Mariah’s Music Blog

“The Birth Of The Blues” is a popular song composed by Ray Henderson. In 1954, Sammy Davis Jr. covered the song. This was the same year Sammy Davis Jr. lost his left eye in car accident. After being asked what his “handicap” was, he responded, “Handicap? Talk about handicap. I’m a one-eyed black man who’s Jewish.” This phrase became popular and was known as a signature phrase by Sammy Davis Jr. In 1959, Davis would often perform “The Birth Of The Blues” with The Rat Pack, consisting of Sammy Davis Jr, Frank Sinatra, and Dean Martin. They got their nickname after being told “You all look like a pack of rats,” from Angie Dickinson. While the rest of The Rat Pack stayed in a hotel, Davis was required to lodge in a rooming house on the west side of Las Vegas since he was black. After Davis’s death from throat cancer, the neon lights of the Las Vegas Strip were darkened for ten minutes to pay a tribute to Sammy Davis Jr. 

The recording that I’m considering on using is “The Birth Of The Blues” by Sammy Davis Jr. I chose Sammy because I love listening to The Rat Pack perform and Sammy has very interesting facts about himself. Sammy lost his eye in a car accident on his way to a show and it was then replaced with a plastic eye. He often referred to himself as “the only black, Puerto Rican, one-eyed, Jewish entertainer in the world.”

The song, “Sucker,” by the Jonas Brothers is described perfectly for context. By the sound of their voices, people who have listened to their previous music would be able to tell who it is. The song is on their album “Chasing Happiness.” This song was the first song they produced in over five years after splitting up as a band. “Sucker” was an announcement for their reunion. The single and the music video are dedications to the Jonas Brothers’ wives. The music video features the Jonas Brothers along with their wives. They claim to be suckers for their partners. The song is about being in love and they use metaphors to describe what their love is like. The song has a catchy, pop tune to it. The beat slows down and you can hear clapping to a beat in the background; shortly after, it picks up again to an instrument.

“We go together, better than birds of a feather, you and me. We change the weather, I’m feelin’ the heat in December when you’re ‘round me. I’ve been dancin’ on top of cars and stumblin’ out of bars, I follow you through the dark, can’t get enough. You’re the medicine and the pain, the tattoo inside my brain…I’m a sucker for you, you say the word and I’ll go anywhere blindly. Any road you take, you know that you’ll find me.” They talk about how blindly in love they are with their wives and how even when it’s cold outside, they feel around their partners. Feeling heat in December, dark, blindly, and pain are adjectives used throughout the song. 

“We really had the best time shooting this video in England with our family, Hope you guys love it. Feels good to be back,” Joe Jonas tweeted. “My wife is soooooo beautiful in this video!!! How lucky am I?!! Nick Jonas tweeted.