Here is some background information on Alabama Shakes from the Hold On Songfacts: The R&B-inspired Rock band Alabama Shakes originated when lead singer/guitarist Brittany Howard approached bassist Zac Cockrell during a high school psychology class in Athens, Alabama and the pair began meeting after school to write songs. Howard and Cockrell then approached Punk-Rock drummer Steve Johnson, who was working at a local music store, to join the band. The trio recorded some of their songs in a studio in Decatur, Alabama and subsequently recruited guitarist Heath Fogg on his return to Athens from college in Tuscaloosa. Originally christened "The Shakes," the band later renamed themselves The Alabama Shakes in order to differentiate themselves from other bands with their original name.
The Alabama foursome gained widespread media attention after releasing a self-titled four-song EP in September 2011 and Rough Trade Records in the United Kingdom and ATO Records in the United States signed them two months later. Hold On was released as the first single from their debut album, Boys & Girls .
Driva Man
Alabama Shakes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But the Mamie ain't his wife
Choppin' cotton, don't be slow
Better finish out your row
Keep a-movin' with that plow
Driva man'll show yer how
Get to work and root that stump
Driva man'll make you jump
Driva man'll start to swing
Ain't but two things on my mind
Driva man and quittin' time
Driva man the kinda boss
Ride a man and lead a horse
When his cat o' nine tail fly
You'd be happy just to die
Runaway and you'll be found
By his big old red bone hound
Pater oller, bring ya back
Make ya sorry you is black
Driva man he made a life
But the Mamie ain't his wife
Ain't but two things on my mind
Driva' man and quittin' time
Driva man the kinda boss
Ride a man and lead a horse
When his cat o' nine tail fly
You'd be happy just to die
Runaway and you'll be found
By his big old red bone hound
Pater oller, bring ya back
Make ya sorry you is black
Driva man he made a life
But the Mamie ain't his wife
Ain't but two things on my mind
Driva' man and quittin' time
The lyrics of "Driva Man" are from a perspective of a slave who is being commanded by the "Driva Man," the overseer who is in charge of the slaves in a plantation. The song depicts the brutal reality of slavery and the cruelty of the Driva Man toward the slaves. The first stanza implies that the Driva Man made a living from the work of the slaves, and one of the slaves named Mamie is being sexually exploited as she is not his wife. The lyrics then depict the slaves working extremely hard, commanded by the Driva Man, who makes sure that they never stop working until they finish their rows. The phrase, "Driva man'll make you jump," implies the violent nature of the Driva Man's control over the slaves. The singer of the song has only two things on his mind; the Driva Man and quitting time, showing that he harbors a deep hatred toward his oppressor and looks forward to the release of the end of his workday.
The second stanza describes the Driva Man's brutality toward slaves who try to resist his authority. The Driva Man is depicted as a boss who rides a man and leads a horse, symbolic of his power over the slaves. The phrase "cat o' nine tail" refers to the whip, which the Driva Man uses to punish the slaves severely. The song implies that it would be better to die than to face punishment from the Driva Man. The slaves who try to run away are tracked down by the hounds of the Driva Man and then brought back to the plantation, where they are punished relentlessly. The phrase, "Make ya sorry you is black," which is repeated in the song, shows the racism and cruelty of the Driva Man.
Overall, the lyrics of "Driva Man" are powerful and evocative, showing the brutality and inhumanity of slavery in the United States.
Line by Line Meaning
Driva man, he made a life
The overseer made a living through exploiting the labor of black slaves
But the Mamie ain't his wife
The overseer engages in sexual relationships with female slaves, but they are not legally recognized as his wives
Choppin' cotton, don't be slow
Slaves are expected to work efficiently and without delay while picking cotton
Better finish out your row
Slaves are expected to complete their assigned work within a certain timeframe
Keep a-movin' with that plow
Slaves are expected to continuously work without resting while using a plow
Driva man'll show yer how
The overseer will demonstrate how to perform tasks to the slaves
Get to work and root that stump
Slaves are expected to remove any obstacles in the fields such as stumps
Driva man'll make you jump
The overseer will use physical force or punishment to ensure that the slaves are obedient and working quickly
Better make your hammer ring
Slaves are expected to work hard and fast while using a hammer
Driva man'll start to swing
The overseer will use a whip or other tools of punishment if the slaves do not work as expected
Ain't but two things on my mind
The singer is focused only on the overseer and the end of the work day
Driva man and quittin' time
The two things that are on the artist's mind are the overseer and when work will end
Driva man the kinda boss
The overseer is a cruel and controlling boss
Ride a man and lead a horse
The overseer is abusive towards the slaves, even treating them worse than the animals
When his cat o' nine tail fly
The whip or other tool of punishment used by the overseer will be in motion
You'd be happy just to die
The punishment can be so severe that the slaves would prefer death to enduring it
Runaway and you'll be found
If a slave tries to escape, the overseer will track them down
By his big old red bone hound
The overseer has a vicious dog that will track down escaped slaves
Pater oller, bring ya back
The overseer will use any means necessary to retrieve a runaway slave
Make ya sorry you is black
The punishment and treatment of the slaves is based entirely on their race, and is intended to make them feel inferior and unworthy of respect or fair treatment
Contributed by Madison B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@spillteatv9417
Driva man, he made a life
But the Mamie ain't his wife
Choppin' cotton, don't be slow
Better finish out your row
Keep a-movin' with that plow
Driva man'll show yer how
Get to work and root that stump
Driva man'll make you jump
Better make your hammer ring
Driva man'll start to swing
Ain't but two things on my mind
Driva man and quittin' time
Driva man the kinda boss
Ride a man and lead a horse
When his cat o' nine tail fly
You'd be happy just to die
Runaway and you'll be found
By his big old red bone hound
Pater oller, bring ya back
Make ya sorry you is black
Driva man he made a life
But the Mamie ain't his wife
Ain't but two things on my mind
Driva' man and quittin' time
Driva man the kinda boss
Ride a man and lead a horse
When his cat o' nine tail fly
You'd be happy just to die
Runaway and you'll be found
By his big old red bone hound
Pater oller, bring ya back
Make ya sorry you is black
Driva man he made a life
But the Mamie ain't his wife
Ain't but two things on my mind
Driva' man and quittin' time
@jamieann1975
INCREDIBLE!!! Go Brittany!
@lynegaron8395
J'adore, elle a une énergie extraordinaire!
@carolaynnesousasousa4215
meu essa musica e de arazaaaaaaa
@MzGumby02
Alright now!!!
@nonamemcgillicutty9585
Incredible is right.. one of the most authentic groups since the white stripes
@AlessandraMolina1
amen
@imanbwilliams
nice cover of Max Roach and Abbey Lincoln's song! #Alabama #StandUp
@josecuencamelo1
Thanks from Bogotá, Colombia.
@NigelAhmad
Sounds like Nina!
@ChiliStrawberry
can you please tell me which genre this is? i really love this kind of music <3