In Music this afternoon we had to create lyrics for a blues song.

We listened to Hard Times Blues to copy its STRUCTURE.

We recognised that it contained:
A first sung phrase.
A second sung phrase (a repeat of the first sung phrase).
A third sung phrase.


In our groups we then had to write blues lyrics about experiences during WW2.

We had to make sure that our lyrics could fit RHYTHMICALLY into eight beats and expressed the typical feelings of a blues song.

Each group was given time to practice their verse, accompanied by untuned percussion and selected notes from the blues scale on which to IMPROVISE the instrumental breaks.

We played our verses back to the class, who gave constructive evaluation of each group's progress.

Finally we put the five verses together and played them for the whole class. We videoed the original performance (listen to it here later). Next week we will evaluate our original performance and work together to perfect a final version of our CLASS BLUES.

Read our lyrics here:

Puff puff. Puff puff. I'm goin' away on the train.
Puff puff. Puff puff. I'm goin' away on the train.
Goodbye the world I used to know, I hope I see you again.

Rough times. Rough times. People fighting on the front lines.
Rough times. Rough times. People fighting on the front lines.
My children have been sent away, I might see them again one day.

My house has been bombed, ev'ry one is goin' away.
My house has been bombed, ev'ry one is goin' away.
We're the only ones left. Can't the world go back to its old way?

Hard times. Hard times. Rationing ain't goin' away.
Hard times. Hard times. Rationing ain't goin' away.
Growing your own seems to be the new way.

'Switch off those lights!' I hear the warden say.
'Switch off those lights!' I hear the warden say.
The Black Out is so dark, I can't wait till the next day.