mikolune
135 posts
Jul 09, 2012
2:26 PM
|
Hi all,
This may be a question for the scholars around here. I have an academic side interest in dream psychology (the dreams you have during sleep, not the wished), and I am wondering if anyone knows of blues songs where dreams, or the unconscious are represented as a central theme.
One song that deals, from my point of view, with the relation to the unconscious mind is "Moaning at midnight" by Howlin' Wolf. Something in the unconscious mind is trying to fore it's way into consciousness, and this is scary for the singer. This is can be seen in the verse: "Well, somebody knocking on my door" and the repetitive litany riff of the song.
Thanks for any references, insights, or any comments you may have!
|
bluemoose
769 posts
Jul 09, 2012
3:04 PM
|
"Too Poor to Die", Lousianna Red (with lefty Diz)
----------
MBH Webbrain - a GUI guide to Adam's Youtube vids
FerretCat Webbrain - Jason Ricci's vids (by hair colour!)
|
mikolune
136 posts
Jul 09, 2012
3:27 PM
|
oh good one, thx Bluemoose!
|
Miles Dewar
1331 posts
Jul 09, 2012
4:16 PM
|
" "Moaning at midnight" by Howlin' Wolf. Something in the unconscious mind is trying to fore it's way into consciousness, and this is scary for the singer."
I am interested in knowing where you got that information from. I see no connection.
Last Edited by on Jul 09, 2012 4:20 PM
|
mikolune
137 posts
Jul 09, 2012
4:33 PM
|
Miles, this is my personal interpretation :) What is yours ?
|
Miles Dewar
1333 posts
Jul 09, 2012
5:20 PM
|
My interpretation? There are a whole two lines in the entire song, some Very nice sounding moaning, and a repetitive harmonica riff. I also believe that assuming this song is a result of unconscious forces making their way to consciousness in the artist is a little ambitious, and not derived from any real information.
Last Edited by on Jul 09, 2012 5:20 PM
|
mikolune
138 posts
Jul 09, 2012
5:47 PM
|
Well, I agree that it is not based on solid grounds, but it is a hypothesis that one could test. In fact, that's why I was asking if there are any similar songs like this, or about dreaming, out there.
By the way, I am not saying that the song is a result of unconscious forces, but rather it is about these forces.
Here's where I get this idea from: he speaks about somebody knocking on his door and and somebody calling him on the phone. He doesn't want to answer either of 'em. Sounds like repression of problems that he rather ignore.
|
Miles Dewar
1334 posts
Jul 09, 2012
6:19 PM
|
"Well, I agree that it is not based on solid grounds, but it is a hypothesis that one could test."
This is clearly not testable.
---
"By the way, I am not saying that the song is a result of unconscious forces, but rather it is about these forces."
Are you suggesting that Howlin' Wolf had a deep understanding of theory in Psychology? Or that he is just speaking about something he is experiencing without knowledge of psychological theory? From what I understand, we are not aware of unconscious forces. Hence, the term *unconcious*.
---
"Here's where I get this idea from: he speaks about somebody knocking on his door and and somebody calling him on the phone. He doesn't want to answer either of 'em. Sounds like repression of problems that he rather ignore."
That is very ambitious. With the same ambition I could state that Howlin' Wolf's song is a result of his personal experience with unicorns who won't stop asking him for his favorite box of Cheez-Its (knocking on the door) and his mother's constant nagging about him settling down with a nice girl (calls on telephone).
Last Edited by on Jul 09, 2012 6:23 PM
|
MrVerylongusername
2396 posts
Jul 09, 2012
6:24 PM
|
I'm inclined to go with Miles' theory. Them pesky unicorns...
|
mikolune
139 posts
Jul 09, 2012
6:24 PM
|
Miles, well, thanks for your input :)
It is a interesting topic to understand where this song - or any song, for that matter, comes from. I don't know how much Howlin' Wolf was aware of psychological theories. I'll pass on discussing this to another time.
For now, I am still curious about other songs that people think deal with dreams or the unconscious in the blues. So, bring 'em, on good people.
Edited - 'cause I missed the rest of Miles post
Last Edited by on Jul 09, 2012 6:32 PM
|
Miles Dewar
1335 posts
Jul 09, 2012
6:36 PM
|
Certainly!
"It is a interesting topic to understand where this song - or any song, for that matter, comes from."
That is so true. I spend so much time trying to play the songs that I don't even think about *why* they were made. There are a lot of stories to be told in this I am sure.
I know I have a song in my iPod that speaks of dreams, I can't remember what it is but I will look for you. It isn't dream-themed, only shortly talks about dreams. It is strange that we dream every night of our lives yet, I can only think of one Blues song that barely mentions a dream. What's up with that?!
With all the crazy themes in dreams I imagine there could be some very interesting song themes about them. I'd really like to see what others come up with. Perhaps Walter Tore has some songs about dreams. He has songs about pretty much everything.
Last Edited by on Jul 09, 2012 7:02 PM
|
mikolune
140 posts
Jul 10, 2012
9:31 AM
|
Miles, yes, please bring it on!
