Far Away Blues
A song about leaving home to find a better life, and the Great Migration.
Sung by Clara Smith and Bessie Smith, two of the biggest singing stars of their era.
Through this song, students explore the Great Migration, and how two independent women expressed themselves through the Blues.
The episode will open and play in the browser.
About the Far Away Blues Beta Episode
Through close listening to an all-star duet, students explore several strands of cultural history. The lyrics will encourage a discussion about the Great Migration of Black Americans to the north. Musically, the song introduces two towering figures of popular music, one an “early influence” in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the other all but forgotten, as well as the accompanist whose own musical innovations helped create the Big Band era that followed.
There are two branches to explore:
The Great Migration: Through the lyrics and music, students connect to the Great Migration, and how these musicians experienced and expressed it.
Clara and Bessie Smith and the Blues: Far Away Blues brings together two of the biggest stars of their day, singing together. What can we learn about them and their times through their voices and history?
In each branch students interact with the music and associated primary sources to explore insights into the song (lyrics), the singers, and the historical, civic, and social contexts of the times while also reflecting on personal and contemporary connections.
Episode Implementation
Open the Teacher Guide (below) for ideas on using this Episode with students.
The Episode will open in the browser, and runs on PCs, Macs, and Chromebooks. It is not designed for small (phone screens)
Teacher Guides
The Music of US teacher guide provides information, standards alignment and tips for all Music of US resources.
The Far Away Blues teacher guide provides tips, background information and sources for the Far Away Blues episode.
About the recording, “Far Away Blues”
Far Away Blues is a blues song written by Fletcher Henderson (under a pseudonym) and performed by singers Clara Smith and Bessie Smith, with Henderson on piano, in 1923. It was recorded for the Columbia record label. It is part of the Library of Congress National Jukebox collection.
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If you have feedback on the Far Away Blues Episode, or requests or suggestions, we’d like to hear them!