impazzirebbe per una braciola, si mangerebbe un canguro, si sgranocchierebbe anche soltanto zampe di gallina e così via, fino al furto ed addirittura al cannibalismo estremo (un’intera vagonata di barboni!).



Nella penultima strofa si fa riferimento alla National Biscuit Company (NBC Uneeda, oggi Nabisco), che con gli Uneeda (You Need A...) Biscuits, gli Uneeda Bakers, gli Uneeda Burgers, gli Uneeda Crackers, etc. etc. tappezzava di cartelli ed affreschi pubblicitari i muri delle città americane.
Lord, I'm broke and hungry, and my money's all gone
Lord, I'm broke and hungry, and my money's all gone
Wither in the stomach, I've got to travel on

All my crops a failure, couldn't raise a doggone thing
All my crops a failure, couldn't raise a doggone thing
I'm just like a beggar, hear these mournful blues I sing

If I see a pork chop, Lord, I b'lieve I'd pass away
If I see a pork chop, Lord, I b'lieve I'd pass away
I ain't had a square meal in many doggone days

I'm so broke and hungry, I could eat a kangaroo
I'm so broke and hungry, I could eat a kangaroo
I feel just like stealing, there's nothing else to do

Won't somebody help me, with a little bite to eat?
Won't somebody help me, with a little bite to eat?
Don't care what you give me, I'd eat even chicken feet

Standing on the roadside, a great big sign, it read
Standing on the roadside, a great big sign, it read
Say, "U-Needa Biscuit", because I was a-near drop dead

My body feels so weary, because I've got the miss-meal cramps
My body feels so weary, 'cause I've got the miss-meal cramps
Right now I could eat more than a whole carload of tramps

Contributed by Bernart Bartleby - 2017/12/5 - 11:33




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