You Hurt My Feelings
Grades 9-12
Blues music is an art form created by African Americans in the Deep South at the turn of the 20th century. The musical style has roots in field hollers and work songs that enslaved African Americans sang before the Civil War. Yet the lyrics reflect the singers' current lived experiences and address topics such as romantic relationships, social injustices, and humorous observations from everyday life.
This lesson explores the regional musical expression known as Chicago Blues through the lens of a 1977 field recording of performer Mary Lane singing “You Hurt My Feelings.” Students will have the opportunity to 1) learn about the historical context of the Chicago Blues, 2) listen to and analyze the lyrics of “You Hurt My Feelings”, and 3) participate in creative activities connected to the Chicago Blues as a local cultural expression.
The primary source, “You Hurt My Feelings,” was recorded as part of the Chicago Ethnic Arts Project survey and conducted by the American Folklife Center at the request of the Illinois Arts Council. The purpose was to document and assess the ethnic arts traditions in over 20 communities in Chicago, Illinois. A team of over a dozen folklorists documented the traditions within specific ethnic communities, including Greek, Lithuanian, Jewish, and Native American. This lesson focuses on the contributions of two African American folklorists, Beverly J. Robinson and Ralph M. Metcalfe, Jr (a native Chicagoan), who documented African American traditions.
Teacher's Guide and Related Standards
Students will explore the significance and historical development of Chicago Blues music.
- How is music part of a shared culture or identity among a group of people?
- How can local settings (physical location, time, technology, etc.) impact how individuals and communities create and share their cultural expressions?
- In what ways can music expand our learning about significant historical events?
Mixtape Episode
- What was the impact of the Great Migration on African American culture in Chicago?
- How did the Chicago Blues tradition develop?
- Why is it important to document the different cultures represented in our local communities?
- What elements do you think made the blues a popular musical form in the 20th century?
- How might issues of gender have impacted the female performers in the Chicago Blues scene?
- How can the way a tradition is documented and recorded impact the ways it is represented?
- How did the relationships between Ralph Metcalf Jr., Beverly Robinson, and Chicago Blues performers affect the way they documented the tradition?
Primary Source Audio
Throughout this episode, students will hear excerpts of a recording of the song “You Hurt My Feelings.” As a part of engaging with the episode, we encourage students to listen to and analyze the recording as a primary source that holds important information about this tradition.
To promote active listening, use this graphic organizer which provides three areas for students to record their observations.
- The Spotlight: Here, students will write down what they identify as “main elements” of the recording, focusing on the voice(s). Who is singing? What are the lyrics about? What does the melody sound like? What is the tempo?
- The Set and Outer Stage: In this area, students will record any accompanying sounds, like instrumentation. Is there any body percussion (like hand clapping), or are there other audible sounds?
- The Audience: In this area, students can begin to reflect and hypothesize about the song and recording. Who recorded this song? Why? Where was it recorded? Who would be most likely to perform this song? Do you like what you hear? Can you hear any evidence of the machinery that was used to record the music? Can you hear any clues about audience members or the space?
Student Remix
“Sweet Home Chicago”
Students will explore Chicago Blues as a local expression within African American musical culture.
Call and Response Turntable Toolkit
Students will write a song in direct response to Mary Lane’s performance of “You Hurt My Feelings.”
“Comin’ From Where I’m From”
Students will analyze how their own cultural expressions and identities are shaped by their local communities.
