The Merle Travis crossover Number 1 hit song “Sixteen Tons” was written about the appalling conditions experienced by his coal miner brother and father. Covered by Bo Diddley, Johnny Cash, Johnnie Taylor, Stevie Wonder, B.B. King, Tom Morello, Big Bill Broonzy & dozens of others, the song has been featured in shows South Park, The Simpsons, Mad Men, and the post-apocalyptic Virginia-set video game Fallout 76.

Signed copy of The Language of the Blues from Alcorub to Zuzu, with a foreword by Dr. John.

The lyrics of blues music are filled with slang, expressions, and curious words. In "The Language of the Blues", rocker Debra Devi has exhaustively compiled an extensive glossary of terms found in blues speech and song -- with fascinating input from actual bluesmen such as Hubert Sumlin, Bob Margolin, Dr. John, Robert Jr. Lockwood, Jimmie Vaughan, and many more.

The book is a definitive guide for blues and music lovers -- and genuinely fun to read.

"As a musician myself, not a scholar," Devi explains, "I thought I could best make a contribution by talking directly to blues artists about what the words in blues songs mean to them."

The Language of the Blues from Alcorub to Zuzu is a winner of the ASCAP Deems Taylor Award for Outstanding Book on Popular Music.

Weight 1 lbs