What are some themes that are common in blues music?

Baby. The word "Baby." If you'll listen carefully, just about every Blues song has the word "baby" in it. From "my baby done left me" to "oh Baby, Baby. Baby" to :she's my baby's mama," it's everywhere.

Carry it one step further, it's all over Rock and Roll as well. Makes good sense as R & R evolved from Blues when in 1951, Ike Turner wrote "Rocket 88" in the Riverside Hotel, in Clarksdale, Mississippi, the Birthplace of the Blues. TIt is considered the first rock and roll song. You've got "Hey Baby" and "Since I Lost My Baby" and "Baby Baby Sweet Baby," just to name a few, and that's a fraction og the times "baby" is mentioned inside the songs! Would be interesting to see how many Blues and R&R songs where the word is daid people could come up with.

Hi,

Good question. There are so many different Themes. My favorite songs that represent (in my opinion) the most common themes found in Blues Songs are:

Bragging / Manhood
"Mannish Boy" - Muddy Waters

Jubiliation
"Let the Good Times Roll" - B.B. King & Bobby Blue Bland
"Playin' with my Friends" - B.B. King

Goin' Wherever the wind blows
"B. Movie / Boxcar Blues" - Delbert McClinton

Love / Marriage Problems
"Dr. Feelgood" - Aretha Franklin
"Down-Hearted Blues" - B.B. King

Tryin' to get on home
"Travellin South" - Albert Collins

Desparation
"Texas Flood" - Various Artists (although I like SRV's version!)
"Born under a Bad Sign" - Albert King

The more that come to mind, the more I realize how many come to mind. But that is my short list : - )

Good Luck!

Kevin Chisholm - American Guitarist

http://www.american-guitarist.com

http://americanguitarist.typepad.com/

Trains.
Booze.
Loving the wrong woman/man.
Leaving the right woman/man.
Some OTHER woman/man loving YOUR woman/man.

Just wanted to point out - not all blues is "devil music" (I don't mean to categorize - those in the know get what I'm saying).
If you'd like to hear a bluesman who was somewhat unique for being a bit more "spiritual", try "The Immortal" - Mississippi John Hurt. Beautiful stuff.

Well, it can be a common theme to be about something that just bugs you, troubles you're having in your life, or even about how great you are. But it's really hard to just pick one theme. I've heard quite a bit of the good old blues myself. Some of the most known are Stevie Ray Vaghn, BB King, Little Walter, Bessie Smith, and many more I can't think of at the moment, but look around and listen to them yourself, you'll see they have many common themes. Please also forgive any spelling errors to names, spell check doesn't do it all afterall.

Lost my woman, back luck, feeling bad, can't get the woman to love him, lonely, traveling around looking for a place to call home, etc.