Sonny's Blues

References to other works

  • Louis Armstrong and Charlie Parker are mentioned during a conversation between Sonny and his brother.
  • In the final scene Creole, the band and Sonny play "Am I Blue?".
  • A reference to a passage in the Bible is made at the end of the story, when Baldwin compares the Scotch and milk placed in front of Sonny as the "cup of trembling." This is an allusion to Isaiah 51:17.

Songs referenced

  • "Lord You Brought Me From a Long Ways Off"
  • "Mighty Long Way You've Brought Me"
  • "Some Cold, Rainy Day"
  • "The Old Ship of Zion"
  • "If I Could Hear My Mother Pray Again"
  • "God Be with You Till We Meet Again"
  • "Am I Blue?"

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