That Soothin' Song

This is the fourth song in Carpenter's Four Negro Songs.

Date: 1927Composer: John Alden CarpenterText: Langston HughesSong Collection: Four Negro Songs

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Text

The lyrics of “That Soothin’ Song” come from the following poem:

Misery
by Langston Hughes

Play the blues for me.
Play the blues for me.
No other music
‘Ll ease my misery.

Sing a soothin’ song.
Said a soothin’ song,
Cause the man I love’s done
Done me wrong.

Can’t you understand,
O, understand
A good woman’s cryin’
For a no-good man?

Black gal like me,
Black gal like me
‘S got to hear a blues
For her misery.

–The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes, p. 77

Sheet Music

Four Negro Songs

Composer(s): John Alden Carpenter

Song(s): 1. Shake Your Brown Feet, Honey!
2. The Cryin' Blues
3. Jazz-Boys
4. That Soothin' Song

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