This example, from "Talking Blues" by Woody Guthrie, a cover of "New Talking Blues" by Bouchillon, serves to explain the format:[citation needed] Mama's in the kitchen fixin' the yeast Papa's in the bedroom greasin' his feets Sister's in the cellar squeezin' up the hops Brother's at the window just a-watchin' for the cops
This sample lyric, from "Talking Union" by Pete Seeger, Lee Hays, and Millard Lampell shows the development of the genre into a vehicle for political commentary:[citation needed] Now, if you want higher wages, let me tell you what to do You got to talk to the workers in the shop with you You got to build you a union, got to make it strong But if you all stick together, boys, it won't be long
In 1958, the musician and folk music scholar John Greenway recorded an album collection called "Talking Blues" on the Folkways label.
His compendium included 15 talking blues songs by Guthrie, Tom Glazer, and others, and was, according to the music historian Manfred Helfert, the "obvious source" for the many 1960s forays into the genre by Bob Dylan.
[5] Well, I rung the fallout shelter bell And I leaned my head and I gave a yell "Give me a string bean, I'm a hungry man!"
Talking blues is also popular as a medium for parody, as in "Like a Lamb to the Slaughter", Frank Hayes's talking-blues parody of Matty Groves:[citation needed] One high, one holy holiday, on the first day of the year, Little Matty Groves to church did go, some holy words to hear When in come old Lord Arnold's wife, she looked at him and said, "Come here often?