Dylan has one song, "Series of Dreams", that conveys very well the strange imagery, but not a blues.
|
Miles Dewar
1336 posts
Jul 10, 2012
2:06 PM
|
I apologize for getting your hopes up but, I did not find what I was looking for. I will however refer to this thread of I do find it.
|
didjcripey
328 posts
Jul 10, 2012
2:52 PM
|
My favourite is Muddy Water's 'Just a Dream'
also not blues, but nonetheless, Tom Petty's 'Running down a Dream'
----------
Lucky Lester
|
mikolune
142 posts
Jul 10, 2012
10:08 PM
|
Thanks all!
MVLUN: I am really interested in songs where the singer is explicitly singing about a dream or dreams, like those cited above: 'Just a Dream', 'Series of Dreams', and 'Too Poor to Die'. In these cases, it is pretty clear.
Not sure exactly what you mean by tripping, but I'd say tripping would not be too far from dreaming ... Would you put "Moanin' at Midnight" in the tripping category ? I guess I would.
Lets hear about the tripping songs as well!
|
SuperBee
391 posts
Jul 10, 2012
10:42 PM
|
Chuck berry: down bound train
----------
|
MrVerylongusername
2405 posts
Jul 11, 2012
12:27 AM
|
Well - not blues - but take Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. Quite clear where those lyrics came from (unless you believe the frankly ludicrous explanation about young Julian Lennon drawing pictures), but if you failed to pick up on the drug references you might mistake it for a dream inspired piece too.
Last Edited by on Jul 11, 2012 12:28 AM
|
mikolune
143 posts
Jul 11, 2012
1:04 AM
|
SuperBee: good one, thx! Funny, I sometimes have similar dreams, for ex. going down to hell in an elevator while the rest of the world is crumbling down.
MVLUN: it seems I did fail to pick up on the drug reference in your previous post! I interpreted tripping as for example, going into a "bad trip", ie some kinda intense bad mood.
Last Edited by on Jul 11, 2012 1:08 AM
|
mikolune
144 posts
Jul 11, 2012
2:24 PM
|
bump!
Only four songs on dreams so far- anybody have some more ?
|
SuperBee
397 posts
Jul 11, 2012
8:33 PM
|
There's a song called "judgement" by Australian band Chain. My question is whether it fits the category of blues. And also, since it begins with the line "I awoke the other night to the strangest sight and sound" I'm not sure if it's literally about a dream, although to me it's clearly a dream of being judged.
----------
|
nacoran
5960 posts
Jul 11, 2012
9:22 PM
|
Miles, you are clearly not a Reader Response critic! I'm a Deconstructionist myself...
Neat topic, but just blues limits it a bit. I've got several Beatles tunes on the tip of my tongue that are at least close. I think the second verse of 'Day in the Life' is "and out of the smoke, somebody spoke, and I went into a dream". 'I'm Only Sleeping' has the lines "When I'm in the middle of a dream, Stay in bed, float up stream (Float up stream)", but as a whole it's more about wanting to sleep than the actual dream.
I'll keep thinking. I'm sure a bunch of tunes will pop into my head. Outside of music, Samuel Taylor Coleridge said his epic poem Kubla Khan was inspired by an opium induced dream.
----------
Nate
Facebook
Thread Organizer (A list of all sorts of useful threads)
|
SuperBee
398 posts
Jul 11, 2012
9:28 PM
|
There are lots of not strictly blues dream songs. Well, some I can think of anyway. Oh, I decided "judgement" must be blues, despite being Australian.
----------
|
mikolune
146 posts
Jul 13, 2012
1:10 AM
|
yeah - seems that constraining this to blues restricts this a lot.
SuperBee: I see what you mean about judgement - but at least the Harp parts are clearly blues. About being a dream it's not clear, so it probably should count as one!
|
greeno
23 posts
Jul 13, 2012
3:46 AM
|
I mentioned this to a friend who said that he thought that a blues song about a dream was impossible, as all blues songs start with the works "Woke up this morning"!
There is "Blues in a Dream" by Jerry Portnoy, but I don't suppose it wil count, as it's an instrumental.
----------
Greeno
|
greeno
24 posts
Jul 13, 2012
3:46 AM
|
I mentioned this to a friend who said that he thought that a blues song about a dream was impossible, as all blues songs start with the words "Woke up this morning"!
There is "Blues in a Dream" by Jerry Portnoy, but I don't suppose it will count, as it's an instrumental.
----------
Greeno
Last Edited by on Jul 13, 2012 3:53 AM
|
greeno
25 posts
Jul 13, 2012
3:52 AM
|
Just found this. Can't listen to it at the moment, as I am at work.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2UvwdxaZ80
Greeno
|
mikolune
147 posts
Jul 13, 2012
9:52 AM
|
greeno: "I mentioned this to a friend who said that he thought that a blues song about a dream was impossible, as all blues songs start with the words "Woke up this morning"! "
Haha, good one! Thanks also for the Willie Reed video, it sounds great! I still need to make out all of the lyrics.
One specific feature of blues songs is that they are generally told at the first person - in that sense they are similar to dreams, almost always recounted in the first person.
|
