De meeste blues – ook de moderne – is nogal apolitiek, maar het werk van Otis Taylor vormt daar een uitzondering op. Thema’s als racisme en armoede komen regelmatig aan bod in zijn songs.
De in 1948 geboren Taylor begon als banjospeler, maar gaf dat op toen hij hoorde dat de banjo prominent werd gebruikt in de denigrerende blackface-minstrelshows uit de 19e eeuw. In 2007 keerde hij met het album Recapturing The Banjo terug naar zijn eerste liefde. Om Cliff Richard te citeren: “why should the devil have all the good music?”
Rain and fire crossed that ocean
Another mad man done struck again
Rain and fire crossed that ocean
Another mad man done struck again[Verse 1]
Sitting down here fallout shelter
Paint my walls, twice a week
Sitting down here fallout shelter
Think about the slaves, long time ago
[Chorus]
Ten million slaves crossed that ocean
They had shackles on their legs
Ten million slaves crossed that ocean
They had shackles on their legs
[Verse 2]
Don’t know where, where they’re going
Don’t know where, where they’ve been
Don’t know where, where they’re going
Don’t know where, where they’ve been
[Verse 3]
Sun goes out, you’ll be standing
You’ll be standing by yourself
Sun goes out, you’ll be standing
You’ll be standing by yourself
Ten million slaves crossed that ocean
They had shackles on their legs
Ten million slaves crossed that ocean
They had shackles on their legs[Verse 4]
Don’t know where, where they’re going
Don’t know where, where they’ve been
Don’t know where, where they’re going
Don’t know where, where they’ve been
[Chorus]
Ten million slaves crossed that ocean
They had shackles on their legs
Food goes bad, food looks rancid
But they ate it anyway
[Verse 5]
Don’t know where, where they’re going
Don’t know where, where they’ve been
Don’t know where, where they’re going
Don’t know where, where they’ve been
[Outro]
Sun goes out, you’ll be standing
You’ll be standing all alone
Sun goes out, you’ll be standing
You’ll be standing all alone
All alone, all alone, all alone, all alone, all alone
Uitgelichte afbeelding:
Door George Barnard – Dit bestand is beschikbaar in de Prints and Photographs division van de Library of Congressvia digitaal ID cwpb.03351. Publiek domein, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=828936
