[78-L] Found it!
Julian Vein
julianvein at blueyonder.co.uk.invalid
Sat Dec 12 16:26:44 PST 2015
On 09/12/15 19:08, Malcolm Rockwell wrote:
> A 1997 post by Malcolm:
>
> > >Subject: How to sing the blues
> > >
> > > HOW TO SING THE BLUES
> > > (attrib. to Memphis Earlene Gray
> > > with help from Uncle Plunky)
> > >
> > > 1. Most blues begin "woke up this morning."
> > >
> > > 2. "I got a good woman" is a bad way to begin the blues, unless you
> > > stick something nasty in the next line.
> > >
> > > I got a good woman--
> > > with the meanest dog in town.
> > >
> > > 3. Blues are simple. After you have the first line right, repeat it.
> > > Then find something that rhymes. Sort of.
> > >
> > > Got a good woman
> > > with the meanest dog in town.
> > > He got teeth like Margaret Thatcher
> > > and he weighs about 500 pounds.
> > >
> > > 4. The blues are not about limitless choice.
> > >
> > > 5. Blues cars are Chevies and Cadillacs. Other acceptable blues
> > > transportation is Greyhound bus or a southbound train. Walkin'
> > > plays a major part in the blues lifestyle. So does fixin' to
> > > die.
> > >
> > > 6. Teenagers can't sing the blues. Adults sing the blues. Blues
> > > adulthood means old enough to get the electric chair if you shoot
> > > a man in Memphis.
> > >
> > > 7. You can have the blues in New York City, but not in Brooklyn or
> > > Queens. Hard times in Vermont or North Dakota are just a
> > > depression. Chicago, St. Louis and Kansas City are still the
> > > best places to have the blues.
> > >
> > > 8. The following colors do not belong in the blues:
> > > a. violet
> > > b. beige
> > > c. mauvre
> > >
> > > 9. You can't have the blues in an office or a shopping mall, the
> > > lighting is wrong.
> > >
> > > 10. Good places for the Blues:
> > > a. the highway
> > > b. the jailhouse
> > > c. the empty bed
> > >
> > > Bad places:
> > > a. Ashrams
> > > b. Gallery openings
> > > c. weekend in the Hamptons
> > >
> > > 11. No one will believe it's the blues if you wear a suit,
> > > unless you happen to be an old black man.
> > >
> > > 12. Do you have the right to sing the blues?
> > >
> > > Yes, if:
> > > a. your first name is a southern state--like Georgia
> > > b. you're blind
> > > c. you shot a man in Memphis.
> > > d. you can't be satisfied.
> > >
> > > No, if:
> > > a. you were once blind but now can see.
> > > b. you're deaf
> > > c. you have a trust fund.
> > >
> > >13. Neither Julio Iglesias nor Barbra Streisand can sing the blues.
> > >
> > >14. If you ask for water and baby gives you gasoline, it's the
> > > blues.
> > > Other blues beverages are:
> > > a. wine
> > > b. Irish whiskey
> > > c. muddy water
> > >
> > > Blues beverages are NOT:
> > > a. Any mixed drink
> > > b. Any wine kosher for Passover
> > > c. Yoo Hoo (all flavors)
> > >
> > >15. If it occurs in a cheap motel or a shotgun shack, it's blues
> > > death. Stabbed in the back by a jealous lover is a blues way to
> > > die. So is the electric chair, substance abuse, or being denied
> > > treatment in an emergency room. It is not a blues death, if you
> > > die during a liposuction treatment.
> > >
> > >16. Some Blues names for Women
> > > a. Sadie
> > > b. Big Mama
> > > c. Bessie
> > >
> > >17. Some Blues Names for Men
> > > a. Joe
> > > b. Willie
> > > c. Little Willie
> > > d. Lightning
> > >
> > > Persons with names like Sierra or Sequoia will not be permitted
> > > to sing the blues no matter how many men they shoot in Memphis.
> > >
> > >17B. Other Blues Names (Starter Kit)
> > >
> > > a. Name of Physical infirmity (Blind, Cripple, Asthmatic)
> > > b. First name (see above) or name of fruit (Lemon, Lime,
> > > Kiwi)
> > > c. Last Name of President (Jefferson, Johnson, Fillmore, etc.)
> > > Mix and Match
>
>
> _______________________________________________
>
It's a good idea to change the spelling of verbs ending "ing" to "in'".
Change "this" to "dis". Double negatives are also acceptable.
Julian Vein
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