Your welcome! I'm sorry I missed all the discussion yesterday.
When I first heard that word in the song I immediately thought of ofay -
looking at it from the bluesman's perspective. It particularly made me
remember listening to this old guy complain about how white rock bands
profited from the blues while many of the old black players could barely
afford rent. Right or wrong, he felt robbed. I wouldn't be surprised if
Joni had run into some of that when she talked to Furry.
The use of the word fay also reminds me of how segregated things were when
Handy played (and when Furry Lewis played). There was the colored world and
the fay world. And folks from the fay world were not joining the "darktown
society" who were dancing in their "finery." For me using using the word fay
underscores that separation and the dichotomy of Beale Street in its black
hey day versus what it was when she saw it and what it is now.
Brenda
Kakki wrote:
> > W.C. Handy I'm rich and I'm fay
> > And I'm not familiar with what you played
> > But I get such strong impressions of your hey day
> > Looking up and down old Beale Street
>
> Jim,
>
> I don't think it's a typo. I think it's another Joni play on words - she
> qualifies as both "fey" and "fay" to W.C. Handy. Thanks to Brenda for
> telling some of us something new - it enhances the song for me a lot.
>
> Kakki
