In 2015; Bob Dylan said; "I learned lyrics and how to write them from listening to folk songs. And I played them; and I met other people that played them; back when nobody was doing it. Sang nothing but these folk songs; and they gave me the code for everything thats fair game; that everything belongs to everyone." In Hear My Sad Story; Richard Polenberg describes the historical events that led to the writing of many famous American folk songs that served as touchstones for generations of American musicians; lyricists; and folklorists.Those events; which took place from the early nineteenth to the mid-twentieth centuries; often involved tragic occurrences: murders; sometimes resulting from love affairs gone wrong; desperate acts borne out of poverty and unbearable working conditions; and calamities such as railroad crashes; shipwrecks; and natural disasters. All of Polenbergs account of the songs in the book are grounded in historical fact and illuminate the social history of the times. Reading these tales of sorrow; misfortune; and regret puts us in touch with the dark but terribly familiar side of American history.On Christmas 1895 in St. Louis; an African American man named Lee Shelton; whose nickname was "Stack Lee;" shot and killed William Lyons in a dispute over seventy-five cents and a hat. Shelton was sent to prison until 1911; committed another murder upon his release; and died in a prison hospital in 1912. Even during his lifetime; songs were being written about Shelton; and eventually 450 versions of his story would be recorded. As the songmdash;you may know Shelton as Stagolee or Stagger Leemdash;was shared and adapted; the emotions of the time were preserved; but the fact that the songs described real people; real lives; often fell by the wayside. Polenberg returns us to the men and women who; in song; became legends. The lyrics serve as valuable historical sources; providing important information about what had happened; why; and what it all meant. More important; they reflect the character of American life and the pathos elicited by the musical memory of these common and troubled lives.
#1307394 in eBooks 2016-06-07 2016-06-07File Name: B0170CKN5M
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Provocatively ArguedBy CustomerAn incredible and thorough account of a long overlooked history: resource extraction and urban settlement. The author weaves together a fascinating set of new towns built across the South American hinterlands. For all the talk today about redefining relationship between "urban" and "rural". this book exposes just how long and seriously architects and designers have been experimenting and redefining cities outside major metropolises. Clearly written and provocatively argued. Beyond the City is a must read for anyone interested in how and why models of development are inextricably spatial and political undertakings.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A remarkable overview of architectural and urban projectsBy customerA remarkable overview of architectural and urban projects tied to economies of resource extraction in South America. an elegantly written volume that capably connects architecture and urban planning to historic and contemporary economic. cultural and social challenges.
