Another famous song with lots of versions
From earlyblues.com
“Catfish Blues” was another example of animal-symbolism in blues which according to Paul Oliver (see “Screening The Blues”) extended along the lines of the ‘black-snake’ motif made famous in recordings by Victoria Spivey and Blind Lemon Jefferson in the 1920s; interestingly, both from the state of Texas. Blues singers adopted the persona of animal-like characteristics, which is how most Southern whites perceived the blacks, using that persona for powerful, sexual imagery
The original
The 'famous' version
“Catfish Blues” was another example of animal-symbolism in blues which according to Paul Oliver (see “Screening The Blues”) extended along the lines of the ‘black-snake’ motif made famous in recordings by Victoria Spivey and Blind Lemon Jefferson in the 1920s; interestingly, both from the state of Texas. Blues singers adopted the persona of animal-like characteristics, which is how most Southern whites perceived the blacks, using that persona for powerful, sexual imagery
or is this more famous
3 comments:
Didn't Bob Dylan do a song called Catfish about the baseball player?
A most knowledgeable comment - just rung my brother in law who must have every album ever - on the Bootleg albums
Here is a vid of a guy doing a cover of the Dylan song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4ck98pFRmA
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