“If You Don't Like My Potatoes, Why Do You Dig So Deep?”: Food Imagery in Blues Lyrics

ABSTRACTFrom the beginning of the blues until relatively recently, it has been a music written and performed largely by and for poor black people. Composers used various images to create beauty and convey their meaning; frequently they employed food imagery, sometimes to express serious concerns and often to imply sexual activity. Food imagery suggesting sexual activity and stemming from the blues tradition became prominent in rock ‘n’ roll with Little Richard's “Tutti Frutti” in the mid 1950s. Such imagery remains a staple in blues lyrics, even among educated composers and musicians.