On September 30, 2022, blues musician Buddy Guy released an album called “The Blues Don’t Lie”. Guy’s 34th album has a song also called “The Blues Don’t Lie.”. This tune is proof that good music does not need to have a complex rhythm, melody, or lyrics.   

The song’s lyrics are creative, but simple. Using words and metaphors that are simple allows the listener to understand the message and tone of a song better. One example of this in “The Blues Don’t Lie” is the first verse: “Life is going to happen whether you’re ready or not. Like a thief in the night, it’s going to steal the last cent you got.” The message behind this simile is clear: life takes everything valuable from someone, just like a thief. These lines additionally set a sad and pessimistic tone for the song.   

The lyrics are not the only remarkable thing about this song. “The Blues Don’t Lie” is full of guitar riffs, a small instrument solo that is repeated throughout a song. The riffs only consist of four or five notes but add so much to the tone of the song. The progression of notes has a sad sound. This feeling of sorrow is enhanced when the guitarist bends the notes (pushes the guitar string down to give a note a higher pitch). The tune also utilizes drums and a keyboard. The drummer does a fantastic job of keeping the music at a steady tempo. If the tempo is not steady, the other members of the band can be thrown off and cease to play in a synchronized way. If that happens, the music sounds messy and jumbled. The keyboard player is crucial as well. Some points of the song get louder and more intense than others. The keyboard helps add to the intensity, so the listener can feel the song even better.  

Of course, no song is great without vocals. Guy certainly has a marvelous voice. The vocalist is like the narrator of the song. They need to express the words and deliver the feel of the song. Guy’s soothing voice does just that.   

“The Blues Don’t Lie” was able to give a modern sound, but still retain the emotion and sound of blues. This song will certainly be another success in Guy’s already booming career. After all, people sometimes just want something to enjoy listening to.