Skip to main content

Traffic - Glad

Reflecting on traditional masculinity and the limitations on men’s emotional expression, I happened to hear a blues song on the radio. While men’s suffering is often silenced, in Blues music, you can hear it loud and clear. I was reminded how music connects us to people, history and to our own emotional experiences... Now that I’m old enough to comprehend the lyrics, and I can see why my dad listens to the blues. He's a sensitive guy who seemed to get hit by life's meanest problems, poverty, disability, drugs, you name it. Blues music is about the perpetually unlucky, drifting and lost. To empathize with my father, I once devised an elaborate fantasy about becoming a famous blues singer. That was until I realized that except for a few wonderful, fabulous women... most blues stories are about men and men's troubles. Listening to the lyrics of some of the best and saddest blues songs, you'll discover tales of heartbreak, loneliness, and loss. You can find similar themes in Hip Hop and Country music, but Blues is the original music of misery, dating back to the 1800's, its roots are African American spiritual music, work and slavery songs.

Looking back at the history of this music, it’s easy to see how music makes it permissible and safe for men to express sorrow. In therapy sessions, younger male clients often reference their writing and favorite songs. I would encourage any counselor or client to pick up on these cues into deeper feelings and experiences to be explored in a meaningful way. Men may feel more comfortable initially sharing painful emotions through writing, song lyrics or journals. Therapists and clients can read together, write together and listen together to find shared understanding.


Traffic - Glad
  • Released in: July 1970
  • Recorded in: February - April 1970
  • Genre: Progressive rock, jazz-rock

"After disbanding in 1969, Traffic reunited in 1970. The band's line up varied from this point until they disbanded again in 1975, although a partial reunion took place in 1994."

See Previous Song of the Day 

Labels

Labels:
Location: United States

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Spiritualized - Spread Your Wings

Spiritualized - Spread Your Wings Released in: February 1995 Duration: 6:17 Vocals: Jason Pierce "The first Spiritualized release was a space rock esque cover in 1990, a record which heralded the official split of Spacemen 3. On 15 June 1997, Spiritualized became the last band to play at Factory Records' Manchester nightclub." See Previous Song of the Day  
Post a Comment
Read more

Steve Winwood - Domingo Morning

There have also been plenty of blues festivals and events in Ireland, which have brought the styles to a greater number of people. The Cork Jazz Festival is a massive annual offering that attracts thousands, while there’s also the Dublin Blues, Roots, and Brass Festival that brings in local and international blues enthusiasts. The events are a prime opportunity to celebrate the heritage of these music varieties and showcase some of the best talents around. The influence of reggae and blues music in Ireland goes beyond the music scene and has had a broader impact on the entertainment industry. It’s clear that the incorporation of these genres into Ireland’s entertainment landscape has helped bring diversity and richness to the culture of the country. This has, in turn, led to the attraction of more diverse audiences to Irish entertainment. Companies that offer entertainment to people in Ireland now must consider this diversity, and market their offerings to a broad spectrum of consumers...
Post a Comment
Read more

Duke Pearson - I'm An Old Cowhand (Take 5)

Sanctified gospel music, especially in the western part of the state, is represented by members of the Holiness or Pentecostal church, such as The Church of God in Christ founded... in 1897 near Memphis. One of its present ministers, Reverend Robert Wilkins, a practicing herbalist now 90, became active in church work after several years as a highly regarded blues singer. Sanctified singers perform in a shouting musical style, accompanied by hand clapping, tambourines, guitars, and other instruments. A number of Holiness singers were recorded in Memphis during the 1920s... Of the many Pentecostal churches presently in Memphis, that of Reverend J. 0. Patterson is prominent, where the exceptional soloist Mattie Wigley still performs with the choir.        Among its many songwriters Tennessee has had three who were prominent in Black sacred music... Campbell, 1885 - 1963, composed 45 gospel songs and was also music director of the National Baptist Convention, one of seve...
Post a Comment
Read more