Musical Performances

1
Music in Invisible Man

• Musical Performances
• are YouTube Links

2
Black and Blue by Louis Armstrong

• How will it end?Aint got a friend,My only sin
  Is in my skin.What did I doTo be so black and
  blue?
• YouTube Performance

3
Black and Blue by Louis Armstrong

• The Invisible Man is high when listening to
  this song. He descends into its tempo and the
  song eventually leads him into his reefer
  dream. There is both irony and ambiguity in the
  title and lyrics.

4
A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

• A mighty fortress is our God,a bulwark never
  failingOur helper He, amid the flood of mortal
  ills prevailingFor still our ancient foedoth
  seek to work us woe
• YouTube Performance

5
A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

• His craft and power are great, and, armed with
  cruel hate,On earth is not his equal.
• The Invisible Man has fond memories of hearing
  this song beneath the full moon.

6
Live-A-Humble

• Live a-humble, humbleHumble, yourselves,
• The bells done ringGlory and honor!Praise King
  Jesus!Glory and honor!Praise the Lord!
• YouTube Performance

7
Live-A-Humble

• Watch the sun,
• How steady he runsDont let him catch you
• With your work undone
• This is Dr. Bledsoes favorite spiritual, and
  the Invisible Man wonders why Bledsoe suddenly
  does not act humbly.

8
Dvoráks New World Symphony

• The Invisible Man hears this song when the
  Reverend Barbee is finished speaking and a new
  white speaker is about to speak.
• YouTube Performance

9
(No Transcript)
10
Wheatstraw Blues

• Shes got feet like a monkey
• Legs like a frog -- Lawd, Lawd!
• But when she starts to loving me
• I holler Whooo, God-dog!
• Cause I loves my baabay,
• Better than I do myself.
• YouTube Performance

11
More o Dem Blues

• Shes got feet like a monkey legs
• Legs, Legs like a mad bulldog.
• Wheatstraw represents the wisdom and mother wit
  of home, with a sense of humor.

12
Beethovens Fifth Symphony

• The Invisible Man imagines he hears the opening
  notes of the first movement of the fifth symphony
  when he is revived after the explosion.
  Traditionally associated with death here it
  signifies re-birth.
• YouTube Performance

13
(No Transcript)
14
Go Down Moses

• Go down Mosesway down in Egypts landTell ol
  Pharaoh,Let my peoples go.
• The Invisible Man is asked to sing this Negro
  spiritual at a party.
• YouTube Performance

15
John Browns Body

• John Brown's body lies
• a-mouldering in the grave, John Brown's body
  lies
• a-mouldering in the grave,But his soul goes
  marching on.
• YouTube Performance

16
John Browns Body

• Glory, glory, hallelujah,
• Glory, glory, hallelujah,
• His soul goes marching on.
• The Invisible Man hears the crowd singing this
  song when he is about to speak to them.

17
Poor Robin

• O well they picked
• poor Robin clean
• O well they picked
• poor Robin clean
• Well they tied
• poor Robin to a stump
• YouTube Performance

18
Poor Robin

• Lawd, they picked
• all the feathers round from Robins rump
• Well they picked
• poor Robin clean.
• This song inspires feelings of revenge in the
  Invisible Man.

19
Back Water Blues

• Well, it rained five days, and
• the clouds turned dark as night. Oh, it rained
  five days, and
• the clouds turned dark as night. And trouble
  takin' place
• in the low, low land that night.
• YouTube Performance

20
Back Water Blues

• When it thunders and lightenin', and the wind
  began to blow. When it thunders and lightenin',
  and the wind began to blow. Well, there's
  thousands of people ain't got nowhere to go.

21
Back Water Blues

• Mary is humming this song in her apartment. The
  Invisible Man is feeling guilty about how he has
  not paid Mary properly, and he hears this song as
  soon has he enters Marys apartment.

22
Jelly Jelly

• Jelly jelly jelly Jelly stays on my mind Jelly
  jelly jelly
• Jelly stays on my mind Jelly roll killed my
  pappy, And drove my mama stone blind.
• YouTube Performance

23
Jelly Jelly

• This song is on the jukebox in the bar Invisible
  Man visits. The Invisible man is disguised as
  Rinehart, and he is about to go and confront
  Brother Maceo.

24
Swing Low, Sweet Chariot

• Swing low, sweet chariot,Comin' for to carry me
  home!
• I'm sometimes up and sometimes down,Comin' for
  to carry me home,
• YouTube Performance

25
Swing Low, Sweet Chariot

• But still my soul feels
• heavenly boundComin' for to carry me home
• The Invisible Man is hearing this song right
  before he hears the New World Symphony.

26
Strange Fruit

• Southern trees bear
• a strange fruit,Blood on the leaves and
• blood at the root,
• Black body swinging
• in the Southern breeze.
• Strange fruit hanging
• from the poplar trees.

27
Strange Fruit

• Though this song does NOT appear in the novel, it
  is relevant to the riot that breaks out in the
  final chapters and the drama of the epilogue.
• YouTube Performance