Blues and jazz lyrics appear in every section of the novel. In some instances, Jake sings jazz-and blues-inspired apostrophes as he reflects on his surroundings, especially once he arrives back home. The songs represent Jake’s evolving perspective on Harlem and connect him to the archetype of the blues man.

Blues and jazz also serve as the soundtrack for the cabarets and brothels that are settings in the novel. The lyrics of particular blues and jazz songs are motifs that reinforce the centrality of love and sex to characters in the novel, especially Jake and Felice.

Finally, the traces of African culture—especially the drums—in these musical forms connect African Americans to their past and so are symbolic of the connection between Africa and African Americans.

Jake arrives in Harlem wearing an excellently tailored steel-graysuit that he bought in England. The suit fits him well and gives him an air of sophistication that attracts people (especially women) to him. The suit is a material connection to the experiences he had while living abroad and represents the impact of his travel abroad on his perspective on life. Much like his own body, the suit is worn ragged by his time in Harlem during the first two parts of the novel.