LB: 2 "Stagolee"

"Stagolee"

    The song I chose is called "Stagolee" by Mississippi John Hurt. The tone of this song from the beginning is sad and dark. The song is sung by an African American man complaining about the "cruel and mean Stagolee." From the start of the song it is obvious that the singer is not happy about the treatment that "Stagolee" is giving Billy Linus. The singer of the song grumbles throughout the song in order to convey his message and evoke a sorrowful emotion. The music that is being played in the background of the song as the man sings also contributes to the tone of the song. It is the same lines being played over and over again. It is not an upbeat rhythm, instead it is a despairing rhythm. The music and the lyrics interact with each as the rhythm is gloomy and the lyrics convey a sad message. Also, the singer gets straight to his point by addressing the police officer at the beginning of the song. Another element that is used to portray the message of the singer occurs when he stated that Billy had a family to care for and did not want to be killed. In conclusion, in the song "Stagolee" a sad feeling is being evoked and it is achieved musically and through the lyrics. 









Comments

  1. Paea Pole'oSeptember 17, 2021 at 12:44 PM

    I agree with you that the lyrics and story of the song have a sad, dark undertone. With that being said, I do find it ironic that the guitar melody sounds like it's being played in a major scale as opposed to a minor scale. In my experience, the scale of a song is what determines the emotional texture of a song. If I were to hear only the guitar playing from Stagolee, I would guess the song was about going fishing with your father and having a good ol' time. I don't know the significance of this irony but it is there! That's something that'd be cool to look more into! (Hopefully we listened to the same version lol)

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  2. Joslyn's Music BlogSeptember 18, 2021 at 11:15 AM

    I really like this song, and the lyrics are definitely dark. But I think the rhythm and the instrumentals aren't sad at all. The music is upbeat and peaceful and sweet. Which I think is a metaphor for this sad story being a pretty normal thing that happens.

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