John Henry & the Cocaine Blues
Blues You Should Know
English - January 12, 2021 20:00 - 32 minutes - 22.3 MB - ★★★★★ - 7 ratingsArts blues music old-time Homepage Download Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Previous Episode: Lillian McMurray & Trumpet Records
Here's a look at American music's ultimate crossover song: John Henry. To African-Americans he was a symbol of racial pride; to unionists, he represented the power of the American worker and union solidarity; to poor whites; he was personification of rugged Americanism, and to Christians; a Christ-like figure who died for our sins. And, as a bonus, a look at two versions of one of the oddest songs in blues and folk music, the Cocaine Blues.