The Book of Blues
words and music by Larry Bell
The Book of Blues, Words and Music by Larry Bell
There’s a cold wind blowin’
There’s a cold wind blowin’ through my bones.
There’s a cold wind blowin’ through my bones.
I am so tired of workin’ and keepin’ up with Mister Jones
There’s a cold wind blow-in’ from the right.
There’s a cold wind blow-in’ from the right.
I am so tired of hear-in’ the ignorant voices in the night.
There’s a girl who hung me out to dry.
There’s a girl who hung me out to dry.
If I face more frustration,
I think I’ll break down and cry.
There’s a cold wind blowin’ from the south.
There’s a cold wind blowin’ from the south.
I can’t bear to stay here while you go on running your mouth.
It was (is) a good life to be a slave
Workin’ in the field singin’ songs of joy,
Be-in’ treated real nice by the man
It’s a story I was told when I was a boy,
I never thought I’d hear it again.
It was a good life to be a slave.
Yes, it was a good life to be a slave.
That’s what people say.
Work-in’ for a-job at the minimum wage,
Try-to keep the prices cheap.
Don’t need no un-ion mixin’ it all up,
I’m glad to have a job I can keep.
It is a good life to be a slave.
Yes, it is a good life to be a slave. That’s what people say.
Some people don’t know,
If you get out of line, you’re gonna test the Master’s nerve
You’ll hang by the neck,
For an-y mis-take,
You’re only gettin’ what you de-serve.
Got a place to sleep eatin’ high on the hog,
Every body actin’ so nice.
What more could I want out of this life?
Is it such a sacrifice?
It was a good life to be a slave.
Yes, it was a good life to be a slave. It is a good life-
It was a good life-
It is a good life to be a slave.
That’s what people say.
He wears his money on his sleeve
There’s a man I know from my home town.
He tries to get out, he tries to be free,
but he wears his money (oh-yeah), he wears his money on his sleeve.
There’s a woman I know from my home town.
She tries to have faith, she tries to believe,
but she wears her money (oh yeah), she wears her money on her sleeve.
Why can’t we all get along?
Why can’t we all get along?
Why can’t we all get along?
Be a big man, son, admit when you were wrong.
He is prayin’ all day,
He is pray-in’ all night.
He will try to be cool, stay out of the fight.
Why did they nail him to the cross?
Why did they nail him to the cross?
Suck it up young man and don’t talk back to the boss.
When his time has come, you will know who to blame,
He’ll be kick-in’ ass and take-in’ names.
This man died for you.
This man died for you.
If you don’t love Him, you know what you can do!
September 17, 2013, David Friend Recital Hall, Berklee College of Music; Philip Lima-baritone, Larry Bell-piano
The Book of Blues, Op. 119, is a set of songs for voice and piano that center on the form and style of American blues. The texts are by the composer and focus on the problems of race, politics, and religion as experienced from the perspective of the 21st century.
More Vocal and Choral Works
The Prism of the Lyre, Opus 197 1
Seven Principles for SATB chorus acapella No. 7, Opus 193 2
In Common Things for soprano and piano, Opus 190 no. 2 4
Music when soft voices die, no. 1, Opus 190 no. 1 5
The Shadows Fall So Gently, Opus 181 6
Parables of Love and Death, Opus 173 8
A Hymnbook for Congregational Singing, Opus 169 9
The Harp at Nature's Advent, Opus 167 10
Thou God of Love, Thou Ever Blessed, Opus 164 11
Blest Are the Sons of Peace, Opus 16 12
O God our Help in Ages Past, Opus 162 13
Awake our Souls, Away our Fears, Opus 160 15
Domenica a Filicudi, Opus 158 17
The Lone Wild Bird, Opus 154 18
Once to Every Soul and Nation, Opus 144 21
Arrangements of Congregational Music for Thanksgiving, Opus 142 22
I'm Just A Poor Wayfaring Stranger, Opus 131 25
And Am I Born to Die?, Opus 129 26
Now Shall My Inward Joy Arise, Opus 128 27
Fancies, a cycle of five songs for Tenor and Piano, Opus 117 30
Revels, A cycle of ten songs for Baritone Voice and Piano, Opus 114 31
The Echolocations of Cellos, Opus 108 33
The Seasons, A Cantata, Opus 101 38
Summer: The Fragrant Pathway of Eternity, Opus 100 39
Spring: In the Pendulum of My Body, Opus 99 40
Duet from Holy Ghosts, Opus 93 41
Winter: Exaltations of Snowy Stars, Opus 929 42
Unchanging Love, a hymn based on a text by Romulus Linney, Opus 87 43
Fall: Autumnal Raptures, a song cycle for Tenor and Harp, Opus 86 45
Dream within a Dream, Opus 79 46
Songs of Time and Eternity, Opus 64 47
Shakespeare Sonnets, Opus 58 48
Ten Poems of William Blake, Opus 53 49
“The Immortal Beloved”, Opus 50 50
A Cry Against the Twilight, Opus 42 52
“Four Sacred Songs”, Opus 20 53
“Prologue” and “The End of the World”, Opus 14 55
Poems of Our Climate, Opus 9 56
Reality Is an Activity of the Most August Imagination, Opus 8 57