City Hospital Blues

Jack Vaughan 3 · City Hospital Blues

This "Talk Song" goes back about 10 or 15 years at least. The story is that my Uncle Charles was on Intravenous Feeding for 30 days in Boston City Hospital during the 1919 Influenza Pandemic. I had been listening to an LP of Cecelia's - the "Arhoolie Bad Luck N' Trouble" release, which included the haunting Essie Jenkins' "Influenza Blues"-- and came to re-imagine my uncle's illness, through the spectre of Essie's poetic rumination. So, it is her Influenza blues through the lens of a family history. I was reluctant to trot this out, though it came to mind as we are in our own COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020. But I am glad to post it now along with some explaination.

As we know it, the IV feed was new and experimental technology at the time. My uncle was obviously in very difficult straits. As we know it, my grandmother spent most all of the 30 days at Charles's bedside praying, and for us his recovery was a miracle. He lived to be 90.

I want to say that while so much is mystery, and there is so little I can claim to know, that I believe this about the Vaughan Family: Ours is not a vengeful God - tho our God is a teacher. Blessings to all who suffer. And to be clear: This came to me by direct inspiration by work of Blessed Essie Jenkins. - Jack Vaughan