Wednesday Minor: God and the Devil
Satan and the good Lord have made an appearance in many blues songs. In this class, we’ll encounter some examples of gospel songs that are very bluesy (songs by Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Blind Wille Johnson and others). We’ll also encounter some blues in which the Devil is the hero (songs by Robert Johnson, Peetie Wheatstraw and others). We’ll talk about the metaphysical and socio-cultural aspects of these songs - but not in a pompous or boring way.